Where Have the Olympics Branched off From Their Roots?

Ah, the Olympics. There's nothing like spending a few weeks of summer rooting for your country in the biggest competition in the world. Even before I started running in high school, I would fervently follow statistics and results to see how the US was doing, and what we needed to do to win. I think that the track events are the best, but there's a sport for everyone to enjoy. There's swimming, wrestling, cycling, beach volleyball, handball, badminton, table tennis - wait, what?! Hang on a second; some of those sports aren't even respected outside of the Olympics. Is this the vision that the ancient Greeks had during the original Games thousands of years ago?

If you look the events that go back to the Ancient Olympic Games from around 700 BCE like the track and field events and the boxing and wrestling events, you'll find that they all represent basic human abilities. Since the beginning of our existence, we've needed to run, jump, throw, and fight in order to survive. (I'd also like to add swimming into this category, even though it was not done during the original Games). These events honor those humans who are either gifted enough, or work hard enough to be the most fit in the world.

There's something primal about these events; something that connects us to our ancestors from hundreds of generations ago. When I run, I know that my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather did the same. It's not like skiing, which can only be done by those who live in the right climate or those wealthy enough. Running, jumping, simple throws, fighting, and swimming are things that we all share. They're part of what unites us as people.

However, the flipside to this argument is that sports like basketball involve those primal, instinctive abilities in conjunction with one another. To top it off, they involve more teamwork too. And honestly, I agree with all that. I think that in the past, sports like that have had deserving places in the Olympic games. However, my criticism can be pointed at one word: professionals.

Traditionally, Olympic sports like baseball (no longer an Olympic sport, I know), basketball, tennis, and soccer were places where amateurs could really shine. The USA team would typically send college kids for most of those events. However, more and more countries began sending their professional players to the Games in order to increase their odds of winning gold. Now, when I turn on the Olympics, I think that I'm seeing reruns of Euro 2012, Wimbledon, and the NBA All Star Game. To top it off, the fact that these big name players don't even stay in the Olympic Village, and stay in fancy hotels really ruins the communal and simple spirit of the games.

That's not to say that I hate the modern Games. Quite the contrary, I can't get enough of them. The ancient Greeks used the Olympic games as an alternative to war and politics, and it's very similar nowadays. Now, North Korea and South Korea are fighting intensely, but no one's dying, and the worst-case scenario involves only getting a few medals. How great and productive is that? Instead of the world actually going to war with China, they're simply competing to beat their behemoth athletics program.

So watch the events and wear your country's colors if only for national pride, even if you're not interested in the sports. And if you are... how pumped are you for this years epic 100m final?!

 

Comments

[edgeninja]

05:02 AM on 08/06/2012

Baseball never had professional players, yet they still took it way.

[Gregg-O]

12:50 AM on 08/06/2012

Besides bringing the pro's in I think they lost their root's when Dart's, Trampoline, Snowboarding, Beach volleyball...of all thing's , became Olympic sport's.

[puzzled500]

01:05 PM on 08/06/2012

and the ribbon dancing...

[teecee656]

01:52 PM on 08/05/2012

Some Olympic events are "redo's" of the first Olympic games. The Modern Pentathlon is exactly that. An Equestrian event, swimming, running, shooting and fencing, would all describe skills required of a "modern" military officer. Riding their horse to battle, finding a river and swimming across it, then continuing to to run on foot. Once there, duty would require shooting and close-in sword skill. While I agree with you, that athletics (known in the US as track and field) are the primary focus of the Games, and wrestling and swimming are also, the medal count reflects that. Volleyball, basketball, soccer and other "games" count as one medal compared to the greatness of the individual. All the NBA olympic players with their multi-million dollar contracts can do is earn ONE medal. Missy Franklin and Katy Ledecky, 17 and 15 respectively account for SIX. Some events are as much about entertainment, as they are about athletic superiority. It's like the difference between Formula One racing and NASCAR. Formula One, is a test of driver and technology at venues that actually limit viewing, NASCAR is entertainment held in a big stadium that limits technology and is purposely designed to create drama. On the other hand, the line between amateur and pro was manipulated for years by the Eastern Bloc nations. Most of their athletes had military occupations and their duties were to train. There was no NFL, NBA, NHL, or pro tennis in the USSR during the cold war.

[Crazy Eddy]

12:07 PM on 08/05/2012

It's pretty simple really. Over the past few decades the olympics has turned from a collection of athletic competitions to just another media spectacular intended to make money for the organizers. Early on the olympics was an athletic contest centered on military skills like running, jumping, throwing and shooting and of course hand to hand combat. Ask yourself, in what way is synchronized diving related to the skills needed by Greek, or any other soldiers? Remember, the original olympic contests were intended to determine which were the fastest, strongest and in general the most capable of all Greek warriors. The whole point of the event was to display the skills and abilities of soldiers. Today we have teenaged girls with ribbons and stoner snowboarders and there's even a group trying to make pole dancing an olympic event. How long will it be before we're treated to competitive mall walking and tweeting?

[Cynaegirus the hero]

08:04 AM on 08/06/2012

additionaly the spectators didnt have to pay tickets in ancient olympia...
and the most interesting game was pangration