Sunday, July 29, 2012

Remember when winning was enough?

 Remember when winning was enough? I do. I remember the 1964 Olympics. I remember when it was about the 'thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.'  I also remember the black power raised fist Olympics of 1968 when suddenly the games were being transformed into some statement about civil rights and black power in America. I remember the Israeli massacre Olympics of 1972. I remember the doping scandals with the Soviets and eastern block countries during the 1976 Olympics and the US boycott of the 1980 games.

1984 through 2000 seemed to give a rest to all the politics, but that all has been replaced with commercialism and the "me" generation of American athletes and other who are only there to get their endorsements and contracts.

The Olympic games has morphed into the same commercialized political games of so many other things in our life in my opinion and I am tired of it. This will be one of y least watch games as my interest level has been damaged by the antics and goings on outside the fields of competition.

Gold medallist Lochte of the U.S. poses on the podium after setting a world record in the men's 200m individual medley swimming final at the World Championships in Rome
Mary PealorJoe McGuigan
 Ryan Lochte was barred from wearing his red, white and blue grill on the medal stand
You, Mary Pealor and 2 others read this
American swimmer Ryan Lochte wanted to wear a custom-made red, white and blue grill on the podium after winning the 400 IM -- presumably to honor the ancient Olympians who also used to ice out with teeth jewelry. His plan hit a snag when a humorless IOC official informed him that wearing the grill would result in a failure to receive the most precious bling of all.
Wayne Drehs of ESPN tweeted that Lochte said "he tried to wear his grill on the podium only to have an Olympics official tell him if he did so he wouldn't get his gold."
They were going to hold back Lochte's medal because of a grill? Even for the IOC, that's egregious. We wouldn't want anyone to have any fun after winning a gold medal at an Olympics, would we? Athletes like Ryan Lochte are what make the Olympics into the worldwide spectacle it is. If Lochte wants to dress up like the queen to accept the medal, let him. Some nameless official shouldn't stand in his way.

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