Olympic Sham

The Olympics opening ceremony was a few hours ago, and from what I was told, it was a spectacle to behold.  It was civil, patriotic, Boston was represented well, and so far, nothing terror related has happened (to my knowledge).  It's good to see sports of any kind getting attention, but in all honesty, as much as I love sports, I don't care about the Olympics!  Does that make me a bad person?  Many would say yes, but I don't think it's a bad thing.  Let me explain.

On the surface, I understand what the Olympics are.  They're a sporting event where the best athletes in the world compete against each other for medals, and for the honor of their country.  That to me, is noble. But lost in that, is all the negative stuff that gets swept under the rug; the controversies, the bad sportsmanship, etc.  Although, this year, it's been no secret how Russia has handled the Olympics.  They've taken controversial stances on homosexuals, killed stray dogs, and even given opposing athletes/people terrible living conditions.  And yet, people still care?  They still watch?  I understand watching if you love sports and competition of any kind, but as I learned in my Psychology and Women class, sometimes when you want to make a statement, you need to boycott something, which I've done with the Olympics practically my whole life.  Maybe it's wrong and unpatriotic, but at least it's honest, which matters to me.  There are people I know who watch the Olympics, but I feel like they're not being truthful because they don't follow any of these sports fully, play them, or know who any of the athletes are.  They're just "pink hat" fans or people who jump on the bandwagon. To truly care or be passionate about something, I think you need to show that and a lot of dedication to it, which many don't do when it comes to the Olympics.  They just watch, without ever really putting much thought into it, which is a shame because if they did, they might appreciate it more for what it is.

So that's how I feel about these Winter Games.  They may be a great spectacle, but I'll be watching the Sacramento Kings take on the Boston Celtics because that's something I truly know and care about.