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OLYMPICS. MEH.
Powerline ^ | 25 July 2021 | John Hinderaker

Posted on 07/26/2021 8:52:30 AM PDT by Rummyfan

I have always been a fan of the Olympics, ever since the first games that I remember, 1960 in Rome. I still remember some of the stars of those games, like Wilma Rudolph and Rafer Johnson. I have followed all of the Olympics since, with varying degrees of interest, and I attended the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid for a few days. But this year, my interest approaches zero. I have watched none of the games so far, and probably won’t from now on.

To some extent this reflects my disaffection from sports in general and the fact that there are no fans in the stands. But it is mostly the result of wokism that has infected the U.S. sports world. Many athletes, selected to represent the United States, instead see the Games as an opportunity to launch attacks against their own country, despite the fact that they are among the most privileged people on the planet–and would be, even if they were not blessed with exceptional athletic talent.

Does a focus on politics detract from the quality of athletic achievement? A friend emailed me today:

Do you suppose that wokeness has anything to do with losses by USA basketball and soccer? Lack of attention to the sport itself?

(Excerpt) Read more at powerlineblog.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Politics; Society; Sports
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I remember Dave Wottle and Dick Fosbury from 1972... and the robbery of the US basketball team in that same games. But once the corruption and venality of the IOC was exposed in the 1990s, and the USSR collapsed (whose existence always provided a great Cold War proxy competition in The Games), the Olympic Games just faded for me. Now add the frisson of 'wokeness' and I have downright revulsion.
1 posted on 07/26/2021 8:52:30 AM PDT by Rummyfan
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To: Rummyfan

Same here. I’ve not watched them since the mid-90’s. Of course, I haven’t watched the academy awards since the late 80’s. And there are other things that dropped off for me.

Fact is, once I removed TV from my home in 1997 a LOT of stuff changed. It’s why I never took Rona seriously: I’m not seeing the constant breathless “we’re all gonna die” reporting and PSA’s. I simply read the articles from both sides and go, “meh. another potentially deadly virus”. Key word, “potentially”.


2 posted on 07/26/2021 8:56:08 AM PDT by cuban leaf (We killed our economy and damaged our culture. In 2021 we will pine for the salad days of 2020.)
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To: Rummyfan

LMAO on Olympics. Did you see the men’s BB gun competition.

Bunch of Fat Ass couch potato’s.


3 posted on 07/26/2021 8:58:09 AM PDT by ImJustAnotherOkie (All I know is The I read in the papers.)
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To: Rummyfan

Leftists ruin everything they touch, period.


4 posted on 07/26/2021 8:59:25 AM PDT by Kickass Conservative (Trump - Make America Great Again / Biden - Make American Grovel Again...)
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To: Rummyfan
the USSR collapsed (whose existence always provided a great Cold War proxy competition in The Games),

Also bringing in professional athletes killed the "amateur sports" aspect of it. Still, I'd probably watch were it not for the woke BS. I'm off all sports now.

5 posted on 07/26/2021 8:59:50 AM PDT by Sans-Culotte (11/3-11/4/2020 - The USA became a banana republic.)
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To: ImJustAnotherOkie

Air Rifle....

When is the Air Guitar competition?


6 posted on 07/26/2021 9:00:48 AM PDT by LeonardFMason
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To: Rummyfan

“Does a focus on politics detract from the quality of athletic achievement?”

No, the athletic achievements are what they have always been; my desire to watch it is what is diminished.


7 posted on 07/26/2021 9:01:28 AM PDT by cdcdawg (It's all so tiresome.)
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To: LeonardFMason

Air Pistol. Every one looked like a porn addict.


8 posted on 07/26/2021 9:01:46 AM PDT by ImJustAnotherOkie (All I know is The I read in the papers.)
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To: Rummyfan
I quit watching the Olympics when they eliminated the Silly Walks competition.


9 posted on 07/26/2021 9:02:02 AM PDT by Leaning Right (I have already previewed or do not wish to preview this composition.)
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To: ImJustAnotherOkie

Was flicking through and stopped on the channel with the Olympics. It was skateboarding! Yes, the same thing that parents who drop their kids off at the skateboard park want to avoid. Just amazing...oh yeah, the US basketball team lost to the French...some of the shortest people in the west...next to the Spanish! LOL!


