After one week’s worth of wall-to-wall Summer Olympics coverage from Paris, it’s time for Olympic thoughts and opinions, version 1.0!! And how about that dynamic duo of Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg? Have to say the Dogg has been a pleasant surprise and Martha has held her own!
First, how many of you have found yourself caught up in a sport or two of which you had no past interest? Or maybe have been bored by some event for which you thought you might have had some enthusiasm? I found myself with a little of both as I channel surfed across the NBC spectrum. In general I’ve been fairly impressed by the televised commentary but there are a few too many screamers at certain events—do you hear me Rowdy Gaines?!?
Let’s break down a few sports which have caught my attention—
Archery—I’m not sure what all of the gadgets and gizmos are on the bows but it’s pretty impressive. Robin Hood and William Tell would most likely have struggled with the competition this past week as arrows thudded into the targets with regularity, particularly in the coveted “10” circle. Lots of pressure on those archers!!
Badminton—An Olympic event since 1992, this is a fast-paced game of either singles or doubles with the participant’s athleticism evident. Besides, how much fun is it to play in your own backyard? The Asian countries seem to dominate the shuttlecock with ease, something that seems to happen in different sports for various parts of the world.
Beach volleyball—The two men and two women versions are both worthy of your couch potato time—how they can cover so much ground so quickly through sand is beyond me, and about everyone else’s Achilles tendons!
Diving—I don’t care what height these aquatic marvels are diving from. I’m always amazed at the ability to “rip” through the water after going through gyrations worthy of gymnastics highlights. Synchronized diving is a favorite of mine; how the divers can time up their movements is amazing!
Gymnastics—has become the figure skating of the Summer Games as far as publicity and television time is concerned. On the ladies’ side, how great is Simone Biles and the rest of the US squad? And competitors from other countries who qualified are just as wondrous. How they can control their bodies through all of the twists, flips, and turns continues to astound me! The men are just as impressive in their own right; not only the agility exhibited but also the pure strength to take on the rings, vault, parallel bars, and pommel horse, not to mention the free floor exercise is outstanding.
And how about Stephen Nedoroscik of the US? He anchored the US to a bronze medal, the first team medal in years, with a dominating performance in the pommel. Born with an eye condition that restricts his depth perception and causes a sensitivity to light while preventing him from having a driver’s license, he wears special eyeglasses other than during competition. The 5’5” Penn State grad assumes a “Superman” type of role and certainly performs like Clark Kent as demonstrated by his individual bronze medal in the pommel horse!
Swimming—US dominance in the overall standings but the Games belonged to native Frenchman Leon Marchand who took home four individual golds. Throw in a dash of perhaps the greatest female swimmer ever in Katie Ledecky and you had an exciting week of water activity!
Track and Field—my favorite, still ongoing as this is being written. The drama and excitement of the various events is always sure to please even the most disinterested viewer. And how about the winner of the men’s decathlon, 22-year-old Norwegian Markus Rooth who defeated an impressive lineup of world class athletes to claim the title of “world’s greatest athlete” and become Norway’s first winner of the event since 1920. I can hardly wait for the remainder of the competitions this coming week!
Table Tennis—not the version of Ping-Pong played in most rec rooms and basements!! How they can return serves and some shots in beyond comprehension—great eye/hand coordination!!
Trampoline—in the 1930’s George Nissen observed trapeze artists bouncing off safety nets and soon introduced the “trampoline” to US physical education programs. How many of you remember bouncing around in gym class or in the backyard (hopefully with spotters!). “Time of Flight” is an important part of scoring in competition, along with accuracy and degree of difficulty, as the better artists soar around 25’ in the air off the bounce to astounding feats of maneuvers. Not for your typical knee and/or butt droppers!!
Finally, as we bring down the curtain on Olympics opinions 1.0—Blake Snell of the Giants no-hit the Reds Friday night, the first such performance at Great American Ballpark since 2016 and the Cubs Jake Arieta’s mastery of the Boys by the River. Speaking of which, who are some of these guys that are gracing David Bell’s lineup lately?
One last thing—the NFL demonstrated the new kickoff rules at the Hall of Fame Game in Canton Thursday night. As reader Duane Mote told me while working out the other day, “it looked like a game of Red Rover, Red Rover was about to break out”!! Have a great week!
