What I Loved and Hated About the Olympics
So, the Olympics are over. In some instances, I was enthralled and wishing it could go on forever. Other times, I couldn't wait for it to end. As I'm sure there will be a million posts and articles and takes on the every-four-years event, just add this one to the pile. There were some absolutely thrilling moments that made my heart soar and sent my spirits skyward. Then there were the others. Those displays of greed, and deception, and general classlessness. This, therefore, is my opinion of the highs and lows, the good and bad, and the best and the brightest of these, the Games of the XXX Olympiad.
Things I Loved:
The "grace under pressure" displayed by the little girls on our gymnastics team. Compared to the racking sobs the winning of a silver medal instead of a gold displayed by the Russians, it was precious.Oscar Pistorius and his big ol' double amputee heart.Oscar Pistorius's mother, who always made him do whatever his big brother did. Hey, Moms everywhere? That's how you raise a champion and a wonderful person: never let him use any handicap to say "I Can't"Kirani James. This beautiful man from Grenada won his gold with such unabashed pure joy, I was screaming for him, not the USA. Then, when I heard what he wrote on an autograph requested by a mother for her daughter, he entered and never left my heart. He wrote : Dear Sydney, your Mom is extraordinarily proud of you." I love him.Hope Solo, for telling the juicy truth about hookups in the Olympic Village between adrenaline-rushed, endorphin-producing athletes cooped together with like-minded souls. OF COURSE, they hooked up. Thanks to Hope for telling the truth.Ryan Lochte's mother, for giving away her son's secrets about one-night-stands, and making him EVEN THAT MUCH HOTTER, thank you very much.Kerry Walsh Jennings and Misty May Treaner. Not for winning the gold, which was awesome. Not for giving me some of the most thrills watching an event in the Olympics, over 5 times. No, I love them because they are so respectful of one another and such best, best friends. Also, I love their bodies and that they are such serious examples of how beautiful the human form can be.Prince William and Princess Kate, for every time they hugged, and cheered and for being the first Royals to do the wave. For just being two people I could totally have a drink with. And for putting their true love on display for the world to see, and making it look so easy. Fairy tales do happen. And for that matter......The Queen, for parachuting into the event and agreeing to a fun opening sequence with hunky Daniel Craig. And lastly, a brilliant opening and wacky, fun, brought-such-a-smile to my face closing ceremonies. I mean, The Spice Girls? Really? Yet it worked. My Mum, a Londoner, was loving every minute of it. Thank you, Mr. Boyle.Things I Hated:Frantically avoiding the internet and news briefs during the day, so as not to see results for events I had not seen yet.Staying up until 1230am for 2 1/2 weeks to see all events. I mean, I am seriously dragging. Still.Badminton players tanking games for better bracketing. Really, fake tennis players?Not seeing certain events of the Games, considered not worth airtime. Uncool, NBC.The media hype over Serena's victory dance. Celebrate any way you want, girlfriend, you just won a frickin' gold medal.The hype over Jordyn Weiber, making her loss in the all-arounds painful to watch.The hype over Lolo, who really is beautiful. So what if she is going the way of Anna Kournikova? Anna is hot, has a hunky man who loves her, and we ALL know her name. What's not to hype?The hype over Michael Phelps. 'Nuff said.NBC only giving fluff pieces to Ryan Seacrest. He may not have been in Iraq or Afghanistan or anything, but he has built a media empire all by himself. Who else gets the hosting job of the #1 radio show in LA, the #1 talent show on tv, the #1 New Years Eve program WITH the blessing of the creator, and then gets invited to the London Olympics on the Today Show dime? Give the man some credit. He deserved it.Showing microphones in athletes faces mere SECONDS after their crushing defeat in the only thing they have worked their whole lives for. Like, can I get a minute to have a donut or something? No sense keeping that competition-ready figure then, right? Ok, maybe not. But at least a minute to blast the smeared mascara off their faces.So, like I said, this is just my opinion. I know you have some loves and hates. As always, share them with me! And stay tuned....I like the Winter Olympics even less than these ones. All that snow and ice. It just looks painful when they fall on packed snow. Anyway, I digress.
Things I Loved:
The "grace under pressure" displayed by the little girls on our gymnastics team. Compared to the racking sobs the winning of a silver medal instead of a gold displayed by the Russians, it was precious.Oscar Pistorius and his big ol' double amputee heart.Oscar Pistorius's mother, who always made him do whatever his big brother did. Hey, Moms everywhere? That's how you raise a champion and a wonderful person: never let him use any handicap to say "I Can't"Kirani James. This beautiful man from Grenada won his gold with such unabashed pure joy, I was screaming for him, not the USA. Then, when I heard what he wrote on an autograph requested by a mother for her daughter, he entered and never left my heart. He wrote : Dear Sydney, your Mom is extraordinarily proud of you." I love him.Hope Solo, for telling the juicy truth about hookups in the Olympic Village between adrenaline-rushed, endorphin-producing athletes cooped together with like-minded souls. OF COURSE, they hooked up. Thanks to Hope for telling the truth.Ryan Lochte's mother, for giving away her son's secrets about one-night-stands, and making him EVEN THAT MUCH HOTTER, thank you very much.Kerry Walsh Jennings and Misty May Treaner. Not for winning the gold, which was awesome. Not for giving me some of the most thrills watching an event in the Olympics, over 5 times. No, I love them because they are so respectful of one another and such best, best friends. Also, I love their bodies and that they are such serious examples of how beautiful the human form can be.Prince William and Princess Kate, for every time they hugged, and cheered and for being the first Royals to do the wave. For just being two people I could totally have a drink with. And for putting their true love on display for the world to see, and making it look so easy. Fairy tales do happen. And for that matter......The Queen, for parachuting into the event and agreeing to a fun opening sequence with hunky Daniel Craig. And lastly, a brilliant opening and wacky, fun, brought-such-a-smile to my face closing ceremonies. I mean, The Spice Girls? Really? Yet it worked. My Mum, a Londoner, was loving every minute of it. Thank you, Mr. Boyle.Things I Hated:Frantically avoiding the internet and news briefs during the day, so as not to see results for events I had not seen yet.Staying up until 1230am for 2 1/2 weeks to see all events. I mean, I am seriously dragging. Still.Badminton players tanking games for better bracketing. Really, fake tennis players?Not seeing certain events of the Games, considered not worth airtime. Uncool, NBC.The media hype over Serena's victory dance. Celebrate any way you want, girlfriend, you just won a frickin' gold medal.The hype over Jordyn Weiber, making her loss in the all-arounds painful to watch.The hype over Lolo, who really is beautiful. So what if she is going the way of Anna Kournikova? Anna is hot, has a hunky man who loves her, and we ALL know her name. What's not to hype?The hype over Michael Phelps. 'Nuff said.NBC only giving fluff pieces to Ryan Seacrest. He may not have been in Iraq or Afghanistan or anything, but he has built a media empire all by himself. Who else gets the hosting job of the #1 radio show in LA, the #1 talent show on tv, the #1 New Years Eve program WITH the blessing of the creator, and then gets invited to the London Olympics on the Today Show dime? Give the man some credit. He deserved it.Showing microphones in athletes faces mere SECONDS after their crushing defeat in the only thing they have worked their whole lives for. Like, can I get a minute to have a donut or something? No sense keeping that competition-ready figure then, right? Ok, maybe not. But at least a minute to blast the smeared mascara off their faces.So, like I said, this is just my opinion. I know you have some loves and hates. As always, share them with me! And stay tuned....I like the Winter Olympics even less than these ones. All that snow and ice. It just looks painful when they fall on packed snow. Anyway, I digress.
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