Several weeks ago I was commenting on
the Wimbledon tennis tournament. It was
so poorly executed I predicted that the Olympics being held in London would
probably be FUBAR. I WAS WRONG! So far it appears the games have been run smoothly
from where I sit here in Panama. We have
two local stations that are broadcasting the Olympics almost exclusively.
All of my novels and screenplays went
on sale with the provision that the sale would last until Panama won a medal in
the Olympics. Panama’s best chance,
Irving Saladino the broad jumper who won the gold medal in 2008, scratched
three times and didn’t even qualify to compete.
So, there are three other competitors that may have a chance. The 99c
sale is still in place!
The Olympic Games in my day were just
for Amateurs. Professionals were
forbidden and if one received money from endorsements or direct pay from any
professional sport, that person was disqualified. Jim
Thorpe, one of the USA’s finest athletes in track in field, was stripped of all
his medals when it was discovered he'd earned a few hundred dollars over one
summer playing semi-professional baseball.
I have strong opinions about
Professionals in the Olympics. When I
witnessed what the USA basketball team (all big name millionaire professionals)
did to Nigeria. I believe the rules need
to be reconsidered. Maybe each
professional should be required to run the 3000 meter steeplechase just prior
to their performance; with the ladies from Somalia and Kenya setting the pace. In events like tennis, maybe Roger Federer and
Juan Carlos Del Potro should have been forced to play left handed. I’m certain that their third set wouldn’t
have gone 19 games. Something needs to
happen to level the playing field.
In
the meantime we can always hit the off button whenever the pros appear.
I completely agree with you on the Olympics being for amateurs only. That's the way I remember them and it has never been the same since the pros entered the picture.
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