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| Alias Born | 02/20/2009 |
Friday, February 21, 2014 4:12:39 PM
anyone paying much attention to the Olympics? it sure has seemed to changed a lot from the olden days.
It used to be sort of surrogate warfare during the Cold War, every country seemed to go patriot and devote a lot of energy to it; winning was like destroying the enemy.
Now, it seems like the Games have gone global economy... there are south koreans skating for russia, american snowboarders competing for russia, russian skaters training in michigan, the athletes seem to go where they get the best deal or have the best chance to make it to the Games. Those kind of moves would have been unthinkable 20 years ago.
In some ways it is more individualized competition, finding the best of the best, despite international boundaries, but in some ways it has become a cynical marketing vehicle for the NHL and BMW cars. Coca Cola still shovels cash to it, but somehow its approach seems dated.
The coverage generally ignores the chinese, even if they medal, except for ice skating... sort of like chinese and japanese women are okay to put on display as being sensual or erotic, but chinese and other oriental males are treated sort of like, well, tech support.
And Bob Costas... NBC has made such a big deal about if he is there or not, as if that is the biggest drama of the Games. Hell, global climate turbulence isn't mentioned, even though it is 60 degrees and raining in Russia in february. And has in Sochi for a couple winters, kind of a trend, perhaps?
They need to somehow make curling interesting, they spend megahours broadcasting it, yet it is hardly as interesting as bowling in a meat locker with frozen turkeys. (although i must admit, the american skip, erika brown, is hot enough at 41 that i tuned into it more than once) Even in that Wisconsim beer hall sport, the coaches are mercenary, one of the best coaches from canada works for the koreans.
the women's hockey final between US and Canuckia was kind of exciting, but seeing which team could get by with having the fewest penalties for cheapshot physical play has been the order of the day in most games i saw small portions of. Hey, we have some mean women, big deal.
Costas smoothing over american after american choking when they were built up to be the favorites kind of makes my eyes glaze over, too, although i didn't get eye infections from falling asleep with my eyes open like good old Bob.
Zooming in on (ras)Putin shaking hands with lesbian athletes for the cameras looked about as genuine as vodka made from apple cores. At least the bastard kept his shirt on. Cheering for russian-team sponsored ukranian-born ice dancers while part of their old empire, the ukraine, is in an uprising against europeanism or whatever was sort of a disconnect for old Vlad.
Is it over yet?
It used to be sort of surrogate warfare during the Cold War, every country seemed to go patriot and devote a lot of energy to it; winning was like destroying the enemy.
Now, it seems like the Games have gone global economy... there are south koreans skating for russia, american snowboarders competing for russia, russian skaters training in michigan, the athletes seem to go where they get the best deal or have the best chance to make it to the Games. Those kind of moves would have been unthinkable 20 years ago.
In some ways it is more individualized competition, finding the best of the best, despite international boundaries, but in some ways it has become a cynical marketing vehicle for the NHL and BMW cars. Coca Cola still shovels cash to it, but somehow its approach seems dated.
The coverage generally ignores the chinese, even if they medal, except for ice skating... sort of like chinese and japanese women are okay to put on display as being sensual or erotic, but chinese and other oriental males are treated sort of like, well, tech support.
And Bob Costas... NBC has made such a big deal about if he is there or not, as if that is the biggest drama of the Games. Hell, global climate turbulence isn't mentioned, even though it is 60 degrees and raining in Russia in february. And has in Sochi for a couple winters, kind of a trend, perhaps?
They need to somehow make curling interesting, they spend megahours broadcasting it, yet it is hardly as interesting as bowling in a meat locker with frozen turkeys. (although i must admit, the american skip, erika brown, is hot enough at 41 that i tuned into it more than once) Even in that Wisconsim beer hall sport, the coaches are mercenary, one of the best coaches from canada works for the koreans.
the women's hockey final between US and Canuckia was kind of exciting, but seeing which team could get by with having the fewest penalties for cheapshot physical play has been the order of the day in most games i saw small portions of. Hey, we have some mean women, big deal.
Costas smoothing over american after american choking when they were built up to be the favorites kind of makes my eyes glaze over, too, although i didn't get eye infections from falling asleep with my eyes open like good old Bob.
Zooming in on (ras)Putin shaking hands with lesbian athletes for the cameras looked about as genuine as vodka made from apple cores. At least the bastard kept his shirt on. Cheering for russian-team sponsored ukranian-born ice dancers while part of their old empire, the ukraine, is in an uprising against europeanism or whatever was sort of a disconnect for old Vlad.
Is it over yet?
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