Crucifying Khorkina
I don't cover the Olympics much, watched a few events like swimming and gymnastics and I thought I'd share some of my impressions.
First of all, I can't stand the NBC announcers. They're awful. Typical leftists can't help but trying to divide and create divisiveness. Their questions drip with condescension and it hurts to watch them get off patronizing these kids. The NY Times piece linked above drips with much the same sort of irritating garbage.
In the women's gymnastics competition I was rooting for the reds. Yes, I appreciate the greater level of difficulty for Svetlana Khorkina to perform the same tumble as someone seven inches shorter. She is the gymnast that gets media attention and so brings money to those who cover the sport and yet at the same time they love to get in their digs at her whenever they can, since she doesn't kiss the media's behind like many of the little kids who competed against her. They call it women's gymnastics but for years these haven't been women competing, they have been little kids who are trained for a short window of opportunity. Carly Patterson will not qualify in 2008 any more than Mary Lou Retton could qualify in 1988. They are - to be blunt - one shot wonders. This year they might have well called it girl's gymnastics and created another competition called women's gymnastics. The 25 year old 5'5" Svetlana Khorkina was the only real woman there. There's a good chance that at Svetlana's skill level, if she really wanted to, she could return in 2008 -- simply because she is a superior athlete who will not outgrow her skill in two years like these little girls that hop and tumble so easily.
So far there have been no anti-US demonstrations at the Olympics to speak of, which is amazing considering the way the US media presently portray global sentiment against America so as to further Kerry's flailing candidacy.
One more topic before I sign off...
John Tesh.
How can it be I feel he's one of the best commentators NBC has down in Athens right now?
No comments:
Post a Comment
All comments are moderated. Civil discourse is invited, however profanity, insults and advertising are prohibited. Thank you for your contribution. Your post will appear after a moderator has reviewed it.