Non Football Thought:The U.S. beats Brazil in soccer. Japan beats the U.S. in softball. The favored U.S. men drop the baton in the relays. The favored U.S. women do the same thing. The U.S. sweeps the 400 meters, but favorite Jeremy Wariner comes in second.
What ever happened to good old fashioned Olympic predictability? Outside of the occasional quasi-jingoistic feel-good upset --- U.S. beats Russia in ice hockey; 65-year-old German gymnast wins silver, yada yada --- my theory is people love dominance and inevitability in Olympic sports. See: Michael Phelps.
Olympic sports are obscure enough. (It took me a Google search to figure out that the “200-fly” meant 200-meter butterfly.) But when Unknown Athlete X beats Phelps, it’s a total bummer.
Don’t ask me why, but put the hated New York Yankees in a pool in swimming trunks and all of a sudden LeBron and Kobe are in the stands cheering you on. Put Phelps in a New England Patriots jersey and suddenly you're a cheating Satan in a helmet.
An emotional two-week extravaganza that flames out quickly after its conclusion, the Olympics might be the ultimate bandwagon event.
What ever happened to good old fashioned Olympic predictability? Outside of the occasional quasi-jingoistic feel-good upset --- U.S. beats Russia in ice hockey; 65-year-old German gymnast wins silver, yada yada --- my theory is people love dominance and inevitability in Olympic sports. See: Michael Phelps.
Olympic sports are obscure enough. (It took me a Google search to figure out that the “200-fly” meant 200-meter butterfly.) But when Unknown Athlete X beats Phelps, it’s a total bummer.
Don’t ask me why, but put the hated New York Yankees in a pool in swimming trunks and all of a sudden LeBron and Kobe are in the stands cheering you on. Put Phelps in a New England Patriots jersey and suddenly you're a cheating Satan in a helmet.
An emotional two-week extravaganza that flames out quickly after its conclusion, the Olympics might be the ultimate bandwagon event.
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