It actually snowed during the Winter Olympics! In Vancouver, the temperature dropped to a few degrees and a stiff wind made it seem even chillier. I was thinking of catching a medal ceremony, but the prairie boy in my heart couldn't miss a sudden-death, must win game for the Canadian men's hockey team. So the trouncing of Germany took precedence. Afterwards, I went downtown to check out some photo ops, but by eight o'clock Vancouver was eerily quiet.
I am kind of resigning myself to the fact that I probably won't get a chance to shoot any athletes in action. I must confess that I am utterly torn between loving the heart and effort of many of the athlete's, especially in the fringe sports where most of the athletes dedicate themselves to their pursuit of excellence with passion and heart and no expectation of financial reward because of their love for what they do, versus the increasingly crass commercialization of the Vancouver Olympics. Many of the athletes are inspiring. Much of the corporate posturing and most of their advertising borders on the obscene as they desperately attempt to recoup the idiotic amounts of money they paid the IOC to badge their products with the five little rings.
And it's almost nauseating to listen to the Canadian Olympic officials, whose programs like "Own the Podium", fly in the face of the very ideals of Olympic sportsmanship and athletic integrity and character, and even worse, go against the very grain of the kind of conduct which most Canadians pride themselves in displaying.
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- Vince Hemingson
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Couldn't agree more, Vince...with your dismay at the perversion of sport. Why, I'm asking, does a country's pride hinge on a medal count? Why don't we take pride in all winners, thereby celebrating the human capacity to excell. It takes a whole world to produce the best -- in sport, dance, music, whatever. To politize and commercialize it is to be blind to the wonder of excellence.
ReplyDeleteThe wonder of excellence is what is making the country proud. The medal count is merely a way to quantify the excellence. I think most are in awe of all the athletes and they in turn seem extraordinarily grateful for all the support.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tanya...since I'm Mexico at the moment...but my point is that the 'medal count' is the basis for much joy or lament. The 'quantity' of excellence is the same the world over. As I say, it takes an entire world to produce the competition and hence, excellence. To turn personal performances into battles between countries is a kind of sickness. Isn't it? Our mission in life is always to see the bigger and ever bigger picture. To reduce exhibitions of human physical performance into politics is part of a much greater problem that infects the world. I don't want to sound like a party pooper...I just don't want the discussion to be entirely free of the broaader perspective. And as a bit of a confession...I'm kinda sorry I'm not up there enjoying the party. Saludos.
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