As I mentioned in my most recent post, I have a love / hate relationship with the Olympics. I love that countries build structures for sports and housing for athletes and then turn those facilities into housing less advantaged, and training kids in these sports, but, I hate that the whole process around getting the games is corrupt. It makes me sad to see so much bribery and corruption rampant in the process of deciding where the games will be held, and that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) seem to place more presence on making money than on the best interests of the athletes and the populations of the host countries.
What really lost me, however was the cheating, and lack of sportsmanship in Olympic events. Doping from the Russians, Iran athletes refusing to engage with Israeli athletes and the addition of professional athletes really takes the games away from their original intention and into just a money-making spectacle.
It’s become a joke, and for that, I feel horrible for the athletes!
Athletes train and compete for an opportunity to be recognized as one of the best in their field in the Olympics where the best of the best are supposed to be competing. It seems in some cases, its become a case of which country can dope the best, or cheat, or whose judges can do a favour for another country.
The Olympics have lost their integrity.
One way they could strive to get them back is to make a fundamental shift in the way they do things. Out with the old and corrupt and in with the new. There are rules, so use them. If you cheat, you’re out. Entire country. Out. No Olympics for you. No accidental drinking from my grandfathers drink after he took his angina medication, no accidental taking of horse hormones, none of that.
And the IOC needs to look at games which will help countries and where countries will help their people. How about a location which could use the economic support, and making the games into an opportunity for the global community to go to that country over the 8-year period of when they’re announced as hosts, and help build and create and develop. Make the games for everyone and not just for the benefit of the IOC and their pockets.
Cheating, doping, lack of fair play and you’re out. It’s time to make this change to the Olympics before the Olympics are gone for good. You owe it to the athletes!
I also think it’s time to look at some of the events in past Olympics and yes, I’m likely showing my age here, but how about a discussion about the sports that are being awarded medals:
- Skateboarding as an Olympic sport? Medals being awarded for riding a skateboard down a railing? What’s next? Scootering? That’s really popular with the kids these days… What about Unicycle? Pogostick? Have you ever tried a pogostick? They’re hard!
- What’s up with race-walking? and golf? Why aren’t billiards there? Or darts? Croquet? Lawn bowling, or bowling? Bocce??? I think a look into the sports being included in the games and awarded medals is always a good thing.
- Have we not progressed enough as human beings that we can watch beach volleyball and don’t need the women in skimpy bottoms and a bra top? I mean, the men wear tank tops and baggy shorts that go to their knees… What’s up with that?!? It’s 2022.
- I saw in the speed skating a skater push forward a pylon and it tripped a skater, causing them to crash and be eliminated. If I saw it, didn’t any of the judges? Even after the fact when it was being replayed over and over again. The IOC was very silent on this.
- I like watching figure skating, go figure, but this judged sport has it’s share of controversy, ranging from bad judging to doping and it’s become something that either needs to be robot scored (so a set of criteria completed get a score, and no “artistic impression”) or it needs to be removed from the games. It’s become a big source of frustration and a bit of a joke and that’s not fair to the athletes. Not fair at all.
All in all, I want to enjoy and watch the Olympics, but I cannot. I’m upset before the games begin at the location of the games, and the cheating and corruption make me sicker. Then a Canadian athlete wins, or beats their personal best, or just competes and my eyes well up with tears, and want to give them the keys to the country for representing us so well.
Please IOC… Fix the damn games, eh!
The Urban Daddy® 