I think the Olympics started sucking when the Cold War ended.
When we were kids, the Olympics were really special because that is the only time we ever saw a Russian or an East German. It was like seeing the trolls that hide under the bridge, and you got to see them in real life. Except when you watched them, they weren't trolls, they were just normal people (who never smiled).
And, of course, throughout the whole thing it was important that the United States win more medals than the Soviet Union and East Germany (back then Communist China wasn't that big of a contender).
So, you had some real drama back then. United States athletes weren't just competing for medals, they were competing for national pride.
And when an athlete from the "other side" got the media's attention, that was good too, because it made us feel human. We thought "She may be a communist, but damn, can she twirl around those bars!"
Now, the games are a big "who cares?"
Personally, I could care less how many medals the United States wins versus other countries. Now all of the athletes are individuals, and what country they compete for is an afterthought.
So, maybe the "Big" Olympics is a victim of its own success? Maybe by allowing us to see each others as individuals, it has sown the seeds of its
own destruction.
There just isn't anyone to root against anymore. |
