The Olympic Games unite the world for two+ weeks of athletic competition and highlight many sports and athletes that wouldn’t get attention otherwise. Rooting for one’s country gives people a sense of national pride. But the games also cost billions of dollars, have been rife with scandal, and have decreased in popularity – at least according to U.S. TV ratings. This raises the question – do the Olympics still matter? In your response, examine both sides of the issue by discussing two positive and two negative aspects of the Olympics. Finally, where do you stand and why? Limit: 13 responses
There is certainly a division between people who believe that the Olympics still matter, and those who think it is a waste of money. There are still many positives that come out of the Olympics that prove they still mean something. One positive is the examples that athletes set for young children. Jason Gay, from the Wall Street Journal, notes the instance in Tokyo where, “Barshim and Tamberi turned to an old rule that allows medal sharing acceptable by mutual agreement”, which was, “an instant lesson in sportsmanship and goodwill that will outlive both victors” (Gay). Millions of children across the world saw them agree to share the medal, and understood the importance of sportsmanship, and that its okay to share success. There is no other platform that can convey that message in the same way. Another positive that has come out of the Olympics is the NBC is partnering with Tiktok for the Winter Olympics. Many sports are struggling to retain younger viewers. However, Tiktok is an application that has millions of young viewers every day. NBC saw that, “Olympics-related content has garnered over 18 billion views on TikTok,” and, “directly invited TikTok to collaborate on 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics content” (Silberling). This collaboration will include content of the Olympics posted daily, in addition to a livestream show hosted by a TikTok star (Silberling). This partnership may bridge the gap between older and younger viewers, thus widening the fan base to people of all ages. Therefore, the Olympics could still ‘matter’ to every generation, which would make having broadcasting rights that much more valuable to NBC.
ReplyDeleteDespite the positives of Olympics sports, there are several negatives. The first downside belongs to the citizens of the host country. The impoverished in certain areas of the host country are evicted from their homes to make room for Olympic stadiums and parking lots (Vassalo). For many, the Olympics are something to look forward to, but the people in poverty dread them due to the possibility of them being removed from their homes. Another negative effect of the Olympics is the effect that it has on the host country’s economy.
. Vassalo stated that the amount of money needed to upgrade venues and facilities for the Olympics is extremely hard for taxpayers to cover. For example, the Tokyo Olympics cost the city $15.4 billion. It is estimated that those funds are the equivalent of 1,200 Japanese elementary schools (Vassalo) These schools could have helped a struggling economy that is still recovering from the pandemic. Instead, they were used to host the Olympics.
ReplyDeleteDespite several pieces of evidence that the Olympics do not matter anymore, I still believe that they do. I don’t think that the Olympics were ever about the money to most people. There are so many inspirational stories that come out of the Olympics. People rise to stardom when it seemed like they may have had no way out. Young fans see people like Gabby Douglas and Katie Ledecky, and feel that if they work hard enough, they could be there one day too. Personally, I have never felt a stronger sense of nationalism and pride for the United States then when I see we are dominating in the Olympics. I know many television networks will not agree, but for others, the Olympics certainly matter.
Works Cited
Gay, Jason. “The Olympics Are Deeply Flawed. but the Games Still Matter.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 9 Aug. 2021, https://www.wsj.com/articles/tokyo-olympics-highlights-suni-lee-athing-mu-11628517573.
Silberling, Amanda. “NBCUniversal Is Partnering with TikTok for the Winter Olympics.” TechCrunch, TechCrunch, 24 Jan. 2022, https://techcrunch.com/2022/01/24/nbcuniversal-is-partnering-with-tiktok-for-the-winter-olympics/.
Vassalo, Lily. “The Effects of the Olympic Games on Host Nations.” The Borgen Project, 20 Sept. 2021, https://borgenproject.org/the-effects-of-the-olympic-games/.
-Danielle Zerbo
ReplyDeleteShannon Goria
ReplyDeleteThe Olympic Games give athletes across the globe a chance to showcase their skills and compete against the best of the best. So many different sports are represented and with every country being given the chance to be involved to compete, the audience reaches all throughout the globe. Although the games to give people a sense of national pride and unite individuals as one, the games themselves do cost billions of dollars and do experience many scandals and have unfortunately decreased in popularity over the years. Although sports are still a major component of many cultures across the globe, unfortunately Olympic viewing has decreased, many blaming it on the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Even today the 2022 Winter Olympics have officially begun but no one is watching them religiously or talking about the competitions like they used to. It used to be that everyone almost felt responsible to watch the Olympics but now people are “too busy” to sit down and watch their favorite sports or athletes compete. So when the question of where the Olympics still matters comes up, I do believe they truly do still matter, even though there are both positive and negative aspects of it.
When it comes to the positive aspects of the Olympic Games, one clear answer is how it does unify all countries across the globe into one tournament and encourages diversity and multiculturalism (Shin & Jisue Sin, 2017). Every country has to follow the same rules and are all viewed as equals and given the same chances to compete no matter where they are from or who they are. These games also give athletes the chance to meet athletes from all different counties who share the same passion and love for sports like they do. The games allow athletes to the chance to form relationships with others they would have never had the chance to meet. The Olympic Games have also proven to increase valuable tourism which has helped local economies for host counties that don’t generally get a lot of attention from public view (ProCon, 2022).
