An interesting thing is happening with the Winter Olympics

[AngryAmish]

It seems that the opinion of the journalists, etc is that these Winter Olympics are flawed. Never before have I have seen the Olympics touted as anything but super duper.

For decades I have hated the Olympics. For years it was run by a (literal) fascist. They don't pay the athletes but all the money get funneled to cronies of the people putting it on. It gives a world stage to the worst countries in the world. I hate the whole thing.

I suspect that the blatant anti-homosexual policies of Russia finally turned the corner, hopefully for good.

Turn off your TV. Go back to not pretending you care about any of these sports.

[msongs]

1. once the olympics are over the camps will be opened with impunity nt

[arthritisR_US]

16. I think you are 100% correct, sadly. nt

[Common Sense Party]

2. Or, you can cheer on athletes who have worked hard and sacrificed much to reach their

goals. The Japanese skater last night, Hanyu, was amazing, a joy to watch.

[cali]

5. alas, that doesn't even begin to makeup for the grotesquerie that is the Olympics

It doesn't make up for people being booted from their homes and not being paid any kind of reasonable compensation. It doesn't make up for the rank bigotry. It doesn't make up for the killing of dogs. It doesn't make up for huge corruption. It doesn't make up for the environmental damage. It doesn't make up for critics being jailed.

[hlthe2b]

10. This needs to be exposed and it is.... I, for one am glad to see at least some MSM doing their job

[laundry_queen]

22. They always seem to.

When it involves any other country but their own.

[Dawson Leery]

12. Everything you said.

The ancient olympics were ended for the same reasons' the modern games need to be.
Corruption.


I have no regard for any organization that was once run by a (literal) fascist.

[Common Sense Party]

13. I wonder how many of the people complaining about this Olympics were as equally vocal

during the China games?

[Bluenorthwest]

6. People cheered in 36 when the US team cut it's only two Jewish members from competition

as a show of respect to their host nation.

[Common Sense Party]

9. And that has what to do with 2014?

[hlthe2b]

8. It would be nice if the athletes were not forgotten in all this... wouldn't it?

[Common Sense Party]

11. I guess if they were decent athletes they would have chosen a different sport

or waited for another Olympics.

[tkmorris]

17. You ARE being sarcastic, yeah?

I can't always tell.

[Common Sense Party]

18. I can't always tell when I am, either.

But this time, yes.

[malaise]

3. Then you weren't around for the Moscow Olympics or indeed the 2008 games in Beijing China

I am no supporter of Putin and his attempt to violate Olympic rules re discrimination must be called out big time, but let's face, any Olympics or World Cup outside of the West is always torn to shreds by the Western press before it starts.

Just think about the Brits attacks on RSA hosting the World Cup. Truth be told Western interests (and remember it's always about money) think they own international sports events.

[NightWatcher]

4. the cool kids aren't watching them this year

[Jenoch]

14. The reason thousands of athletes from across the globe

are competing in the 2014 Winter Olympics is so they don't have to watch it on television.

[Stargazer09]

15. The Olympics are NEVER perfect

But for many athletes, particularly women, the Olympics are the pinnacle of their careers.

As much as I hate the system that chooses the host countries, as well as countries with poor human rights records, I respect the tradition and the spirit of the Games.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

19. There are a few athletes that I'm rooting for ...

The Jamaican Bobsled team.
The woman who is skiing for Thailand.
The Norwegian Curling team, for wearing something that looks like Devo at their worst

?w=700&h=393

[monmouth3]

20. I'm rooting for Jason Brown, Figure skating, a symphony to watch him..Go Jason..n/t

[Common Sense Party]

21. This guy, from last night, was great.

Hanyu, from Japan. What an EXCELLENT young skater. I'm not even a huge fan of figure skating.

Doh! Forgot the link: