I’ve grown less and less fond of the Olympics over the years due to many factors.

The Black Power Salute of Mexico’s 1968 games, for which the guilty ones still state no regrets even now in 2008; the 1972 Munich terrorism and massacre of Israeli athletes; the advent of professional players competing; so many doping scandals in so many levels of competition that finding such at the Olympic level isn’t really a scandal anymore; and better results through equipment design rather than human endeavor; well, the cleanliness, purity, and honesty of the games was lost for me a long time ago.

Add to that the venues this Olympiad in a country with an abhorrently repressive system of government that will lie its way into a picture totally opposite reality throughout the games and will undoubtedly gain the favor of those who think no farther than their nose and analyze at only surface level, add all that up and for me it’s a loss.

Yet, there are many athletes who are not into the seemingly inevitable political aspects of the games’ location, and they won’t be using the big money equipment to enhance their performance, and they won’t be doping, choosing instead to rely on good old fashioned conditioning as a result of honest effort.  The problem is that those athletes are no easier to identify than those on the other end of the spectrum.  They are unfortunately painted with the broad brush loaded with the wash of their cheating peers.  Such is real life — we are indeed judged by the company we keep.

Yet, yes, I will be watching.  My selection of events will be very specific, however, and nowhere nearly as extensive as in years ago.

I was active several decades ago as an adult in youth sports and I’ve been a very active volunteer for the past several years, primarily in track and field.  I like being a part of it all.  My earlier experience was as a baseball and softball umpire and once again I find that my volunteer efforts have grown into certification as an official — and I get to work still in a volunteer status but closer to the heart and soul of the action and responsible for various aspects of its success.  It takes a lot of study and a lot of work, not to mention a very understanding and supportive wife, but it’s worth it.

If you are planning on watching the Olympics on television and have yet to find a handy way to know what and when, there is a far better way than looking in the newspaper every day and it allows for planning in case you intend to record.  The schedule for online streaming is also available.

Not that I’m a fan of the major networks, ANY of them, NBC is the prime carrier, so…

Go here.
Select TV & Online Listings.
Then enter your ZIP code.
Then choose your source and the schedules are yours for the clicking.

Be sure to check out the Video tab, too.

Me, I’m looking for my few favorites, and then I get to enjoy some real world myself.  Last weekend was two firsts in officiating for me and on the 20th, 22nd, 30th, and 31st of this month, at two separate international meets, will be yet others.  For me, those will far outshine watching the Olympics.  And to be honest, even the preparation, though a lot of work, is rather enjoyable, too.  August 2008 is turning out to be a banner month.