Friday, August 8, 2008

The 5 Ring Circus

Better known as the Olympic games. Not even a full paragraph and we're already dripping with sarcasm. Can you tell that we're no longer enamored with the Olympics?

There was a time when we looked forward to the Olympics. We loved watching, from the opening ceremony right down to the extinguishing of the torch. Then things changed.

The Olympics are now every 2 years with the Summer and Winter games alternating. We don't have a problem with that, it's kind of cool. Each still only goes every four years.

But there are a number of issues we don't care for. First and foremost, we're no longer the underdog. The United States an underdog, you say? When it came to the Olympics we were. That's what made victories even greater, even more emotional. We are still considered underdogs in some sports, but do we care if Kobe Bryant wins a gold medal? We hate Kobe Bryant and that doesn't change just because he's representing the U.S..

"Do you believe in miracles?" screamed Al Michaels as the 1980 U.S. men's hockey team upset the big, bad Russians en route to an improbable gold medal. That's what the Olympics were all about for us. Not watching professional athletes push aside amateurs who may not have the ability to go pro one day.

Tennis? What the hell is tennis doing in the Olympics? They want to eliminate softball and baseball, but keep tennis?

Another factor is the corruption that has taken place over the years. We always knew the eastern bloc was pumping themselves up with steroids. The men looked like uber-men and the women looked like men. Now many of our athletes stand equally accused.

Crooked judges. We've seen so many examples over the years from boxing to ice skating where a potential medalist was screwed. Let's not even get into the '72 basketball fiasco.

And the biggest problem is the International Olympic Committee itself. As corrupt and blind an organization as you could find. Politics aren't supposed to be part of the Olympic spirit... but they are always a part of the Olympic spirit. Great job awarding the games to a country, China, that treats their people like shit. Beijing has enough air pollution to make LA seem like a breath of fresh air.

There will still be plenty of people that will still watch every minute they can. We just won't be among them.

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