| Hopefully at some point over the coming days there will be a Winter Olympian who tugs at the heartstrings, becomes an instant celebrity and locks themselves in as a beloved figure among the American television audience. Frankly, it can’t come soon enough. For these Games, which officially began with the Opening Ceremony in Beijing on Friday morning amid an atmosphere that goes far beyond unusual, are missing a lot of things. The usual dose of star power is merely one of them. Sure, the Summer Olympics’ frosty sibling never has quite the same level of panache as its warm-weather counterpart. But this time, as an overall event, things are different to the point of weirdness and in urgent need of something to capture the public imagination. The spark to get things going and to get us properly engaged has to come from the athletes, for they, collectively, are the best thing about these Olympics, just like they are every time. The Olympic movement has become drastically politicized and sponsor-driven over the years and often the only thing stopping it from being unlikable are the remarkable men and women who give their all after countless years of toil and sacrifice. Over the next 17 days, perhaps the most difficult part to reconcile is the feeling that athletes of the Beijing Olympics are the ones getting the short end of the stick. For the most part, their ultimate moment of triumph or reckoning will come in front of barren stadiums. Due to COVID-19, fans from outside of China will not be in attendance at this year’s Winter Games. And so speedskaters and skiers and bobsledders and all the others get to live the Olympic dream, sure, just a different version of it. Which, of course, is better than none, but still not quite the same. Furthermore, this time athletes from all counties have repeatedly spoken about their nervousness. No, not the typical pre-competition butterflies, but a far worse kind. Namely, the fear that COVID-19 could prevent them from competing at all, laying to waste all that effort and toil. Austria’s Marita Kramer, the world’s best ski jumper, is out of contention, forced to remain at home after a positive COVID test just before departure for Beijing meant she did not have the necessary time to meet China’s entry protocols. For those that make it in, there are daily throat swabs for athletes, officials, media and coaches. I am friends with a handful of Olympians and their lives, mostly, have nothing in common with the glamour that many assume they experience. There is a common perception that being in the Olympics means being on TV, being on TV equals fame and that fame equals fortune. Mostly – that’s wrong. Many U.S. Olympians could have made a lot more money by going out and getting a regular job rather than pursuing their sporting dreams. That level of persistence deserves our respect and honestly, deserves more of America’s attention than it’s going to get. Perhaps we should be better able to see and appreciate the Olympics for what they are, a human struggle and the chase for excellence, to be the very best of an extraordinary group of people who have all triumphed merely by being there. Truth is, we are conditioned. When an event isn’t given the same level of reverence as in the past, when there are clouds hanging over it, when virtually all the pre-event publicity has been negative, it is bound to have a chilling effect on our interest. Believe me, I love the Olympics as much as anyone. I have covered eight of them as a journalist, and typically have a soft spot for the smaller, more intimate, more manageable winter version. This time, naturally, there is some kind of sparkle missing. The buzz in the United States is not on the same level as prior renditions and it’s not particularly close to it. Some viewers have been turned off by the politics surrounding events in China, not least the reports of human rights abuses that has resulted in the U.S. not sending any lawmakers or other official luminaries to the Games. The U.S. announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics back in December, a move that was followed promptly by several other countries, including Canada and Australia. The political tension has caused sponsors to back off, which is why the usual flood of Olympic-themed commercials and marketing is not on the same level. All the promotion was a little excessive in past years, frankly, but it did serve the purpose of giving constant reminders that the Olympics were coming. Without it, the Games have kind of snuck up on us. To further that point, the timing has not helped, either. Three straight Olympics have now been held in Asia, which is wonderful for the host nations involved, but challenging for a U.S. audience that likes to watch things live but doesn’t enjoy getting up in the middle of the night. Having the Games start before the Super Bowl changes the dynamic even more. America holds back on committing itself fully to anything else until the football season. By the time the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals have duked it out at SoFi Stadium, there will be only six days of Olympic action remaining. That’s why the Olympics needs a popular hero to come along and give things a jolt. Look, it is the Olympics, so there is a strong chance that magic will come from somewhere, whether it be figure skater Nathan Chen or snowboarder Chloe Kim or skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin. Or some moment of beautifully good sportsmanship or the performance of a lifetime from someone we’ve not yet heard of. Until then, the sad reality is this – these Olympics are on course to be somewhat forgettable. |
