The Olympic Spirit

                                                                              

Every four (or two, or whatever it is nowadays) years, my wife watches the Olympics. So I watch it as well.ⁱ I'm too lazy to change to a real program – not that there is any – and I'm far too smart to make an issue over the choice. I see the same ads over and over again, and there is an occasional event shown. The events themselves, however, on occasion seem strange. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The Olympics are said to have been organized originally in the eighth century BCEⁱⁱ – at least that's what the history books say – but they probably started earlier, and they only achieved real popularity a few centuries later. They were dedicated to the gods on Mount Olympus and their goal was to solidify the relation between between the various city-states of what is now Greece. In fact, during the games wars were put on hold. The medium was sports, including events like the javelin throw which, notwithstanding the suspension of such activities during the games, mimicked the activities of war. The prizes were quite modest – crowns of olive branches and artistic tributes like statues and poetic tributes. With the rise of Christianity, however, celebrations of pagan gods doomed the games and at the end of the fourth century CE Theodosius banned them.

Fast forward to the end of the nineteenth century: the reconstitution of the Olympics.ⁱⁱⁱ And, since 1896, after being revived by de Coubertin, the Olympics have been held every four years, except for the war years.^iv But from 1896 to now there has been a sad deterioration of the games – not commercially of course, but in terms of the ideals that had inspired them. For example, instead of stopping war to compete, the games were suspended to allow for the pursuit of war.

What were those ideals? The Olympic movement prides itself on promoting a holistic philosophy: “Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example, social responsibility and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.”^v In view of such ideals, and the sentiment that sport should be accompanied by social responsibility and ethical principles, the need to ban certain substances, and the penalties for cheating and throwing events are hard to understand. And while the spirit of competition is to be commended, participation should be accompanied by “a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.”^vi From what I've observed, those ideals are often lacking, and the Guinness Book of World Records is more of a motivation for the athletes than the Olympic Charter.

But it is not fair to blame the participants when the games themselves have changed and when the Olympic Committee has interests and prejudices of its own. According to the Council of Europe, “'Sport' means all forms of physical activity^vii which, through casual or organised participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels.”^viii We also understand the term to refer to the kinds of physical competitions that have primarily athletic, rather than entertainment, value. So such “sports” as synchronized swimming and diving, dressage and ice dancing don't seem, on the surface, to reflect what Coubertin may have had in mind.^ix Training, often arduous, is an important component, as is the sense of competition. But they do not define sport.^x

Rather, the Committee has chosen to use commercial licensing and profit-making as the criteria for its choices. Amateur status used to be demanded of participants^xi but that limitation has been abandoned because professionals provide more excitement and revenues than amateurs. Television rights are now a critical property, and advertisements and fluff take up more time than the actual events. In addition, fireworks-filled ceremonials and displays are certain to draw big audiences. And so as to keep the consciousness of the events ever in our minds, and to keep the revenues flowing, the Olympics are now featured every other year instead of every four years.

Even the Olympic logo belies the stated goals of the Charter. The five rings are said to symbolize the world's continents. There are, however, seven continents – a fact of which the Committee must be aware. It may be argued that there are no participants from Antarctica, but it is hard to maintain the same position in regard to Australia. A new symbol, though, probably wouldn't be as striking as the one now in use, and would lose some of its commercial value.

Perhaps the worst of the offenses of the organizers, though, is the politicization of the games. According to the Olympic Charter, “The Olympic Games are competitions between athletes in individual or team events and not between countries,” yet the prizes seem to be awarded by countries with national anthems an important feature. Medal counts and media coverage also seem to focus on international rivalries. And “Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.” Yet despite the long memory of ancient games, officials seem to be unable to remember the more recent murder of Israeli athletes and coaches in Munich at the 1972 games, nor to pay any tribute to them in the extensive pageantry in which the games glory.^xii Many people consider this to be a slap at a particular people and a particular country, illustrating the prejudices of the organizers. As does their readiness to erect a barrier so that Lebanese athletes wouldn't have to see or acknowledge the presence of the Israeli athletes. The world reacted with horror when the Israelis constructed a barrier to keep them safe from terrorist attacks, and it was decried by an angry world. But the reaction to a direct violation of Olympic principles by the Olympic Committee itself in the building of a barrier to exclude Israelis is of no consequence. Clearly the Committee doesn't view such an action as a “form of discrimination with regard to a country.”

The committee will condemn the acts of others while never considering its own hypocrisy and the violation of its own rules. So why should we demand more of the athletes. And we who watch should not condemn either the organizers or the athletes. Not as long as we ourselves keep watching and admiring the Olympic Spirit.

Next episode: “Jeremy Bentham And The Mars Rover” – On the uses of money.

i      I'm writing this on August 7^th, although it won't appear for a few weeks.

ii     Specifically 776 BCE.

iii    There had been attempts to hold similar celebrations in between – including one on the heels of the French Revolution – but they were short-lived.

iv    Fealty to the gods may have been a motivating force for the Greeks, but religion played no part in the modern games. Or so they claimed.

v     As stated in the Olympic Charter.

vi    Ibid. “Fundamental Principles, Number 6.

vii    Air rifle shooting may require a good deal of concentration, good vision, and steady hands, but it is not what would come to mind immediately as a physical sport.

viii   European Sports Charter, Article 2, 1a.

ix     It also seems unlikely that he would have listed beach volley ball among his favorites.

x      A lot of training is necessary to win a hot dog eating contest or a chess match, and “road rage” is certainly the result of an overly competitive spirit, but none qualifies as an Olympic sport. Nor do we see, at least not this year, dancing with the stars.

xi    Jim Thorpe, described by King Gustav V of Sweden as the greatest athlete in the world, was stripped of his Olympic medals because he had played professional baseball and that was enough reason to consider him a professional and ineligible for Olympic participation even though he competed in track and field.

xii    Indeed, the Munich games went on after the murders as if nothing had happened.