One negative aspect of the Olympic Games has to do with the various corruptions such as unfair treatment between judges and competitors (Shin & Jisue Sin, 2017). Sometimes competitive spirits make people do and say things against the rules, leading them to engage in corrupt behaviors that would ultimately cause them to lash out on their competition for a multitude of reasons such as winning gold, raising national pride and patriotism, and just the basis that the world is not a competition ((Shin & Jisue Sin, 2017). Another negative aspect of the Olympic Games has to do with the money that goes into hosting the games and how counties can spend billions of dollars on arenas while neglecting their own countrie’s needs for education, healthcare, or sanitation (Shin & Jisue Sin, 2017). Many counties nowadays are losing money for hosting the Olympics because people are not traveling out to different counties to watch or stay in hotels nearby. This past Summer 2021 Olympics is a prime example because no spectators were allowed which cost Japan $800 million dollars (Lee & Denyer, 2021).
Ultimately, I still do believe that the Olympic Games still matter and although they have experienced some faults I still think they are a part of history for all nations across the globe and that they unite the globe into one fun and competitive tournament to showcase some of the best athletes and their skills. As an athlete myself, I know all of the hard work and effort these athletes endure and I believe they deserve to be globally portrayed and idolized. As I know for myself some of my biggest role models are some of the athletes I’ve seen compete at the Olympics over the years.
Shannon Goria
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Lee, M. Y. H., & Denyer, S. (2021, August 16). Japanese taxpayers were shut out from olympic venues. now they can view the staggering bill. The Washington Post. Retrieved February 7, 2022, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/08/15/olympics-tokyo-costs-japan/
Olympics hosting - pros & cons. ProCon.org. (2022, January 27). Retrieved February 7, 2022, from https://www.procon.org/headlines/hosting-the-olympic-games-top-3-pros-and-cons/
Shin, J., & Jisue Shin A recent Political Science graduate. Highly passionate about human rights/ international conflicts. Believe that a more peaceful world can be created by informing/educating people about world conflicts. (2017, February 25). Positive and negative impacts of the Olympics. The Organization for World Peace. Retrieved February 7, 2022, from https://theowp.org/positive-and-negative-impacts-of-the-olympics/
Brianna Gonsalves
ReplyDeleteThe Olympics have been around for over 3,000 years. The Olympics give the opportunity for athletes across the world to be recognized for their talents and be given the honor of being a part of the games. The Olympics was once a bigger deal than it is now. People would gather around the television to watch the games take place, but as time has progressed viewership has not gone up and has been steady or even decreased. The Olympics have advantages and disadvantages and it is a common question as to whether or not the Olympics still matter.
The message of the Olympics is what keeps the games still relevant in today's society. With the Olympics comes the idea of basic sportsmanship in the way in which people from all around the world come together and beat the odds. This makes the Olympics very unique because it is not often in sports that we get to see so much news coverage on the deeper issues of the games. For example, in an article titled The Olympics Are Deeply Flawed. But the Games Still Matter, written by Jason Gay from the Wall Street Journal, he explains how, “Then there was Simone Biles, expected to be The Sensation of these Games… Her Olympics will be remembered for provoking an overdue conversation about mental health in sports. It also cleared a path for gymnastics talent like Suni Lee, who took gold in the women’s all-around, and launched a glorious watch party celebration in her Minnesota hometown,” (Gay). The Olympics coverage focuses on the athletes as a whole.
Another positive about the Olympics that will keep it important is its partnerships. This year the Olympics have partnered with TikTok to promote the coverage of the event. TikTok is easily the most popular app on the internet as of right now. It brings in all different demographics and has a huge amount of users. By partnering up with TikTok, the Olympics is putting the coverage in a place where nobody can miss it. In an article titled NBCUniversal is Partnering with TikTok for the Winter Olympics written by Amanda Silbering from Techcrunch, it says “According to NBCUniversal, Olympics-related content has garnered over 18 billion views on TikTok, so the network directly invited TikTok to collaborate on 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics content. This includes daily content across NBC TikTok handles, as well as a three-episode livestream show hosted by a yet-to-be-named TikTok creator,” (Silbering). The Olympics has done very well in the viewership aspect on social media which is still keeping it relevant.
The Olympics also has its negatives. Two reasons as to why people feel that the Olympics are not as important as they used to be are because of the viewpoint that the Olympics are actually very corrupt and that there are fractured audiences from the pandemic. In an article from The New York Times written by John Branch titled Let the Games…Be Gone, it talks about the corruptness of the Olympics and why other countries do not want to see the games continue, “More than 1,000 Japanese had died of heat-related causes in July and August of 2018 and 2019, and several Olympic test events in Tokyo had made athletes ill and had scuttled schedules. Drastic measures for the upcoming Olympics were required,” (Branch). The Olympics is shown to push athletes way too far and is becoming a corrupt system. Also, after the pandemic first struck, new streaming services have come to the forefront. In an article titled Olympics ratings slide points toward new TV viewing reality written by Jay Busbee from Yahoo, it says “Consider, for instance: the last time the Olympics took place, Disney+ didn’t exist … and if you’re like tens of millions of other Americans, that’s an essential element of your household entertainment now. Other streaming services, games, social media and countless other distractions … the chances for the entire world to come together to watch one single event are dwindling fast,” (Busbee). Times have changed and since the Olympics are dated so far back, they either have to adapt to the new technology or back out completely.
