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By John McDonald
Last night, I tried to love the 2010 Winter Olympics. I really did.
I took in the cheers of the crowds lining the sides of the roads as the Olympic Torch Relay made its way through the city streets. I absorbed the shouts and cheers of my fellow Canadians as they gave vent to their enthusiasm for the dancing flame.
I watched little kids, their faces shining in the light of the torch as they waved little flags. I saw an old man standing stiff with pride, saluting as the torch made its way by.
I tried as hard as any athlete vying for a place on the podium to find a place in my heart for the Winter Olympics. I tried and failed.
I knew that I had failed when I got off the media van just ahead of the procession and had a sudden, irrational urge to lunge through the phalanx of grim-faced security jogging alongside and tackle torch-bearer Scott Frandsen as he turned into City Park.
Such an assault wouldn’t have been personal. I’ve got nothing against him or any of the torch-bearers. Rather, it would have been an assault on the relentless sledgehammer certainty of the games, the sense that nothing can stand in their way and woe betide anything or anyone who tries.
If I had written these words a week ago, I’m sure it would have earned me a visit from the hard-nosed cops who staff the VANOC security detail. It might still.
If I had actually given in to my anarchistic fantasy, I’m certain it would have meant at least a couple of nights in jail, a solid beating from those grim-faced men and a tongue-lashing and hefty fine from a judge.
I guess one could argue that the game’s ridiculous popularity somehow vindicates its lack of real meaning, but I couldn’t help but marvel how incredibly inane the whole scene was. Here were 15,000 of my fellow citizens, going rock star stupid over an oversized Bic lighter.
Maybe that’s because most of them realize, inherently, that watching the torch go by is as close as they’re ever going to get to the Olympics. The emcee leading the crowd from the stage that would have made Nickelback proud, made that clear when he exhorted them to make some noise, because ‘this is your Olympic moment.’
He was right. Despite the outlay of billions of tax-payer dollars, the games themselves will be 400 kilometres away and inaccessible to almost all of us.
Still, did he have to rub our noses in it?
It didn’t help having Premier Gordon Campbell up there prattling on about Olympic spirit, when he’s about to foist an austerity program on us soon after the games have ended. I’m certain we wouldn’t be in the same fiscal mess we are now, if the money spent on the games had been invested elsewhere.
Say what you will what about the corporate lap dance that is the modern Olympic Games, but to me they have long since lost any real connection to sport.
There’s nothing I can do now to stop the VANOC steamroller; even tackling the torch-bearer wouldn’t have done much more than garner a few news headlines.
But it works both ways. The forced gaiety of the torch relay isn’t going to change my stance. They can spend my tax dollars but they haven’t captured my heart.
john@kelowna.com
250-575-0521
7 Responses to “John McDonald: “I had a sudden, irrational urge to tackle the Olympic torch-bearer…”
Tags: 2010, corporate lap dance, Gordon Campbell, Olympics, scott frandsen, security, torch relay
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You’ve read my mind John… my Olympic fever is more like Olympic nausea.
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Agreed.
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Excellent column. If someone wants to slide down a hill to make some rich people happy, let them pay for it themselves.
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Right on John. I listened to the fervor from my back door. Watched a little on CHBC, but Claudia was so hyper I thought she might pee her pants… It was good to see the little kids having a ball and getting into the moment. Little do they realize they will be the ones who will still be paying for that moment well into their future.
I have nothing against the athletes, however the whole thing is out of hand. The whole spirit of the Olympic games has been lost to greed. It almost makes me want to go to a venue and use my Mastercard in protest!
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John McDonald thinking of tackling Scott Frandsen? My money would on Frandsen and he wouldn’t miss a step.
Can’t figure out why I felt like applying for an avion card all day today and don’t know why I’ve been having carbonated caffeine/sugar cravings since watching that caravan last night.
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Well said. The olympics have become an shameful event on every level. Athletically (nearly 100% doping rate) and financially (only those in the backroom deals profit). In addition, isn’t it about time when we put aside silly jingoism?
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You know I understand the frivolity of it all…but I can’t help but thing about how excited my sons were to be part of it…even if it was just the hype. This negative fervor kind of reminds me of people at Christmas, it isn’t all about YOU. However if you wish to proudly profess your Olympic Grinch’ism’ I welcome your opinion. Money could be better spent, I agree completely, I could say that about a bunch of government ‘hyping’. As I child I remember the sense of patriotism I felt along with all the other children in school and in fact the entire community and that was for many Olympic games being held in countries I only knew from the map on the wall. I might suggest that we consider some moderation in our Olympic expenditures…as I do seem to believe that a lot of good comes out of the Olympics and it isn’t fair to want to participate but yet to never want to host it? How hypocritical of us….this is in no way a slight against those who disagree with the Olympics, absolutely your right, however I will stand and say bring it on, after all if we didn’t buy all these PS3’s, Wii’s, Xboxes and number of other electronic babysitters…maybe we could have a society where we pay to play and those who don’t want to participate don’t.
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