Seasons Of Our Discontent

 

                                                                                  

I like where I'm living. The seasons change from time to time. It's not like living somewhere that has the same weather all year round.ⁱ And even if they may vary by a day or two some years, the variation in the seasons is only on the calendar – not affecting the change in weather that occurs.

That's reassuring. Every year the same seasons lasting the same length of time. I might like to fiddle a little with the dates on the calendar,ⁱⁱ but I know there will be a cold season, a hot one, and two in between. We'll get our weather more or less in 91 day doses.

Each season is about three months. “About,” because the way we've chosen to define them – using the equinoxes and day length as our markers – provides us with periods of this length. They're arbitrary and not really necessary. The weather would change without them.ⁱⁱⁱ But we've decided to create a system by which we recognize four seasons, and it's the same every year. And even if the weather on a particular day may not fit the mold, on the whole it is relatively predictable. Nature has its act together and we accept its dictates.

But people have an ax to grind. Money.^iv So “seasons” that are governed by human criteria seem to change from year to year. They get longer.^v For example, at one time Christmas was on December 25^th. A few days before may have been necessary to prepare, but the focus of the holiday was religious, and the 25^th itself held the greatest importance. But later, with an increasing emphasis on presents, the “Christmas Season” was advertised as soon as Thanksgiving ended, and eventually there was a day by day count of the number of shopping days until Christmas. Now we don't even wait for Thanksgiving before we start hawking presents, with the season beginning months in advance.

Other seasons have lengthened too, usually with the same motive. What was once a single day remembrance of our first president has become “Presidents'” week with big sales to mark the week. Of course it lasts more than a week, but that gives the various vendors – usually automobile companies – more time to convince you that their products are just what you need. It's a real hustle.

Sales abound, and often they're associated with holidays. Whether it's clothing for Easter, electronics for Labor Day, food for Thanksgiving, or any number of other products, no opportunity is missed to remind us that we need all of those things to celebrate the season and the holiday properly. The day when we used to celebrate our independence has become the season when we can buy grills, charcoal, and all the trimmings necessary for a barbecue. And what better time to sell flags and flowers than the weeks before Memorial Day. Capitalism has its attractions, but it's too bad that it flourishes by the sacrifice of occasions that used to have real meaning.

Even more striking has been the way we enjoy sporting events. At one time there was a baseball season, a football season, one for basketball, and one for hockey. There was some overlap, but not too much. That, sadly, has changed. Regular seasons have lengthened, playoffs have been added, and, naturally, revenues have gone way up.^vi Now that press attention to football practice games begins during the summer and the regular football season extends nearly to the baseball spring training season, there's almost no time to rest. No. There's no time at all. Basketball and hockey seasons fill in the autumn and winter, and even extend into the spring. What used to be well-defined seasons are now long economic opportunities. Like the Olympics.

Perhaps the longest season, however, is the election season. And it's the most annoying. It's said that the campaign for reelection begins on the day after Election Day. Or if it's not the campaign for reelection, it's the campaign for nomination. Politicians always seem to be fighting with each other, whether the battle is between parties on the basis of party “principles,”^vii or within parties to demonstrate someone's worthiness for nomination. So all year round we're sent campaign literature – often disguised as information for constituents and paid for by the voters through the incumbent's franking privilege. However you frame it though, the election “season” is never ending. There may be an acceleration of activities a few months before Election Day^viii but the partisanship, politicking, and posturing are always with us. Before the rise of national media and before the institution of the primaries, the election season was relatively short. Now it's interminable. And it's a real hassle.

We need some time off. We need some time between the long seasons we've produced. That can only come about if we go back to a time when seasons were shorter and more predictable; when there was a time between seasons when we could catch our breath. It was a time we were concerned about filling the leisure time that modern inventions would produce; a time when we didn't anticipate the lack of leisure time that modern society would impose on us.

But a return to the past won't happen.^ix At least not soon. So until then I propose that there be a new holiday – a nothing day. It will be a day between seasons. A day that nothing happens. Except, of course, the mammoth sale of leisure items, beginning at 4 AM.

Next episode: “ Watch Your Language” – Be careful or you may say what you really mean.

i     Even paradise can get boring.

ii    See “Klutz or Kluznik,” January 14, 2011.

iii    At least it would where I live.

iv    Or is that the whetstone? I'm having a little difficulty with the metaphor.

v     Last week (I'm writing this on July 24^th) I received a leaflet telling me of the back-to-school sales that were taking place at a nearby office supply store. The “back-to-school” season is beginning earlier and earlier every year.

vi    So have players' salaries and ticket prices. Sporting events are among our most popular entertainments and promoters are happy to pay the entertainers well for bringing in the crowds, since the audiences leave a lot of money behind not just for the tickets, but for the food and souvenirs. And by popularizing the entertainment itself, the television revenues increase.

vii    I don't believe that any more than you do. They're taking a stand that they can point to in the next election – one that they'll claim shows that they're more attuned to the wishes of the voters than their opponents.

viii   It may be years rather than months when an individual concludes that he or she is fit to be President.

ix    We've even found a way to outwit Nature and the original seasons. Now we start selling fashions many months before the time when they'll be needed. Commercialism wins again.