I’m not a big fan of the Olympics. You will probably know that I am not particularly sporty. At school I did everything I could to avoid Games. In fact I took up fencing (the sport not the wood and nails thing) because it seemed fairly exotic and not as exhausting as running round a field in a short games skirt or Scottish country dancing. (Not a good thing when you are well endowed in the boob department.)
But its the money that gets me about the Olympics. I caught some of the Opening Ceremony and just couldn’t help but think of how many people could have been helped out of poverty with a portion of the money spent. Am I being too bah-humbug here? I just don’t get what the point of it was.
J did our intercessions on Sunday and brought to our attention the amount of food an athlete puts into his/her body each day to stay at their physical peak while others are starving, living on one meal a day. I just don’t get it. Is it just so that one country can be better than another? Is that a good thing? Is that not how wars start?
My son says that some Africans get out of poverty by being good athletes. But you don’t see any in the Dressage or Yachting because that involves money for equipment. It’s just not a level playing field, if you’ll forgive the pun.
How much money has it cost to train the athletes, fly them to China, feed and support them? Sorry, but I just don’t get it.
But perhaps you feel differently?
10 responses so far ↓
fr dougal // August 19, 2008 at 7:59 pm |
Mixed feeling on this Ruthie. Like you at skool, I tried to avoid actually doing sport (became scorer to the cricket team – sat in a deckchair with a cold drink at matches!) The amounts spent on major sporting events are obscene these days. And the Olympian spirit which Baron de Coubertain wanted to rekindle is a joke, when well paid pro’s like Anndy Murray are competing.
But sport can transcend war and division – witness the women’s beach volleyball match at the Olympics between Russia and Georgia the other day. (Yeah, right – beach volleyball an Olympic sport, I know, I know!) Sport can be good when it replaces violent aggression between human beings with a safe way of letting out our natural competitive instincts.
Sage // August 20, 2008 at 9:49 am |
I too have mixed feelings, as an obscene amount of money is being talked about spending on the games – each country trying to outdo all the others preceding them – but good can come out of sport. They can lead by example, to encourage others to join in (somewhere there is a sport inside us even if that is cheering the others on) and the funding in areas to get the youngsters involved rather than having nothing to do on the streets.
modestypress // August 20, 2008 at 3:18 pm |
Each Olympics I feel more repelled. Pretty soon I may qualify for a gold medal in Olympic repulsion.
unclenam // August 20, 2008 at 3:54 pm |
For peace and hormony ? Perhaps this is the spirit. But commercial involvement has twisted the true meaning of sports. It is even worst if politicians are involved.
agatha // August 20, 2008 at 7:31 pm |
Like others, mixed feelings, especially where the Opening Ceremony is concerned. But it also occurs to me you could substitute “Lambeth Conference” for “Olympics” and “Bishops” for “athletes” in your post and it would still make quite a bit of sense.
(OK Bishops don’t eat loads to train but I bet they go to their fair share of nosh-ups)
And the Olympics at least provide entertainment and show results….
mrs whibley // August 20, 2008 at 8:03 pm |
My point of view is that part of God’s purpose in putting us in the world is to enjoy all sorts of unnecessary endeavours. Playing sport, travelling, making music, building cathedrals, eating fine food, even having discussions on the internet are all great time-and-money wasters compared with feeding the poor. And it is easy to see the things that aren’t our particular cup of tea as worse than the rest.
Of course, we should (must!) feed the poor, and fight against injustice, but what if we waited until the job was done before ever enjoying ourselves?
Is it a cop-out to remind ourselves that the ‘poor are always with us?’ I hope not.
frederica cassis // August 20, 2008 at 9:34 pm |
It is a complex topic…I agree with all ….but i love sports and I know by experience that it is “also” therapeutical for a lot of individuals in this planet! I am not talking about the Olympic level, but sports are good for a lot of people who struggle from drug abuse, or weight problems, or anxiety….
Now, where and how the MONEY is used???? it is really disgusting (sorry for the word) I feel that it could be used in a much BETTER way! here in Brazil, money isn”t used well in Health care….we suffer the consequences in our centers…it is frustrating but I continue to work , i won’t give up..and will give all I can to improve my patients quality of coping with their blood clotting disorder.
carrotplease // August 20, 2008 at 10:06 pm |
BY the same token… (though it may not compare in terms of money spent on the Games) the Olympics bring in tons of money to not-well-off areas. The tourist traffic has replenished many businesses in the area (and not just “big” business, but small local merchants, etc). The attention of the sporting event has brought other investments in, large American companies are creating a presence in China now, that will have an effect for years to come (creating jobs both within those companies and in supporting roles, and building infrastructure)… So it’s not as simple as seeing the waste of the fireworks, I think.
I know that sounds awfully capitalistic of me… it could just be the naivete talking.
Clarissa Turner // August 21, 2008 at 1:45 pm |
Like you I grew up a sports hater.
Best position in any (compulsory) race: last.
30 in a class = 4 netball teams and 2 left over (one of them me) or 2 hockey teams and 8 left over (including me).
Yet, as an adult I have come to love watching sport on television – not all sports by any means, but enough to get excited and delighted as Great Britain does so well.
I worry about the amount of money spent, but not that spent on the athletes (I agree with your son). It’s those prolonged opening ceremonies which are so boring and silly which annoy me. A quick march round by representatives of all the national teams, a couple of short speeches, a rendition of the Olympic anthem, and lighting the flame would be quite enough without all that disnified nonsense and fireworks!
Keep the sport, but get rid of the nonsense.
Oh yes, and scrap all sports like synchro-swimming and ice-dance which are judged subjectively. They’re not proper sports.
agatha // August 22, 2008 at 6:15 pm |
Just watched on TV ordinary Jamaicans celebrating the success of their athletes. It would take a hard heart to grudge them that happiness and if you gave them each their share of what the whole thing cost it would alleviate their poverty not one bit.
So on balance I now say “Yes” to the Olympics!