The 2008 Olympic Games
by Denise Morris on 08/12/2008 at 8:22 AM
I am loving the Olympics! If I don't blog (or sleep or eat or socialize at all) much in the next two weeks it is probably because I am glued to my TV set.
For some reason, I just can't get enough of watching athletes flipping on four-inch-wide beams or smashing volleyballs in each other's faces. And, oh my goodness, who saw the men's 4x100 relay on Sunday night?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! It was the most amazing thing ever. If you haven't seen it, watch this smashing performance right now. Then come back here to share in my excitement. Unless you're French.
It's been interesting watching the human interest stories that go along with the Olympics. There is such a different mindset between America and the rest of the world. When they interview many of the athletes of eastern countries, they seem to be competing mainly for the honor of their country. It is less about them and more about bringing glory to their nation.
Most of the American stories focus on the athlete's goals. They are doing this for themselves -- oh and sometimes the USA gets mentioned, usually as an afterthought. Many of our athletes seem to be in this for their own glory -- most likely a product of the individualism that we've been fed since youth. However, the U.S. men's basketball team seems to be doing a better job of being at the Olympics to redeem our nation's reputation. After being embarrassed in Athens, they seem to be trying to refocus on bringing gold back to the U.S. and participating as a team.
Anyway, have you noticed this type of individualism in the Americans or am I just looking to criticize?
Or if you're not in the mood for all that deep stuff, just let me know which Olympic sport is your favorite to watch. I'm still looking forward to mine -- track and field!
1. Eliza said the following at 8:39 AM on Aug 12:
Hm, interesting that you put a negative value on individualism and a positive value on other countries' citizen's nationalism. It is not obvious to me that nationalism is better than individualism. I think it's a blessing to be able to live in a country where one can pursue individual glory--an option which is not really available to the Russians or Chinese.
I live in a really "liberal" city (and am pretty liberal myself), and one thing I love about the Olympics is that there is nothing politically incorrect about shouting "Go USA!" during these 2 weeks :). So, what has stood out to me is the prevalence of US country pride.
And I agree--swimming has been extremely exciting!!!
2. John said the following at 9:08 AM on Aug 12:
One of the biggest human interest stories of this Olympics should be the 3 representatives for us in the Men's 1500 in track.
Lopez Lomong is a lost boy from the Sudan and LOVES America. He was our flag bearer.
Bernard Lagat is from Kenya and can't talk enough praise about the USA when he is interviewed and how much pride he has representing such a great country.
And lastly is the little Mexican dynamo, Leonel Manzano, born to immigrant parents from Mexico. Not sure on his beliefs about USA, but he's part of a trio of what the liberal MSM should be all over, except that they only like immigrants who bash the USA, that's right, I forgot.
Anyway, great guys, great runners and great representatives!
U-S-A!!!
3. Jon said the following at 9:20 AM on Aug 12:
I think there are definitely some examples of people looking for individual glory, yet at the same time I think some people are doing it with America in mind (the 4x100 relay (though the cynical would say that was only for the team), the men's gymnastics team last night). Phelps has his individual desires and goals, but every time I see him hearing the national anthem after he wins it seems to me that's his favorite part. I think he definitely wants to bring America some honor.
4. Jenelle said the following at 9:23 AM on Aug 12:
Denise, I couldn't agree more! The Olympics so far have been AMAZING!
*the opening ceremony!
*men's 4x100 relay! (i've never seen that much punctuation in a boundless blog) :)
*MICHAEL PHELPS!
I can't remember a better Olympics!
GO U.S.A!
5. Dan said the following at 9:24 AM on Aug 12:
It is my opinion that we view American athletes as "individualistic" based primarily on the prevalence "people stories" that NBC force feeds us between the actual sporting events. (If you start counting minutes, it seems like the "people stories" are the real material and the sports are the gap fillers.) Other sporting outlets (e.g., Eurosport) show the competition in a better format and the athletes don't come across as narcissistic. Face it, NBC's coverage is terrible.
6. Ashley S. said the following at 9:29 AM on Aug 12:
Denise,
That was one of the most amzing races I've ever seen. What a finish. Swimming is one of my favorite sports to watch, so seeing the US rock the Water Cube has been awesome.
