Are the Olympics Good?

Having attended three Olympics myself (’84, ’96, ’02), I truly believe that the Games bring people and countries together, making the world smaller and closer. I believe the Olympics can affect positive change like precipitating South Korea’s transformation into a democracy from a dictatorship (this really happened). And I believe that Olympic sponsors are doing good by supporting the Games. So you can imagine how it pains me to even ask “are the Olympics good?”

Let me start by saying this is not an issue you can race through. Opinions abound. Over the last few weeks, protesters doused the Olympic torch in many countries in protest of Chinese actions in Tibet and Darfur. Hillary Clinton, in the midst of a heated Presidential nomination bid, suggested “President Bush should not plan on attending the opening ceremonies in Beijing, absent major changes by the Chinese government.” And a New York Times editorial by Buzz Bissinger, called for the end of the Olympic Games altogether! It was this last one that really stopped me cold.

Mr. Bissinger, the author of sports TV shows like “Friday Night Lights” and “Three Nights in August” (I guess this makes him an expert), provided a history of all the problems associated with the modern Olympics since it founding in 1896. No doubt there have been many. He cites the (failed in his opinion) ideals of the modern Olympics as stated by founder Baron Pierre de Coubertin:

May joy and good fellowship reign, and in this manner, may the Olympic torch pursue its way through ages, increasing friendly understanding among nations, for the good of a humanity always more enthusiastic, more courageous and more pure.

But that’s about the last positive thing Bizzinger offers. Fortunately for those of us who love the sport and can overlook the darker side of the Games, an article in the New York Times by the long-time sports writer George Vescey, offered a different perspective. Here are a few highlights from Vescey’s column:

Every time I hear talk of boycotting ceremonies or canceling the Olympic Games, I find myself strangely defensive of the Games, as pretentious and bloated and dishonest as they may be.

…those Atlanta Games in 1996 gave two blessings to the world. The first was Samaranch’s very real support for female athletes like the softball team of Dr. Dot Richardson and the soccer team of Michelle Akers and their worthy competitors. The other came in the opening ceremony when Muhammad Ali, once reviled in his homeland as a draft dodger and Muslim convert, emerged on a platform to light the Olympic flame.

I would not trade the success of the women or the honor to Ali for any reflex action to shut down the Olympics.

In the meantime, Good Magazine ran an extensive cover story on why we needed to engage China and embrace the Beijing Games. That’s right, Good Magazine, which introduced its story called “What’s Up with China?” as follows:

In just a few months, the Olympic flame will arrive in Beijing, signaling the start of the 29th Olympiad. Beyond medal counts and race results, we will be engulfed in news about China—from government-sponsored agitprop about rapid modernization to alarmist drumbeats about a growing military and potential economic disaster. Somewhere in between the propaganda and the hysteria will lie the truth.

If the United States is the last remaining superpower of the imperialist era, then China is rapidly becoming the first of the information age. When the world last found itself with two superpowers things didn’t go so well; we’re hoping these stories will contribute to a more rational dialogue this time around. China’s deplorable record on human rights, political freedom, and the environment cannot lightly be cast aside, but it is sometimes necessary to look beyond it. Our two countries are inexorably linked, so let’s find out who our Eastern neighbor really is.

We have a better chance of affecting China’s policies in the future if we engage them now on all levels including the Olympics. Sponsors should not be boycotted for supporting the Olympic ideals even if those ideals are not wholly embraced by the host country today. These sponsors are an important part of the economic riptide that will ultimately pull China in a good direction, affecting the kind of change those calling for boycott are really seeking.

Call me sappy but I actually believe the Olympics are about the athletes and the ideal they represent. Like many sports fans, I love watching the intense competition and seeing the underdogs win. I’m generally amazed by the stories of the athletes and the hardships many endured to get to the games. And I’m partial to the sponsors who find meaningful ways to support the athletes (like Home Depot’s jobs program & Panasonic’s EyeOn Performance System at the US Olympic Training Facility).

And so I say with little hesitation, “let the games Beijing.”