About 15 or so years back, "Sports Illustrated" did one of those super-huge stories on what it takes to be a world class athlete. There was a lot about the drug abuse, but they also discussed the abuse on the bodies, the sacrifices (moving to be by world-class coaches, that sort of thing), the limits of the career even if you get to a certain level (short careers, little recognition for a lot of the sports, etc.), and how this was across most sports. And as I read this, it occurred to me that you would have to be bat-shit crazy to be a world class athlete.
As someone who loves to watch sports, this article was unfortunate, as it has colored my view every since. It is especially true when I watch the Olympics, as, for a lot of these sports, this is the big spotlight. Think about it: those divers work just as hard (harder?) than the baseball players we heard about all the time. But the divers get that once-every-four-years shot (and what about the folks who don't even make the team!) Even if they medal -- has anyone really thought about Laura Wilkinson in an off-year? Yeah, love of the sport, blah, blah, fine, I'll accept that. But that doesn't mean it can't bother me a little.
For me, this Olympics has had a lot of the things that are wrong with sports, which is sort of the opposite of what it's supposed to be about. The craziness over age, dropped batons, stepping out of bounds, it's been about the details, not about the sports. I'm watching because I feel I should, not because I want to.
There's been some cool things: Dara Torres, the water polo team, Usain Bolt, but not enough. Maybe it's the coverage -- not enough live events, not enough of the less common events, Bob Costas (he just seems grumpy and tired and bored), but something is missing. I miss the Olympics of my youth. Or, more likely, I miss watching the Olympics without knowing all the nonsense that goes on behind the scenes.
But, seriously, who is watching all the volleyball?
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