DeleteIn my opinion, I think the Olympics are always going to be around but with not as much viewership. They will keep making important athletes but not as many people will tune in.
Works Cited
Branch, John. “Let the Games ... Be Gone?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 17 July 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/17/sports/olympics/tokyo-olympics.html.
Gay, Jason. “The Olympics Are Deeply Flawed. but the Games Still Matter.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 9 Aug. 2021, https://www.wsj.com/articles/tokyo-olympics-highlights-suni-lee-athing-mu-11628517573.
“Olympics Ratings Slide Points toward New TV Viewing Reality.” Yahoo! Sports, Yahoo!, https://sports.yahoo.com/olympics-ratings-slide-points-toward-new-tv-viewing-reality-152607228.html.
Silberling, Amanda. “NBCUniversal Is Partnering with TikTok for the Winter Olympics.” TechCrunch, TechCrunch, 24 Jan. 2022, https://techcrunch.com/2022/01/24/nbcuniversal-is-partnering-with-tiktok-for-the-winter-olympics/.
Cat Weber
ReplyDeletePolitics, scandals, COVID-19, loss of viewers on linear television have all played a part in the loss of appeal in watching the Olympic Games this year as well as in 2020. The Olympics has become a breeding ground for drama; as if every sport has their own conflict that gets spotlighted during the Olympic season. For example, the recent attention to the corruption within the gymnastics world has brought a lot of attention to the overall treatment of athletes, which is now an ongoing tie to the olympics and elite athletics. The international event where athleticm is to be showcased, the best of the best are to compete against one another in honor of their born country, has turned into a melodrama. It is difficult to support an event that does not support the essential people in making the Olympics happen, the athletes and viewers. This year Olympic athletes are reporting issues with quarantine conditions in Bejing (Diaz). It is hard not to think about the fact that this is something that should absolutely be taken into high consideration when hosting the Olympic games. In the final week of the 2020 Olympics in Japan they were reporting 14,000 positive cases of COVID each day (Serhan). Viewers have seen the previous Olympics already go through issues with athletes and isolations. Provididng a decent variation of meals and a space to workout for the world's best athletes at their lifetime opportunity of being at the Olympic Games is the least a host country should provide. This may not have been an issue if it were elsewhere but the location of Bejeing is already controversial with human rights issues in China. The politics, controversys and scandals are never ending at the Olympics it almost makes it hard to watch. Domestically, at least in the U.S., fans often deal with heavy investment in the dramatics of their favorite teams (Yanity). The Olympics should not be a global version of these dramas for the world to see in the short period of the festival because it derives from the purpose of the event.
Weber Part 2
DeleteViewing sports is supposed to be enjoyable especially when it is a competition such as the Olympics. Sports are often a common ground for people. Sports are universal and should “demonstrate how we can all come together civilly to resolve our differences’ (Raney & Bryant 352). That is a positive the Olympics has and should capitalize on during the event. The emotional tie that viewers have to their sports is superior. The Olympics has the ability to reach audiences all over the world. This is a constant positive for this athletic festival. The Olympics has the ability to promote location specific advertisements, showings of events and athletes. The audience is there but the content has to be provided to the viewers. Athletes are using platforms such as TikTok creating content that are an inside look to the Olympics. These videos get millions of views because people are curious about their athletes. There is not a lack of interest in the Olympics and the athletes competing, the channels of viewing and information are changing.
Personally, I think the Olympics still matter but there are changes that should be made to make it more appealing for viewing purposes. Sports will always have a hold over those who are interested and patriotism inevitably parallels sports. It is still interesting to watch athletes try and prove who is better in athletic competitions. The commotion that comes with the Olympics and the energy it takes to keep up with the 2+ week event deters me from watching it.
Diaz, Jaclyn. “No Internet, Bad Food and Dirty Rooms: Olympic Athletes Struggle in Covid Quarantine.” NPR, NPR, 6 Feb. 2022, https://www.npr.org/2022/02/06/1078570937/olympic-athletes-covid-isolation.
Raney, Arthur A., and Jennings Bryant. Handbook of Sports and Media. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2014.
Serhan, Yasmeen. “The Olympics Have Lost Their Appeal.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 8 Aug. 2021, https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2021/08/ending-the-olympics-tokyo/619666/.
Yanity, Molly. “When Sports Fans Assume They Are in Charge...anger Rules.” Open Court, https://opencourt.bulletin.com/500707027682616/.
