Are the Olympics no longer necessary?

[Velvet]

I mentioned it in a post before, and after this winter Olympics I really believe that they no longer mean what they are supposed to and they are no longer necessary. During the times when the biggest powers in the world were ready to fight with each other at the drop of a hat I think they had a place becuase in SOME instances (not all, look at the World Wars) they have been a way to thumb your nose at another country without going to war. Now it all just seems petty and I’m tired of the overall medal counts. As if any small country could ever hope to approach the counts of the bigger ones.

Personally, I think the politics and litigious nature of the 21st century has not only undermined the games, but ruined them for all times. The Olympics have always had problems, and now they really don’t serve much of a purpose. World Championships really ought to be enough.

Okay, that’s my opinion. Feel free to post your own!

It’s all about ME, ME, ME!!! (The only signature worthy of a real DQ.)

[This message was edited by Velvet on Feb. 22, 2002 at 12:39 PM.]

[keke414]

The Olympics seem to be necessary for the media types and advertising agencies, to tell them who the top dog in each sport is. Frankly I think it has lost its original purpose because it all seems to be about only money now.

[dublin]

I personally hope she is banned from judging for life at the April hearing. The statements she first made - entirely voluntarily - to referee Ron Pfenning after the pairs competition are the only ones I give credence to, personally.

Here's the New York Times article that I think halfhalt is referring to:

NEW YORK -- The French judge in the middle of the figure skating controversy said she               was under pressure from Canada, not her country's federation, before voting for the                 Russians in the pairs final, The New York Times reported.

Marie-Reine Le Gougne, in an interview from her lawyers office in Salt Lake City, said that
despite the pressure she voted with her "heart and soul."

Le Gougne said the lobbying effort was led by senior skating officials from Canada and
began in September. "They needed my vote," Le Gougne told the Times during the
interview conducted in English and posted on the paper's Web site early Sunday. "It was
going to be very close. I was in the
middle."

Michael Chambers, president of the Canadian Olympic Association, dismissed the claims,
also made last week in an interview with the French sports paper L'Equipe.

Le Gougne was suspended indefinitely by the International Skating Union for misconduct
after she admitted she had voted to give the Russians, Elena Berezhnaya and Anton
Sikharulidze, the gold medal under pressure from the French federation. She also signed a
statement with the ISU backing up that claim.

Ron Pfenning, the referee of the pairs panel, gave ISU head Ottavio Cinquanta a report
detailing a meeting at which Le Gougne blurted out that she'd been pressured to vote for
the Russians. During her outburst, she mentioned both the French skating federation and
its president, Didier Gailhaguet.

Gailhaguet has denied pressuring Le Gougne.
Le Gougne said she only blamed the French federation because she lost her ability to
fight accusations being made by other skating officials.

"I was so mixed up in my mind, I had trouble thinking properly," Le Gougne told the Times.
The International Olympic Committee awarded duplicate gold medals to the Canadians,
Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, who finished a close second on Feb. 11 despite an obvious
technical error by the Russians.

Le Gougne's future now depends on a hearing in April, when the results of an internal
investigation by the ISU will be reviewed.

“Of course, that’s just my opinion. I could be wrong.” - Dennis Miller

[This message was edited by dublin on Feb. 26, 2002 at 04:43 PM.]

[rescuemom]

I’ve begun to wonder the same thing. At least in theory and on the surface, the Olympics were supposed to be separate and apart and insulated from whatever inter-nation bickering, sucking up, etc. was going on “in the real world.” Even though that was certainly never completely the case, at least the countries involved all made an attempt to keep up that illusion. With these winter games, the pairs skating judging matter, the threats from Korea on the speed skating sanctions, the endless and interminable medal counts, the ridiculous and excessive highlighting of any competitor who is out of the norm, whatever the hell the norm is, I think the concept of having one area where countries agree to all share the sandbox and play nice for some brief and specific time is just shot to hell. In my heart of hearts I’d like the Olympics to continue, and to live up to my ideal of what they “should” be. But the realistic half of me is definitely in “glass half empty” mode on this.

[system]

Well, speaking of sportsmanship, I must say I was very impressed with Michelle Kwan’s loss last night. Talk about a gracious loser and a good sport. You could see the terrible hurt in her eyes and how badly she wanted to win. But I was so very impressed at how gracefully she took it, hugged the winner, gave the audience her bow. She never gave up in her routine, didn’t come off the ice with a chip on her shoulder. I was very impressed.

