February 19, 2006
And speaking of the Olympics — Bryant Gumble’s closing monologue from the most recent episode of HBO’s excellent sports journalism show, “Real Sports,”"
Finally, tonight, the Winter Games. Count me among those who don’t care about them and won’t watch them. In fact, I figure that when Thomas Paine said that “these are the times that try men’s souls,” he must’ve been talking about the start of another Winter Olympics. Because they’re so trying, maybe over the next three weeks we should all try too. Like, try not to be incredulous when someone attempts to link these games to those of the ancient Greeks who never heard of skating or skiing. So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world’s greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks that makes the winter games look like a GOP convention. Try not to point out that something’s not really a sport if a pseudo-athlete waits in what’s called a kiss-and-cry area, while some panel of subjective judges decides who won. And try to blot out all logic when announcers and sportswriters pretend to care about the luge, the skeleton, the biathlon and all those other events they don’t understand and totally ignore for all but three weeks every four years. Face it — these Olympics are little more than a marketing plan to fill space and sell time during the dreary days of February. So if only to hasten the arrival of the day they’re done, when we can move on to March Madness — for God’s sake, let the games begin.
I agree, the Winter Olympics are marginal exhibitions meant to fill time. Apparently Gumble is a fan of the Summer Olympics (ancient Greek games). Me too. They are completely the opposite, so main stream. I just love waking up on Sunday mornings from Septmeber to January and watching the all day coverage of track and field. It doesn't matter to me if it's the hammer throw, the shot put, the high hurdles or 4 x 100 relay. I can't get enough. I still look back with fond memories of the days when my dad would take me to the park, wearing a singlet, javelin in one hand and my wrestling head gear in the other. We'd throw that javelin around all day, then go 2 minutes up, 2minutes down on the old wrastlin' mat. Those were the days. Didn't Rush Limbaugh and Jimmy "The Greek" get (rightly) fired for similar racial remarks? Oh, well. Gotta go, i'm going the Equstrian ring to do some jumps then I gotta hit the pool to get ready for the 2008 games in...wwherever they are (I think Arkansas got 'em).
Okay, fine, I'll comment.
Any comparison to Limbaugh or Snyder is absolutley laughable. I fail to see any sort of racially insensitive remarks, other than the obvious truth that blacks are scarcely seen in these games. I thought his commentary was pretty funny and mostly correct. I also think that you missed the point, which is not necessarily that black people are better atheletes, but that the actual events and games in general are not at all representative of the what they suggest. For a competition that is allegedly worldwide, there are but a handful of competitive countries. This might also be true of the Summer games, but much less so given that the middle third of the planet never even sees snow or anything resembling the necessary conditions to succeed.
If posting this was just an excuse to write some jokes in italics and thus make me think they were unattributed quotes, then nevermind.
I don't think I've missed the point at all. I am not adressing the racial issue of this quote, or if a I am it is only about 10% of what I am saying. And I think it is comparable to the other 2 (maybe not Jimmy the Greek as much) but he is saying that these cannot be considered "great" atheletes because there are no blacks. I'm not interpreting what he said, that is a quote. The main thing I am saying is that these and the summer Olympics (which mow I am interpreting, he thinks are better because of the racial makeup) are both full of fringe sports that no one pays any attention except for every 4 years, which is what actually makes them somewhat interesting and accepted. However, I can never watch more than 10 minutes at a time of either Olympics.
I'd suggest that you are probably correct in inferring that he thinks the Summer games are better, but he does give at least one other reason for that beyond the presence of blacks. I don't infer that he thinks incredibly high of them either, as he would have to be at least somewhat hypocritical if that were the case, as your parody implies.
The next gen biathalon has been sanctioned and will debut at the 2014 Winter Games in Siorapaluk, Greenland, where the shooters will actually take aim at the skiers from opposing countries. As for Bryant Gumble, who gives a crap what he has to say. Let him throw on a pair of skis and I'll meet his ass in Sioraluk.
I completely disagree with everything said in this and completely resent anything negative said about the Olympics. Bryant Gumble and you guys obviously have never heard of Tanith Belbin... sensational athlete.
http://www.101lifestyle.com/celebs/kristi_leskinen.html
On the other hand, this girl did very well at the X Games, but did not make the Olympics, so maybe there's some validity to what was said. By the way this girl is from Uniontown, PA, which if you know your geography... is just outside Pittsburgh, so she's a hometown girl for me. USA, USA, USA... GO STEELERS!!!