Two weeks ago, I couldn't have cared about the 2008 Summer Olympics. But it's been on NBC a lot, which means it's been playing in my newsroom a lot, and I've come to appreciate it more than I ever have.
Circa 2008, I find the nationalistic undertones that used to drive the interest antiquated, if not hokey, though Russia has timed its effort to revive the Cold War perfectly with Beijing's games. What fascinates, in a deeply profound way, is how the Olympics premier events -- swimming, track and field, gymnastics, figure and alpine skiing -- are all about the marvels of the human body.
While America's four main professional sports have athletes of unparalleled skill, their success has much more to do with hand-eye coordination, e.g.. putting a ball in a whole. In the Olympics, it is elemental and raw. There are no bats or balls, just: How high can you jump? How fast can you run? How far can you throw this? How hard do your legs kick and arms propel? Can you throw your body into the air for two somersaults and then stay balanced on a three-inch thick beam? Even though aerodynamic outfits have replaced the naked body, the body is still naked. It all depends on your muscles, bones and biological systems.
This isn't meant to discount traditional U.S. athletics -- in fact, swimming, et al could never be interesting enough from a storytelling perspective to sustain a full season -- but there's something thrilling about watching this and thinking about what our bodies are capable of. Elaine Scarry would do a much better job than I delving into this further, but I'll try: Bodies are often thought of as our limitations -- "I hate the way my chin looks, I wish I looked like him"; "I'm fat, I'm tired"; "My back hurts, my arm aches" -- or as something we want to alter, pluck, embellish, cosmetically enhance. But here they are a liberating force, there is nothing they can't, hypothetically, do. Tonight I watched one man run 100 meters in 9.69 seconds, another swim for eight gold medals, and a 41-year-old woman win two silver medals in swimming. Incredible! The message: Eliminate mental fear, focus and train, and the body overcomes and accomplishes. (I think Nike would insert here, "Just Do It." How marketing rules our lives.) In the Olympics, the body trumps all, the body runs free, the body is hallowed. If only it were always so.
Circa 2008, I find the nationalistic undertones that used to drive the interest antiquated, if not hokey, though Russia has timed its effort to revive the Cold War perfectly with Beijing's games. What fascinates, in a deeply profound way, is how the Olympics premier events -- swimming, track and field, gymnastics, figure and alpine skiing -- are all about the marvels of the human body.
While America's four main professional sports have athletes of unparalleled skill, their success has much more to do with hand-eye coordination, e.g.. putting a ball in a whole. In the Olympics, it is elemental and raw. There are no bats or balls, just: How high can you jump? How fast can you run? How far can you throw this? How hard do your legs kick and arms propel? Can you throw your body into the air for two somersaults and then stay balanced on a three-inch thick beam? Even though aerodynamic outfits have replaced the naked body, the body is still naked. It all depends on your muscles, bones and biological systems.
This isn't meant to discount traditional U.S. athletics -- in fact, swimming, et al could never be interesting enough from a storytelling perspective to sustain a full season -- but there's something thrilling about watching this and thinking about what our bodies are capable of. Elaine Scarry would do a much better job than I delving into this further, but I'll try: Bodies are often thought of as our limitations -- "I hate the way my chin looks, I wish I looked like him"; "I'm fat, I'm tired"; "My back hurts, my arm aches" -- or as something we want to alter, pluck, embellish, cosmetically enhance. But here they are a liberating force, there is nothing they can't, hypothetically, do. Tonight I watched one man run 100 meters in 9.69 seconds, another swim for eight gold medals, and a 41-year-old woman win two silver medals in swimming. Incredible! The message: Eliminate mental fear, focus and train, and the body overcomes and accomplishes. (I think Nike would insert here, "Just Do It." How marketing rules our lives.) In the Olympics, the body trumps all, the body runs free, the body is hallowed. If only it were always so.
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