(to all non-sports fans: don't worry, this won't be about the nerdy stats of any particular sports contests themselves, I'll keep it relevant)...And so, another Summer Olympics has ended. There's a few things I've taken away from these games:
1) Wow, can China put on a display or what? Granted, they "manipulated" the viewing of the opening ceremonies, and (no surprise here) would have never fessed up to it if they didn't get caught (keep that in mind, it happens again), but it was a sight to behold, and I know that two-dimensional TV didn't do it justice. I was amazed by the level of choreography and the incredible show of colors and themes. They did a great job -- it's nice to see hard work be rewarded by way of the outcome of the plan. No slackers here.
2) Broken ERRR Shattered World Records. Again, wow. It's clear to see how technology can help advance sports, and those new swimsuits were no exception. You could see the difference between those who used them vs. those who didn't. Phelps had all the physical attributes to be a champion, but he needed that suit to Shatter those records (and it may have had an indirect benefit to him on the race he won by a fingernail). As for the Jamaican runner Usain Bolt, who crushed the individual competition: I don't know if he had any techno help, but he was impressive in his wins. There were other winners that were equally strong, but Phelps and Bolt were the two that stuck out in my mind.
3) Winners...and Losers. Cheers to the USA basketball teams...but weren't they expected to win? Cheers to the Relay teams...for the long races they won. Both men's and women's teams dropped their batons during (simple yet required mandatory) exchanges in the short relay race that both were heavily expected to win. See? It happens in all walks of life: the devil is in the details. They were so worried about losing tenths' of seconds and jeopardizing a world record, that they failed to complete a small but vital part of the race and thus were disqualified. My impression was that the Americans were so overconfident and had such a smug attitude that they never thought this would happen to them -- and yet here we are, all full of talent, all full of ability, yet we STILL cannot close the deal on this particular race. Lesson to learn here, kids. Then again, children's books are full of old fables (Tortoise and the Hare; Ant and the Grasshopper) that have (for years) told us to never count our chickens before they're hatched. But hey, if you think "you're all that and a bag of chips", this is all BS to you, cuz you the bad mamma jamma, you 're above all that...whoops.
4) Cheat, cheat...never beat. The Chinese raided their local Gymborees to field their women's team, fudged on their passports, and won the gold in events they could not have done otherwise. Now, I'm not trying to be jingoistic here, I'm just asking that we all play fair and by the same rules. We'll play 14-yr olds, too, if it was allowed. One of the famous sayings in sports is, "if you're not cheating, you're not trying", and although there's some merit to that, it needs to be fully explained and not poorly used as a crutch or a surface-level cloak to cover up the sin.
5) Chinese Democracy. OK, so here's this oppressive super-power, very government-oriented, very uptight, yet we see scantily-clad girls dancing provocatively at the opening ceremonies and other events (including a very attractive cheerleading squad at the beach volleyball events...why? I don't know) and it cracked me up to see the Chinese women's beach volleyball team in bikini uniforms. Hey, I'm not complaining here, I just find it odd for China to embrace the Western Way (I heard the nightclubs were hoppin', too). The explanation is easy to see: the Chinese have no problem taking advantage of the Western immoral lifestyle to fit their (I'm sure) very short term needs. Just do me a favor, China, and don't be coming down with post-par tum depression and acting like a hard ass after the games by knocking the very thing you used to your benefit. Nobody likes a hypocrite -- just ask Quadafi or Sadaam Hussein or the Soviet Union (good luck on those last two). BTW, this mind-set reminds me of my good ol' Southern boys and girls around here -- they love the Baby Jesus and are quick to spout Scripture and condemn Satan, but they also like them some Hooter Girls and have no problem with "gentlemen's clubs" openly promote themselves on Chamber of Commerce materials. See? We have more in common that you thought!
6) Post-First Date impressions. For most of the world, this was like a first date with China, so it will be interesting to see how they are graded...and more importantly, if there's going to be a second date. Hey, we all have our quirks, and nobody's perfect, but if you can live with most of the good points and enjoy life and what it gives to you, then you should have no problem dealing with some of the weird stuff we all carry with us. So, what do you say? Do you want to play?
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