What is it about the Olympics? Every four years, I find myself glued to the tube, fascinated by sports I otherwise never pay attention to. I say things like – “The Romanian gymnast got docked on technical points by the Swedish judge…..so unfair!”
One reason I get hooked is the Olympics make for good TV. They’re fun to watch. But there’s more to it than that, particularly for Americans. It turns out the election and the summer games coincide on the calendar. And this year, perhaps more than ever, the Olympics are giving us a much-needed break.
I don’t know about you, but I’m finding it hard to keep up with the controversies. The Democrats have Russian hacks and Hillary’s emails. The GOP has the hurricane of controversy-making, Donald Trump, whirling up disputes with gold star parents, top brass Republicans, and more items I can list.
In this long hot summer of political mayhem, the Olympics appear to be an oasis.
Except, technically at least, that oasis is a mirage. The Olympics have always been a hotbed of political drama. Rio is rife with it. There’s the threat of Zika, governmental upheaval, doping scandals, and an overall lack of preparedness. How much more crisis can there be?
‘Bad as it seems, history tells us those kinds of tensions aren’t new. From Berlin, to Munich, to Beijing, the Olympics have had dictators and disasters in the background and foreground.
But the thing is, as much as the current crises get my attention, I tend to forget about them when I’m watching the pole vault.
NBC knows this. Sure, in a somewhat obligatory way, they report the negative stuff. But in the end, why would a network shell out more than 11 billion dollars to carry the games from 2014 all he way to 2032? It’s not simply because they make money. Actually, they often lose a little.
The real reason is because we watch in large numbers. That helps the network promote programming and news. And we watch - not because we care about the trials and tribulations of Rio de Janeiro. We watch to see the artistry of Simone Biles, the power of Michael Phelps, the speed of Usain Bolt.
So for a while, I’ll be among those viewers who, at least for moments, will not be thinking about Donald or Hillary. I’ll be getting some rest – restoring my energy. Because when the games are done and we get back to normal, I’m going to need it.
