These notes are random, often iconoclastic, thoughts without necessarily rhyme nor
reason, or an underlying theme.
The
Opening Ceremony
The Queen was
game.
The scary aspect
to the opening ceremony is that it celebrated the British Health Service, the
employer of 1.4 million in England, the country’s largest employer. We hope
this is not an omen for America.
The US, China, Russia, and England, the top 4 medal winning
countries, prove that money can buy Olympic success and thus love.
Individual Stories
Mo Farah, the British favorite to win the 10,000 meter, was
six back with his training partner, Galen Rupp, at the halfway mark. Galen was
getting nervous when Mo tapped him on the shoulder and said “Relax, mate,
they’re going to come back. We have to play it cool now and save everything for
the finish.” Mo won the gold and Galen
the silver.
The American runner Manteo Mitchell ran the first leg in the
semi finals of the 4X400 relay. His leg felt funny and halfway through it
snapped. He completed the final half on a broken leg, a broken fibula.
Byshon Nellum was shot in his legs three years ago,
underwent three surgeries, but came back to win a silver in the 4X400 relay.
The men’s and women’s tennis doubles were each won by a pair
of siblings from Southern California: Mike and Bob Bryan in the men’s and Serna
and Venus Williams in the women’s.
USC, and UCLA to a lesser extent, saw the number of Olympic medals
won by their athletes and alumni multiply. The women’s water polo team was all
California, except for the goalie from Michigan.
How did a Ugandan, Stephen Kiprotich, beat out two Kenyans
to win the marathon? Wait, he trains in Kenya with the Kenyans.
Oscar Pistorius ran for South Africa on two prosthetic legs.
The last shall not always be first. Narumi Kurosu of Japan,
who had to train in South Korea because of the tsunami, was the last contestant
in the last competition, the women’s pentathlon. She did not medal, but for her
winning was just competing in the event.
The women, especially the American women, outshone the men,
winning the 29 of 46 gold medals for the US.
They were especially victorious in team sports, winning gold
in beach volleyball, water polo, rowing women’s 8, and soccer, whereas the men
underperformed in these venues.
Thank you Title IX. They should have played Helen Reddy’s “I
am Woman. Hear me Roar” after the National Anthem.
The once dominant US men’s boxing team left London medalless,
while 7 from Cameroun, 3 from the Sudan, and one Ethiopian are remaining in
London as defectors.
Badminton wins the award for bad losers. They tried to lose
in the early rounds to gain a seating advantage, but played so poorly in losing
that 4 teams were tossed from the Olympics.
Thousands of drug tests were performed, but only a few
returned positive, although a few athletes were out before the games. Almost as
many athletes were bounced because of racist or sexist conduct.
The Olympics feature many a gross of trademarked condoms.
Virgin condoms are a collector’s item.
Where’s India? The world’s second most populous country won
only 6 medals (2 silver, 4 bronze), and failed in Field Hockey, the national
sport.
The once dominant Australia is on course to catch India. It
had 58 medals in 2000 in Sydney, 49 in Atlanta in 2004, 46 in Beijing in 2008,
and 35 in London. It dropped from 20 swimming medals in 2008 to 10.
Great Britain as the host country was hoping to win 48
medals. Team G.B. won 65, including 29 gold, tying the American women.
Gold though, as in gold medal, was highly symbolic since the
gold medals were roughly 98.5% bronze.
The Closing Ceremony
The best part was when
it closed.
The second best were the American uniforms. They were so
classy, compared to the oversized Ralph Lipshitz Polo trademark on a Chinese manufactured,
non-American style for the opening ceremony.
The best singer was John Lennon live from Central Park. Freddy
Mercury was also excellent. They did not lip-synch their songs.
To segue from Queen to Queen, The Queen was smart enough to
stay away.
Russell Brand came as himself for the closing ceremony.
NBC realized the closing ceremony was a disaster. NBC cut
off the end of it, tossing The Who (1/2 still alive) in the digital ashcan,
answering The Who’s question Who’s Next with not you or Your Generation.
Those happiest with the close are the merchants, hoteliers,
and restauranteurs of London, whose businesses tanked during the Olympics.
The second happiest were the security forces. London showed
what $1.5 billion in security can buy for 17 days.
Great Britain wanted a closing ceremony that highlighted the
great art, culture, and music of Great Britain in an eclectic or avant garde
manner.
If this is the new standard, just imagine what Brazil in Rio
could do in four years. Leonardo Gryner, CEO of Rio’s organizing committee in
Carnival City said “In Brazil, as you know, we like to party.”
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