Yesterday, the world was treated to a visual spectacle as the Beijing Olympics finally arrived. Watching coverage of the Opening Ceremonies, I noticed that every time a new country arrived in the stadium for the Parade of Athletes, the commentators pointed out the star athletes in that team or at least what sports they would be participating in. Sometimes, they even shared stories about what one athlete in that country’s team had endured or what they went through to get to this point – stories that helped heighten the sense of wonder and appreciation for all the years of hard work these athletes did to reach this pinnacle of sports. Noticeably absent in these commentators’ remarks were any comments about China’s human rights record or political stances on world issues. And that is exactly as it should be – after all, how many of us would appreciate watching the Stanley Cup, the World Series, Wimbledon, the World Cup or any other major sporting event and hear comments being made about the host nation’s foreign or domestic policy? Is that really why we’re watching these events? No, it’s not. It’s not about any of that; instead, these are sporting events where the focus must be on the competing athletes and their respective performances. Click to continue reading the rest of this entry
