Reasons why I can't get into the Olympics anymore

[Déjà Bru]

Reason number one: Commercialism. Commercials! Money, money, money. Everybody and his brother needs to associate their product with the Olympics, no matter how fuzzy the connection. Sponsored, coddled, and hyped, these are no longer amateur athletes by a long shot, particularly those from countries like the U.S.A.

Reason number two: Phony or exaggerated sentiment. In my initial hour of viewing coverage, I encountered the first sob story of somebody overcoming adversity, complete with the obligatory person in tears. I am not callous but I am tired of the networks needing to dig up and embellish this stuff. Look. If that teary mother and I were sitting in a room together with her telling the story of her disadvantaged son, I would be moved. I am not moved when I realize that she is doing this on cue with a camera in her face.

Reason number three: This overarching American pride, this narrow focus on American athletes, and above all, this shock and dismay when American athletes don't immediately and overwhelmingly triumph. Like this:



Classy commentary by the ESPN analyst, eh? Imagine how the French basketballers would feel listening to him. Instead of being congratulated for an upset win, the Americans should feel ashamed for losing to them.

This is the first Olympics for which I have finally admitted these things to the point where I will now stop viewing them. For the last few Olympiads, I would mark my calendar in anticipation only to find myself not really caring when they rolled around yet tuning in regardless. I will not be doing even that anymore.

[Déjà Bru]

Afterthought: You know what the sad thing is? If it weren't for the media coverage, I believe I could still enjoy the Olympics. Sort of an oxymoron, though, for how could I enjoy the Olympics without the media coverage? Too bad. Everything is so overdone, beaten and flogged to death in order to make money.

[rudel.dietrich]

COVID has dampened my excitement for these games.
I felt like they should have been outright canceled. There have already been scores of athletes, coaches, and media members who tested positive or contact tracing has prevented them from flying to Japan.

Also in years with the massive time differences, I find it much harder to get to.
I have instant results sent to my phone. So I already know the outcome for most events because they happen 7 hours ahead of me.

That being said, I will enjoy some of it. The basketball (both traditional and 3 vs 3), the football, and the handball being highlights for me.

And Team USA has nothing to be embarrassed about. The team was not very well put together and has been devastated by COVID and barely got time to practice together and had one of their exhibition games outright canceled.
They have the most talent, but it is hard for that talent to play up to their talent level when they can never field a full team and that team got just a few weeks to gear up for the event.
One player (Kevin Love) outright left the team because of a lingering injury.
Three players had to miss time due to COVID.
Bradley Beal will miss the entire trip because he has COVID
Jemari Grant was a late arrival in Japan because he came into contact with someone who had COVID.
And Zach Lavine is still in the USA awaiting clearance to travel to Japan because of contact tracing with someone who had COVID.

Three more of the players, Middleton, Lopez, and Booker just had their season end on Tuesday night July 20th and just joined the team over the past 48 hours.

And the team was just not well constructed. Too few true centers/power forwards.
And the team could use one or two pass-first ball handlers.

Kemba Walker loves to play international basketball. But his knee problems I think have him on the downside of his career.
I would rather have Trae Young in there for him
I would of invited Lamelo Ball over some of their other guard choices. He does not care if he only shoots 3 times a game. He could score 4 points but have 7 rebounds and 9 assists and really help the team.
And why not have a true center?

He may be getting ready for the NBA draft next week. But having someone like Evan Mobley out of USC would have been a good choice of having a big guy.
The international game demands more inside play. In the loss from today, Team USA got hammered on the boards and France won because of second-chance points.

And France is always a really strong team. This is not 1992 anymore. The rest of the world has embraced basketball and is catching up talent-wise.
Which is a good thing! It makes the sport overall better talent-wise.

Basketball is the second most popular sport in the world and it makes these international events better to watch since the quality of players across the board has improved even in my lifetime.

[albatross11]

Totally agree with you, especially reason #3, but your other 2 reasons are valid criticisms also.

[albatross11]

Right, Rudy, quality basketball players can be found all over the globe. That's a good, positive thing.

[pilight]

The Olympics and their American coverage have always had all of that stuff. The internet has been a godsend, as I'm no longer tied to whatever NBC deigns to broadcast. Everything is streamed live and available for later if need be.

As for amateurism, good riddance. There is no value in amateurism except to the people making money off of the "amateurs".

[Bluenoser]

Funny, those are the exact same reasons I have a difficult time following professional sports these days.

When its comes right down to it though, we're surrounded by those very things everywhere, not just in sports.

Money, money, money; profits, profits, profits; that which makes the world spin. Just add in as much drama as possible.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Bluenoser

Funny, those are the exact same reasons I have a difficult time following professional sports these days.

When its comes right down to it though, we're surrounded by those very things everywhere, not just in sports.

Money, money, money; profits, profits, profits; that which makes the world spin. Just add in as much drama as possible.

You know, I wonder sometimes why sports doesn't hold the thrills for me as much these days. It's easy to blame it on age but I don't think that's the real cause.

Or maybe it is. But I shouldn't blame myself. Being of a certain age means you remember when sports was not overrun so much by money.

When there were a reasonable amount of ads and hype. When you weren't shelling out bundles of cash for the privilege.

