Olympic Fever

I have to admit it…

I have Olympic fever. I didn’t mean to get it. Often the Summer Olympics come and go for me without much notice. I usually prefer the events in the Winter Olympics. And maybe I just usually have more time to watch them in February than in August.

For some reason, it’s been different this year. To some degree, I have Joan to thank. She asked me in July at some point if I was planning to watch the opening ceremonies. I hadn’t been planning to, especially, but I agreed. I’ve been hooked ever since.

Yes, the opening ceremonies were over the top. There were parts that I just didn’t get. But overall, they did what I’m sure their producer (Danny Boyle) and the IOC wanted: they grabbed me and didn’t let go. I was caught up in all the spectacle. I loved the representation of Britain transitioning from an agrarian to an industrial society. I especially liked all the drummers. (What can I say—I’m a sucker for percussion.) And of course, I always thrill at the parade of nations. Everyone is so excited to be there, and it’s contagious.

And thanks to the ubiquitous coverage of the NBC networks, almost everything was available. On the first morning of competition, I found myself looking for whatever live coverage I could find—bicycling, volleyball, soccer, even table tennis. And despite being unable sometimes to avoid spoilers, I’ve been watching as much prime time coverage as I can.

Again, there are always naysayers. There’s more doping going on than people realize…cash bonuses should not be awarded in the Olympics…professional athletes should not be allowed in the games…etc.  I know all these things. And if I were thoroughly involved in the sports, I might think more seriously about them. But as a casual observer, these considerations are overshadowed by the excitement and drama of the games.

Here are a few of the moments that have most struck me:
• Michael Phelps is an amazing athlete. USA swimming has not seen his like since Mark Spitz in the 72 games. And Phelps had accomplished more.
• It’s great to see US gymnasts excel in a sport traditionally dominated by other countries.
• The emergence of Team GB on its home soil has been heartwarming. Especially for Andy Murray over the equally likeable (and generally better) Roger Federer. It’s interesting, too, that in many sports England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland typically field their own teams in international competition—but here they compete together.
• Many Olympic athletes have inspiring stories, but that of Oscar Pistorius of South Africa is astounding. He was the first amputee runner to compete in an Olympic event, though he failed to qualify for the final heat.

These are just a few observations so far. I’m sure more will occur these last few days of the games. At this point, I’m ready for Sochi in 2014 and Rio in 2016.