[Oppok]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by maggymay:
it’s just a chnace to see really good athletes compete against each other in a sport you might not normally get to see.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I agree! When I watch I put the t.v. on mute so I don’t have to listen to the constant babble of the comentators. To me the Olympics is the best athletes in the world competing against each other to reign supreme. It’s amazing watching the best athletes do their sport! Although I don’t enjoy the fact that the olympics has become so commercialized. I wonder if they took the home country titles off of the athletes and just let them enjoy their sport if that would make any difference in the way the olympics are presented. I think that it’s become too much of an “Na Na I’m better than you” child like competition between the countries and we have lost the focus of the true athletes abilities.

[Velvet]

Personally, I think the Canadians were ripped off in the initial awards, but it really did open up Pandora’s box. In timed events there are ties and then they hand out two medals. I think that skating should allow for ties and should have treated this situation as one after the judging issues that were brought out (the pressure applied to get other judges to band together against certain competitors), it just seemed fair.

I do think that they should go to a system more like ours and judge movements and let them be totaled. I also like the idea of having a larger panel and picking a random grouping of judges from that panel for each competitor’s scores. And I very firmly believe that judges SHOULD NOT watch the skaters practice sessions everyday. They should judge what they see and if the competitor can cover up a flub, so be it? Where’s the harm? What is up with this mandatory study of practice sessions?

I think the ISU has even more problems than USAEq and USDF at the moment.

It’s all about ME, ME, ME!!! (The only signature worthy of a real DQ.)

[tle]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Frankly I think it has lost its original purpose because it all seems to be about only money now.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I’ll bet if you polled the athletes, they wouldn’t say that. Especially those who took breaks from well paying jobs (ie: the coach of the canadian women’s hockey team) to be there.

If Dressage is a Symphony… Eventing is Rock & Roll!

Counting down to the next Survivor!! – 4 days

[jr]

The pairs controversy, drug testing, NBC’s admittedly Americanized perspective and reporting…can all be debated endlessly.

Looking back on the games, however, I see a number of really encouraging and uplifting things.

The Russian pair’s exceedingly gracious behaviour at the double gold ceremony

Apolo Ono (sic) gracious acceptance of his disqualification, and genuine joy with his silver medal (despite commentators repeatedly asking “aren’t you disappointed?”)

Picabo Streets classy ending to a successful career…

The Canadian Hockey teams. Nice to see our neighbors to the north celebrating. We wouldn’t even know what hockey was if it wasn’t for them.

Sara Hughes joy at doing well, and elation at actually winning

Britain’s women’s curling team – examples of the dedication of true amateur sportswomen.

Lots of other examples. People may debate how good the games were with the controversies etc. But I think the athletes were Great.

[Velvet]

I mentioned it in a post before, and after this winter Olympics I really believe that they no longer mean what they are supposed to and they are no longer necessary. During the times when the biggest powers in the world were ready to fight with each other at the drop of a hat I think they had a place becuase in SOME instances (not all, look at the World Wars) they have been a way to thumb your nose at another country without going to war. Now it all just seems petty and I’m tired of the overall medal counts. As if any small country could ever hope to approach the counts of the bigger ones.

Personally, I think the politics and litigious nature of the 21st century has not only undermined the games, but ruined them for all times. The Olympics have always had problems, and now they really don’t serve much of a purpose. World Championships really ought to be enough.

Okay, that’s my opinion. Feel free to post your own!

It’s all about ME, ME, ME!!! (The only signature worthy of a real DQ.)

[This message was edited by Velvet on Feb. 22, 2002 at 12:39 PM.]

[vineyridge]

Better arguments in sport than wars.

Seriously, when nationalism invaded the Olympics with Adolf, and state supported teams became the norm, the Olympics became national proganda machines. When patriotism isn’t called on for “real” issues, sporting prowess gives an excuse for promoting jingoism.

[thecowboyway]

Didn’t we boycott Moscow for political reasons? and aren’t Korea and Russia’s issues purely poor sportsmanship?(or so it seems)I do agree that the only ones boycotts seem to hurt are the athletes who work so hard and dedicate their whole lives for that one moment in time, its a shame the Olympics aren’t purely about the love of sport and country.

[Velvet]

I admit to doing synchronized swimming in high school on a team that won the state championship nearly every year. It is tough, and actually, amazingly, very competitive. But, does it need to be sanctioned by the Olympics? I just don’t know…

It’s all about ME, ME, ME!!! (The only signature worthy of a real DQ.)

