| 2004 Olympics |
September 7, 2004 |
|
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| Glory. |
Well it was a great two weeks and it's all because of the Olympics. I don't think I've ever been that excited to watch any of the prior
years' Olympics. I have never really been the guy that gets excited watching the them. In fact, some of the sports in the summer
Olympics are borderline sports, in my opinion. I really don't know of any of the U.S. athletes in the games, let alone the athletes
from other countries. The 12-hour time difference coupled with the fact that I could look at any of the event outcomes on the
internet long before I could watch the actual event didn't really help matters. Since they were held in Athens, Greece this year and I
just went to Greece a mere year ago, I thought that might help, but no, it really didn't. Don't know why.
But, that being said this year was quite different. I didn't watch the opening night ceremony or any event when I was out that night
but if i was home, watch out, I was glued to the Olympics. I have never been so enthralled or mesmermized by any sporting event that I
had so little interest or emotion vested in before.
|
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| Perseverance. |
The first set of events that I really watched was gymnastics. A friend, Shana, asked me if I could participate in any event, which would
be? Hands down my answer was gymnastics (assuming I could go back in time and train since I was six years old). The sheer muscle and
elegance of the gymnasts is unreal. I can't think of a more intense sport than gymnastics. (On a side note, if I had to answer the
question based on my current athletic ability, I would participate in ping pong, because that is the only sport that I MAY
have long shot of scoring a point). Shana also spilled to me that Paul Hamm won the all around gold medal. I didn't want to hear the
outcome and thought that when NBC aired the competition that night I would be a little less interested. Wrong. I was stunned. He was
doing well then fell on the vault and after that I could not stop thinking, "wait, did I hear/read her correctly? Was it Hamm that won
or the other American?" When he finished on the high bar I was literally on the edge of my bed, seriously, literally,
not figuratively. Sure, later on there was some controversy about the event, and I won't make any opinion on what should the IOC do,
but I do know that it was an amazing night for gymnastics...a sport I will honestly only care about every four years.
|
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| Triumph & Heartache. |
And now, here's the thing about Hamm's victory and the whole reason I am sitting here writing this, it had very little to do with the
fact that he was a U.S. athlete. It was great that Hamm won and cool that he was playing for the United States but I was more interested
in the competition and the dedication that every athlete from every country showed. The pride that was visible in every competitor, from
the ones that finished first and won the gold, to the ones that didn't qualify. The disappointed that showed on he faces of athletes who
you knew were thinking "well, another four years," or "i gave it by best." The faces on these sets of individuals were both exhilirating
and heartbreaking.
In the end, the satisfaction and pride in oneself that these people felt when they one gold can never be matched or probably even
understood by anyone other than Olympians or athletes. It's not something I can relate to and it's something I doubt anyone can relate to
unless they've been training for something that only occurs every four years.
|
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| Joy. |
Now I know there are World Championships and other events but I don't think anything can compare with the Olympics for these athletes.
It's their Super Bowl, it's their World Series, and it only happens every four years.
I'll leave you with a forward about the top nine comments made by commentators during this year's games that they'd like to take back
(I don't think any of these are true):
1. Weightlifting commentator: "This is Gregoriava from Bulgaria. I saw her snatch this morning during her warm up and it was amazing."
2. Dressage commentator: "This is really a lovely horse and I speak from personal experience since I once mounted her mother."
3. Paul Hamm, Gymnast: "I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father."
4. Boxing Analyst: "Sure there have been injuries, and even some deaths in boxing, but none of them really that serious."
5. Softball announcer: "If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing again."
|
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| Heart. |
6. Basketball analyst: "He dribbles a lot and the opposition doesn't like it. In fact you can see it all over their faces."
7. At the rowing medal ceremony: "Ah, isn't that nice, the wife of the IOC president is hugging the cox of the British crew."
8. Soccer commentator: "Julian Dicks is everywhere. It's like they've got eleven Dicks on the field."
9. Tennis commentator: "One of the reasons Andy is playing so well is that, before the final round, his wife takes out his balls and kisses them... Oh my God, what have I just said?"
