Sunday, January 31, 2010

I guess the Super Bowl is being played Sunday, February 7th, 2010. The reason I know that is because someone reminded me that my surgery takes place (in theory) the day after the Big Game. Which brings me to an embarrassing thing that I have to point out about myself; I don’t like sports.

Who knows why? Maybe it is because I am a klutz. I cannot throw or catch anything. I can barely stand up on skates and I always look at the downhill trail on my cross country skis with trepidation. I cannot remember the last time that I watched a full game on television. Last year, when the World Junior Hockey was in Ottawa , we had some comp tickets and I went to three games. I must admit that I enjoyed more than I thought I would.

But overall, I do not like sports and this makes me feel treasonous. I guess yesterday was Hockey Day in Canada and the Ottawa Senators won again, which is significant because they have won a record number of games in a row but I don’t care.

The really bad thing is that this attitude goes to the Olympics as well. I hope that Canada wins a hundred Gold Medals. I am for happy the skating cycling woman who will be carrying the flag in for Canada. I absolutely hope that the games go off safely for both athletes and spectators. I am in awe of the skaters, skiers, snowboarders, anybody who stands at the top of a hill and gets down just a touch slower than the pure acceleration due to gravity alone. They have spent thousands of hours of their lives getting ready for this; the 5:00 a.m. wake up is sleeping in I am sure for a lot of them. And I suppose this even includes the curlers, although I must say that I am really in awe, of those in awe, of the curlers.

So why do the Olympics get under my skin? Maybe it is because the athletes are young and talented and I am just envious and jealous. You know the Dog in the Manger – as the ox in the story mutters: “People often begrudge others what they cannot enjoy themselves”

Maybe – but I like to think that I am not so petty. I cannot shake the thought that the Olympics have gotten off the track, badly. A fast food company and a carbonated sugared beverage company are big sponsors. The Canadian Broadcaster of the Games seems to be blurring news and commercials for the event. We as a people want to “Own the Podium” – it is a matter of public policy that Canada is the number one nation when it comes to medal count. Is that really what I want people to think of as me as a Canadian? We aren’t so great at peacekeeping anymore, we cut and paste USA climate change policy, the drinking water at our native reserves is still being worked on, heart disease, dementia, cancer, diabetes, and a few other things are about to send us over the cliff but we , damn it, we are going to win more medals than anyone else. Grandchildren yet to be born will be taught poems about the winter of 2010 at Whistler.

We went quicker than anyone down the hill,
And you dear grandkiddies will foot the bill,
But do not worry about that money stuff,
We have given you other problems enough.

Alright, alright, I likely will start to watch the Opening Ceremonies and start making smart ass comments until my wife tells me to be quiet or leave. And I will watch them quietly and probably like them. And I will find myself captivated by the luge. And maybe you should not phone me during the Curling Final, well because, I am … I am …. I am watching it for a friend.

I just realized that there is a very good chance that I still will be in the hospital during the Opening Ceremonies. God does listen ….. Yikes!!!

Well, I am going to publish the comments I have made for my family of readers to see. God willing, I will still be blogging by the time the Olympics end and it will be interesting to see how much crow I will have to eat.

No comments:

Post a Comment