Although several Score Atlanta writers may not agree, MY opinion is that it doesn’t get any better than the Summer Olympics. Watching the best athletes across the globe come together and compete for gold (and bragging rights) is an event unlike any other. Yeah, the Winter Games are pretty cool too, but they can’t top the Summer ones. More nations, more events, more excitement. (And who wants to stand around in that cold weather anyway?)
At first I was hoping to be Score Atlanta’s representative in Beijing this year. Then I found out that China is not exactly “driving distance” from Atlanta, so it wasn’t going to work out. Oh well. Thanks to NBC and its sister channels, we are still able to get full coverage out here in the Western hemisphere. Some thoughts after the first week:
• Technically the Olympics kicked off last Wednesday, as several women’s soccer games took place two days before the Opening Ceremonies. Men’s soccer hit the pitch the next day. Now I know soccer is the world’s top sport, but are fans that desperate for it that organizers had to start the matches BEFORE the Olympics opened? Then what I thought was a virtually unbeatable American women’s squad lost 2-0 to Norway. Both goals slipped by goaltender Hope Solo in the first four minutes. Wasn’t she complaining a few months ago about not playing when it matters, or something like that?
• The choreography, technology and overall atmosphere of the Opening Ceremonies were simply breathtaking. Even with all of the dancing, fireworks and artwork, my favorite part was the scroll’s transformation into movable blocks reminiscent of the Great Wall – especially when it was revealed that each of the 897 blocks had been manned by individual Chinese performers. Seeing each of them wave and jump around as the crowd gasped in amazement may have been the most entertaining moment of the evening. All in all, the opening ceremonies cost somewhere around $100 million. That’s about the same budget that “The Adventures of Pluto Nash” had a few years back. Personally, I’ll take the Olympics.
• There were some truly amazing stories surrounding many of the flag bearers. Holding the flag for America was track star Lopez Lamong, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan who was presumed dead at the age of six before it was discovered that he had escaped. Lamong had thought his parents had been killed as well, but was reunited with them in 2003 and became a U.S. citizen just over a year ago. As for host China, NBA All-Star Yao Ming held the flag alongside a 9-year-old boy who saved two of his classmates from a recent earthquake. Yeah, I was wiping my eyes on more than a few occasions.
• Alright, I’ll ask: How is it that a nation like Finland (58 athletes; 5.3 million inhabitants) ends up with one more competitor than India (57; 1.1 billion)? Whatever – as long as the U.S. keeps bringing the most (596), I’ll take it.
BRING ON THE GAMES
• Somehow I seem to forget this every four years, but a fencing duel is always a lot less like a swordfight than I expect it to be. Luckily the rules are pretty simple—just poke the other guy—so it’s pretty easy to follow. I tuned in just in time on Saturday to watch the American women sweep the saber fencing competition for all three medals (the first U.S. medals of 2008), which included Sada Jacobsen (silver) from Dunwoody, Ga.
• Michael Phelps is not human. He can’t be. He didn’t just beat the world record in the 400 IM, he destroyed it. Do you understand how far 400 meters in length is? Just watching him was making MY arms tired. He only held a slim lead after 300 meters, prompting a friend of mine to say, “This is actually pretty close.” One-hundred meters later, Phelps had beaten Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh by more than two full seconds. We’re witnessing history here: he will become the overall Olympic medal record-holder soon enough.
• “The Redeem Team” may be a bit of a hokey nickname, but the United States’ domination of the basketball scene has been a treat. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Atlanta’s own Dwight Howard … this is how USA basketball is supposed to look. The 101-70 beatdown of China was a start, and I’m fascinated to see what happens from here. If—no, I’ll say when—the U.S. takes the gold, will our top stars continue to go to the Olympics with a chip on their shoulders in the future? Or will these same studs stay home in 2012 since their goals will have already been reached? Regardless, not since the original Dream Team has an American squad been so perfectly assembled and I’m confident a new, long-lasting undefeated streak is underway. (This is assuming the Americans beat Angola on Tuesday, which took place after press time. I’m feeling OK about the prediction.)
• But we can’t ignore other nations’ accomplishments, so let me be the first American to praise the women’s weightlifting (53 kg) champion, Thailand’s Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon. Congratulations Prapawadee, and if people mispronounce your name here, don’t worry about it. I’m an American, and people mispronounce my name all the time.
The action has only just begun, and the closing ceremonies will not take place until Aug. 24. Before then, you can catch U.S. athletes compete for the gold in every sport except team handball. And while we are certainly the favorites to win the most overall medals for the fourth consecutive time, I still wonder why this great nation just can’t put together a quality team handball squad. Drives me nuts.
Arapoglou can be reached at tarapoglou@scoreatl.com.
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