J Soden set me on a path of discovery about the modern Olympic games. Like just about everything else “international,” the games have gotten more corrupt and dysfunctional year after year. Funding and management problems were present in the games in Russia and Salt Lake City. Doping problems and charges of rigged judging have plagued the games for years. This years games in Rio are marked with all of that and more.
Jonathan Turly points to specifics instances in games past and present. The New York Post has more.
In addition to corruption charges, this years games in Rio have been troubling because of dangers to health and, sadly, bigotry. Water pollution presents a health hazard for swimmers and crews racing. Athletes and visitors are being warned about drinking water, bacteria, and the Zika virus. Yesterday the Lebanese Team refused to ride in the same bus with Jewish competitors. Politics and bigotry mar the games which were founded in the spirit of fair competition and peaceful interaction:
I sat through the interminable opening ceremonies from Rio Friday night. It was laden with climate change propaganda and self-righteous proclamations about world peace and tolerance and understanding.
It’s important to keep in mind that there is, indeed, a whole lot of intolerance and hostility out there… and much of it seems to stem from nations that all have the same thing in common. They embrace an evil ideology (or at the very least display a shocking and disturbing tolerance for that intolerant ideology) and they all hate free nations like Israel and the United States.
Someone remarked yesterday that maybe it’s time to send the Olympics back to Greece. It’s a bit late for that but interest in the games is waning. A Gallop poll found only 48% of Americans plan to watch. The Olympics may self-destruct, which is disheartening. The athletes work very hard and sacrifice for years to compete internationally. That’s US athlete Virginia Thrasher up at the top. she won the first gold medal of the 2016 games in the women’s 10‑metre air-rifle event.
I gave up watching a few years ago when it seemed like the scoring was rigged. How about you…will you watch?
And in spite of all the promises made by city leaders when they argue to have the games come to their city, they wind up awash in red ink! The real losers are the taxpayers in those cities that play host.
The last Olympics to even break even was in LA in 1984 when it was run by the late Peter Uberroth.
May watch the gymnastics competition this time around, but not much else. NBC may also take a bath ’cause their ratings are down.
There was a time when it meant something—
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYscemhnf88
Now, not so much. Haven’t watched in years, although here’s a thought—
http://hopelesslysane.blogspot.com/2016/08/donald-j-trump-has-officially-killed-pc.html
If they were to show the pole vault and more track and field, I would pay attention. The Olympics is mostly pomp and fluff and judged “competition”, not faster, higher, farther, heavier — the basic Greek sport.
Calling it a “dose of irony” that the first Olympic gold went to a woman shooter, this article points to the obvious, “maybe Southerners “clinging to their guns’ is good for something.” It also points out another successful female shooter:
You go girl! Yeah…at the Olympic too!
Ditto