I have also noticed the difference between the Eastern athletes and the Western ones and like you said, a lot of that comes from the differences in our mindsets. I think that one of the most telling moments was when Yao Ming led the Chinese team into the stadium during the opening cermonies. The pride and the sense of responsibility was written all over their faces as they watched the torch being lit. Though I certainly don't agree with most of China's policies, it has been rather inspiring to see the their athletes pour their heart and soul into their sport, not for themselves, but for their fellow countrymen; all 1.3 billion of them.
7. Jesse said the following at 9:37 AM on Aug 12:
Yeah! Eat that, France!
8. Michele said the following at 10:01 AM on Aug 12:
Swimming!
I live in Baltimore; so, these days, it goes without saying -- Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff are the ones I'm keeping on the lookout for.
9. Charity said the following at 10:30 AM on Aug 12:
Yes! I've been running on about four hours of sleep for the last couple of days because I don't want to miss anything (last night was incredible for the USA) ...except maybe water polo and synchronized swimming... not my favorites :)
10. Jacque said the following at 10:31 AM on Aug 12:
I totally agree with you- the olympics are addicting! What these athletes can do is amazing. The men's relay was out of this world. If only we would use the same dedication and preparation in our relationships with Christ- we would all be on track for the gold.
11. Mike Theemling said the following at 10:31 AM on Aug 12:
Yes, I've been seeing the Olympics and some of it is truly amazing.
As for the goals/reasons for competing, I wouldn't say that American athletes think of their represenatation as an afterthought, but I'm inclined to agree that whether the athletes admit them or not, the emphases are in fact different between Western and Eastern athletes.
This is because Eastern countries tend to have a more communal, "hive mentality" (and I do not use that term disparingly) and Western countries tend to focus more the qualities of the individual (with the USA being paramount). Add that in with how lucrative being a gold medal winner can be in this country (Michael Phelps at this rate will be on a box of Wheaties, have Nike promotionals, and perhaps a video game with him in it) and it's no surprise that winning is a big deal.
Favorite sport I like watching: Probably gymnastics mainly because it isn't a mainstream competitive sport and it's amazing to see just what the human body is capable of both in terms of strength and agility.
12. John D. said the following at 10:45 AM on Aug 12:
Let's hear it for individualism.
Individualism made this country great. Our Christian faith is an individualist faith (in that each of us must make our own decision to believe in Jesus Christ -- no one can do that for us -- and we will all stand at the judgment seat of Christ as individuals).
Furthermore, our Constitution protects our individual rights as citizens and human beings.
Yes, teamwork and sacrifice for the greater good have their place, but if the alternative to individualism is collectivism or communitarianism (a philosophy that is prominent in communist China), I know which side I come down on.
13. Christina (in green) said the following at 11:13 AM on Aug 12:
Ice Skating has always been my favorite - and gymnastics. My grandpa watched them with us every olympic season.
As for the individualism, I agree...americans do tend to be very individualistic.
I really think that its because we don't have a whole lot of pride in the nation as a whole - and I don't quite know why. Its almost as if there are no boundaries here...and I think that may be some of the problem. We are all things to all people - whether they are americans or not. We are the most free nation out there, and yet we have the least amount of respect for our country.
Kinda sounds like a child where his/her parents didn't place boundaries - or how we'd feel about God if he didn't place any boundaries on us...
14. Jade said the following at 11:16 AM on Aug 12:
Yes!!! I'm definately watching the Olympics, well, at least as much as I can with work and not staying up too late! I like swimming, syncronized diving, gymnastics, and tae kwon do.
I hadn't really thought much about the US being overly individual centric. I think some other countries go the other way, such as China, where all achievements are for country and the country will go to any length to win including taking very young children away from their families to train 12 hrs a day and (allegedly) fudging the ages of some competitors. And there is the Middle Eastern country (Saudi Arabia?) where the only women on the team are the daughters of the Prime Minister. Can we say nepotism?
Anyway, I think the Olympics is great. Where else can you see Iran and Israel, China and Taiwan, Georgia and Russia, and so many others all together and not shooting at eachother?
15. Ronnica said the following at 11:17 AM on Aug 12:
Yes, that "smashing performance" was remarkable. Haha. I was so happy I stayed up to watch it live!
