The Summer Olympics in Rio opened last night and it will be exciting to watch athletes from around the world compete in various sports over the next few weeks. The Olympics used to be reserved for amateur athletes, but now allows professionals to compete and many of the athletes are not only well paid, but the top earners in their sport.
In 1936 the Olympics were held in Berlin and the Games were a showcase for the Third Reich and the impending Nazi campaign to conquer Europe and the world. This year the Games are being protected by nearly 90,000 military personnel who are seeking to prevent groups of radical terrorists and ordinary protestors from interfering with the events and keeping them from harming those wishing to enjoy Rio and the athletic competition.
We once again have the spector of illegal drug use looming over an entire national team much like we did when the East German's in the '70's were messing with drugs, sex changes and other ways of enhancing their medal count. Some things don't seem to change.
But most of all I am trying to understand how we have the Summer Olympics in a country where it is actually winter. I'll be waiting for the ABC Wide World of Sports intro with the ski jumper going off the side of the ski jump, crashing and burning down the hill......but hold on......this is NBC and their armada of famous announcers, show hosts and expert commentators. We wouldn't want this to turn into a network competition......we have enough of that with the Donald-Hillary "road show".
2016.........oh how the world has changed.
Sent from my iPad
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