Here’s one of the many differences between Sweden and the
US: they fail when they get only a silver and don’t even bother interviewing
the looser. We win silvers, just won one today actually, and blow it up all over
the news.
Wars and finical crises step aside, we just won a silver dammit!
Another thing that I’ve noticed, watching the Olympics every
night, is that Americans focus a lot (disproportionately so in my opinion)
on the athletes’ parents and family background. It’s like “Oh he loves his mom
and competes for his dead father and hopes to bring home the gold for his aunt
who serves overseas...” which is fine, if that’s the case, but that kind of
coverage belongs on the Hallmark Channel, or possibly E! True Hollywood Story.
Or
American Idol, they all seem to be singing for somebody on the other side,
maybe it’s a prerequisite?
Anyways, I don’t think it belongs in a sports
commentary. I want to hear about their training regime, past competitions,
injuries and most dangerous competitors.
I felt really bad for John Orozco when he blew it (twice) on
the tumbling horse. But not because he was “trying to move his family out of the
Bronx…” (with dramatic music in the background) but because he’s a talented and
hardworking athlete who unfortunately failed to perform at his best when the stakes
were high.
All right, end rant. But, more sport, less parents…. What do you
say NBC?
