Awe

Here's what it is about the Olympics. I grew up loving all the major American sports, just like most kids. Loved football, baseball, basketball. I also loved horse racing and track because it was followed by adults in my life, especially my grandfather and father. I went on to play football, basketball and track in my freshman year at college, and sandlot participation before that. I used to organize track meets in my neighborhood, running various distances around the block, timing and measuring everything.

I had jocks I worshiped. Hugh McElhenny, my favorite football player. Mickey Mantle, my favorite baseball player. Wooden's UCLA teams when I was there (esp the Freshman team that beat the Varsity on the night Pauley Pav was dedicated!).

But in all this sports worship and participation, I can't say I ever stood in awe of an athlete. Sure, they were good. But they didn't seem inhuman, beyond human capacity.

I stand in awe of Olympic athletes every two years, winter or summer games. What endurance! How do they get themselves in such incredibly good shape? What grace under pressure! What fortitude and dedication and skill! This reaction happens all the time when I watch the Olympics. It never happens watching American mainline sports.

That's why I admire Olympic jocks so much. Some athlete from some village I never heard of and can't pronounce can give a performance that leaves me in jaw-dropping awe.

Of course, at the administrative level, there's corruption in the Olympics. But individual competition is not corrupt and perhaps saved by the fact that in the vast majority of Olympic sports there is no professional temptation ahead. There are no future millionaires here, except those exceptional ones who advertise underwear. Relatively speaking, it's still about the competition, one on one, not perverted by the arrogance common in American mainstream sports, not about the money. But it does get worse each time, I suppose. Corporations, as they get control, change priorities.