Jason Vent
ReplyDeleteBlog #2
The Olympic games happen every two years and have an extensive history dating back to ancient Greece where they were created to find the best of the best, which is still their goal today even with some recognizable flaws. It is a blessing for many sports fans all over the world to be able to stand behind athletes from their home countries and witness them make history by competing in the games even with recent decline in viewership across all sports in the U.S. specifically. Recent studies have shown that the younger generation (ages 18-34) are less interested in watching full live sporting events as opposed to highlights of them and same goes for the Olympics that have shown decreasing viewership numbers in the past couple of games hosted (Bridge). The younger generation defined as “gen Z” are still passionate about sports, but they show their engagement in ways other than watching games on typical TV markets. Most young kids interact with sports through video games and other forms of quick media that allow them to stay involved and still call themselves fans of sports and teams specifically without investing the massive amounts of time it takes to watch complete games on television. The Esports industry has been booming over the last few years and is engaging young people, teaching them competitive skills while allowing them to maintain interactions with each other in informal ways in the eyes of the older generations of sports fans who enjoy sitting down and watching sports live, where they may never turn them on again after their single time viewing experience (Drape and Belson). With the Olympics specifically, some obvious flaws come at the sheer amount of money that it takes for a host country to put on the games. There has not been an Olympic game hosted since 1960 that has come in under its budget which these days is always in the realm of billions of dollars which is no small cost to any country. Host cities are also required to have the proper facilities for the games which forces them to build and create massive venues and infrastructure that normally goes into disuse in the years after the games are hosted (ProCon.org)
Jason Vent Continued
ReplyDeleteAnother negative impact of the Olympic games comes with the burden and displacement of residents in host cities who are forcibly removed from their homes to see them demolished to make way for Olympic facilities as was the case in both 2008 in Beijing and in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro where families were pushed to the outskirts of the cities far from friends family and workplaces for little to no compensation from the government (ProCon.org) With these points being stated, it is also important to note that the Olympics and athlete performance inspire a sense of national pride in patrons from around the world who see their country represented on the largest, international scale possible. Another positive impact the games have on a host city is the economic gain that is experienced with the heavy influx of tourists coming to the games and stimulating the host cities economy by spending money while they are there (ProCon.org) I personally don’t really care too much about the Olympics, but they inspire a sense of national pride in me being able to see U.S. athletes compete and win events every two years. I think the games may not seem like they matter anymore from a privileged perspective in the U.S., but for smaller developing countries to see their athletes succeed on the world’s biggest scale I think they have a much bigger impact on those countries. Overall, I would say that the Olympics do still matter as they serve their original purpose of finding the best in the world of sports, despite some of their detriments on host cities people and economies.
Bridge, Gavin. “The Changing Face of Sports Fandom.” Variety.Com, 22 Mar. 2021, variety.com/vip/the-changing-face-of-sports-fandom-1234920561.
Drape, Joe, and Ken Belson. “How Big Sports Leagues Are Trying to Woo the Gamer Generation.” The New York Times, 13 Jan. 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/01/12/sports/video-games-nfl-gamers-gen-z.html.
ProCon.org. “Olympics Hosting - Pros and Cons.” ProCon.Org, 27 Jan. 2022, www.procon.org/headlines/hosting-the-olympic-games-top-3-pros-and-cons.
Charlie Windels
ReplyDeleteBeing a sports fan my whole life it does seem like the Olympics is on a slight downfall the past decade with high expenses, scandals, and just an overall decrease in popularity. All of these things contribute to the fact that I do not watch the Olympics that much anymore. For me, the whole idea of the Olympics is to bring people together no matter the country and try to put global issues aside. However, in more recent years I guess you could say the competitiveness and willingness to do anything to be better than the opposing team or player has gone slightly too far. Sometimes fans are part of the problem as well as they can take things way too far. An article titled The Causes and Consequences of Sport Team Identification by Daniel L. Wann talks about how oftentimes very involved sports fans will act out to see their team succeed. The article quotes “the team’s performances and image are so important to highly identified fans that some persons report that they would be willing to illegally assist their team in gaining a competitive advantage” (Wann).
Despite this, I feel that as a sports fan the Olympics is still an extremely important event. Although there have been complications there is always the reality that we could work better with one another and play sports the way they are meant to be played. Oftentimes when we are wrapped up in the competitive nature of sports we forget that it is supposed to be fun, enjoyable, and entertaining. Another article I was reading titled Why We Watch and Enjoy Mediated Sports by Arthur A. Raney mentions how sports “arouse feelings of euphoria and despair among their loyal fans. Therefore, it may come as little surprise that the formal academic study of mediated sports boasts a rich tradition” (Raney). One thing I thought was interesting about this was how he mentioned tradition. When we think of the Olympics we think of a global tradition which is part of the reason why I think the event is so important and why we should continue to hold it.
Another positive that comes about the Olympics despite the struggles is that more awareness is brought on many different social issues within sports. As time goes more issues arise within sports and the Olympics has done a relatively good job at adapting to change. One thing in particular that the Olympics bring awareness to is women's sports and how they should have equal opportunity to compete at the highest level of athletics for the world to see. One article I was reading titled 2022 Winter Olympics: What to watch for as U.S. women's hockey takes on Canada by Greg Wyshynski talks about the hype and high praise for women's hockey. The article quotes “The dominance of these teams extends past the Olympics. Since 1990, when the International Ice Hockey Federation held its first official women's world championship” (Wyshynski). I think this goes to show how female sports are beginning to grow through the Olympics and gain more followers.
