I am so enjoying watching the Olympics and reveling in the latest details. As I said here, I am on the West Coast and thus we know everything last (or maybe not considering Hawaii). Nonetheless, it has been a joy.
The Opening Ceremony was a joy to watch. It was very interesting to see that black teen couple and the rapper on display at the Opening Ceremony. The black girl was natural and beautful. The black guy left much to be desired. I'm glad they were both of the same race. Can you imagine if it were an interracial couple? I think there would've been a little heat. Did you catch the rapper? Was his lines whack or not? He was Nigerian and Ghanaian. Nonetheless, I have officially added going to at least one Summer Olympics in my lifetime to my bucket list. I have read acounts from this and other Olympics that the air is electric. I can only imagine.
The Huffington Post does a great feature about Black Olympians who I can't follow as much as I want to but I am sure they are making us proud. I haven't heard anything negative about them so that's a plus. Sometimes, no news is good news.
I also checked out the history of the Olympics in the US. The US has hosted 4 Summer Olympics, the most of any country. Remember Chicago was in the running for the 2016 Olympics and lost to Rio De Janeiro? Well I did some digging about the 1996 Olympics that was held in Atlanta and it shed some light on why Chicago (America) was shot down for the 2016 Olympics. People were moaning that America had lost its standing but I think other things were at play.
1) America had just drove the world into a financial crisis. I could understand why the IOC thought America needed to chill out for a bit.
2) America had hosted the games 4 times already, more than any other country. Los Angeles had hosted the Games in 1984 and Atlanta hosted the Games in 1996. If Chicago got the 2016 Games, that would've been 3 times in a span of just 32 years. I understand why the International Olympics Committee(IOC) may have wanted to break that up. The Rio 2016 Games would be the FIRST ON THE CONTINENT. It obviously was the choice to encourage diversity. Frankly, I think the other countries should have folded and given the Games to Rio right away. The 4 cities competing for the 2016 Olympics was Chicago (America already hosted the Games quite a bit). Madrid-The 2012 Games are in London. Would it really be fair to have two consecutive Games on the same continent? Tokyo-so if Tokyo had gotten the 2016 Olympics it would've went like this: Athens 2004 (European country), Beijing 2008 (Asian country), London 2012 (European country), Tokyo (Asian country). Talk about blah.
3) Atlanta made quite a bit of mistakes:
-The 1996 Summer Olympics feautured tons of street vendors and was considered too commercial.
-The available food and crowd control was an issue.
-The opening ceremony featured 500 cheerleaders and 30 pickups. Even Americans thought that was a poor representation of the country.
-Americans were considered very rude to competing nations. Really, America? I remember during the Beijing Olympics, China officials were giving out brochures to its citizenry on how to act during the Olympics. I can imagine America would have need the same pep talk but Americans would be too arrogant to implement such a measure if it got the 2016 Games.
-And of course, the bombing in the Olympic Park. Really, America? Your whack jobs couldn't take 3 weeks off?
There was some talk about whether Chicago could handle its criminal element if it got the 2016 games. I could imagine the IOC had not gotten over Atlanta just yet.
There was talk in my area (think big red famous bridge) about when that West Coast city would compete to host. I hope it doesn't get it because, the city on a regular has serious overcrowding issues, not the worst in the country but enough. The Games would take that to a whole 'nother level. Needless to say, Los Angeles who hosted the games in 1932 and 1884 (nor London-three times really?), shouldn't compete to host the Games for a long time. It needs to give other cities in this great land of ours a chance. Plus, it too is overpopulated. Los Angeles has no rush "hour". Every hour is rush hour. What other cities do I think don't need to be the host-Washington, DC (overcrowded and very vulnerable to a terrorist attack on a regular day. A highly visible event like the Olympics would exacerbate that), Atlanta (also too crowded and they've already hosted it and it wasn't good when they did). Boston would be good, but its weather may be sketchy but then again so is London's). Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Detroit are a bit rough. Unless they get a major makeover, it wouldn't be a good representation of the country. The best places I think should compete for the Olympics are Southern cities because they have the space and the weather. However, Southerners are a bit rough around the edges. What's the word I'm looking for? Oh, that's it. GHETTO. Think Atlanta. Who the heck would think of adding cheerleaders and pick up trucks to the opening ceremony? Southerners. Who would think to be so offensive to competing countries when the Olympic spirit is good sportsmanship and respect? Who would think to plaster the Olympic area with so many street vendors? Okay...that I could see that happening at most American cities. But you get my point. The Southern landscape is changing as many Yankees are moving down south but still...the South is the South. Portland and Seattle may be good hosts.
Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to a (Sub-Saharan) African hosted Olympics. Come on Johannesburg!
Go World!!!
The Opening Ceremony was a joy to watch. It was very interesting to see that black teen couple and the rapper on display at the Opening Ceremony. The black girl was natural and beautful. The black guy left much to be desired. I'm glad they were both of the same race. Can you imagine if it were an interracial couple? I think there would've been a little heat. Did you catch the rapper? Was his lines whack or not? He was Nigerian and Ghanaian. Nonetheless, I have officially added going to at least one Summer Olympics in my lifetime to my bucket list. I have read acounts from this and other Olympics that the air is electric. I can only imagine.
The Huffington Post does a great feature about Black Olympians who I can't follow as much as I want to but I am sure they are making us proud. I haven't heard anything negative about them so that's a plus. Sometimes, no news is good news.
I also checked out the history of the Olympics in the US. The US has hosted 4 Summer Olympics, the most of any country. Remember Chicago was in the running for the 2016 Olympics and lost to Rio De Janeiro? Well I did some digging about the 1996 Olympics that was held in Atlanta and it shed some light on why Chicago (America) was shot down for the 2016 Olympics. People were moaning that America had lost its standing but I think other things were at play.
1) America had just drove the world into a financial crisis. I could understand why the IOC thought America needed to chill out for a bit.
2) America had hosted the games 4 times already, more than any other country. Los Angeles had hosted the Games in 1984 and Atlanta hosted the Games in 1996. If Chicago got the 2016 Games, that would've been 3 times in a span of just 32 years. I understand why the International Olympics Committee(IOC) may have wanted to break that up. The Rio 2016 Games would be the FIRST ON THE CONTINENT. It obviously was the choice to encourage diversity. Frankly, I think the other countries should have folded and given the Games to Rio right away. The 4 cities competing for the 2016 Olympics was Chicago (America already hosted the Games quite a bit). Madrid-The 2012 Games are in London. Would it really be fair to have two consecutive Games on the same continent? Tokyo-so if Tokyo had gotten the 2016 Olympics it would've went like this: Athens 2004 (European country), Beijing 2008 (Asian country), London 2012 (European country), Tokyo (Asian country). Talk about blah.
3) Atlanta made quite a bit of mistakes:
-The 1996 Summer Olympics feautured tons of street vendors and was considered too commercial.
-The available food and crowd control was an issue.
-The opening ceremony featured 500 cheerleaders and 30 pickups. Even Americans thought that was a poor representation of the country.
-Americans were considered very rude to competing nations. Really, America? I remember during the Beijing Olympics, China officials were giving out brochures to its citizenry on how to act during the Olympics. I can imagine America would have need the same pep talk but Americans would be too arrogant to implement such a measure if it got the 2016 Games.
-And of course, the bombing in the Olympic Park. Really, America? Your whack jobs couldn't take 3 weeks off?
There was some talk about whether Chicago could handle its criminal element if it got the 2016 games. I could imagine the IOC had not gotten over Atlanta just yet.
There was talk in my area (think big red famous bridge) about when that West Coast city would compete to host. I hope it doesn't get it because, the city on a regular has serious overcrowding issues, not the worst in the country but enough. The Games would take that to a whole 'nother level. Needless to say, Los Angeles who hosted the games in 1932 and 1884 (nor London-three times really?), shouldn't compete to host the Games for a long time. It needs to give other cities in this great land of ours a chance. Plus, it too is overpopulated. Los Angeles has no rush "hour". Every hour is rush hour. What other cities do I think don't need to be the host-Washington, DC (overcrowded and very vulnerable to a terrorist attack on a regular day. A highly visible event like the Olympics would exacerbate that), Atlanta (also too crowded and they've already hosted it and it wasn't good when they did). Boston would be good, but its weather may be sketchy but then again so is London's). Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Detroit are a bit rough. Unless they get a major makeover, it wouldn't be a good representation of the country. The best places I think should compete for the Olympics are Southern cities because they have the space and the weather. However, Southerners are a bit rough around the edges. What's the word I'm looking for? Oh, that's it. GHETTO. Think Atlanta. Who the heck would think of adding cheerleaders and pick up trucks to the opening ceremony? Southerners. Who would think to be so offensive to competing countries when the Olympic spirit is good sportsmanship and respect? Who would think to plaster the Olympic area with so many street vendors? Okay...that I could see that happening at most American cities. But you get my point. The Southern landscape is changing as many Yankees are moving down south but still...the South is the South. Portland and Seattle may be good hosts.
Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to a (Sub-Saharan) African hosted Olympics. Come on Johannesburg!
Go World!!!
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