I've been watching the Olympics. Yeah, there are a few scattered athletes with bugs up their asses (and that's all I'll say about that), but for the most part, the athletes are out there doing their thing without a word about their political leanings.
Watching Lydia Jacoby win last night was awesome. And the moment after she touched the wall, when she turned to see the scores and realized she'd won... Her face lit up and she glowed. And it lifted my heart. Watching her people watch her win was even better. I would've been screaming right along with them if Hubs hadn't already gone to bed. I think the whole town of Seward, Alaska was partying last night, as well they should've been.
Obviously, I'm rooting for the US team, but really, I want to watch and cheer for any athlete who proves themselves to be outstanding. The Austrian gal who won a gold in the Women's Road Race. The dude from Norway who won the Men's Triathlon. The Brit who nailed it in the Men's Mountain Bike race. All worthy opponents and great athletes. And then there was the dude from Tunisia who kicked ass in the Men's 400m Freestyle swimming. No one expected him to win. He was in the last lane because his times were so crappy. But there he was zooming ahead of everyone to win. Dude.
Also outstanding was the gal who won the US's first medal ever in Taekwondo. Kicked Russia's ass, lemme tell ya. And she was so excited to have won.
These people are why I watch the Olympics. They're stronger than the ones who try to ruin it. Focus on them. If you're one of those people who's staying away from watching because of a few silly turds, who should've spent more time focusing on their sport than flapping their gums, you're doing the good athletes a disservice. And you're doing yourself a disservice, too, because you're really missing some awesome, inspiring, and happy stuff.
USA! USA! USA!
I saw the news about the 17 yo Alaska girl who won, and the back story of her driving 2 hours each way to practice when her local pool closed due to the pandemic. She's what the Olympics SHOULD be!
ReplyDeleteI'm hit or miss on watching and not really for political reasons. There have always been the turds who care more about them than their actual performance. I've found the coverage to be rather...well...dismal, frankly. The camera work, the graphics, the commentary? I caught a few of the softball games and Japan totally deserved to win. USA just couldn't get it together this year. Of course, looking at the venue was disheartening too. Most of the stuff I'm interested in is so "esoteric" in terms of coverage that I have to wade through a bunch of stuff to catch even a glimpse of equestrian, modern pentatholon, or some of the shooting sports. Also, can somebody explain why skateboarding and rock climbing are Olympic events?
I definitely don't want to harsh your parade! The American who won Women's Epee in fencing is another underdog totally worth rooting for! I just don't have the time, attention span, or energy to try to keep up. That said, I am watching the medal count and cheering on everyone!