It was theater of the absurd. First I would like to remind fan and broadcaster alike that sporting events offer escape and escape is their primary purpose. If you degrade the experience of escaping our daily reality, you shatter the dream. The profundity and necessity of escape is underrated by some fools. I am not one of them.
We used to be able listen to sportscasters over decades and never know a tidbit about their political philosophy. I could not tell you anything about Harry Caray's politics or Jim McKay's or Chris Jackson's. If they had expressed any political viewpoint they would have been ushered into some other line of work.
ESPN did the right thing when they canned Rush Limbaugh for his effort to politicize football. Good for them. I am sad to say that years later the same network rehired Toxic Keith Olbermann after he got canned from MSNBC for bad ratings and then Current TV for bad ratings and a bad personality. Give the people what they want, ESPN.
I don't like PSA's during sporting events, no matter how high-minded or well-meaning. Take it elsewhere. Cheesy anti-drug messages lodged between light beer commercials probably are not taken too seriously anyway. And reminding us about dead ravers might put a damper on our fun but it won't bring the ravers back from their graves.
NBC in general and Bob Costas in particular started testing the waters during the 2012 NFL season. It started out as halftime anti-gun commentary and concluded with the president cutting into the Sunday night broadcast following the Sandy Hook massacre. Yes, the president should address a traumatized community but where do the healing words stop and his own lust for control begin? Never let a crisis go to waste.
Unfortunately, NBC has the rights to Olympic coverage. The Opening Ceremony was preceded by the introduction of David Remnick, a long, highly-politicized blah blah blah focusing on gay politics and then an interview with the president. The interview centered on what else? Russian gay politics, gay Russian politics, international gay politics and the personality of Vladimir Putin.
If one wanted to politicize Russia and Russian politics, there are a million topics to cover: Georgia, Ukraine, Libya, Syria. Iran. Chechnya and worldwide terror networks. Under Putin's leadership and our leading from behind, Russia might have established herself as the one indispensable country. NBC will focus their attention on Russia's attitude towards homosexuality. Understand, many of us view any Olympic politicking as an abomination. But if one wants to view the Winter Games through the lens of politics and policy, there are a million issues that concern more Americans than Russia's uptight "don't ask, don't tell, shut up and skate" attitude.
Of course with David Remnick on board we will learn of our fundraiser-in-chief's diligently working the streets of Sochi from the White House. “At the back end of his career, I see him as an international and national community organizer.” Sochi is the graceful opening of that profound transition. Let the games begin.
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