David:
I’m not comfortable with the phrasing of the question. It implies that the exorbitant cost of security should be the deciding factor on whether to hold the Olympics at all: it’s too expensive, so let’s call the whole thing off.
This is the wrong approach. My opinion is, yes, $1 billion is far too much to spend on security, but the Olympics should be held anyway, without spending that kind of money. I hate to put anyone’s life at risk, but it’s not me – and not the Olympic Committee – who is endangering anyone’s lives, it’s the crazies out there. If someone is bent on committing a senseless act of violence, it’s pretty close to impossible to stop him. A terrorist may not get to the athletes, but he’ll hurt some citizen attendees instead. Unless we’re talking about a world leader, a particular target really isn’t the point for terrorists, just the size of the bang, the body count, and the resulting media coverage. We can talk about the folks that Homeland Security has picked up over the seven years of its existence, but to my eye they have all been bumblers and buffoons who weren’t really that connected to the international terrorist movement. Because of delusions of grandeur, they made big plans and gathered up some imposing tools but probably never posed much of a threat at any time.
The Olympics were established on the principle of having the entire world (or as many countries as were willing to come) meet and compete in a spirit of peace and fair play. As terrorism is diametrically opposed to Olympic spirit, so planning for it is against the spirit of the Games too. I say go ahead and hold the Olympics in any case, and if countries and athletes don’t want to come because of their fears of potential violence, then let them stay home. Nations -- even world powers like the U.S. and the Soviet Union -- have skipped the Olympic Games for worse reasons before. In retrospect, it was a stupid thing to do, and made little difference in the long run.
Austin:
The Modern Olympics was based around amateur athletes. Today, the only sport that can claim "no professionals" is Boxing. So, this is just a collection of professional athletes that train year-round being paid by sponsors and/or the US Olympic Committee. I say its time to say enough is enough. The games really don't matter much anyway because of the proliferation of sports on television. You can catch almost all of the Olympic sports on television year-round these days so the novelty of watching them every four years isn't a good hook anymore.
Besides that fact that it cost more than $1,000,000,000 simply for security for the games, NBC indicated they will probably LOSE $250,000,000 on the 2010 Winter Olympics. Bob Costas is probably working hard this week to try and find some hard luck stories, but its a little harder now that most of the athletes get cushy training facilities, sponsorships, and endorsement deals. Shaun White, the snowboard king, had Red Bull create his own private half-pipe for his training. So much for a heart warming story about grinding it out on the local slopes.
The biggest example that we need to just end the games is this: Jamaica is sending a skier to the 2010 games in Vancouver. The funny thing is that he grew up in Lake Tahoe! That's right folks no dread-locks and funny accent here. He probably looks like an American and probably sounds like he's from the Mountain West. I am willing to bet even money that he wasn't good enough to make the US team this year and used his ancestry to gain the lone spot for Jamaica. Is this what the games have come to: Tricks and games to get a spot?
The Olympics has run its course (again). Just let it go.
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Some athletes are pros but most of them spend a huge chunk of their lives working toward competing in the Olympics. For a few weeks every two years the global community comes together to put aside their differences and enjoy friendly competition. The Olympics should never be "let go!"
ReplyDeleteThe Olympics are boring. I only watch the opening and closing. Ryan Allen is hot.
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