Yes, I get the feeling that we Americans are a bit on the individualistic side, particularly from ahem, a few of the swimmers. There's been a lot of arrogance too. If you tell the world that you don't need to do your best to get to the finals, that's just telling us how full of yourself you are, not how good you are.
16. Sarah Cooksey said the following at 11:30 AM on Aug 12:
I agree completely with the statement about individualism. It reminds me that we all, not just as Americans, but as Christians are not supposed to be going it alone. Or becoming some sort of super Christian by ourselves. We need to get back to community - to the body of believers.
17. mindlab said the following at 11:40 AM on Aug 12:
Sorry to rain on the parade, but isn't nationalism ("my country's so great woohoo") fundamentally the same as individualism ("I'm so great woohoo")? Certainly nationalistic attitudes has done as much damage in recent history as individualistic attitudes have.
The most striking thing I've noticed is how absolutely obsessive the Chinese are about "their Olypics" being perfect. From fake fireworks, to ad-libbing barely middle school performers, it's clear that this is WAY to important to The Party. I'm glad I wasn't one of the tens of thousands of 'undesireables' temporarily kicked out of the city to ensure that the sight of my poverty wouldn't upset a foreign tourist.
Then again, The Party supports unmitigated evil in North Korea simply to 'save face' and prevent the disgrace of another communist regime, so perhaps their obsession about the Olympics shouldn't be a surprise.
18. BDB said the following at 12:49 PM on Aug 12:
Yes, we Americans are extremely self-absorbed. It's more obvious after you come back from an overseas missions trip.
Anyway, I'll be watching softball. In Athens, that meant being up at 3 in the morning. This year it's at 9pm on CNBC (PDT). Much more convenient. We're scheduled to eliminate the Canadians on Wednesday...
19. IMO said the following at 1:02 PM on Aug 12:
I stayed up last night watching the Men's Gymnastics! And totally whooped it up for the USA team.
"Anyway, have you noticed this type of individualism in the Americans or am I just looking to criticize?"
I don't know... how big is the pressue on the athletes from their country? Offhand, I'm thinking of China and the immense government pressue on the Chinese to perform (thinking of last night's gymnastics here). And who pays for them to train? The government? I'm curious to know if that makes a difference. The more involvment the govt has with the athlete, the more pressure, and the more patriotism there is? I have no idea...but I'd love to hear anybody else's opinion on this...
And in the USA, I'm thinking there is less reprecusion from the govt if they don't do well.
I mean the Chinese gymnastics coach said that he would jump of a tall-story building if they didn't win gold.. not sure how much he meant that or not...
20. Jason said the following at 1:04 PM on Aug 12:
WOW!!!! That relay was AWESOME! Talk your junk now, France!
21. BDB said the following at 2:19 PM on Aug 12:
IMO (#19) wrote:
>>I mean the Chinese gymnastics coach said that he would jump of a tall-story building if they didn't win gold.. not sure how much he meant that or not...<<
I think he meant that he'd jump onto a trampoline, do two back tucks and stick the landing...
22. Josh said the following at 2:20 PM on Aug 12:
yes!
23. Michele said the following at 2:23 PM on Aug 12:
I have opted not to watch, and instead to pray for Christians in China.
24. BDB said the following at 2:26 PM on Aug 12:
Dan (#5) is also right about the weaknesses of NBC's coverage. I was in Seattle for the weekend and I think we watched the swimming relay on CBC. The Canadian coverage was live and without the individual "puff pieces." It's definitely a better viewing experience.
Incidentally, the ratings for the Olympics were a lot higher 12 or 16 years ago, before NBC got it and covered up the other countries' competitors with the "puff pieces" on U.S. athletes. Ratings are much higher when everyone can watch live and see who wins for themselves.
25. Christina (in green) said the following at 2:31 PM on Aug 12:
John D. (#12),
Christianity really isn't an individualistic faith. Nor is it a "nationalistic" one, either.
Where our citizenship (our faith) is an individual concern, once we become citizens (christians), we become a part of a community...
And its not in ourselves that we take pride, but in our nation (Christ) who makes us a community. What we do is not for our glory, but for our nation's glory (Christ) and to edify our fellow countrymen (other christians).
26. Carrie (the original) said the following at 2:43 PM on Aug 12:
There are two sides to every coin . . .
People who are "nationalistic" tend to be very community oriented and not understand why a faith that emphasizes unity turns out to be so fractured (ex: denominations, this confuses Chinese Christians a lot).
