The End of the Olympics

There was a time when the Olympics were special. They were an occassion for families and friends to get together and watch our athletes compete against the best of the world. It was intriguing to see what other countries had to offer and how we stacked up. It was cool to learn a little about other countries cultures or why their environments gave them an advantage. It was special because it was once every 2 or 4 years.

With the latest discussion of adding golf to the 2016 games I am reminded of why the Olympics have lost their luster, and it's simple: lack of intrigue.

Years ago the games were about amateur athletes facing new, unfamiliar competition. It was about going up against new opponents and wondering if you were good enough to win. Now, professional athletes rule the day.

Was it exciting to watch the US Basketball team win gold in 2008? Was there ever question of if we would win?

Sure the original Dream Team (1992) was exciting. It was great to see Magic and Bird on the same team; to see Jordan and Clyde the Glide run the court. It was a novelty act though. It was like watching the Globetrotters play the Washington Generals. It was like watching the NBA All-star game - I just assume watch the 60 second highlight real than the actual game. Now, consider the US team in 1988. We got to watch the then unknown David Robinson, Mitch Richmond and JR Reid take on Vlade Divac, Toni Kukoc and Arvydas Sabonis. We got to see the birth of stars. The emotions were different. The game was different. It had some drama.

It used to be Olympic athletes came from the NCAA, where they were scarcely known, made no money for their effort, and only faced international competition once or twice in a lifetime. Today, the Olympics feature athletes who've faced each other dozens of times, know each others skills, and are maybe even facebook friends. The Olympics have lost that element of discovery and that 'us' versus 'them' attitude.

Today, the best golfers in the world play against each other everyday on the PGA tour and we get to watch it. Would winning an Olympic gold mean more than winning a major? Would anyone bet against Tiger? Would non-golf fans watch just to see if our country is the best in the world? I wouldn't.