Works Cited
Wyshynski, Greg. “2022 Winter Olympics: What to Watch for as U.S. Women's Hockey Takes
on Canada.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 7 Feb. 2022, https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/33237912/2022-winter-olympics-watch-team-usa-women-hockey-takes-canada.
Wann, Daniel L. "The Causes and Consequences of Sport Team Identification." Handbook of
Sports and Media, E-book, edited by Arthur A. Raney and Jennings Bryant, 2006, pp. 358 - 382.
Raney, Arthur. "Why We Watch and Enjoy Mediated Sports." Handbook of Sports and Media,
E-book, edited by Arthur A. Raney and Jennings Bryant, 2006, pp. 339 - 356.
Rita Sherban
ReplyDeleteHave the Olympics lost the sparkle it once had? Perhaps, or maybe the world has woken up to the reality of the Olympics and that the winner and losers are not in the games themselves anymore. Corruption runs deep in the Olympics, especially when it comes to the bidding process, as geopolitics is a large influence in the decision (Branch, 2021). “Only three Olympics have been held in the Southern Hemisphere- two in Australia and one in Brazil. No Olympics have been held in Africa” (Branch, 2021). While this may just be a coincidence, is it also a coincidence that the International Olympics Committee (I.O.C) presidents have all been white men, and that eleven of its members belong to royalty (Branch, 2021). It’s hard to speculate that it isn’t. It appears that the I.O.C has an agenda, especially with countries who have been known to cause global disruptions. “The I.O.C has awarded the Games to hosts with autocratic tendencies, like Russia and China” (Branch, 2021). At Sochi, “The Russians used the Olympics as a $50 billion showcase for President Vladimir V. Putin…and just as the Olympics ended, invaded Ukraine” (Branch, 2021). This year, “China’s human-rights record…and what a State Department report called the genocide of Uyghurs, will certainly get fuller attention before February” (Branch, 2021). The I.O.C ignores menacing facts for a spectacle that has lost its sparkle over the last two decades. Corruption within the I.O.C isn’t the only downside to the Olympics, there’s also the glooming environmental effects.
Environmental factors are especially important to consider when talking about the Winter Olympics. “Chinese officials say the 2022 Olympics will be the most sustainable ever, pointing to the widespread use of renewable energy, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and preexisting venues” (Cheng, 2021). It’s important to note that Chinese officials have also denounced the genocide of Uyghur Muslims, meanwhile denying U.N human rights officials’ access to the region (Wetzel, 2022). Basically, it’s hard to gauge the truth especially when it’s coming from officials who are concerned about saving face. With rising global temperatures, the Winter Olympics is becoming increasingly harder to host. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, “The snowmaking has reportedly resulted in water being diverted away from local residents and farmers, who are already strapped for the resource because Beijing suffers from an endemic water shortage.” Artificial snow can’t be used as it, “destroys native vegetation and can cause erosion and landslides…” (Cheng, 2021). Over the years, the Olympics have become harmful environmental factors, especially considering that some host cities do not have the renewable infrastructure to offset carbon emissions (Cheng, 2021). While the Olympics seem like a catastrophic event that occurs every four years, there is still some hope.
Sherban (cont.)
ReplyDeleteAt the Tokyo Olympics, Simone Biles announced that she would withdraw from the competition to focus on her mental health (Gay, 2021). While the nation was stunned that the American champion would abandon the very thing, she has worked years for, it was also compelling activism. “Her Olympics will be remembered for provoking an overdue conversation about mental health in sports” (Gay, 2021). Without the reputation the Olympics gave Biles and the stage, the discussion of mental health may have never started. The event gives athletes large stages to compete, but an Olympics with comradery is as equally enjoyable to watch. At the Tokyo Olympics, “Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi…after failed multiple attempts to out jump each other, Barshim and Tamberi turned to an old rule that allows medal sharing…by mutual agreement” (Gay, 2021). It would have been equally exciting to see the two try to out jump each other, but coaches always talk about good sportsmanship and these men exhibited that.
In my own opinion, I think the Olympics are washed-up. There used to be an air of excitement as countries eagerly waited to go head-to-head. However, ever since the Russians did the doping during the 2014 Olympics, the whole thing seems cheap? It’s not what it used to be, maybe it too much commercialization or maybe it’s COVID, but to me…the Olympics don’t matter.
Branch, J. (2021, July 17). Let the games ... be gone? The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/17/sports/olympics/tokyo-olympics.html
Cheng , M. (2021, December 14). The Olympics are hard on the environment. will the 2022 Beijing Games continue the trend? Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/olympics-are-hard-environment-will-2022-beijing-games-continue-trend
Gay, J. (2021, August 9). The Olympics are deeply flawed. but the games still matter. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/tokyo-olympics-highlights-suni-lee-athing-mu-11628517573
Wetzel, D. (2022, February 5). Olympics opening ceremony draws record-low ratings: Why aren't Americans tuning in? Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://sports.yahoo.com/olympics-opening-ceremony-draws-abysmal-ratings-why-arent-americans-tuning-in-011318548.html
Robert Fritz
ReplyDeleteThe Olympics are the spectacle of sport where the top athletes from around the globe represent their country on the biggest stage. As someone who has loved sports all my life, I can say that yes, the Olympics do matter. The positive side of the Olympics is a simple one as it is for the athletes and getting to live out their dreams in their sports to represent their countries. It is no deeper than that or something that should be made more than it is, but it is true, and it is real. Getting to represent your country as one of its premier athletes is the goal for a lot of people who grow up playing sports. Being able to see people from your country on the biggest stage can do wonders and even if we scale it down for a moment to something like the NBA, we can still see the impact. In Michael Serazios book the Power of Sports: Media and Spectacle in American Culture he spoke with former NBA commissioner David Stern about the impact that foreign players can have in the NBA “The most important aspect of it was that we began to get youngsters growing up watching our games and to they extent they can watch—a young French man can watch Tony Parker or an Argentinian can watch Manu Ginobili . . . It was a perpetual motion machine.” (Serazio 155). I believe that seeing is believing and if kids can see people like them at the highest of highs, then that sends a message that they could do it too. A second positive for the Olympics is that it allows for people to put aside their feelings for a player as instead of being a “rival” in the league in that country he now represents that country. It no longer matters which team in which city someone plays for now that said player represents the country.
