Why the Olympics Suck
It started with the opening ceremony. The fireworks were cool, but the parade of nations left me flat. Short of commenting on the outfits as if we all worked for the back page of People magazine, it was Zzzz viewing. For the most part, that’s the way I fele about the competitive events too. I can sit through 14-inning baseball games, welterweight fights between unknowns and hours of wrestling – a sport that’s not even real. But when it comes to the Olympics, they get a gold medal for taking away my interest.
Far from ethnocentric, I’m not turned off by the U.N. flag-rallies. It has nothing to do with people speaking in foreign tongues. Honestly, I can’t exactly place my finger on why I’m disinterest. It could be…
THE ANNOUNCERS. There are a smattering of former athletes, but many of the voices covering the games are ‘generic journalists.’ People who like to constantly remind me that there’s tension between Russia and Georgia and that so-and-so once lived in a car (who hasn’t).
THE COVERAGE. Professional sports have a cadence, giving the game a measured predictability. You may not know what is coming next, but you usually can spot an opportune time for a bathroom break. With so many concurrent events, NBC has a difficult (if not no-win) challenge of keeping viewers abreast of the latest happenings. The result is the network weaving back and forth between events, taking away from the tension that makes sporting a beautiful thing.
THE ATHLETES. In all fairness, it’s difficult to care when you’re ‘meeting’ the players for the first time. This forces you to pick someone to root for by country, appearance, or by random – all weak excuses to care. Bottom line: it’s hard to invest in a stranger.
I’m also bored of hearing about Beijing. I get it; the air quality sucks, the stadiums were expensive to build, the people are great, bla bla bla.
I also don’t understand why every news program shipped their anchors away. Whether the headlines are being read from a prompter from Studio D in Newark or from the Cloud o’ Smog, I could care less. There’s no need for news to be repeated ‘on location.’
If you think the Olympic games are all guts, glory and glee – good for you. All I see are dollar signs. Color me jaded, but I can’t wait for the event to end. May the next four years take their time.
Whilst I agree the Olympics suck, I don’t think any american can comment on sport really.
Lets face it, all american sports are aimed at people with low IQ’s, short attention spans and the need for scores to be at least double figures.
American football is a joke, not a sport poncing around in padding like overweight sumo wrestlers.
Hey yankies here are some real sports for you.
1. Rugby – It’s like american football without all the gay lycra and padding.
2.Cricket – it can go on for days, long after the average yank has run off to the nearest takeaway to shovel food down their fat faces.
3.Darts – yes this is a sport and it rocks
4. Football – NOT SOCCER- soccer is some gay americanism
5. Badger baiting -
JB said this on August 13, 2008 9:38 pm
I love your blog. You never fail to amuse me and make me think. But color me Mary Sunshine, I am loving the Olympics. It’s not perfect, (what is?) but how can you not get caught up in the patriotism and good ole American spirit. I know things aren’t the way they used to be but I can’t help but see a glimmer of hope that some of our old guts and glory are still there. I usually love your crabbiness, it reminds me of my husband but after reading this post, I think you may need to add some more fiber to your diet. GO USA!
Smart Mouth Broad said this on August 18, 2008 2:19 am
I won’t comment on JB’s stab at my ‘Americaness,’ but I will make a confession: Watching Phelps go for his record-breaking eighth gold medal got my blood pumping. Have the Olympics won we over: NO. However, there are some shiny nuggets in there worth uncovering. I hope China is enjoying the ROI on their $50 billion investment.
Andrew G.R. said this on August 18, 2008 10:52 am
JB, I second that emotion.
Also, How the hell is handball an olympic event and cricket not? Come on now! The answer must be blowing in the wind along with other answers to such poignant questions like:
1. Why call the sport you play mainly with your hands football and the one you actually play with your foot soccer?
2. Is it possible to get fair and unbiased coverage from NBC which showcases the other nations of the world and their accomplishments, not just America? I mean how could you not want to interview the Jamaican 200m hurdles winners after she WON and just the American who came in at a far second. Bogus!
caribbeanchic said this on August 21, 2008 10:02 pm
Soccer/European Football is a third-world sport. It’s boring as hell and extremely lame.
Rorison Meadows said this on August 24, 2008 11:00 am
I’d rather watch countries compete for the cures to particular diseases than a bunch of meatheads
Rorison Meadows said this on August 24, 2008 11:02 am
[...] said it at the start and I’m sticking to my guns: THE OLYMPICS SUCK. Here are a few random observations and thoughts before I put out the torch by relieving my [...]
Jack Of All Blogs → Blog Archive » The Olympics Sucked. 11 Observations. said this on August 25, 2008 10:24 pm