Posts Tagged ‘sports’

Is the Olympic Spirit in You?

August 7th, 2008

The Olympic Games are finally here! Athletes from around the world are gearing up to square off in the largest, most prestigious arena there is. Every four years we overload our senses with competition, drama, victory, defeat, agony, injury, joy, and pride. We root for our favorite nations and athletes, and watch our favorite sports, and sometimes discover new ones. In the U.S. we go crazy with the medal count, as if our strength as a nation was based upon the number of golds we earned that day. Most everyone I know loves the Olympics. I worry that too many of us have lost the connection to what the Olympic Games stand for however. It is a custom in our society to take a beloved holiday or event, and commercialize it to the point that its positive message is morphed into a subliminal force that drives you to rush out and buy swoosh-laden shoes or the right brand of electrolytes. We can’t let that happen to the Olympic Games. And beyond that, we shouldn’t just dust off our Olympian Ideals every four years. We should hail these exceptional athletes and support them every step of the way. We should constantly admire their determination and intense desire to achieve excellence. We should practice fair play and peace among each other, as individuals and nations, every second of every day, not just during an “Olympic Year”. The Olympics can serve as our reminder to do these things, but not if we fall for the commercial trappings thrust upon us by the “Proud Sponsors”. I implore you to feel the Olympic Spirit, keep it with you, remember that feeling. Let it spur you to strive for the best physical shape you can be in. Let that feeling motivate you to view our world as one global community all working together towards peace, harmony, and achievement.

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Jessica Hardy Should Know Better!

July 27th, 2008

Jessica Hardy, a top American swimmer, qualifed for the 2008 Olympic Games in several events at the Olympic Trials. However, she tested positive for
clenbuterol
(a banned substance) on July 4th and has been suspended, and won’t be allowed to compete in Beijing. This is causing a super stir in the swimming world because although she claims to be innocent, if her suspension holds up it is too late to add her replacement to the U.S. Olympic Team roster.
  Much to the extreme disappointment of Tara Kirk, who is next in line to go.

Here’s my take: JESSICA HARDY IS GUILTY! Competing at a world class level in any olympic sport means that you will be under the watchful eye of various governing bodies. As a former collegiate track athlete I know how often and how good those drug tests are. They catch most everything. She claims she didn’t do anything wrong. So why did you test positive then Hardy? If you try to blame it on something in a medication (pleading ignorance) that’s equal to a bunch of bull. All top athletes know what medicines not to take, and to avoid OD’ing on poppyseed bagels if there is the slightest chance you will take a drug test anytime soon. If you test positive, especially if it’s multiple positives, with those sophisticated tests, you are a cheater. And I’m not down with cheaters. Too bad some people like to mess it up for everybody else. That goes for you too Marion Jones.

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