People who are individualistic tend not to understand the importance of community, I mean really understand community. They get wrapped up in their beliefs, their feelings, and their routines. Church hopping is a good example of this. If people actually put the good of others ahead of how they felt about the worship style, the amount of church hopping would decrease dramatically.
27. Elle Rae said the following at 3:16 PM on Aug 12:
BDB (#21) Ha ha! I love gymnastics, especially men's gymnastics (At least US won bronze!). But my all time favorite Olympic sport is synchronized swimming. If you've never seen it, you have to! It is just absolutely amazing!
As for the whole nationalistic vs. individualistic, I see what you mean, but I've heard plenty nationalistic views from US athletes. Even if they're not as nationalistic as other countries, our culture automatically tends to be more individualistic and stresses importance on individualism. It's more a difference in culture than on anything else. However, when watching the Olympics, sometimes I feel myself more rooting for some teams who do not win a bunch of medals, like today when Togo got it's first Olympic medal ever (bronze in some kind of kayaking), I was thinking more "Go Togo!" than "Go USA!" I guess I feel like that because I feel that they're Country doesn't get much recognition, and here's a chance for them to show the world that they can do it too. Perhaps I'm just not all that patriotic. Though for the most part I do go for US, because most times (at least on TV here in the US) that doesn't happen. I was also more cheering for Venezuela Men's Volleyball than the USA team even though I knew US would win (I did study abroad in Venezuela though)
I saw that swimming race, and that was amazing! What amazes me the most about it was that the top 5 teams all broke the previous world record! Some of my after thoughts though were "poor Canada (I think that was 5th place). Here they beat the previous world record, but get little or no recognition for it because so did 4 other teams ahead of them. Perhaps that is just some of my wishing that other places would have more of a chance at fame and glory than the United States which already has plenty, and the whole world knows it.
Sorry about this long post. I get kind of obsessive with the Olympics too!
28. John D. said the following at 3:24 PM on Aug 12:
Community is all well and good, but in the end it's all about my conscience and my soul.
If the rest of the world decided to abandon the true Biblical faith and turned to heresy, would you stay faithful, even if it cost you your friends, your job and your family?
If you were living in the end times and everyone you knew (including people in your church) worshipped the antichrist and urged you to receive his mark along with them, could you be the only person on earth who would not bow the knee?
Answer carefully. There may be a test one day.
29. Rich said the following at 4:27 PM on Aug 12:
France...hah!: That's why they should be called "freedom fries."
As far as my fav. sport: Wrestling. Then Judo.
Scoff if ya want, but its the best....basketball, after all, is not in the Bible. :)
But I like watching pretty much anything in the Olympics. It's fun.
30. Amelia said the following at 7:39 PM on Aug 12:
Ah, I love being in Australia, where the time difference between here and Beijing is only 2 hours (on the East Coast, anyway).
31. Ken said the following at 7:43 PM on Aug 12:
I take exception with your comment regarding the American athlets individualism. Most other country's athletes are playing for their country because they aren't allowed anything else.
I, personally, cannot watch these games beacuse of the Chinese government. They closed factories and sent workers home without pay or promise of a return to work in an attempt to clean the air. They wiped out entire poor neighborhoods, leaving thousands homeless, to make Beijing appear prosperous and clean. The government has warned their citizens in flyers to not speak to visitors about each others lives and living conditions. Chinese sitting in the stands aren't allowed to rise to their feet and cheer their country men and women. And they rounded up hundreds of possible "trouble-makers" in effort to maintain their version of order.
...Also they celebrated themselves during the opening ceremonies on the site of a mass murder commited by the government against peaceful protesters in 1989.
Sorry, I've got otherthings to do...like pray for oppressed Chinese Christians and citizens.
32. Amanda said the following at 7:53 PM on Aug 12:
Re: John D. #12: Right on! The reason so many of the Eastern (and formerly USSR) contries are so "nationalistic" is because they are forced to be, it's called Communism! The whole reason the U.S. society works is because people indivually can choose their own path and work hard for their own good.
33. Heather Koerner said the following at 8:20 PM on Aug 12:
I'm watching panda bears.
It's prime time Olympics and they are spending many minutes making me watch panda bears.
Surely there must be some sort of sport going on right now.