The negative aspects of the Olympics are hard to argue though as “NBC’s overall TV audience for the Tokyo Games is down an average of about 45 percent from the comparable Rio Games in 2016. Prime-time viewership — which consists of both live and delayed events — is down by 51 percent.” In an article written by Jay Busbee of Yahoo sports. And with down ratings is it really worth the cost of what it takes to host the Olympics? In an Insider article written by Cheryl Teh and Joel Stonington the reported costed for the Winter Olympics in Beijing could be in the ballpark of $38.5 billion. Spending that much on the Olympics is a lot of money when you consider the little use those stadiums bring after the Olympics are done as seen with Brazil in 2016. In an article written by David Goldblatt of the Guardian only Barcelona in 1992 has raised a host cities economic growth among the modern games.
I will always love watching the Olympics and I do think it is important but at the same time the negatives might outweigh the positives at a certain point.
Busbee, Jay. “Olympics Ratings Slide Points toward New TV Viewing Reality.” Yahoo! Sports, Yahoo!, 7 Aug. 2021, https://sports.yahoo.com/olympics-ratings-slide-points-toward-new-tv-viewing-reality-152607228.html.
Goldblatt, David. “After Tokyo, We Should Bring the Olympic Charade to an End | David Goldblatt.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 24 July 2021, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jul/24/tokyo-olympic-sport-displacing-athletes.
Serazio, Michael; Serazio, Michael. The Power of Sports: 23 (Postmillennial Pop) (pp. 155-156). NYU Press. Kindle Edition.
Teh, Cheryl, and Joel Stonington. “Beijing Says the Cost of Hosting the 2022 Winter Games Is among the Cheapest Ever at $3.9 Billion. but the Real Cost Might Be More than $38.5 Billion, 10 Times the Reported Amount.” Insider, Insider, 4 Feb. 2022, https://www.insider.com/real-cost-of-beijing-games-10-times-chinas-reported-figure-2022-1.
Julia Selenko
ReplyDeleteThe Olympics have been around for a very long time, before our grandparents were even born. Every year people around the globe would be anxiously awaiting the day of the opening ceremonies so they can let the games begin. The Olympics gave athletes all around the world a chance to showcase their talents and abilities to ultimately battle for to be the best, an honor the athletes and their countries would remember forever. More recently however, the games have been loosing their identity, and lesser amounts of people have been tuning in to view this special time that happens once a year. As the Olympics have been analyzed closer in the past few years, there still remain positives but more negatives seem to be popping up as well raising the question, do the Olympics still matter?
The first positive that comes out of the Olympics is its recent partnership with the popular app TikTok. The article “NBCUniversal is partnering with TikTok for the Winter Olympics” by Amanda Silberling states that “Olympics related content has garnered over 18 billion views on TikTok, so the network directly invited TikTok to collaborate on 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics content” (Silberling). Being able to partner with TikTok is a huge deal as TikTok has been the fastest rising form of social media since the rise of COVID-19 with its billions of users growing every day. TikTok brings in a large demographic of people all around the world and with TikTok playing an important role in the Olympics, it opens up the horizons and opportunities to be seen all across the nation. Another positive regarding the Olympics is the ongoing conversation about mental health. Since the rise of COVID-19 and the decision to still host the Olympics, Olympians have been struggling with things like quarantine, not performing as they’d anticipated or things from back home. According to the article “How the Tokyo Olympics Changed the Conversation About Athletes’ Mental Health” by Alice Park, Jessica Bartley a psychologist and the director of mental health services for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee stated that her team had received about 10 requests during the Gmaes to support athlete’s mental health (Park).
“The Games are really an incredible opportunity to start to have those conversations.” Bartley knew having the Olympics take place during a pandemic that had a massive impact on global mental health, that it was going to present those additional challenges for competitors. “Once Biles pulled out of the women’s gymnastics team event to focus on her mental health and physical safety, the issue became a defining them of the Games” (Park). The choice that Biles had made along with the spotlight of the Games, presented an opportunity that helped to move the discussion through raising discussion to positive action.
