Except for ice hockey when the pros were involved, I quit watching them several Olympics ago; for all the reasons articulated in this article.
TMPHBITEU
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Except for ice hockey when the pros were involved, I quit watching them several Olympics ago; for all the reasons articulated in this article.
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Couldn't agree more, Rip.
I grew up glued to the TV as a youth watching and often admiring the Olympic athletes of the sixties, seventies and beyond. The great USA boxing teams of the seventies. Or when the USA beat the big bad Russian team in 1980 I was beside myself (as a lifelong hockey fan). The great track and field teams.
And then it became more and more political a la UN and it became harder to stomach the tilting of the playing field. Not only were the judges both political and prejudiced in favor of their own or other countries they wanted to ingratiate themselves with, but many of the so-called sports that were introduced, and the many worthy sports removed, were lamentable decisions at best.
My wife has been staying up to watch the coverage at night and I honestly just couldn't care less anymore. It's sad that the wonder has passed but it is what it is.
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Not to mention the extensive cover-up and protection of a sexual predator by the U.S. Gymnastics team, et al. Their failure to protect these young, vulnerable athletes is despicable. What price is too high?
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I haven't watched a single second of the Olympics this year. In fact, I didn't know they had started. In addition to everything you've stated in your article, I despise the invention of "events" to cater to people that are unable to complete.
I'm a bit of a traditionalist and I still believe anything involving the X-games in some fashion is not - and cannot - be a sport. It is not a coincidence that the US "athletes" win the most medals in these X-game type events, as the US always has and will get crushed in the traditional events akin to thousands of years ago.
There will always be a winner and a loser in any true competition. And that is okay...in fact, I always learned much more from losing in a sporting event than I ever did winning. The same rings true in life, IMHO.
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This gave me a good laugh. Great article. It's nice to know that other people see through the propaganda. I also think it's funny how big of a deal is made over winners of events like snowboarding. I'm sure it is a difficult thing to do but I wonder if those people realize what would happen to them if theirs sport was monetized like the NBA or the NFL.Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe
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The Norwegian gold medalist in downhill skiing has this video of a typical session of strength-training, and... yeah... I'm a Norwegian and it's frankly embarrasing. I should not be on a "roll off the couch and get to the gym twice a week, if I feel like it"-program based on the Starting Strength lifts with mediocre genes and be pretty much at the same level in strength as the olympic gold medalist here. That gold should supposedly symbolize the peak of what humanity has to offer in athletic ability. Why am I almost as strong with 10-15 hours of training a month? Why?
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TMPHBITEU
Thanks to Glenn Reynolds for the link: Instapundit >> Blog Archive >> MARK RIPPETOE: The Olympic Games: Time to Stop. “The Olympics has turned from a celebration of hu…
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Interestingly, Muay Thai has received provisional status. Maybe there will be a move back to a legit martial sport. Perhaps they will screw it up though.
Cheerleading and Muay Thai Given Provisional Olympic Status - The New York Times
However, my money is on cheerleading inclusion.
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Holy shit. WHAT IS GOING ON HERE.
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