Last Thoughts on the Olympics

The Games are over and, for once, I enjoyed them. I am surprised by that since usually I don't even watch them, but they went very well and NBC did a fine job presenting them.

I really thought having them in Rio was a bad idea, not just because of Zika, but because of the cities unsettled politics, heavy pollution and poverty, but, they pulled it off. Sure, there were problems but there are problems everywhere and they showed no more difficulties that you would find in any urban area.

I have come to the conclusion that, all too often, we, myself included, give into negativism, and, in doing so, lose out on chances to enjoy ourselves. If the individuals who ran these Games, in concert with the people of Brazil and all the athletes, from so many diverse backgrounds, can pull off something like this, then all of us, if we have the will, can make a lot of things work. If we display this same will, we can solve a lot of the World's problems. It just takes will, work and a determination to succeed.

The Animal Olympics

I have been enjoying this years Olympic Games. The athletes are truly amazing but, this morning, I saw great displays of athleticism in the back yard.

I stood in awe, watching the squirrels chasing each other, leaping from branch to branch, scaling tall trees and darting across the grass and over the rocks. I saw birds flitting through the air, at full speed, twisting and darting between branches not 6 inches apart.

I watched closer and began to appreciate the flight of bees and butterflies, hovering, suspended over blossoms, of ants carrying many time their own weight over mounds of sand that must seem to them like the Rocky Mountains, and watched a grasshopper making astounding leaps.

We humans are great athletes, in our own ways, but our efforts are dwarfed by those of the animal world. All we have to do is stand quietly and they put on a fine show.

The Olympics

I have surprised myself by watching a fair amount of Olympic coverage. I suppose it's because of golf's return to the Games. I am a huge golf fan and have been impressed by the play. I had thought that, due to many conditions in Rio, the Games would be disastrous  So far,  all is going, well, okay, in that there have been no calamities.

That is not to say things have gone well. The athletes are doing alright, mostly, but spectators are having a few spots of bother. Cybercrime is tapping bank accounts, serious violence is breaking out in the slums, stray bullets have found there way into the media center and the equestrian ring (no horses were there, thankfully). and there are food shortages.

There is a noticeable lack of volunteers since many are not showing up again after receiving their gift of a watch for volunteering, and some are not receiving notice of what to do once there.

Then there are water issues. Rowers are livid over the pollution they are rowing through and some of the pools have turned green and are stinging the eyes of competitors. One swimmer's hair has turned green. Officials declared this 'mysterious,' until today, when they admitted that they simply did not have enough chemicals to properly treat the water, an unforgivable oversight.

But that pales into insignificance when a recent news alert reported the shooting, in the head, of an Olympic official who made a wrong turn into a slum.

Still however, nothing completely disastrous has happened, although there are still 9 days left. But, again, oddly enough for me, none of this is spoiling a bit of it for me. Maybe, as I age, I simply do not expect any better or, maybe, I just don't care as much about problems, at least not enough to let them spoil things.

I have watched a little basketball, swimming, and rowing, a lot of golf and tennis and have become totally addicted to rugby. I hope to see a bit of boxing and weight lifting and maybe some wrestling. Maybe I will be lucky enough to catch some of the more obscure sports, those are always fun. Any way, I am going to enjoy this and hope that nothing goes any worse happens.

The Olympics _ Maybe Brazil was not the Best Idea

The 2016 Olympics are coming soon and boy does Brazil seem a bad choice. Just today, Rory McElroy became the latest golfer to withdraw his name from consideration, joining Adam Scott, and several others. Some athletes from other sports have also withdrawn.

This cannot be an eayt decision. The Olympics are the crown jewel of sports and the chance to represent your country is an incredible honor. But, as hard as it may be for some to believe, there are more important things than sports.

First problem is the Zika virus. The illness it causes is said to be flu-like and only severe in folks in poor health, but it is pretty well established that the presence of the virus in pregnant women leads to microcephaly, a devastating birth defect. In addition, no one seems sure how long the risk continues after exposure to the virus. To worsen matters, a man exposed to the virus can pass it to a woman by sexual contact. The virus is quite active in Brazil and young men and women, wishing to later have children are weighing the risk against winning Olympic glory. No one should fault them for their caution.

On top of all that, in the recent news, I noticed that a plot to kidnap 2 athletes was foiled. Such crimes are not unheard of in that country and golfer Ricky Fowler has expressed concern about the game's security.

As if that wasn't enough, the nation is going through political upheaval. Its once popular President has been impeached for various economic improprieties and no one is sure how all of that will work out.

Things are actually even worse. Brazil is a prosperous Nation, however, the prosperity falls to a comparative few while wretched poverty is widespread. There have also been reports that those running the Olympics are not even close to being ready.

By all accounts, Brazil is a beautiful and fascinating country. I have known a few Brazilians and found them to be delightful people. It is a shame that their Nation is undergoing such difficulties, but sympathy is one thing and foolish risk taking is another.