Ah well. I guess panda bears are better than bikini volleyball players.
34. Leah said the following at 8:40 PM on Aug 12:
Australian athletes seem to be different to American, in that they are definitely in it for Australia's glory, although of course they certainly enjoy it themselves.
Take Liesel Jones for example- she attended her first Olympics at the age of 14 in Sydney 2000 (she is a swimmer). She was a favourite for gold in Athens but missed out. She finally got her gold this year. Of course it was a proud moment for her personally but it was for Australia too.
Another story that demonstrates the patriotism of our athletes was from when part of our swimming team was leaving the water cube just as the divers were entering. The swimmers all stopped and cheered for them, yelling things like "Go get 'em!" This is despite our swimmers being the heroes of the Australian Olympic team, not the divers (although they are often medallists too).
Re: the Olympics as a whole- I love watching the swimming, gymnastics, synchronised diving.
I'm also not very impressed with China's performance as a whole. Using deception in the Opening Ceremony was a bad idea. (Lip-synching girl, computer-enhanced fireworks). They got awarded the 2008 games on the promise that human rights would improve. They haven't. They don't even allow peaceful protests. They're too concerned with their international reputation, which in my mind, is already tarnished. The pollution is awful and athletes had to be treated for breathing problems and eyes reacting to the pollutants before the games had even begun. During the long-distance cycling races, they had to quit showing footage from helicopters higher up because the quality of the image was not good enough due to the haze.
Here's how bad the pollution has been: the Monday before the games, pollution levels in Beijing reached 56 times a "bad" day in Sydney or Melbourne. In such "bad" days in Sydney or Melbourne, asthmatics are warned to stay indoors. The pollution levels in Beijing were 56 times that.
Re: the lip-synching girl- when I first saw her in the Opening Ceremony, I said to my husband "My goodness, they can't be original or anything can they... they saw how successful it was for Australia having Nikki Webster sing and had to do it for themselves". (Don't get me started on Nikki Webster, I can't stand her).
The competitions themselves are great. Most of the Opening Ceremony was impressive (though the first 20 minutes or so bored me). But the way China has handled it? No thanks.
35. Eve Marie Barner said the following at 9:52 PM on Aug 12:
The most disturbing part of the games to me is that they are being held in Beijing.
Communist China's financial capital has chiefly funded the Sudanese government's genocide and their political capital (as a member of the UN Security Council) has chiefly prevented the world from taking meaningful action to stop that genocide.
Minimally, tens of thousands of Christians and other prisoners of conscience suffer in Chinese "re-education" labor camps even as the world watches the Olympic games.
Under the auspices of the government, atrocities are normal in China. They kill, rape, torture, oppress, force abortion, sale organs removed from living prisoners, extort money from prisoners families and force prisoners to labor 18 hour days and deny basic human rights to citizens who are not imprisoned.
Yet, they are US permanent trade partners, members of the World Trade Organization, members of the United Nations and host of this year's Olympics.
I'm grateful that my Congressman speaks out against this incongruity. But how is it that so many are silent in the face of such great evil?
36. Iris said the following at 12:08 AM on Aug 13:
Hey....what about the women's 4x100 relay??? No mention of that? Holland won!! Yea...go Holland!!
Anyway, being in Holland most of the media coverage is for our athletes, although they also cover others (Sun night we had an intervew with Phelps, the only non-US tv interview at the point). Usually they focus on swimming, men and women's field hockey, rowing, sailing, and judo as those are the areas they expect Holland to win medals in.
As for the individualistic question, I think its a western vs eastern mentality and not necessariy US only. Although I think the extreme focus on individual performance is also a skewed image given us by the interviews shown. Most athletes are proud to be able to represent their country.
37. BDB said the following at 12:28 AM on Aug 13:
Oooh...for those of you watching swimming, I'm pleased to report that the U.S. softball team pitched a no-hitter against the Australian softball team...
38. Christina (in green) said the following at 6:43 AM on Aug 13:
John D.
Its still "nationalistic" in the sense that you are not loyal to yourself - if it was "individualistic", you'd be bowing your knee at the behest of the rest of the world because that would benefit you more.
It's nationalistic because you are putting your loyalty on to something bigger than yourself - God.
