Despite the trepidations leading up to the Rio Olympics, so far
there have been few disasters. Sure, the green water was a little
off-putting, and now Brazilian officials want to arrest Americans who claimed
they were robbed at gunpoint for
good reason, it turns out) but there hasn’t been an incident like the entire
velodrome collapsing during the final heat of the Keirin, so let’s count our lucky stars.
But
despite all the winning by American athletes, generally speaking the ratings are trending behind those of London four years
ago. There are a number of reasons for this; people
are watching events by streaming on-line instead of accepting whatever sport
NBC deigns to televise; the time-shifting of events means results are not seen
live; if you watch NBC you are five times more likely to see a touching profile
of a courageous athlete rather than actual competition.
But I
think there is another reason. The Olympics have become a rerun.
You remember reruns? They are what TV networks used to show when they let
shows take a break from production over the summer. In the 1950’s TV
shows would produce 40 weekly episodes, and then take 12 weeks off in the
summer. Networks would dutifully show re-broadcasts of the better
episodes so viewers wouldn’t get out of the habit of sitting in front of their
TV sets from 8PM to 11PM every night.
The 2016
Rio Olympics are a rerun. Michael Phelps wins medals in swimming?
Seen it. Usain Bolt wins the 100 and 200 meter races? Seen it
twice. Kerri Walsh Jennings doesn’t win the Gold? Okay, that’s new
because she won Gold the previous three times.
Sure there are lots of new faces in events dominated by the young, like
gymnastics (exactly how many “women” compete in “women’s gymnastics”?).
But by and large most of the stars of the London Olympics are back for more.
It used
to be the Olympics were one-shot opportunities for athletes, and if you had the
bad fortune to be injured, or your country decided to boycott the Games, when
you were at your athletic peak, you were out of luck. There were some
multiple Olympians in obscure events, like discus thrower Al Oeter, or in
events where age didn’t diminish your ability to compete, like shooting events
and equestrian events, but basically every four years it was a new crop of
fresh faces to root for.
This was
mainly because the Olympics were committed to an ideal called
“amateurism.” It’s a strange concept these days when it is absurd to
refer to college football players as “amateur athletes” but at one time it was
the Olympic ideal. If you don’t believe me, watch the movie Chariots of
Fire (if you can stay awake; it is one of the dullest Best Picture Oscar
winners ever). At the start of the 20th century, not only were the athletes
amateurs, but even having a professional COACH was forbidden. These were
amateur athletes who trained, competed in one Olympics, and then went on to be
milkmen, accountants, or mothers.
The wall
was chipped away at and the dam burst in 1992 when the Olympics allowed
professional basketball players to compete. Once athletes could earn
money at their sport, they could train year round and stay in shape
longer. Thanks to ESPN the concept of what could be called a “sport”
exploded to where you could not only be a professional skateboarder, but you
could be a rich one. Usain Bolt’s job is to run in the Olympics every
four years (although I am sure he runs other places in the interim). So
much for amateurism.
But as
the saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt. Sure watching Michael
Phelps win his 20th medal is exciting, but less exciting
than watching him win his first. And where is the immediacy? Did
you miss Usain Bolt winning the 100 meter dash in London? Don’t worry;
you can see him in four years in Rio.
There is
much to be said for the switch to professionalism. Economic incentive
does motivate performance. For years the “amateur” system was exploited
by a Soviet system that simply drafted their best athletes into the military,
making them amateur athletes and professional soldiers. Money means
better training, more focus, and better results. But we aren’t rooting
for ordinary people doing extraordinary things; we are root for people who are
not like us.
In the
31 seasons between 1980 and 2010, 5 teams won 28 of 31 NBA titles—the Lakers,
Bulls, Celtics, Spurs, and Pistons. There were some great teams during
that run, but if you rooted for the Sacramento Kings, or the San Diego/LA
Clippers, or any other the 25 franchises in the league, you couldn’t “Wait ‘til
next year” because next year never came. I think the NBA is more exciting
now that places like Oakland and Dallas can compete for a title. Usain
Bolt winning the 100 three years in a row is an amazing accomplishment, but not
one afforded previous Olympians.
Bob
Hayes had to convert his win in the 1964 Olympic 100 meter dash into a football
career. Usain Bolt will never have to be hit by a 275 pound lineman to
cash in on his Olympic glory. Good for him, but boring for the rest of
us.
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