Why We Need the Olympics

Probably to the dismay of my parents and my things-to-do list, I've been doing nothing but watching the Olympics for the past weekend. And even if last night's 4-by-100 men's relay finish wasn't absolutely thrilling, I'd still be watching the Olympics tonight.

I won't gush about how stunning the Opening Ceremonies were, but I will say I'm pretty happy I stayed in Friday night to watch them. My favorite part was either the intimidatingly synchronized drumming that kicked it off - especially when the stage went dark and the percussionists were pounding with fiery glow-in-the-dark sticks - or the movable type pieces that moved in harmony to the music.

But the real point I'm getting at is that we need the Olympics to remember what makes us amazing. I'm not naive enough to ignore the performance enhancing drugs and hard-line Chinese security crackdown that lie beyond the world records and gold medals, but we need the Olympics nonetheless.

A diver twisting headfirst into a pool of water thirty feet below. A gymnast flinging his legs around and around a pommel horse. A cyclist battling the final uphill meters of a 78-mile course. A pole vaulter launching herself over a bar. It's utterly mind-boggling what the right amount of training can do to human capability.

Contrary to discouraging us from pursuing personal fitness, watching these athletes should inspire us. If they can push human performance boundaries, the least we can do is get little exercise into our own bodies.

The other thing about the Olympics is that, with the exception of superstars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Michael Phelps, most of these competitors are relative unknowns. Yes there are high-profile sports like basketball, gymnastics, track and field and swimming, but the Olympics also give us the chance to get into more obscure ones like fencing, archery, and modern pentathlon. Sure, our interest will probably wane until four years from now at the next go around, but it's still fun.

And then of course there's the pride. As much as foreclosure rates, gas prices and campaign drama have been on our minds, show us the stars, the stripes, and the teary American eyes on the medal podium and we easily remember why we love our country. I realized in Europe that some people are put off by our patriotism, but it's something I fiercely guard. We cheer, yelp, shout, high five, hug, fist bump, chest bump, whatever it takes to celebrate. Some may see this as cockiness, flamboyance or ostentation, but I say there's nothing wrong with showing a little emotion once in a while.

The significance of these games to China have been dissected ad nauseam, so I won't go into any of that. What I have noticed, and I don't know if that's because I myself am an Eastern-Western mix, are the subtle cultural difference. It seems our athletes compete more for the love of sport and individual accomplishment while they compete more out of duty and national pride. Clearly, we too take national pride in winning, but I would guess that Phelps' quest for eight golds is first to get his name in the history books, with American pride second. Conversely, I think the Chinese gymnasts and divers want these golds almost more for their country than for themselves. I only wonder what they would go through after the cameras are turned off should they not complete the victorious duties they're charged with. Theirs is the pressure of an authoritarian government with something to prove, the pressure of 1.3 billion people. Phelps' pressure comes mostly from one man - himself.

And with that hot medal pursuit in mind, let me just say that while this isn't exactly the point of the Games, I fist-clenchingly hope that we come out with the most gold medals. I know, I know, that's bordering on arrogance, but what can I say, the idealist in me wants democracy to prevail.