|
August 18, 2008
Rooster
News
Sign up
for our Email Newsletter
Olympics
OK, I know I've said
in the past that I didn't really care about the
Olympics. I know I said that I probably wouldn't
watch a whole lot of them on television. And I know
I've said that it wasn't like the “good old days”
when it was the Soviets versus the United States.
Well, I lied or maybe just underestimated the draw
the Olympics would have on me this year.
I must confess that
I have gotten involved with them. Who couldn't get
caught up in Michael Phelps' run for eight gold
medals? Who's not interested in seeing if the
“Redeem” team can bring United States basketball
back to world dominance where it belongs? Who
doesn't like to watch the “little pixies” run around
in gymnastics? And as far as the United States
having some real competition and a country to
disdain, how about China?
Without a doubt,
Phelps' eight gold medals has to rank as one of the
top sports feats ever recorded in or out of the
Olympics. You can argue what is #1, but I think we
all have to agree it is up there. The thing that
impresses me about Phelps is not only his
competitiveness but, also, his all-around ability.
He swam all four strokes and defeated swimmers who
specialized in only one stroke. As an example, Mark
Spitz only swam two strokes (the Butterfly and the
Freestyle).
Usually if it's not
football, basketball, or baseball, I don't care much
about it. But I must admit I do enjoy watching top
athletes compete against each other. And when the
U.S. is involved against the world I have my red,
white, and blue out. I admit I stayed up till past
midnight watching the women's all-around in
gymnastics. I had to make sure the good old U.S.
of A. beat those bad old Commies from China. Don't
you have to root against any country that takes
their athletes away from their parents at the age of
three and will only let them see their parents once
a year? I'm sorry. I don't care how good of an
athlete they become, it ain't right. It's just like
the good old days with East Germany and the Soviet
Union. Therefore I now have my villain again in the
Olympics.
I must also
compliment NBC on its coverage so far. One of the
things that turned me off over the past years has
been the network's keying on “up close and personal”
stories as opposed to covering the events
themselves. This time NBC has been covering the
events with little or no human interest stories in
prime time. Another thing that helps is the ability
to see a number of events live.
Anyway, I must admit
I've enjoyed the Olympics so far, and
congratulations to Richard Thompson of LSU and
Trinidad and Tobago for winning the silver medal in
the one hundred meter race. That is only the fourth
athlete from LSU who has won an individual medal.
The others being Glen “Slats” Hardin in 1932 and
'36, and John Moffitt and Derrick Brew in 2004. As
a side note, Slats Hardin's son Glen Jr. ran in
the1964 Olympics in the 400 meter hurdles but did
not medal.
|
