Maybe I'm a heretic but...

[Nuclear Unicorn]

...what's the big deal about the Olympics anyway?

Just a lot of wasted money to encourage low-brow competitivist nationalism. Rich people watch in person, corporations advertise ad nauseam (pun intended) and the poor get their bread and circuses.

Flame away.

[Buzz Clik]

1. Consider that there are more members of the press than athletes.

It's no longer an athletic event.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

2. Oh I dunno...

...I'm sure the reporters run, scramble, jump, leap and fight to get past each other.

[Buzz Clik]

4. ... and only those on the juice get the scoop.

[ZombieHorde]

3. I think the Olympics creates a lot of new temporary jobs in the area hosting the event.

I don't care about the Olympics, but I understand those who were hoping for some additional paying jobs in the Chicago area.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

8. I appreciate your thoughts

but if we're going to spend billions how about we spend them on real jobs that don't breed corporatism, nationalist egos and competitiveness?

What good are those billions if a few months later the poor are back out on the streets?

[quinnox]

5. was thinking the same thing, I don't care at all about them

Basically sports in general I don't give a damn about. And who cares who gets the olympics anyway, not me. The last time I paid attention to the olympics was back in 1984, and only because McDonalds had a big contest going on where you could win free food in it and as a young person I was into it. Since then, haven't paid any attention to it.

[Forkboy]

6. All the cool, dangerous sports are in the Winter Olympics anyways.

[AspenRose]

7. I haven't watched the Olympics in years.

YEARS.

Mostly because of the rah-rah "USA! USA!" attitude you see on the American networks.

It's like other countries don't exist....

[LisaM]

9. They had the Goodwill games in Seattle back in the 90s

and because of that, there are now some world-class facilities, mainly pools, in the area. That has bred some world class, and Olympic, swimmers here.

I think there are a lot of good things connected to the Olympics. But I don't care at all if they're in Chicago.

That said, I'm glad the winter games are going to be in Vancouver, BC, because the network won't have any excuse for tape delaying the coverage.

[anonymous171]

10. I know. The poor deserve NOTHING BUT THE GLORY OF THE REVOLUTION!

Is that what you are getting at?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

12. What do the games provide except

very temporary employment and a big distraction?

just sayin'

I think the time and money is better spent elsewhere. Are we to believe we don't have the money for frivilous wars but suddenly we have money for frivilous sporting events?

[RaleighNCDUer]

11. Well, it's supposed to be competition within international cooperation -

only the low-brows see it as nationalist competition. Nobody throws rocks at the judges if a Finn or Zimbabwean gets the gold.

I'm not a sports fan, but I do like the meeting of international competitors in an arena other than cut-throat business and war.

Even in the Nazi Olympics of '36: "Jesse Owens won four gold medals in the sprint and long jump events. His German competitor Luz Long offered Owens advice after he almost failed to qualify in the long jump and was posthumously awarded the Pierre de Coubertin medal for sportsmanship." (from Wiki)

Luz and Owens became lifelong friends.

No flame - just a different perspective.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

13. A very nice tale and thank-you for sharing.

But I think the exception proves the rule: the games are money spent chasing jingoism and ignoring the poor.

Now, perhaps if the 36 games had meant something to the national leaders you'd be on to something but Hitler ignored Luz's example and took his madman's theories on the road.