ReplyDeleteAlthough there still remain some positives of the Olympics more and more negatives have been popping up these days. The first negative comes from the book “The Power of Sports: Media and Spectacle in American Culture” by Michael Serazio, Serazio states that “the reality is that the local is in fact, a direct impediment to the global” (Serazio). “The major stumbling block to cultivating international publics, however, is the attachment to teams to cities. Local loyalties have become a hinderance to the cultivation of broader publics. Teams must detach from locales altogether and set out to captivate viewers on an international scale” (Serazio). It has come to a point where global teams haven’t been a thought in the consumers minds. Why go out of your way to watch an international game that doesn’t matter much to you as your local team does? Another negative that comes from the Olympic games these days is that the Games really are not just about the Games anymore. In the book “The Power of Sports: Media and Spectacle in American Culture” by Michael Serazio, Serazio talks about how for decades, sports was crucial in enhancing a safe arena for rivalries, even as communist nations attributed athletic exploits to the superiority of their social engineering while the capitalist competitors constructed claims to the contrary (Serazio).
To continue, Serazio states “more recently, sports have served as symbolically validating a nations rise to power; for the BRIC block, in particular, hosting a global mega-event (as in Beijing, Sochi, and Rio) is seen as a sort of coming out party, signaling that it is now a modernized economy, ready to make its presence felt in world trade and politics” (Serazio). Serazio summarizes by talking about the unfairness of the medal count disparity and how it raises questions of GDP rankings with rich nations taking home gold. There is also still a militaristic pretense in the U.S. centered around sport.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion I do believe the Olympics still matters and always will. The Olympics may not be as important to my generation but for the older generations and even the newer ones to come that don’t quite know what it is yet. Even though the Olympics may not be bringing in as many viewers as it once was, I know that it still holds a special place in peoples lives.
Park, Alice. “The Tokyo Olympics Changed the Conversation about Mental Health.” Time, Time, 8 Aug. 2021, https://time.com/6088078/mental-health-olympics-simone-biles/.
Silberling, Amanda. “NBCUniversal Is Partnering with TikTok for the Winter Olympics.” TechCrunch, TechCrunch, 24 Jan. 2022, https://techcrunch.com/2022/01/24/nbcuniversal-is-partnering-with-tiktok-for-the-winter-olympics/.
Serazio, M. (2019). The power of sports: Media and spectacle in American culture. New York University Press.
Dalton Rice
ReplyDeleteTo me, the Olympics have not mattered for a few cycles now. I think most of that attributes to the fact that I do not watch cable TV anymore and am content with paying for Netflix and a very limited Hulu platform. Peacock doesn’t seem to offer anything that makes me want to add another subscription to the list and being able to see the highlights on Twitter suffices.
My opinion is not a unique one, the numbers tell the whole story of people’s loss of interest in what is a huge event for nationalism worldwide. The opening ceremonies are usually one of the most watched television events whenever the Olympics roll around and this year, only 14 million people tuned in. 14 million is a big number, but that is a 43% decline compared to the 2018 opening ceremonies, according to Axios. Advertisement slots were selling for around a million dollars for the Summer Olympics and the price was only expected to go up this winter (Bloomberg). The ends do not justify the means.
There are multiple explanations for such a large drop however. I would say the most common is the exact situation that I am in. People are jumping ship on cable television in favor of paid subscription services. Gone are the days of people buying into packages that offer landline phone service, internet and cable. Streaming services purchase the rights to fan favorite shows and produce their own originals which have rated well on Netflix, minimizing the need for 400+ channels that run content all day. Comparatively, bundles from companies like Fios, AT&T and Spectrum can run around $150 dollars monthly while individually, an internet plan (Xfinity), unlimited call + text phone bill (Verizon) and Netflix account can all cost less than $100. Yes, there are three separate bills to pay, but you are saving upwards of $50.
The Winter Olympics have always been my favorite to watch. As a hockey fan, being able to see the best players in the world team up to represent their country was a blast, even if the USA team was heartbroken multiple times. With the NHL not allowing active players to participate, that whole event is unwatchable on the men’s side. Watching both the Canada and US women’s hockey teams is the best part of the Olympics, but with having no interest in other events, I have not watched in years. Men’s hockey is a huge part of the Winter Olympics, but without NHL talent, a large Olympic fanbase is missing.
For positives in the Olympics: increased awareness of the outside world and the celebration of athletes. With the Olympics not being held in the same place every year, we as fans get to look into the hearts of these international cities where the games are played and a usually political dialogue ensues. It is a joy to see the images and videos of where the Olympics are being held, but at the same time it is important to converse on some of the negatives we see in the world. For an example, pollution has been a topic of discussion online after seeing the downhill ski slopes placed in the middle of smoke stacks and warehouse buildings. Olympic coverage holds people accountable because the eyes of the whole world are pointed in the same place
DeleteMy favorite part of the Olympics is hearing the stories of the unsung heroes that we would have never heard of before. Eileen Gu is the first of I’m sure many during these next few days. Gu is representing China as a skier and has already taken home a gold medal in the big air freestyle event at just 18 years old. Controversy aside, she is a tremendous skier and is already a favorite to win two more gold medals in this Olympics. If it weren’t for skiing events being televised around the world, we would probably never know who Eileen Gu is.