When there were only amateurs at the Olympics (the Soviet athletes notwithstanding) and you could marvel and celebrate their accomplishments because they achieved them on their own, not as system cogs and corporate pawns.

And when everything wasn't such a goddamned media extravaganza.

I also wonder why I come here to post this stuff. What do I hope to accomplish? Nothing, really. Certainly not to argue one way or the other.

I don't mean to spoil the fun of young folks. This is the world that they must live in, after all. It's just that I cannot be silent about things, either. In essence, it's "getting it off my chest" but perhaps, perhaps it will do some good, too.

[BBGiovanni]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Afterthought: You know what the sad thing is? If it weren't for the media coverage, I believe I could still enjoy the Olympics. Sort of an oxymoron, though, for how could I enjoy the Olympics without the media coverage? Too bad. Everything is so overdone, beaten and flogged to death in order to make money.

"And now we go live to the 5-man sculling race, where the American team makes their bold run at 15th place!!!"

[mytreds]

Watching glue dry is more exciting than the Wokelympics.

[cephasjames]

The biggest reason I can't get into them is because I never watch "normal" TV anymore. I didn't even know when they were starting this year. I only ever stream and if what I'm streaming doesn't advertise something then I don't know it exists. Yes, I knew they were happening this year because I've seen news headlines about them, but I had no clue when. And now that I know they're here it falls back to I don't watch "normal" TV, so I'm not watching the Olympics. I have watched some clips on YouTube or highlights in news stories, but that's about it. I'm sure I'm weird though in how I consume media.

[dkgo]

I'll tune in while browsing channels at night, but the problem for me is most of the "sports" are unbelievably dull to watch or just a dozen variations of the same thing.

I realize that it takes a lifetime of dedication to training and hard work for the athletes, but that doesn't make it interesting for a viewer.

Obviously if you are watching a US broadcast or reading US news it is going to focus on the American athletes so that is an odd complaint. Every country focuses on their own competitors.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by dkgo

I realize that it takes a lifetime of dedication to training and hard work for the athletes, but that doesn't make it interesting for a viewer.

This is another good point. The last thing that I watched was skateboarding. Skateboarding. In the Olympics.

So, I am watching this dude flip his board in the air and landing on the stair rail to glide a foot or two on it. And the next guy does the same trick. And the next guy. And the next guy.

Meanwhile, being the nerd that I am, in the back of my mind are the folks who need to use those stairs and rails (the ones in real life, of course) and the obstruction and damage that these guys do to them.

[Ty Cobb]

This year's Olympics, more than any since the 1930's, have politicized what should be about pure athleticism and merit.

My advice to the media: tone down the jingoism. You make all of America look like ignorant, tone deaf jackasses. We aren't.

My advice to the athletes: Keep your personal politics out of the games and try to focus on success. Quit acting like entitled spoiled (spoilt?) brats. If your nation offends you so much, compete for someone else.

My advice to those who disagree with me: It's my opinion, not a pronouncement from on high, and neither the media nor the athletes are going to pay attention. I get it.

[Déjà Bru]

Good post, particularly this:

Originally Posted by Ty Cobb

My advice to the media: tone down the jingoism. You make all of America look like ignorant, tone deaf jackasses. We aren't.

[Déjà Bru]

I want to have an opinion about Simone Biles but I'll be darned if I know what it should be.

On the one hand, she embraces the GOAT title and presumably is cashing in right and left on her fame. On the other hand, she has a bit of trouble in an early event and then decides to withdraw from all remaining team competition.

Sure, the pressure is intense. Everybody was ready to hand her the gold medals before the Olympics began. Yet she has built a brand that will translate into millions and is only slightly tarnished by this turn of events.

Quit the team over mental issues? Does that sound like the Greatest Of All Time? The critics are on her case.

But Simone Biles is a young person and human like the rest of us. The temptation to sympathize with her is also strong.

[Ty Cobb]

It takes a lot of will to walk away from what probably awaited her. She must have needed relief quite badly. I (heartless SOB that I am) feel badly for her, and admire her candor. Admitting you can't take the pressure and have 'mental issues' is a thing few among us are able to admit to ourselves, let alone to an entire world. I hope she finds what she needs and returns.

[pilight]

I wonder what Olympics you guys have been watching your whole lives if you think these games are more politicized or commercialized than what's been happening since forever.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by pilight

I wonder what Olympics you guys have been watching your whole lives if you think these games are more politicized or commercialized than what's been happening since forever.

Well, not forever. And as far as recent history, it's a matter of degree.

[Reed]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

I want to have an opinion about Simone Biles but I'll be darned if I know what it should be.

On the one hand, she embraces the GOAT title and presumably is cashing in right and left on her fame. On the other hand, she has a bit of trouble in an early event and then decides to withdraw from all remaining team competition.

Sure, the pressure is intense. Everybody was ready to hand her the gold medals before the Olympics began. Yet she has built a brand that will translate into millions and is only slightly tarnished by this turn of events.

Quit the team over mental issues? Does that sound like the Greatest Of All Time? The critics are on her case.

But Simone Biles is a young person and human like the rest of us. The temptation to sympathize with her is also strong.

Does she get a pass because of her gender??? What if Tom Brady or Labron skip a playoff game citing mental stress. Would we be quick to condemn them? Many would I think. Personally, I can't make that call for someone else.