As we get ready to watch the opening ceremonies tonight, I wanted to share some perspective…
I love the Winter Olympics! It is a family affair, and pretty much all that is on our television for the entire duration of the games!
My favorite event is curling, although my oldest daughter jokingly calls it “glorified mopping”, I think it is very cool! I am also a huge fan of the half pipe–hoping Shaun White brings home the gold! And then there is the speed skating, skiing, luge, figure skating… AHHH! I LOVE it all!
Then, there’s all the controversy and negativity…
Honestly, I think it is disrespectful to the athletes and process to criticize location, mishaps, and make it a political agenda. It is stressful enough for the amazing athletes representing their countries! Sure, there are things that could have been better, and I am sure we do not all agree about how to run countries, treat people, etc…
However, I always thought the Olympics was a great opportunity to put all of our differences aside, and come together to celebrate excellence in sports!
No politics.
No bad-mouthing others.
No bologna.
Just good old fashioned competition!
So, I am writing this to simply remind you, and myself about the bigger picture. Let’s forgo the negativity, support our countries, support our athletes, show good sportsmanship, and get back to the games!
Better yet, let’s show kindness to OTHER countries! For instance, I thought Russia’s figure skating pair, Tatyana Volosozhar and Maksim Trankov’s short program was amazing last night!
Bottom Line: Let’s cheer on excellence, and remember that we are all just imperfect people living in an imperfect world–all in need of kindness and mercy!
Well said. I love the spirit of the Olympics but I don’t like seeing athletes taking jabs at eachother on Twitter and people constantly complaining.
Great post!! The olympics should be a time of unity, of supporting every country coming together in good sportsmanship! Thank you for the reminder :)
As I’ve been watching, I haven’t even really paid attention to what country the athletes are from. When they finish their event and they are celebrating, it’s just incredible to see all of their determination, hard work, their dreams, everything come together for that moment. Who cares where they are from?
Very well said! I love watching the Olympics and supporting our nation as well as others. I cheer them all on!
I completely agree! I always encourage my children to cheer all the participants who are trying their very hardest.
We try not to ponder the negativity either. We enjoy watching the games and cheering for Team USA. If Team USA isn’t competing then we cheer for whomever. It’s great to see someone thrilled with third place instead of grumbling because they didn’t get gold… and we’ve already witnessed this!
I love watching with my girls. It is just amazing to watch the athletes in all areas. Go Team USA!
Very well said. Sadly, this Winter Olympics seems to have become a political showdown.
I agree to keep it positive and keep cheering all the athletes on!
I agree on the keep it positive idea. We need to support our athletes.
I’m a long time snowboarder, parent of a snowboarder, and I used to babysit a former Olympic snowboarder many many years ago, and I know first hand that for the most part, they don’t bad mouth one another. They’re all such a laid back group of people, across the world . . . it’s pretty much an attitude that’s part of a lifestyle, and it’s for this reason that it upset and disappointed me so much to see the negative tweets that went out – from fellow snowboarders no less, when White dropped out of Slope Style.
I understood completely the reasoning behind his decision, and after seeing not just the recent rides that he biffed, but the wipeouts that could have been fatal, I think he did what was best for him, and in the end, other riders. I think it was ultimately his withdrawal from the event (after all the other injuries during practice runs – injuries that led to two other competitors being hospitalized and withdrawing from the games completely) that forced event organizers to clean up the course. One of my other favorites in Slope Style was behind one of the negative tweets that went out, aimed at White, and it really made me think of him in an entirely different light.
I think, with social media has come this ability to open our mouths before our brain can catch up, and it makes it really easy to say something and then end up almost instantly regretting it. I think there are a few snowboarders out there that have probably learned that lesson by this point.
Great post and great reminder of what these games are really all about!
I couldn’t agree more!
I hate all the publicity all the mistakes get. I thought the opening ceremonies were amazing and that one little mishap SHOULD NOT have gotten all the press that it has gotten. Like glitches dont happen all the time. Remember the Super Bowl last year? Yeah. Lets just cheer for our respective countries like you said and be happy for these athletes for making their dream come true.
I’ve not been focusing on the negative and instead of been enjoying the figure skating and ski competitions. I can’t imagine what an incredible undertaking it would be to prepare for the Olympics.
I always think of the Olympics as neutral territory and where all agendas are set aside and it’s just competition for the love of the sport. Am I too idealistic? Perhaps, but I still wish to think of it like that!
GO USA :-) I love Olympics time, such a great tradition to teach and pass onto our kids.
I couldn’t have put it better myself. I wish we could watch the Olympics without all of the commentary and just enjoy the events. I am over the politics of it.
Totally agree. The Olympics should be a positive thing, considering the years of hard work, discipline and dedication it took from these athletes and their families.