So, I don't usually do sports. I really don't care about hockey or football or gold or any of those things that are usually up on the TV at a sports bar. However, I have always enjoyed some of the less publicized sporting events that get trotted out around the Olympics. It is really cool to see people who work that hard to be good at something that, while kind of pointless now, could potentially save them in a zombie apocalypse with a little adaptation and creative thinking. I mean, they are all so quick and flexible and disciplined, it has to be useful for something!
However, I do have a problem with the whole IOC and related commercial enterprises running the show while the governments put out all the actual cash for it. I mean, basically, the host cities are paying for the privilege to make the IOC lots of money. And then there is the sponsorship contracts leading to branding police, and all the empty seats at "sold out" events. And I just loooove (sarcasm, DUH) how they are attempting to control who posts what on the internet so no one says anything bad about them, and only the companies who paid dearly for the privilege will get to show people what is going on. Good luck with that guys! I just don't have the words to express how slimy the whole thing feels when you look at anything other than the athletes themselves. It is supposed to be a big world community building event, and it feels more like a gigantic sleazy circus with the clown in a corner keeping his eye out for easy marks and another getting ready to block the exit.
The athletes should be the focus, not McDonalds, or Coke, or NBC, or whatever those weird ass mascots are.
So I am not watching this year. Although I can't help but keep half an eye on the medal count....
Go Canada!
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