The Olympics ended last week, and in the aftermath of the spectacle, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what happened regarding the athletes. (I feel the need to make that clarification because there are a lot of interesting parallels that can be drawn between these Olympics and the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin when Hitler and the Nazis were asserting their control over Germany, and, at the same time, trying to show the world how wonderful they were and their emergence as a world power. I’m not the only one who noticed this – there were actually news reports looking at this and many bloggers – here is an example from Politics Monthly. Only the future can tell us if the parallels we have drawn here had any foundation, but the prospect is a little terrifying considering the tenuous world climate, and China’s constant need to “prove itself”. However, this is something to be discussed at a later time, today I prefer to place the focus where the focus should be during an Olympic games – on solidarity between nations and the athletes themselves.)
So one of the best parts about the Olympics (and something NBC capitalized on to the extreme) are the stories. I love being a historian because of the realization that everyone has a story. Everyone has a background, and learning who they are makes their triumphs all the more special. We are bonded to the athletes through a common nationality – even though the United States is going through a very difficult time right now (although, that could have helped the success of the Olympics – Americans going up against the rest of the world in a time when no one thinks we can succeed). We had the opportunity, more so than ever, to discover the backgrounds of the various athletes – we were able to celebrate with them when they triumphed and commiserate with them when they lost.
We learned a lot about these athletes, and some amazing results came out of the Olympics. There were some devastating events, as well, one of the worst being the tragic death of Todd Bachman and serious injury of his wife Barbara, the parents of Hugh McCutcheon’s wife. Death strikes daily, but this seemed to wrench the hearts of every American half a world away. The men’s volleyball team were grieving this tragedy, but were able to triumph and actually won the Gold (this story can be found here).
Michael Phelps is now considered one of the best athletes of all time – he is the winner of 8 Gold medals, and he broke a ridiculous amount of world records. The best part of all of it, though, by far, was his grace and humility when he accepted every single one of those medals. His obvious dedication to his mother seems rivaled only by his dedication to swimming. He showed the world what the meaning of the word “winner” truly is. Not only did he show the world that an incredible feat could be overcome (and made it look easy!), but he showed the world how to be a winner. This, I think, is truly what makes him one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen and will ever see.
There are winners who are true winners, winners who are actually losers, and losers who are really winners, and losers who are just losers. The true winners are those who make our hearts soar when we see them on the podium, as well as the losers who are winners who end up on the podium, but not necessarily where they thought they would be. There is a certain grace that should be seen among those who triumph. When we see it, we rejoice in the fact that we know these people are good people (or can put up a good front, at least). When we learn they have been tested clean for steroids and won just because they are that good, we feel secure in the belief that these winners really do deserve to win.
When a team surmounts incredible odds, and comes back from years of defeat to win the Gold (as did the Redeem Team), we are proud because we knew they worked hard to triumph over those odds. For the first time, I think ever, I actually liked Kobe Bryant. In fact, I thought he was fantastic. In an interview with Chris Collinsworth, (some of which can be seen on this Youtube video), he stood up to some blatant anti-American sentiment (from an American no less!) and stated not only that he was proud to be an American, but that it was the greatest country in the world. I was watching that with my sister’s mom, and after that interview was done, we were speechless. I turned her and just said, wow. She agreed, and I, still amazed, told her that I thought it was the first time I was truly impressed with Kobe Bryant. He was brilliant. It still kind of amazes me. It really added to the joy I felt when I learned that the Redeem Team had won the Gold – and were very gracious in their win as well. It’s incredible to see, and wonderful to remember.
Many people showed their grace in losing as well – there are so many at these games. So many athletes, so few awards. An old tradition of grasping forearms (with their sword hand), showed each side that they were hiding no weapons. This tradition has carried on throughout the centuries and turned into the shaking of hands in an effort to show good will. Few realize how important those handshakes are until it doesn’t happen, or is rebuffed. Thankfully, I did not see or hear of it happen during these games, and it is always amazing to me that the decorum continues. It shows that those who didn’t win gold are also winners.
It is always sad to see an athlete fall from grace, and even more devastating when it could have been avoided with a better sense of playing fairly. Cuban Angel Matos was disqualified from the Bronze medal match in taekwondo when he took too much injury time. In reaction, he kicked the referee full on in the face, injuring him. As a result, he has been banned for life (officially, “due process” will be followed, but that seems to be the likely outcome). The NBC article can be found here. Apparently, there were protests about judging throughout the tournament, but that is no excuse for lashing out like that. Reportedly, the athlete, the coach, and even Castro, are unrepentant on this matter, saying that he was rightfully indignant. I don’t care who you are, what nation you are supporting, or what game you are playing. That kind of unsportsmanlike conduct cannot be excused. Matos, and the coach, deserve what they got.
I think some great things can be learned from the Olympic athletes, and especially, since so much press was put on them, Team USA. Remember the adage: “Reap what you sow”? Well, in the world arena, when athletes take the stage, the rest of humanity should stand up and take notes.
I love the Olympics. Everyone has a story.
