They are simply humans not gods, as I am
I’m following the Olympic Games thanks to NBC. Something caught my atention yesterday and I would like to share it with you and check what you think about it.
Just a few minutes before the beginning of a competition as gymnastics, for example, NBC shows a wide summary about the US gymnasts who participate in that particular match or routine. So we can watch a summary about how their lives are on a daily basis: how they take care of their children, how they go shopping or how they combine studies and trainning. The NBC shows us how almost anybody could be an Olympic medalist: our neigbour, ourselves. The Olympic spirit is just discipline, sacrifice and a lot of effort and you can use it every single day of your life.
What I really like about these summaries is the way how TV brings these stars closer to our hearts. They are not people from another galaxy, they are not Gods, they are just people who work, and they work very hard focused on a very clear objective. They are a model for all of us to follow: each day a little bit more, another small battle to fight and…win. And this is what a TV channel shows us as a mirror of how the American society is. A good opportunity to better try and understand the country and the society where I live.
I’m loving it.
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So you’re lovin’ it- McDonalds-style, right Mariano??? Ha, ha, you sure are picking up America pretty quickly…
As for those NBC featurettes, I’ve seen them and will admit that they are refreshing to watch at a time when all you hear from sports in the US is scandals, steroids and overblown salaries.
I particulary liked the one about Melanie Roach, the weightlifter and mom of three from Oregon. That is some accomplishment, and probably how we would like to envision athletes in our society- as whole-rounded people that conquer challenges in life and society outside of sports.
I’m not sure if it’s the same in other parts of the world, but sports over here tend to be over-glamorized by the media to the point that players tend to think they ARE gods. That is the one thing I do like about the Olympics- it still tries to keep the spirit of the real athlete alive.
PS- Great look with the website change- very Microsoft-y! (very readible fonts too!)
Polo-Go, I have to say that your point of view is exactly same as mine. We use to consider some athletes as gods thanks to the media. For that I wanted to call your atention with this preview summary from NBC, someone can do it. You only have to want it.
PS. I’m glad you like the style but as you see I changed it again. I’ll explain (and I hope you like this one :-) )
Update: changed post title from “They are just humans not gods, as I am” to “They are simply humans not gods, as I am”.
I still consider myself as a human not as a god… so far :-)
Quick Note: Just cause I finally have some down time, I’m sitting this morning in front of the TV watching the Spain/US basketball game (and I don’t like basketball!).
I just saw the the Kobe/Gasol featurette, and thought it very down-to-earth and earnest (for big-named athletes). I even laughed about their ribbing each other about the game!
PS- If Cowboy reads this comment (since he seems to be the b-ball fan), I would like to know his prediction and comments about the game!
Uhmm, I was hiking today and I didn’t watch the match. USA won, right? That was my bet ;-)
I think TeamUSA was a very safe bet! : )
I guess Cowboy did not get to see the game (or my comment)…
Ha ha, polo, maybe he’s still crying our defeat…
Yes, I am still crying.. ;(
Nah, don’t get me wrong, guys… I wasn’t interested in who won; I was interested in the players and the teams per-se.
What I saw during the game (not knowing most of the players on both sides) was the exact reverse of what I see the US Soccer team sufferes from, as an example.
There is a lot of talent on both teams. To pick on someone, I did not know Gasol had a younger brother (Marcos), and I feel HE was the best player on the Spanish side.
But like the Greeks, their game is not as fluid against the US game- and I think that is due to coaching. They relied too much on pick-plays and standard offense, yet when they were on fast-breaks, they did not know what to do with the ball and did not take advantage of the situation.
Well, I’m sure you’ll let me know if what I said sounds wrong…
PS- There’s no cryin’ in Basketball!!! : )
(or, I will stand corrected, like this ESPN article I just happen to find):
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-33-183/The-Other-Redeem-Team–Spain.html
OK, I saw the last 5 minutes of the final (because there was so much buzz about it on the ‘net)- and I could not laugh any harder: RUDY FERNANDEZ SLAMMING A THREE-POINTER ON DWIGHT HOWARD!!!!! HA! And I even got it on DVR so I can repeat that over and over…
Again, I don’t follow basketball- but I know what that was about!!!
I think it was the best game I’ve ever seen. Maybe the first time that the US basketball team had to play to win instead of the usual “parade”.:-)
Interesting footnote to conclude this article on the “Gods” of sport:
http://www.freep.com/article/20090204/COL08/902040355/?imw=Y
Wow, that’s a good catch Polo-Go. Definitely, they are just humans…