Which is what Nationalists do. What they do is not for themselves. What they do is not for their glory. They would rather die than betray their country. Even if a foreign people came into their country and killed every loyalist, a true nationalist would not bend their knee to a new foreign power - they would continue praising their country of birth. Consider William Wallace of Scotland, the Samurais and Kamikazi pilots of Japan, and the countless Irishmen who fought against England for centuries.
That is what Christians do for God, right?
However, it is individualistic in the sense that you are held accountable for your own choices and your own actions.
39. andy said the following at 6:48 AM on Aug 13:
Actually, even though this is late down there in response to #2, I ran cross country in high school against Lopez Lomong, he can fly.
The Olympic competitions thus far have not let me down, I personally cannot wait for the long distance running.
My personal gripe though is in the fact that everybody is trying to make the Olympics a political event, that is everybody outside of the Olympics. Sure, before WWII, there were a lot of politics involved in the Olympics with Germany hosting, but that was all generated by the athletes themselves. Now, we have people protesting the events and trying to "put out" the flame. What are they trying to prove? Their protesting for better causes is disrespectful and sickening. If anybody should make a political statement during the course of the Olympics it should be the athletes themselves, not some protesters standing off the wayside trying to dictate and choose for the athletes what should happen.
There's my soapbox.
40. Kelly said the following at 7:15 AM on Aug 13:
A few of the comments here have been suggesting Western culture = individualistic, Eastern culture = communist.
My personal experience of non-American western countries, when it comes to sporting events such as the Olympic games:
Australia = very much about 'making Australia proud'
New Zealand = as above
United Kingdom = not that bothered (of course they are happy when a fellow countryman wins a gold medal but then they just carry on)
Ireland = similar to Australia, making the country proud
Germany = national pride has been a difficult concept for the last 50 years but they are starting to embrace it.
Can any Canadians comment?
Of course these are just my impressions from what I see in the media/talking to locals!
41. A.M.C. said the following at 8:06 AM on Aug 13:
Am I watching the Olympics this year?
Sure. But I simply can't stop thinking about the controversy and hypocrisy behind it (e.g. China's media censorship, persecution of Christians, suppression of pro-Tibet protesters, funding of genocide in Darfur, etc.)
==> So, as Michelle (#23) have said, I'll be praying-- not only for the Chinese Christians, but also for the Olympians from around the world. [After all, some people have gone as far as to suggest that Beijing 2008 = Berlin 1936. I seriously hope that everyone would survive this time...]
42. Anna C. said the following at 8:14 AM on Aug 13:
While I agree that Americans can seem way too individualistic at times, it doesn't mean that the other countries' mindsets are always better ... for example, the Chinese are phenomenal athletes, but at what cost? They are doing all this for China's honor, but they are also coming from a communist mindset. Most are sent from their families between the ages of 3-8, and see their parents once a year. Beyond that, there is nothing for them but their sport. They are another blank face in a sea of blank faces, and together as a whole they operate as one community ... the sad part being that they view themselves as expendable; nothing but a pawn on China's playing field.
I guess the best thing would be a balance on both sides :) Americans thinking outside themselves ... and the Chinese valuing individual lives.
43. Michelle (in the UK) said the following at 8:43 AM on Aug 13:
Being a Canadian/German living in England...with three of her best friends being American and having a background in Cultural studies...i have a long opinion on Individualism...but i must say EVEN I am cheering on Phelps! :)
it's very exciting!
44. Jo said the following at 9:13 AM on Aug 13:
Kelly #40:
"United Kingdom = not that bothered (of course they are happy when a fellow countryman wins a gold medal but then they just carry on)"
HAHA, ain't that the truth.
Re: the lip-synching girl, it was blatantly obvious in the opening ceremony that she wasn't singing live (although it was a bit scandalous to not use her voice at all). Whole thing was ridiculous. Why bother using a difference singer when you're going to drown the voice in effects and make it sound like a hamster anyway?
45. Carrie (the original) said the following at 9:41 AM on Aug 13:
Tianamen Square is quite breath-taking (not necessarily because of the pollution). Yes, it was the site of a horrendous attack by the government on private citizens. However, the citizens are more disgruntled with the government than one will ever be to tell from 10,000+ miles away.
I studied abroad in China and heard some very candid conversations. Conversations that will only take place in the presence of Americans with no communist officials in sight.