10 posted on 07/26/2021 9:02:29 AM PDT by gr8eman (A man who only talks business is a failure in all aspects of life- Camino Del Rio)
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To: Rummyfan

All I give a rip about is track and field and swimming to a much lesser extent.


11 posted on 07/26/2021 9:02:40 AM PDT by Bonemaker (invictus maneo)
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To: LeonardFMason

Let’s see, there’s carbon in gunpowder, but compressed Co2 is ok.


12 posted on 07/26/2021 9:03:35 AM PDT by ecomcon
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To: gr8eman
I watched about 5 minutes of some dude riding around on a skateboard. He kept falling.

However, I spent about a half hour watching mixed doubles Badminton Saturday morning. It was very fast and entertaining. That shuttlecock can fly up to 200mph. They compared it to the best MLB pitcher throwing a 100 mph fastball from 60’ away. This is twice as fast and you are 10-20 feet apart.

13 posted on 07/26/2021 9:09:00 AM PDT by woodbutcher1963
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To: Rummyfan

Three years ago for the winter Olympics and five years ago for the summer Olympics, we scheduled our dinner and other events around the TV schedule of Olympic games.

My wife and I love women’s gymnastics and softball, and we love the swimming events. We have watched less than three hours total of ALL events, and didn’t watch the women’s gymnastics on Sunday, at all!

Honestly, the title of this piece is EXACTLY how I fell: “Olympics. Meh.”

I grew up riding my bike to the Texas Stadium and watching practices and getting autographs of the players when they arrived on Saturdays. I have been a life-long Cowboy’s fan. I have not watched a single story about the Cowboys training camp, nor even read any news stories. Same feeling: “NFL. Meh.”


14 posted on 07/26/2021 9:09:47 AM PDT by ExTxMarine (Diversity is tolerance; diverse points of views will not be tolerated.)
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To: gr8eman
It's sad to now see playground games such as skateboarding added to the Olympics for 2021. Climbing jungle gyms, dodgeball, tag, swing sets, and hopscotch can't be long behind.

Now, if the kid (and some were kids) on the skateboard with the hat on sideways wanted race 26.2 miles to Marathon, that would be an Olympic event.

That or do it real Olympic style; launch down a ramp at 80 miles an hour like in skiing and successfully stick the landing. They could skate between flags at 90 miles an hour on the men's and women's downhill like skiing. They could also skate down the luge ramp; singles, doubles, even up to four on a longboard.

15 posted on 07/26/2021 9:15:53 AM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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To: Leaning Right
They need to bring back the Hide and Seek Competition....


16 posted on 07/26/2021 9:16:09 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: T.B. Yoits
It's sad to now see playground games such as skateboarding added to the Olympics for 2021.

They obviously don't test for Marijuana usage for that event.

17 posted on 07/26/2021 9:16:56 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Rummyfan

I lost all interest in the Olympics (contest of “competing nations”) when I learned that the “nation” designations were completely contrived, at least in recent decades. Someone competing for China, for example, could be a U.S. citizen living in L.A. This is way more common than most people realize.

It is one big contrived money grub.


18 posted on 07/26/2021 9:20:03 AM PDT by fwdude ( )
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To: T.B. Yoits
Climbing jungle gyms, dodgeball, tag, swing sets, and hopscotch can't be long behind.

Well I would agree if not for that fact that jungle gyms and swing sets are being rapidly removed from playgrounds by nervous adults afraid of liability. Many parents are not even putting them up in their own backyards anymore.

Maybe hopscotch will be an Olympic sport someday.

But I'm thinking it more likely we will have video games. We might have some gold medalists in Pokemon and Mortal Kombat among us.

19 posted on 07/26/2021 9:20:41 AM PDT by SamAdams76 (Give me a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer)
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To: ImJustAnotherOkie

BB gun competition???


20 posted on 07/26/2021 9:26:52 AM PDT by LIConFem (Read up on Russia's Oct, 1917 Revolution... And prepare.)
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