[Velvet]

I just read that the Russian parliment voted to boycott the closing ceremonies. Sheesh, why should they have a say in what the athletes do? I mean, shouldn’t it be run by an agency that doesn’t have it’s hooks in the government so it can’t be used as a pawn? I don’t think the US should EVER have boycotted the Olympics in the 70s and I don’t think the goverment should have been allowed to tell the athletes, and athletic organizations for this country, what to do. If they want to compete, let them.

I know, this is simplistic, but it really is tiresome when politics ruin everything that was once nice in this world.

It’s all about ME, ME, ME!!! (The only signature worthy of a real DQ.)

[lilblackhorse]

I think it was the “wide world of sports” not “wild”…lolol. I miss watching that show, used to watch it all the time when I was a kid.

I love the Olympics, the winter I think more than the summer. I had a friend make the long list for the dressage team in 1980, the year we boycotted-I happened to be in Australia for them, and it was awesome to see them presented from a different view, and essentially just covered differently…I would hate to see the Olympics become sucha whine fest as this one rather became. The Koreans whining about their speed skater, the Russians pathetically threatening to pull out, what, 2 days before the end…puhleeeze.

My gripe with them is what someone else mentioned-the allowing of pros into the pot. Especially more in the summer games-like our “dream team” basketball group-hell, those folks make more in a day that I make in a lifetime. I didn’t like that at all. I am very frustrated with that aspect more than any other-ok, no I take that back. The MONEY thing bothers me too-they dope themselves up to win so they can get the massive endorsements shoveled out by billion dollar companies…ick. It takes away IMO.

“Perfect practice makes perfect.”

[Cactuskate]

Being rather apolitical I will not comment on the political structure of the world and Olympics. However, they have lost a bit of value when the “professional” athlete was allowed to compete.

Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand the expense and commitment to this elite level of competition, but amateurs leveled the playing field a bit. But then we could digress to the worn out discussion of shamateurs, they also live in the rest of the world.

Then there is the “media event”. Lord the theatrical presentations and expense of every little event must be stagering.

I too liked it when it was about the sport and who had the best time etc. I guess the closest we will come was Sarah Hughes winning GOLD last night after truly skating the finest long program of anyone. And she was pegged to be 4th. So there…

But if we were left to just view the World Championships I likely would not have seen the Swiss ski jumper “child”. What a hoot! So I do like the fact there are many events in one venue and with mixed coverage. Just wish it wasn’t so commercial.

“The older I get, the better I used to be, but who the heck cares!”

[Velvet]

If this is what finally stopped the original Olympics in Greece…

Maybe we should change the rules? What if it was only open to countries that couldn’t afford to support expensive athletic programs? It would make it a lot more interesting.

It’s all about ME, ME, ME!!! (The only signature worthy of a real DQ.)

[Pixie_Dust]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by hickchick:
Talk about a gracious loser and a good sport. You could see the terrible hurt in her eyes and how badly she wanted to win. QUOTE]

I also saw the Russian girl this morning. She was a real good sport about it. She was very sweet. I was shocked to hear that the Russians are now whining that she should get the gold. It’s so pathetic.

BGoosewood in Goosewood and therefore TweedleDEE http://hometown.aol.com/bgoosewood/index.html

[jr]

The reasons behind the Russian so called boycott are pretty obvious. The Russian figure skater has been interviewed, and has handled the whole thing graciously. It is her federation that has the issue, not her.

i believe that there are moral and ethical reasons to boycott olympic, but not this time. The N. Koreans are having an issue with sportsmanship – that makes this one silly. It is fascinating to me that it does not bother the N. Koreans that the host country’s leader calls them part of an Axis of Evil for selling technology to terrorist organizations or their intermediaries, but what prompts their boycott is the loss of short track speed skating event.

[Tosca]

The Olympics have to be commercial, they would never survive otherwise. Where do you think the funding for all those athletes and the nice new skating complexes comes from? I think watching a couple (okay, maybe more than a couple but you don’t have to watch them–I flip to another channel!) commercials and seeing the Nike swoosh everywhere is but a petty annoyance compared to the immeasurable satisfaction we get from watching the best compete.

It’s especially nice to know the athletes competing aren’t earning millions of dollars for this particular event and are doing it because they want to. Take the woman from the Canadian hockey team, who gave up her job as a Univ. professor (they wouldn’t grant her a leave of absence) to play at the Olympics. I hate watching the NHL, but I really enjoyed watching Olympic hockey for that reason.

~Tosca~

Gandalf caressed him. ‘It is a long way from Rivendell, my friend,’ he said; ‘but you are wise and swift and come at need. Far let us ride now together, and part not in this world again!’

www.parajournal.com/users/julieclaire