Does somebody tell these kids to wrap themselves in the U.S. flag when they win a medal? Is that somewhere in the handbook? Around my house, we joke that they should be wrapping themselves in one of those novelty beach towels that have a gigantic dollar bill printed on one side.
Now, I don’t want to take anything away from the individual achievements of the athletes, or from the pure pleasure of watching the human body perform at its outer limits; but a little perspective is definitely warranted every time this particular circus comes to town. Probably even before Germany attempted to use the 1936 Olympics to “sell” its population and the world on a certain brand of racial superiority, marketing has been the underlying agenda of the Olympics. In the 2010 Olympics, we are looking at a multi-billion-dollar global marketing engine with many corporate drivers. Nationalistic sentiment is simply a branding device, cooly superimposed on the product vehicle in order to speed consumption.
At a time when there is widespread poverty among U.S. children, marginal education for most of them and very little left in the way of social “safety nets” to offset their complete lack of opportunity; why do we embrace the fantasy that the U.S. Olympic team represents the most talented and motivated young people in the country? There is absolutely no acknowledgment anywhere in the mainstream media of the social inequities which guarantee that the vast majority of young people in this country are simply eliminated from the performance pool before they even take their first steps. Corporate sponsors are there only for the few who already have a demonstrated potential to sell product. They aren’t reaching into the ghettos and slums to offer training to untested youngsters, no matter what heart-warming fiction the public is willing to believe.
Olympic athletes are largely the spawn of affluent families who can afford to devote the time and resources necessary to produce a world-class athlete. I have no problem with that. It’s a simple reality. I’d just like a little truth in advertising.
The flag is as much a symbol of their team and teammates as anything.
Womens’ Softball (sport contested by athletes)–OUT
Golf (game utilizing products contested by players)–IN
Not sayin’ that’s good or bad. It’s entertainment after all. Just sayin’.
*** Olympic athletes are largely the spawn of affluent families who can afford to devote the time and resources necessary to produce a world-class athlete. ***
A good case in point of an athlete who was not raised in an affluent family was Shaun White. They were living in a camper for a long, long time, trucking from one place to another to take part in snowboarding competitions. Go and watch the 60 Minutes episode on him and you’ll see.
I know Bode Miller’s family well and I can tell you they weren’t the affluent types. Yeah, they were anti-establishment hippees, but they had to raise money to to get Bode to his first Olympics back in 1998. Read Jack McEnany’s bio on him and you’ll get the whole story.
Then there’s Kelly Clark, Dover’s own. Her parents own a restaurant in Dover. Not the friendliest place in the state to run a restaurant, especially in a ski town. They’ve gone through lots of stuff to get her to where she is today.
Granted there are several other examples to prove your point. But I do think parents go out of their way despite how much money they have and/or don’t have to get their children to compete in the Olympcis, especially when they know they’re that close to making the team in their respective sports.
On a sidenote, what does bug me is what host cities go through in order to host the games. The poor hurt the most from it in terms of housing, displacement, public funds for stadiums, political suppression, etc. Montreal went bankrupt after they hosted the 1976 Olympics. Calgary after 1988 went through a significant recession as well. What happens to a city after the Olympics is more concerning. All the more reason why I’m happy Chicago was never chosen as the host for the 2016 Olympics
As Bill points out, there are a lot of low-profile athletes in low-profile events.
Still, when you see the real glamor pusses in the downhill ski events finish, just watch how fast they get their skis up there so you can see their sponsor’s name!