Apparently the newest fad is to criticize the Olympics. I guess the Olympics are a perfect target, considering the imbroglio over the pairs figure skating competition and NBC's inane and gut-wrenching coverage. Yet, I can't help but disagree with the Olympics' growing number of critics.
Perhaps the average TV viewer is getting tired of seeing taped competitions, artfully edited to provide the greatest possible revenue for NBC. I can't blame them. However, it takes a hard heart not to appreciate the Olympic spirit that truly exists among the athletes and spectators who actually participate in the Olympics, rather than gawk at it in between trips to the fridge for that Miller High Life.
For instance, anyone who watched the men's 10K cross-country skiing relay could not help but cheer as Norway won the gold against an inconsiderate Italian team. (After forcing the last Norwegian skier to lead for most of his leg of the race'proper etiquette in cross-country skiing is to switch places every so often to avoid wind fatigue'the Italian racer finally pulled in front on the final straightaway.) Just when you thought the wind-fatigued Norwegian was a goner, he pulled off an amazing sprint to the finish to beat the Italian by less than a second.
Who could not be excited about the U.S. hockey team playing the Russians for the first time since Lake Placid's miracle on ice? The Cold War was only a distant memory for Keith Tkachuk, who reached his hand across the boards to offer his Russian competitor a friendly handshake. Not only was the game exciting and intensely competitive, but both teams showed a sportsmanship that dispelled any fears of a repeat of Nagano's embarrassing incident when U.S. hockey players tore up their hotel rooms because of their disappointing performance.
Even speed skating had its powerful moments. When Apolo Anton Ohno lost his gold to an Australian competitor because of a last-minute crash (the only reason the Australian was in the finals in the first place was because of a crash during qualifying), I thought Ohno would be indignant and raise a stink about the judges' decision not to rerun the race. I mean, if the Canadians can do it, why not? Instead, he took the silver medal with a smile and a hug for the winner. In his NBC interview, Ohno did not even sound too disappointed.
So what if the figure skating judges are corrupt? They have been corrupt for the entire history of the sport. It is not as if these Olympic Games are any different. In fact, the open and honest leadership of Olympic Committee Chair Dr. Rogge means that reform may actually take place in the future, rather than shoving these controversies under the rug.
NBC deserves criticism for not broadcasting these Olympic Games live and for whoring itself out to advertisers and sponsors whenever possible. Those Chevrolet ads with Michelle Kwan and the men's hockey team may be funny, but I don't doubt that if Chevy could slap their logo on the back of every Olympic athlete, they would. And if I hear Scott Hamilton make yet another reference to his glory-filled days in Sarajevo, I am going to cry.
However, the Winter Olympics are a lot more than just a possible ratings competitor for Fox's \24."" The athletes featured in those annoying human-interest stories are real athletes with hopes and dreams that center on the Olympic Games. NBC may manufacture the hype, but those athletes do not manufacture their emotions or ambitions.
Before I lapse into poetic verse or start humming the Olympic anthem, let me at least mention that the ideal of the Olympics is still important to the world. ""Globalization"" might be responsible for expanding the world's knowledge of different cultures and traditions, but it is the Olympics that actually brings those cultures together as equals.
I don't begrudge my fellow campus columnists their complaints. This Olympics is not perfect and there is fault to be found in almost every broadcast, but rather than focus on the inevitable imperfections, why not focus on the truly Olympian performances of athletes from nations all over the world?
Great things are happening every day, such as the first gold medal awarded to an African American in Winter Olympics history. These Olympic Games have even rekindled my dreams of ski-jumping glory. If a 17-year-old Swiss ski jumper can take two gold medals, then why can't I take at least one?
