Here we are on the doorstep of the 2024 Olympics. Personally, I find them to be lacking in joy, expectation, or anticipation. For some reason I am more concerned about seeing someone keel over from a stroke or myocarditis - or worse, being attacked by rampaging thugs in the streets of Paris. Or worse......
I wonder if the games will be more opening a Pandora's Box or a very large and unpleasant can of worms.
It was 2016 when I fronted up to watch a film called " Eddie the Eagle. "
It was a story inspired by the British Olympic Ski jumper, Eddie Edwards who represented Britain in the 1988 winter Olympics in Canada.
This remarkable young man dared to do something that he knew would not end in a medal. He dared to take a Leap of Faith and give it a go.
He had no illusions about his ability, no dreams of gold or silver or even bronze. He told the press: “In my case, there are only two kinds of hope—Bob Hope and no hope.”
Please watch - you will not regret it. It gives back the humanity of watching the Olympics when we actually enjoyed watching....... and people participated for the LOVE of it. much like going to the movies or watching our favourite footy team play. We don't want to be lectured to, told what to think or made to feel guilty for the colour of our skin. We want to have fun and celebrate the joy of life and living.
actual footage from the 1988 Olympics of Eddie jumping
You see, the Olympics have become so far removed from their beginnings. Men dressed as women carrying the Olympic torch? Men competing in women's sports? People carrying flags that are not of their nations? Political grandstanding? Yet Eddie was banned from future Olympics? How the hell does that work?
Which brings me to my next point: Nations cripple themselves with debt to host these events and then, when the fanfare is over, the stadiums and pools are left to decay. Why?
I cannot help but ask the question.
Is it time to call it quits and accept that the Games are no longer relevant in a world where everyone gets a medal for participating and where the joy of coming last at the Olympics is no longer something of which to be proud.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion have been the death knell for many businesses: sports is now on its last legs. Let the games retire while they still have some dignity and not force them to fight to the death and end up like the stadiums that once were so proudly filled with cheers and triumphant applause.
Maybe they have just outlived their use by date? After all, the Olympic Games originated in ancient Greece, with the first recorded Olympics held in 776 BCE in Olympia. These early games were part of a religious festival honouring Zeus, the king of the Greek gods. The games were held every four years at Olympia. This period became known as an Olympiad, and it was one of the ways Greeks measured time.
The ancient Olympics initially featured only one event, a 192-metre footrace called the "stadion." Over time, more events were added, including wrestling, long jump, javelin, discus, and chariot racing. Only freeborn Greek men were allowed to compete. Women were not permitted to participate in or even attend the games, although there was a separate festival for women, the Heraean Games, dedicated to the goddess Hera. The games were as much a religious festival as an athletic competition. They were held in honor of Zeus, and the athletes and spectators would offer sacrifices and prayers to the gods.
The Olympics fostered a sense of shared identity and peace among the often fractious Greek city-states. A truce (ekecheiria) was declared during the games, allowing athletes and spectators to travel safely to Olympia. The ancient Olympics continued for nearly 12 centuries until they were banned in 393 CE by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, who sought to promote Christianity and suppress pagan festivals. The modern Olympic Games were revived in the late 19th century by Pierre de Coubertin, a French educator and historian. The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896, symbolically connecting the new games with their ancient roots.
Why is it that I don't feel any truce coming on in modern Olympics? Think of Munich 1972....
I have a horrible feeling that friendly games and truces are a thing of the past. This is not a world where ANY games can thrive. Save those our leftist politicians play.
It is time to stop playing games and start fighting. If we wish to, as nations and as people, ever wish to soar like Eagles again, we need to start bloody acting like them.
No, we are not that brave. We are not the people who will leap off a sloping roof ( sarcasm intended ) into the unknown at a rally in Pennsylvania. or a slope in an Olympic venue. But hell, we can be there to cheer those brave enough on when they do.
And hell, it is going to be a hell of a leap for many. Time to buckle up and pray. And take a leap of Faith.
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