A generation or two ago, the Olympics were our only chance to watch many sports (gymnastics, swimming, volleyball). They were also our only chance to watch great non-American athletes in familiar sports.
Even more, the Olympics were a chance for us to show that the United States was better than any nation on earth because we had faster runners and better boxers. If Americans weren't contenders in a sport, that sport was dumb – except when the rare American did well, in which case it showed how great America was, after all. The Cold War was important. It gave us a passionate rooting interest in international sports!
Don't look for logic. It's not there. But in those days, before we had 1,000 entertainment options, the Olympic Games were a shared cultural event.
The Paris Olympics (which will probably be called the "Games of the 33rd Olympiad" by NBC Sports) run Friday through Aug. 11 (although a few events begin Wednesday). It's unlikely that anything like the Bruce Jenner decathlon win or the Carl Lewis four-gold-medal performance or the U.S. women's soccer team's gold-medal-winning overtime game or the Mary Lou Retton gold medal will happen, because we don't view the sports that way.
Want to rediscover the passion? Here are five ways to get more enjoyment out of the Paris Olympics.
1. Embrace jingoism.
This is normally a negative (and maybe jingoism is the wrong term. Let's call it "patriotism"), but this is an opportunity to be on the same side as your neighbor who supports a different political candidate. Even better, you can finally root for the same team as that guy at the office who is a fan of the Dodgers, Lakers and Cowboys. Embrace this. Cheer for Americans. Call the team "us," because this time it's appropriate. Chant "U-S-A!" when an American wins an event you don't understand.
2. Root local.
One exception to the jingoistic rule: root local. As detailed by the Daily Republic's Matt Miller, 2017 Armijo High School graduate Luis Grijalva is running the 5,000-meter race for Guatemala. Grijavala enters the Olympics with the sixth-fastest time, which means he's a medal contender after finishing 12th at the last summer Olympics. The trials for the 5,000 are on Peacock Aug. 7 beginning at 2:10 a.m. PT and the finals are on Peacock Aug. 10 at 11 a.m. Both will likely be aired again in NBC's prime time show (and Peacock has an on-demand function). Grijalva is attempting to be the first graduate of a Fairfield high school to medal since Fairfield High grad Keisha Baker won a gold as part of the women's 4x400 relay team in the 2012 Olympics in London.
3. Watch a variety of sports.
If you subscribe to the aforementioned Peacock, you can watch anything from the Olympics. If you don't have Peacock but you have a satellite dish, cable or a streaming system with multiple channels, you can still watch multiple NBC networks. The Olympics will be on NBC, Peacock, USA Network, E, CNBC, Telemundo, Universo and something called Paris Extra. If you told me the Olympics were also on networks called NBC LOL and NBC Xtreme TV, I'd believe you, even though those networks don't exist (yet). If it's too confusing, the nightly prime time show on NBC will have all the main events, although most will be recorded. Take the time this summer to watch table tennis or judo or archery or surfing (and root for the American!). Special tip: Watch breaking (break dancing in the Olympics!) or sports climbing, so you can proclaim you've seen every Olympic gold medalist in the history of that sport. Both are new this year.
4. Complain that the Olympics aren't what they used to be.
If you get more joy out of negativity, ignore the fact that we now get about 1,000 times more live coverage of the events than back in the day. Focus on how much better it was when we cared more because of the Cold War. The good old days, when we could feel good about rooting for the failure of a Soviet runner and about proclaiming that Sugar Ray Leonard's gold medal proved that America is the greatest nation on Earth.
5. Get a cheap laugh.
Here's one that I've been using for decades: Every time someone from Switzerland is shown, their nation in the graphic is shortened to "Sui," providing the chance to yell, "Hey, it's someone from Suisun City!" Mrs. Brad and my sons never tired of that. Trust me. It will enhance your Olympics experience.
Reach Brad Stanhope at bradstanhope@outlook.com.
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