Another celebration of the Olympic Games is here and pardon me for not getting excited.
While I have come to respect the athletes who train and devote their lives to two weeks of glory, the purpose of the Games is now lost.
China will spend $40 billion dollars to stage the games. That does not include the money spent under the table to make the organizers an offer they could not refuse. Think about it. Forty BILLION dollars.
That is more than the net worth of all the teams in the National Football League combined.
With that, let the games begin.
While NBC and the rest of the world might get you hyped up about the Games, I have learned over the years that when performances seem too good to be true, they probably are.
When we grace these athletes with so many accolades, we eventually learn they have tested positive for something or other. Hence, they become frauds.
I have seen enough.
There are some events that I pay attention to – but don’t put too much stock in it. Even basketball. If you want to see the best teams, do this. Pit the winners of each division of the NBA in a tournament against the Olympic basketball teams – which includes players from that respective nation’s league champion.
There are some sports that Americans normally don’t pay much attention to, yet millions of people watch in the Olympics. Gymnastics is among those. I don’t watch it, even in the Olympics.
Remember that any activity that has judges involved is not a sport. The exception is boxing, where the combatants have the option of knocking a guy out.
While the games will be on and I will sneak a peak from time to time, it will not have the same impact as it once did.
The money being spent could go to greater causes in the world.
The cheating takes the honor out of the Olympics and the politics that is being played by a variety of countries – including our own – is too much for me to stomach.
While the Games will be on, I won’t be watching.
But let the Games begin, and enjoy them. Only if you can sift through all the smoke and mirrors that are perceived to be genuine.
