OLYMPIC FEVER 98.9
A cranky opinion for
CRANKY OPINION SATURDAY
The following is the opinion of a
cranky old man with little knowledge of the topic opined. Opposing opinions are welcome, but they are
wrong. As always, please, no name calling,
and that means you, you big stupid head!
Apparently
the 906th Olympic Games start this summer in Rio De Janeiro which is
a little south of New Jersey. I know
about this event because in the news I read all about a Zika virus that is
scary as shit. Seems a lot of it is
going around in Rio. I also read about
the pollution (air and water) that is scary as shit, and rampant crime which
is…that’s right, scary as shit.
Today I hear
Rory McElroy one of the best golfers in the world is not going to participate
in the Olympics basically because among other things, the venue is scary as
shit.
Years ago,
when the Olympics were first telecast worldwide, the Olympics were a huge
thing. To win a gold medal was to be a
superstar. No one would ever think to
avoid the Olympics when even a medal in fencing, sailing or hop scotch would
put you on a Wheaties box…today not so much.
What has
changed?
First of all
the Olympic athletes of old were all amateurs,
people who made the supreme sacrifice of postponing life for the chance
to win a medal. If a participant twisted
his ankle in his first heat it was a tragic story as he would never have
another chance. Jim Thorpe had all his
medals taken away when it was found he played “Professional” baseball and
earned $1.35 before the Olympic Games…these people were serious.
Today these
“amateurs” are supported and paid to train and participate. They don’t postpone their life for sport;
sport is their life and their occupation.
Maybe not the fencers, sailors and hop scotchers, but the athletes for
any sport anyone really cares about.
So when a
great golfer like McElroy refuses to represent his country, who really
cares. He represents his country in
every tournament he plays. Golf is now
international. Every big tournament is worldwide. Soccer is worldwide. Basketball has players from many nations in
the NBA. Track and field athletes from
all over the world are on scholarships and represent US Colleges in NCAA
competition.
I don’t know
about the rest of the world, but I don’t care anymore.
There is no Al
Oerter who after working all day spent hours training and lifting weights so he
could try and win the discus throw five times over a 20 years period of time; all
without support from anyone except his family.
It is no
longer politically correct to root exclusively for your own countrymen. The chant of USA, USA, USA is a little
annoying when you know your guy is taking the same steroids as their guy and is
just as professional as their guy and though he may be American, he is quite
possibly an American Dick!
I can’t get
excited when a swimmer wins his 73rd gold medal in his fourteenth
Olympics. He is not making sacrifices,
it is his job. He doesn’t have to hope
to be Tarzan in the movies, he is already rich. And besides, he is a
swimmer…big whoop.
Does anyone
watch swimming between the Olympics? How
about sailing? Fencing anyone? Track and Field? Olympic style Wrestling?
Anyone? Hell these events are not even
broadcast on ESPN 6.
So to all
you medal winners, congratulations, enjoy, but I will not be watching. Oh…and that medal is only gold plated.
The preceding was the opinion of a
cranky old man and not necessarily that of management…Mrs. Cranky.
I think as an athlete I myself might be sitting out the upcoming Olympics. I heard several women newscasters were not going to be there to do telecasts because they were pregnant and they were concerned about the Zika virus and I don't blame them for their concern.
ReplyDeleteI do think there should be some sort of age limit that includes those that can participate. Otherwise, like you said, it is a career for some, especially when you consider the endorsements that could come out of their performance.
I will probably be sitting out a lot of watching the games this year too.
betty
Sadly, The Olympics have definitely lost a bit of their luster over the past 20 years or so...makes me miss the 80s and 90s.
ReplyDeleteHi Cranky Man,
ReplyDeleteI went to Brazil last year and while crime there is high, it isn't the worst place I've been to. Also, we had the "Soccer" World Cup there two years ago and, again, it went without a hitch. You can read about Zika but isn't that potentially a problem in the southern US too?
I can't get too excited about the Olympics. I was when it was in London in 2012 but only because the country as a whole embraced it. When it's on the other side of the world it's appeal diminishes.
I may take a vague interest but probably not.
:o)
Cheers
PM
I've not watched the Olympics in years. Won't be watching this one either. I don't care. There are other more interesting things to do. Like the laundry, mowing the lawn, watching the grass grow. Important stuff.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous weekend. ☺
i hope those who participate will be safe.
ReplyDeleteYep... I agree.
ReplyDeleteIt's all about the money.
Should be spelled $port$
Olympics these days are crooked as shit! One city offers a bigger bribe than the next city and is awarded the games. Like you say, the athletes train 24/7 and are paid handsomely to do so. If not paid outright, their endorsements make them rich. And watching bicyclists or runners go round and round...meh.
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy the Winter Olympics, not because I know anything about the events, but because I enjoy seeing scenes of snow and mountains...pretty impressive to a flatlander from Texas.
I think the last time I REALLY watched the Olympics was in 1972 when Mark Spitz won all those medals in swimming. I was going to be the future Mrs. Mark Spitz... And as we all know, those events were marred by the Munich massacre when Israeli hostages were killed.
ReplyDeleteI feel about sports as a whole as you feel about the Olympic Games.
It's sad what "amateur" sports has come to.
ReplyDeleteI use to so look forward to the Olympics but that was about 20 years ago. Corruption has taken over or at least we now know about it. Cities buy the event and the athletes are rarely amateurs or drug free. Tis a shame.
ReplyDeleteWhat you say is true, but I'd still like to have a gold medal, but unfortunately they don't hand them out to bullshit artists like me.
ReplyDeleteWhat good are gold medals anyway?
ReplyDeleteMy husband will be going to Brazil within the next year. I hope he doesn't get pregnant while he's there!
ReplyDeleteI think it's time the Olympics was discontinued. The amount of drug-taking cheating going on is ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteRemember the old saying 'money is the route of all evil'? I haven't watched the Olympics for years. Sports have become tainted.
ReplyDeleteI still enjoy watching many of the Olympic sports, but my heart isn't in my throat the way it was all those years ago when the competitors were true amateurs. And I think there should be a handful of host cities and the games should rotate among them, re-using existing facilities.
ReplyDelete