Why I Hate The Olympics...In 250 350 Words

Innocence Lost


I guess that, like most of the other members of the "Baby Boomer" generation out there that came of age with at least one television--if you were lucky a Color TV--in their household, I "used to"--past tense--enjoy watching the Summer and Winter Olympic events every few years when the TV schedule announced their availability.

Who can forget the drama of the competition of people like Nadia Komenich, Peggy Flemming, Mark Spitz, and the endless list of other competitors who skated and vaulted and swam their way across our TV screens in the days of our youth when steroids and "doping" scandals were either non-existent or not covered on the front pages of the NY Times.

And of course there is the (in)famous images of the guy tumbling off the snow ski jump ramp on ABC's "Wide World of Sports" intro back in the early 1970's:



That definitely made me think twice when I had the urge to go out and strap two 1x4's to my boots and take off sliding down the nearest hill when it snowed in south Alabama once every twenty years.

My problem today with the "Modern Olympics" and the associated TV coverage is the loss of the character and the insidious intrusion of the "professional" athlete into an event which, in theory if not spirit, was originally touted as showcasing the abilities of the common men and women of countries--for the shear pleasure of competition and as an extension of national pride.

Today, since most everyone has no morals and will do anything for profit or for glory & recognition, moments like the 1980 USA victory over the Russians in Hockey or any one of a number of other conquests by international AMATEUR ATHLETES has been poisoned and overshadowed by the likes of Michael Jordan and the other "professional" assholes that have in recent years just been allowed to show up at the Olympics for the photo opportunity.

All that said, I hope that you will this morning excuse me, because other than knowing that some poor fellow from Georgia...the Asian Georgia...died on the track sliding down an ice covered hill at 90 MPH, I pretty much could care less what's going on in Vancouver and it's suburbs in Canada.

Dang I'm an ignorant, uncultured Asshole, aren't I?