Knock the government all you want, but there are many citizens (Christian and non-Christian) that are still recovering from the Cultural Revolution.
If they can portray something decent, be it fake or real, this is still a good day for China. The citizens are still recovering from the huge black eye they have from the Cultural Revolution. I'm quite saddened that there is a lot of "cleaning up" and the competition is a little ruthless (Women's gymnatics, anyone?!), but this is a good national event for China.
At least they have the resources to fake it . . . there's something to be said for that.
46. Tami said the following at 10:28 AM on Aug 13:
Heather K. (33) -- Were the pandas wearing bikinis?
:)
47. Heather Koerner said the following at 12:47 PM on Aug 13:
Tami (45)--Funny enough...they were. But at least they had the sense to cover up with a pair of board shorts. :)
48. Jeremy said the following at 3:44 PM on Aug 13:
I quote, from back in March:
"I don't like the term "Easter," as it associates the day with one or more of the following fertility godesses: Ishtar, Eostre, Astarte, Ostera, Eastre.
...
It's about how my university-educated mind is influenced by the words I use, and how I prefer to influence it with Christian truth rather than Pagan tradition."
I was rather surprised not to hear any of the normal Focus on the Family uproar about the Olympics, given that it originated as a ceremony to honor pagan gods. Is this just ignored because it is a fun event? I demand consistency! Couldn't someone please get on their high horse about how allowing pagan tradidion to infiltrate our society will turn our kids into mass murderers?
49. Leah said the following at 11:04 PM on Aug 13:
BDB said Oooh...for those of you watching swimming, I'm pleased to report that the U.S. softball team pitched a no-hitter against the Australian softball team...
Um... excuse my ignorance, but I don't know much about softball- is that saying the US did well or badly? Because if it's saying they did well- DUH. Australia has never been a good softball country :P
Jeremy- you made me grin :D
Kelly was on the money when she said "My personal experience of non-American western countries, when it comes to sporting events such as the Olympic games:
Australia = very much about 'making Australia proud'"
50. Amelia said the following at 3:04 AM on Aug 14:
In response to Leah (#34):
I watched the opening ceremony with a group of friends, and we spent a large portion of the time pointing out the sections which were clearly 'inspired by' the Sydney opening ceremony. It was the best games ever, after all.
51. Michelle (in the UK) said the following at 3:08 AM on Aug 14:
Jo in #44...UK=Not that bothered...
I was watching the men's medley this morning and one of the UK guys says..."I tried my best, but you know i'm enjoying the time and experience"
That's actually the worst attitude you can have, don't you think? aren't the games supposed to be to win? Not to "enjoy an experience?"
52. Stuart said the following at 3:35 AM on Aug 14:
I think it's immoral that there is a 'no expense spared' attitude to the games when there is so much hunger and need in the world. What purpose do they (olympics) serve again?
53. Sally said the following at 10:41 AM on Aug 14:
In response to Leah #49, Australia has 2 silver medals and a bronze for softball in the past three Games, so its quite clear you don't know much about the game...
54. Jo said the following at 11:13 AM on Aug 14:
Michelle #51:
I was quoting an earlier comment, I just thought it was quite apt!
Is it the worst attitude? I think overt arrogance riles me more. I know what you mean though, I think it's our culture to be quite understated about things even if the passion is there underneath. I also think we're quite realistic about our chances, and if we're not likely to win we do our best anyway but don't delude ourselves into thinking we're the best. In some ways I like that we're down to earth but in other ways I agree with you, it's certainly not a bad thing to show a bit of passion and - dare I say it - even optimism every now and then!
55. Christina (in green) said the following at 11:57 AM on Aug 14:
Leah (#49),
I don't follow much of the Olympics, so I don't know how good the Australian team is (though from what sally said, they're probably pretty good...)
However, a no-hitter means that the opposing team did not get any hits at all. It shows really favorably on the pitcher. So, Australia's team did not get one hit in the entire game. Either their hitting was off, or the US pitcher was really hopping...
BDB - I hope the fielding of any US hit made the game more enjoyable to watch? I personally don't like watching no-hitters. They get REALLY boring...
