The Games

For many people, including a great deal of those I know, the appeal of athletics (either the playing or watching thereof) is elusive. I don't claim to have any conclusive findings on why that is, but I do have some thoughts on the matter. Now, this does not regard those who enjoy some athletic disciplines but not others- who is not to be counted in that number? What interests me enough to attempt an understanding of is that person who either actively dislikes athletics or is apathetic towards them.

My ruminations first went towards youth and one's time in educational institutions. One might turn against sports or fail to be drawn into them due to the manner in which they were raised. If one is taught disinterest or dislike of the thing by the word or deed of their parents, I can imagine that attitude remaining for life. For me my fervent passions in this area of interest first sprung from my parents.

I then, as I said, thought about school experiences and how they might shape feelings on the matter. Through the end of grade school, I think that it's about the same thing as the home life effect. As middle school wears on and one gets into high school, it seems to me that students begin to feel influence from the division of the student body into various factions which often have largely or entirely hostile encounters with one another (or no encounters at all). Thus the jocks, who love sports, inspire no love of them in opposing cliques, or inspire the opposite; this would be due to feeling felt by one person about another, but this ends up coloring feelings about the sport (which is collateral damage in a sense).

And then there are those who form negative opinions in adulthood. These seem to be based on unethical or corrupt behavior on the part of various parties involved in athletic endeavors. Some participants today(players, coaches, owners and administrators, all either in professional or amateur capacities) cheat either before or during competition, and it's understandable why this would turn off many. Other people don't care for immoral or illegal behavior away from the court. These attitudes can be instilled prior to an age of maturity, but I think such is not the case to a substantial degree.

What got me going on this was the inauguration of the latest Winter Olympics, which are currently being held in Vancouver, British Columbia. Many people shy away from the Olympics strictly on the basis of media saturation and rebellion against social pressures. I guess that I can understand that, but don't feel likewise. I love the Game, be they the Summer or Winter edition.

Like the rest, it began in childhood. I think the earliest I can remember had to have been a Winter Olympics, perhaps the Winter Games hosted by Calgary in 1988. I had a VCR recording of Ghostbusters which I recall contained some little story about a speed skating event during one of the commercial breaks. After that, I remember much more vividly the ones beginning with the 1992 Summer Games hosted by Barcelona, Spain and the 1994 Winter Games hosted by Lillehammer, Norway. Of the former I remember most the Dream Team; of the latter the deployment by David Letterman of his mother as a field correspondent.

Since then, I have to varying degrees (depending on the extent of television coverage) devoted my leisure time to the enjoyment of these games. In the Olympics as much as in anything, athletics are for me of interest and importance for reasons philosophical, practical and recreational. They're just plain fun, to begin with. As a practical matter, they have the function of generating new human knowledge which is often later broadly applied to a wide range of other areas which have real and direct impact upon more than the fan rooting on his team. Moreover, they test and expand the limits of humanity's physical capacity. Each year, we find that in questing for some trophy, ring or medal, we managed to squeeze more speed, more strength and more resolve both mental and emotional from our feeble, fragile human bodies.

Because of all that, such physical pursuits take on great philosophical and even religious meaning- myself included.