I used to be a big Olympics junkie when I was younger. I got caught up in all the sappiness of international competition and the universal competitive spirit that transcends national boundaries and politics. Even now, I still get a little caught up in the Olympic Flame Lighting Ceremony in Ancient Olympia.
Then one day, it occurred to me that if the Olympics were truly NOT about politics, then the athletes would all enter the arena together. They would not wear the colors of their country’s flag and no national anthems would be played during the medal ceremonies. That, compounded by the scandals regarding host cities bribing the IOC for the right to host the games (Salt Lake City, I’m looking at you) the Olympics have really lost a lot of their luster for me.
Having said all that, there are a few sports I will make a point to watch when the games make their quadrennial appearance. Of course, it doesn’t help that during the 2 weeks that the Olympics are taking place, it is one of the biggest new stories in the country. My go-to events are:
- Gymnastics (especially ever since Kid 1 started competitive gymnastics)
- Baseball (when its actually an Olympic sport. Its one of the few times that I cant watch truly international baseball)
There’s a few sports that I’ll watch when there’s a particularly interesting back-story to them; stories that the networks go to great lengths to make:
- figure skating
- basketball
- hockey
- Swimming (admittedly, I haven’t watched since Michael Phelps)
- Bobsled & Luge
Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, comment and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts as well as some earlier, related posts:
- Between Pride Rock and the Plains
- The Final Frontier Is Within: Why I Still Dream of Mars
- The Baggage We Choose: Finding Stability in a Packed-Up Life
- Two Screenshots and a Panic Attack
- The Game is Found Elsewhere (Baseball on the Brink – Part 3)
The article “Citius, Altius, Fortius” first appeared on Rebuilding Rob.
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