56. BDB said the following at 5:43 PM on Aug 14:
Leah (#49) wrote:
>>Um... excuse my ignorance, but I don't know much about softball- is that saying the US did well or badly? Because if it's saying they did well- DUH. Australia has never been a good softball country :P<<
Gosh...it means that no one from Australia was able to hit the ball. Except for foul balls. Maybe they're thinking "cricket" and can't remember how to hit a change-up. Not that I could hit a change-up at 103kph either...
Somehow, Canada managed to hit the ball. This made God angry, and there's a rain delay until Friday. As a result, I did learn that field hockey can still be played in the rain. Those are interesting uniforms, aren't they? Who'd have thought that a sport would combine uniforms from tennis and soccer...never before in my life was there a need to ponder spandex skirts with shin guards...they have sticks, though, so I wouldn't say anything disrespectful...
Wait a second...the time difference; today is Friday in China. So the U.S. will be defeating both Japan and Canada on the same day. Interesting. Better make sure my DVR is set up properly...
Stuart (#52) wrote:
>>I think it's immoral that there is a 'no expense spared' attitude to the games when there is so much hunger and need in the world.<<
Yeah, I was thinking that the $300 Million cost of the opening ceremonies could buy rice for everyone in Cambodia for a year. I guess it's not just Western countries that can be incredibly wasteful.
57. Leah said the following at 7:50 PM on Aug 14:
Sally- lol, most of our softballers are actually Americans last I heard (which admittedly was probably 2004) >_> i do know that much ^_^
Actually, while I knew Australia had grabbed medals in the past, i didn't realise it was that many. And I don't see how anyone would ever expect us to beat America! :S Maybe I am just out of the loop...
Michelle (in the UK)- you suggested the Olympics are about winning, not enjoying the experience. Actually, if you asked Pierre de Coubeton (sp?), the founder of the modern Olympic games, he'd be horrified at that suggestion. His passion was for nations to come together, to compete, to enjoy the experience- for him, the experience was in competing, not conquering.
58. Leah said the following at 7:55 PM on Aug 14:
Was the 4x100 the one where the US smashed the record by 5 seconds? I didn't see the whole race- just the last leg- but my goodness, I was amazed. One of the few times I was proud of the US!
59. BDB said the following at 10:01 PM on Aug 14:
Leah (#57) wrote:
>>Sally- lol, most of our softballers are actually Americans last I heard (which admittedly was probably 2004) >_> i do know that much ^_^<<
Yeah, I think you're right about that. The Athens Greek national team was mostly Americans - two of which were sisters who leave in my local area here. Softball ended up on the front page of the sports section for a few months. I think most national teams take advantage of American college players of the relevant ethnicity who don't make the USA national team and invite them to tryout for their team. Japan and China seem to be fielding competitive teams on their own.
As I understand the decision to potentially drop softball, it's relatively expensive to send a large team to the Olympics. Poor countries would rather send an equivalent number of individual athletes who can be more competitive in their individual events.
And they all seem to show up fully dressed and don't appear to be using any performance-enhancing subtances.
Ooop - game's on. Gotta go.
60. Kelly said the following at 7:10 AM on Aug 15:
Michelle said: "That's actually the worst attitude you can have, don't you think? aren't the games supposed to be to win? Not to "enjoy an experience?""
I totally disagree - I think it would be such an honour to be at the games! I'd be enjoying the entire experience and it would be a great bonus if I won, but it wouldn't be everything.
61. BDB said the following at 1:07 PM on Aug 15:
Woo-hoo - both Japan and Canada shut down in softball. Taiwan is next.
I do need to modify my statement about the "performance-enhancing substances" thing. Several team members appear to be dyeing their hair blonde. Then again, most of them are from California...
62. Christina (in green) said the following at 2:16 PM on Aug 15:
BDB, you said:
I do need to modify my statement about the "performance-enhancing substances" thing. Several team members appear to be dyeing their hair blonde.
Naah...I wouldn't say that's performance-enhancing. If anything, they're giving themselves a handicap.
They just wanna have more fun at the victory parties afterwards.
(To bar against any who take offense at what I just said, I am a Blonde.)
63. Rachel S. said the following at 2:32 PM on Aug 16:
It may be a little late to comment on this, especially since the thread has turned into a softball discussion...
but I just had share this perspective on the air quality in China: My roommate's friend recently returned from a year of teaching English in China and one of the first things he said after his plane landed in Los Angeles was, "wow, the air is so clear here."