While trumpeting about Team China, he goes on and on in this vein about Team USA:
Although the USA achieved more medals than in Athens four years ago, the American public were growing increasingly restive by the comedy of errors and big-name drop-outs: a softball team that flunked taking a fourth successive Olympic title; Tyson Gay, the world champion, not even getting to contest a sprint final; Daniel Cormer, captain of the US wrestling team down before he even got out onto the mat, embarrassingly carted off to hospital because he became dehydrated trying to make the weigh-in.
. . .The USA might be pretending not to have noticed, but there is a new Olympic order of priority led by China, whichever league table you want to read.
Well, OK, I grant that mentioned athletes, all of whom were carrying heavy expectations, did not do well. I grant that two US track-and-field relay teams crashed out in the qualifying heats because they failed to pass the baton successfully. I grant that US sprinters got outpaced by the amazing Lightning Bolt of Jamaica. I grant that American divers got massacred by the Chinese. I grant all that and more.
But. BUT. BUT.
DESPITE ALL THAT, despite all the supposed and actual failures, Team USA still won 110 medals -- the highest number of medals of any nation in the Games. I wouldn't start playing the funeral dirge for American sport yet! The writer even concedes that Team USA won more medals in Beijing than in Athens. Yet for him this isn't good enough at all. We're failures, don't you get it! FAILURES!
Only a sour Brit could make an achievement like 110 medals sound like total, abject, prostrate failure. I really find the title of his piece revelatory: "America refuses to accept defeat in Olympic medal count." Why should we "accept defeat"? We weren't defeated! We won 110 medals, of which 36 were gold. Oh, sure, you can retort that China won more golds (51 out of a medal total of 100), but I think it's ludicrous to start crowing that America is doomed in international sports. Oh, please. This sports writer, and people like him, are vultures.
Of course, I've been hearing a lot of whining (or should I say, "whinging") from British journalists about winners at the Beijing Games. Here's an example. Perhaps success really does breed carping envy. Pfft. Apparently now, when you lose, you win. But when you win, you lose. And there are some people so sour, petty, and bitter that they really seem to root for, thirst for, dream of, and lust after the failure of others.
So what do you want me to do? Do you want me to apologize for the glorious successes of Kobe Bryant and the Redeem Team of basketball? For the utterly amazing Michael Phelps? For the American relay swimmers who won gold in the most exciting relay to ever hit an Olympic pool? For Russian-American gymnast Nastia Liukin?
Call me just another ugly American yahoo, but I've still got my foam "We're Number One!" finger and I'm waving it while celebrating the achievements of a great Olympic team that boasted members from all kinds of backgrounds, nationalities, races, colors, ethnic groups, etc.
I'm not denigrating in any way the achievements of Team China, which had some truly splendid athletes. But I'm not about to let this British writer unjustly trash Team USA.
While I'm at it, let me offer my congratulations and best wishes to ALL the athletes who took part.
2 comments:
We could look at it per capita, eh? Like they do when we talk about China's pollution problems. That way, America won, what, 400 medals, and about 150 or so gold?
On the other hand, I have recently become hopeful that news of America's demise has been greatly exaggerated. Maybe it will be dashed against the cruel rocks of criminal stupidity. But lately, such tired old saws as "all empires fall, don't you know, old chap" and "China will overtake the US by 20XX!!" have been known to make me giggle in a most improper way for a gentleman. I should be embarrassed, but it's difficult at a moment like that.
It reminds me of wild-eyed, breathless predictions a few years ago about how the EU was going to leave the US in its dust. Live and learn! ;-)
But yep, the wildest of the China rah-rahing always makes me giggle too, in a most improper way for a lady!
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