Yesterday I started working at an elite private school with lots of boys and lots of money. Our athletes have tremendous advantages over most rivals in terms of coaching, equipment, facilities and funding. It is hardly a level playing field when we compete against local schools as they are more than happy to remind us.It is just like America at the Olympics.
Right now, we are winning in the overall medal count over China, Australia and a few other podunk nations. It is a source of national pride with me and I imagine most of you whenever I see it or one of our athletes winning a medal.
In reality, however, it is hardly a value of our collective worth. We ought to be winning lots of medals. We are the big private school with lots of athletes and money. In 2008, who can compete with us other than China? Nobody. We are a huge country with lots of people and infinite resources. What is surprising is not the American dominance of the Games, but why we can't dominate each and every sport. Why can't we figure out how to win at luge and table tennis?
I don't mean to be a sourpuss about the Olympics, but there is something fairly hollow about the swelling of national pride we get when America does well.
Other random Olympic thoughts:
* Is there a more bankrupt sport in the world than gymnastics? We are watching underage kids win medals for landing on their knees. What about the tie-breaker that cost an American girl the gold medal? Gymnastics isn't even a sport, is it? It is a performance. What is the difference between the tango and a floor exercise? And aren't we all a little embarrassed that jumping on a trampoline can earn you an Olympic medal?
Here is my criteria for whether something is a sport or a performance: if the winner is determined solely by judges, it is a performance and not a sport. Gymnastics, diving, figure skating - performances. Some sports can come down to a judge's decision - like boxing for example - after the participants had the opportunity to win outright. That is a sport. If the only way to win is to receive scores from Simon, Paula and Randy, it ain't a sport in my book.
* I love the Redeem Team. If they don't win the gold, it won't be because a bunch of over-hyped, spoiled NBA players lost to a hungrier nation. These guys are getting after it on the defensive end to make up for their suspect shooting and lack of post-up game (which is basically non-existent in the Olympics because of the international lane). LeBron is the second best athlete in Beijing behind Mr. Phelps and Dwyane Wade is back to his 2006 form. Did you see his alley-oop to Kobe the other night? I love these guys.
* Why haven't I heard more discussion about Aaron Piersol giving Mark Spitz the bird after Phelps' 8th gold? Are we pretending he was really cleaning out his eye?
* Speaking of swimming, shouldn't they cap how many different events are held? I can think of a million different swimming scenarios involving different strokes, relays and distances, but that doesn't mean they ought to have that many. Phelps is great and all, but most athletes have no chance at eight medals because there are not eight varieties of their respective sport. All the variety seems a bit much to me as the quantity of races devalues a swimming medal.
* I have a issue with the bronze medal. 3rd place? When do we ever celebrate 3rd place? Some of these sports are only played by about three people in the hole world. I don't blame that wrestler for tossing his bronze - 3rd place is nothing to stand on a podium about. I guess the Greeks were more generous with their adulation than us Americans.
* Last rant: How are countries allowed to use athletes who are not actually from their respective countries? Chris Kaman played for Germany's basketball team - he isn't German. I watched a table tennis match between four Chinese women, only two of them were from "Singapore." Would we put up with recruiting another countries athletes to play for us? What if Rafael Nadal decided to play tennis for America? That isn't the same as Agassi or Sampras winning it, is it? I can't believe the IOC lets this happen. Is recruitment a part of the "Olympic Spirit" I missed?
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6 comments:
Some excellent points. Of course, I couldn't care less about the redeem team, but I'm totally with you with pretty much all the others. Maybe the swimming comment was a bit suspect. Track & Field should have the same advantage. Except there is a HUGE difference between training for the 100 and the 400.
I loved your final rant. I think sometimes players who can't make their own nation's squad are allowed to compete for other nations. I do think there has to be some tie, though. Aggassi could have played for Iran, for example.
My biggest beef has to do with professional athletes in the games. They pretty much all are nowadays. I miss the days when we were sending our best and brightest young Americans. Who cares if Labron gets a gold medal? Tennis has used professionals since its inception, back in the 80s. Why not use this arena to promote junior tennis? The pros already have Davis Cup. It's just silly.
Oh yeah, and all those athletes that train over here in the U.S. and compete for other countries. That's not cool.
Let's not forget the Ralph Lauren outfits we were wearing at the opening ceremony.
Those were brutal, especially the berets. What are we, French?
Aren't people from Singapore asian? I have a hard time getting worked up about that. Are you sure they were really from China?
Yeah, the announcers did a whole bit about it that went something like this:
"There has been some controversy in Singapore about importing players onto the table tennis team. Some of the Singapore native players are upset about it."
"Well, Jim, if they win a medal in these games, nobody will be complaining one bit."
And that is why those guys are calling table tennis matches.
I just watched BMX racing in the Olympics-- NOT the X-Games.
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