Olympian Thoughts – As the Games End, the Curmudgeon Begins

Olympics Are a Lot of Fun, But Can They Make the Summer Cooler?

Now that the London games are over the world can go back to less important things, like global warming, the impending disaster in European economies, the increasingly juvenile U. S. Presidential race and, thankfully, the return of football.  Here are some random thoughts on the last two weeks of world class sporting.

1. Does anyone really care that a group of NBA All Stars can beat every other team?  What exactly did anyone expect?  Wouldn’t the sport, the spectacle and the Olympics be much better if multi-millionaire basketball players were replaced by real amateurs?

2. The controversy over which sports should be in the Olympics is silly.  If the Olympics want to have an event, let them have it.  No one has to watch yachting.

3. Contrary to what that well known Olympics expert Mitt Romney said, London and Britain were truly prepared to present a great Olympics, and they did so.  Mr. Romney knows about as much about Olympics as he does about economics.

4. China’s emergence as an elite world class competitor in sports mirrors its continuing evolution into a high growth, middle class, capitalist economy.

5. As several articles have noted, finishing fourth is about the worst thing that can happen to a competitor or team in the Olympics.  No recognition after years of dedication and hard work.  And the difference in performance between fourth and third can be miniscule.

6. NBC doesn’t understand that one reason to watch the Olympics is to see athletes from other countries.  We see athletes from the United States all the time.

7. If The Dismal Political Economist had to play a full period of water polo he would drown.