Excellent point, which brings up another point- maybe we are too focused on the number of medals and not focused enough on such aspects as accomplishment, fellowship, camaraderie and just the enjoyment of the sport WIN OR LOSE. Maybe there is too much of this business of having to beat somebody and not enough on just performing to the utmost of your OWN ability.
So right, JLM. I am very disappointed in people who put the emphasis on medal wins and not on the accomplishment of getting to the games in the first place.
Reading an article on CTV's website today, I found these comments by viewers which speak to the very points you made.
Jennifer Chapin
I am ashamed of a country that puts such expectations on athletes to peform like machines to assuage a newly-emerging US-type of ego, as if it's all about THEM and not about all of these STARS (because they are, all of them) who are doing the very best that they can. You critics, while you're sitting out there on your couch, quaffing your beer and eating your pizza, benumbed in front of your tv, know that these kids have worked their hearts out for years, mercilessly and relentlessly, and often with much angst and pain, to be the very best that they can be. Can you say the same about yourselves? Athletes, all of you, and from every country: I admire you, and applaud you. Regardless of your "standing", regardless of how a shallow world judges you, you are all my heroes. And always will be.
MKR
it really grinds my gears when people say our athletes choked, if you want better, go do it yourself, get off the couch, train like hell for many years and compete, until that happens congratualate them on doing their best and for competing on behalf of us, do not disgrace them by saying they choked and stuff, in sports anything can happen, a lot of people are up in arms about the hockey game, is it upsetting? yes, but guess what coaching from your couch will not help matters, i think the athletes know what went wrong and will conduct themselves accordingly, GO CANADA GO!!!
Bellboy
I'm ticked off at whoever put these ("supposed to metal") athletes up to the commercials that were made. Like Charles Hamelin...who told him to say during his commercial...''Canada...it's our time...it's MY time". There's enough stress and pressure just participating in the Olympics. They don't need the media telling them to make great predictions about their individual outcomes. Now people like Charles and Melissa Hollingsworth feel terribly bad about all the lofty predictive comments made during the commercials they made. I don't care how good an athlete is, you just don't publicly count your chickens before they hatch. At the Olympics, anything can go wrong and it clearly has. The athletes are human, not super-human.
Circusbread
"we" didn't dedicate ourselves to training for years, they did; "we" aren't carrying the hope and expectations of a nation, they are; "we" aren't competing with the best in the world with their own podium programs, they are; "we" aren't risking anything, they are; so respect their dedication, their effort, their accomplishments and the inspiration THEY provide for our youth to put down the game-controller, to get out and strive for excellence. "Own The Podium" - an unbelievably stupid, motivate-the-opponent, anti-Olympic spirit, propaganda phrase that was underfunded, politically useful and doomed from the start. @lalolad - perhaps the memories will be of athletes who are ordinary people with extaordinary dreams - not over-hyped millionaire celebs, or the ordinary people behind the athletes who give the inspiration no amount of money could ever match. Resist the Olympics becoming a corporate marketing event, allow it to be a celebration of and inspiration for youthful athletic striving.
