Not Political
Well everything is a little political
I know it is expected for me to talk about politics or to provide context on things political.
I kinda said that in the title of the newsletter AND in pretty much everything I have talked about so far.
But it’s Olympics time and there is stuff to talk about there too.
So for now, if you will indulge me I want to veer away from Felon DeGeneres and Tickle me Emo (ya boy loves his guyliner) for a moment.
But on to cooler things.
I had an interesting conversation with my barber today after bringing up something he wasn’t aware of, the disparities in medal payouts for Olympic athletes. So, USA USA USA— richest country, the big bad USofA of course we pay our best athletes the best for their lifetime dedication of work. Right? Right?
Nah..we are near the bottom.
I’m trying to move to Hong Kong and learn a skill real quick!
The US pays $37,500 for winning a gold medal. Other countries pay WAYYYY more than that and, on some Hunger Games victors type ish, they give them housing and food for LIFE.
It is so bad here that NFL Hall of Famer, Shannon Sharpe and his co-host Chad Ochocino volunteered an extra $50k of THEIR OWN money to pay gold medalists and World Record breakers.
But what came up in my conversation with my barber was part of a WHY, at least from my perspective.
Something that I have learned and noticed over the years is the value the US places on individual success and only during the Olympics do we even pretend to care what others think. Best in the US means best in the world right? I mean that is why USA Basketball is mad at Noah Lyles for pointing out that NBA Champs doesn’t equal World Champs like the shirts say.
But Olympic time we ‘come together’ and randomly chant USA even at the most inopportune moments while the most privileged among us go spend a few weeks in another country representing what it is to be ‘murikan.
Bust aside from the privilege piece— we also don’t have that intrinsic motivation as teams for the pride of our nation.
Other countries invest in training and prep as a TEAM. The relay gold medals are heralded so much more because you did it as a TEAM for (INSERT COUNTRY HERE) and you represented them well.
Here— we value the individual and then assume that we can throw our best individuals on a team and it just means we win because we now have the best team by default. Well— doesn’t work that way chief. In some countries, these teams practice and grow together for years, decades, all for the good of the country one day. And then that gets rewarded.
In the USA, well you are good so you obviously will get sponsorship deals and be rich because you pulled yourself up by your bootstraps AND excelled at a sport. So if you don’t have those sponsorships then that is probably your fault. Regardless of the fact that opportunities are more abundant for some sports over others or certain types of people over others. I mean— advertising dollars quite often go along with perceived likability and attractiveness and we define that in very euro-centric ways, so some of us get left out. I mean look at the people who have used the Olympics as a platform to help get their rent covered because they have to stress over that while in Paris. They look similar…that’s all I’ll say. One woman even utilized the time in Europe to get healthcare since we don’t like to provide it over here. Crap I got political let me go back to sports, shut up and dribble if you will.
The Olympics have been great. As a track guy it has been fun, and a little annoying at times, to see the world watch this sport. Noah Lyles is the fastest man alive now officially and covid robbed him of the 100m/200m double but he still miraculously finished 3rd. Think about that— he is still third fastest in the world over half a track WITH COVID.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is just art with track spikes on and set another world record…breaking her own…and finishing as the holder of 9 of the 10 fastest times ever recorded in 400m hurdles. There are 10 hurdles around the whole track and she still runs it faster than most Olympic level women WITHOUT HURDLES. Makes no sense, never will.
Sha’Carri is still THAT girl and despite a silver, a true redemption story. It also was beautiful to see St. Lucia celebrate their winner and her and the countries first gold ever. Gabby Thomas continues to remind us that God has favorites, and the basketball and soccer teams are playing for gold.
USA USA USA
But for real, one thing I love about the Olympics aside from the sports aspect of it and getting to watch people moonwalk in the water, is the feeling of togetherness that we so often lack that is present in these few weeks.
Every four years I get tricked to thinking maybe, just maybe, we can stick together after the games close and we move on to the next city four years from now. (winter olympics are less cool)
So— enjoy them while we have them. I am hopeful that maybe, just maybe, this is the time it sticks.
Oh yeah—
