Team U.S.A

Well, I have to admit that I officially have Winter Olympic fever. My roommate and I have been taping the Olympics via dvr everyday. Our recordings list has been taken over by Olympic programming. The bizarre thing is that I originally started taping the Olympics to keep up with the figure skating. However, I find myself watching just about any event cheering on team U.S.A (I mean who would have thought that snowboarding could be such a riveting sport). In the past, I wouldn't have given the Winter Olympics a second glance, but I am now anxious to get home to see check out the medal count. While I am prattling on about the Olympics, I must commend Vancouver on their excellent opening ceremonies. I was telling my friends that Vancouver's opening ceremony was the visual equivalent to China's technical masterpiece in August 2008. I also would be remiss if I didn't admonish the Vancouver Olympic officials for their poor handling of the luge incident. It appears to me (and anyone else with half a brain) that there was a design flaw in the track that caused the unfortunate death of the Georgian athlete (Nodar Kumaritashvili). The International Luge Federation (ILF) claimed the accident was due to athlete error yet made several changes to the track including lowering the men's start. At the end of the day, blaming the victim was in poor taste and beneath Vancouver Olympic officials and the ILF.

Moving on, I couldn't quite understand why I and millions of other Americans (the Winter Olympics is enjoying some of it's highest ratings ever) are so inexplicably drawn to these particular games. On the surface, it could be something as simple as the Olympic games are being held close to home (Vancouver is a stone's throw away from the U.S). However, as I pondered this interesting phenomenon, I began to wonder if the Olympics offer most Americans a break from the constant divisiveness that seems to plague our nation. When we watch the Olympics, we get to cheer for team U.S.A. We aren't cheering for a particular team from a certain state, or a political party, or a community, or a church or charitable organization. We collectively are pulling for our team representing the stars and stripes to bring home the gold. It is a refreshing change of pace from the continuous bickering that we see happening in Washington and around the country.

The Olympics are also a wonderful reminder that dreams do come true. As I watch the various athletes participating in the games fulfill their Olympic dreams, it gives me a little more hope that the problems that currently plague America can and will be fixed (I say this at the risk of sounding extremely bubble gum, sugar pop. Gag me now!). I am a die hard political junkie, and I enjoy the political differences and nuances that can make American politics so exciting. However, at the end of the day, I want to see our government getting things done so that my fellow citizens don't have to suffer from poor or no healthcare, lack of educational resources, unemployment, foreclosures, fear of terrorism, etc. Our politicians could learn something from the Olympics. Friendly competition is fine and fun to watch, but it is really the accomplishment at the end which can make all the difference in the world. Therefore, if making America better is the ultimate "gold", why are there members of Congress fighting so hard to keep "team U.S.A" off the podium?