Negatives: money going to the wrong places and COVID issues. Countries spend millions, billions collectively on the whole Olympics process. China, the host of the Olympics, has been in the news for a long time for their rapidly growing debt. It may not be anywhere close to the debt of other countries like the United States, but their humongous bid of $38.5 billion (Front Office Sports) to host the winter games makes little sense financially. There are many other human-rights problems in that country that could use financial assistance, the Olympics was not the right choice for China.
Christovich, Amanda. “Beijing Olympics Costs Reportedly 10 Times Higher than Projected.” Front Office Sports, 1 Feb. 2022, https://frontofficesports.com/beijing-olympics-costs-reportedly-10x-higher-than-projected/.
Fischer, Sara. “Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony Viewership down 43% from 2018.” Axios, 6 Feb. 2022, https://www.axios.com/olympics-opening-ceremony-viewership-beijing-95881331-6483-45ee-a074-d09e82a65699.html.
Smith, Gerry. “NBC Chases Olympics Gold in Tokyo Amid Lack of Fans, Missing Athletes.” Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, 20 July 2021, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-20/watch-tokyo-olympics-nbc-hopes-to-lure-viewers-despite-missing-athletes-crowds.
Dylan Sommer Part 1
ReplyDeleteThroughout time, the Olympic Games have provided a platform for athletes around the world to show off their skills and pride for their country. The Olympic competitions were designed to determine which country ranks the best among the rest. It also offers the opportunity for athletes to compete among the best. For instance, legends like American swimmer Michael Phelps and Jamaican track star Usain Bolt were born out of the Olympic Games. Phelps went down in history with 28 medals while Bolt broke the world record in the 100 M dash. With that said, a positive aspect of the Olympics is that it presents athletes with the chance to compete for their country. According to Chapter 5 of The Power of Sports, it says “international sport has always been a battle for national self-pride…championships claimed in that space yield an opportunity for national self-congratulation” (Serazio 253). Athletes understand the national impact that goes along with winning a medal. The Olympic medal honors both the athlete and the country. Thus, the Olympics serve as an avenue where athletes and countries can establish their sense of national pride. Another positive aspect of the Olympics is that as an outlet for unknown athletes to display their skills. Unlike any other time of the year, the Olympics give the chance for lesser-known sports to receive worldwide recognition. In a Wall Street Journal article, it says “where else can you see U.S. Army skeet shooter, San Diego-raised cyclist, and a refugee track star from Ethiopia all go for gold” (Gay). The Olympics’ diverse assortment of events allows for these athletes to receive coverage that they would not have had otherwise. As a result, unknown athletes and sports can make a name for themselves with the Olympic Games.
Dylan Sommer Part 2
ReplyDeleteNonetheless, the Olympics have declined in popularity in recent years and have turned more into a business than an event. One of the negative aspects that have held the Olympics back has been the difference in time zones. Since the Olympic Games are always hosted in a different country, the competitions take place at different times depending on the time zone. Consequently, the Olympic Games might be at night in China, but in the morning in the U.S. According to a LA Times article, it says “a 16 hour time difference, an overloaded schedule spread across a complex array of channels, and social media spoilers all add up to the idea that watching the Olympics felt like running the 110-meter hurdles” (Braxton). Viewers could not keep up with the action taking place at the Games because of the time difference and complexity of it all. Thus, many people shied away from watching the Olympics because it was too much of a hassle for them to deal with. Another negative aspect of the Olympics is how the national event turned into a business. Similarly to other sporting events, the Olympics took advantage of their viewing audience and transformed the competitive event into a business model. Now, countries invest their time and money to build an Olympic platform for their country, so the event could be hosted there. For example, China had to pay billions of dollars just to afford their Beijing Olympic base.
Overall, I believe that the positives outweigh the negatives, and the Olympics should still matter. The Olympics’ ability to honor countries and athletes is something that no other sporting event can offer. Also, athletes can build a strong platform for themselves using the Games. If the Olympics dials back the business model and reverts to what worked in the past, it should be successful once again.
Works Cited
Serazio, Michael. “Chapter 5: Fair Game.” The Power of Sports: Media and Spectacle in American Culture, New York University Press, New York, 2019, pp. 252–253.
Gay, Jason. “The Olympics Are Deeply Flawed. but the Games Still Matter.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 9 Aug. 2021, https://www.wsj.com/articles/tokyo-olympics-highlights-suni-lee-athing-mu-11628517573.
Braxton, Greg. “NBC's Tokyo Olympics Coverage Frustrated Viewers. Here the Plan to Fix That.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2022, https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-02-03/nbc-beijing-olympics-winter-games-tv-schedule-peacock.
Clever Streich (Part 1)
ReplyDeleteThe ideas that the Olympics represent date back to traditions of the early Greek and Roman games, with the world’s greatest athletes converging in competition. However, the modern Olympics have evolved into an expensive and increasingly complex event to host, which has led to budgets for the games ballooning into the billions, with the 2022 Winter Olympics held in China costing a reported $38.5 billion (Teh and Stoningon). In a time where the Olympics are becoming a more polarizing event, two positive aspects that the games can still have for society is the worldwide comradery that is built through athletic competition, and brings new attention to typically unpopular sports. The Olympics are a unique opportunity to unite the world with a congregation of athletes from all walks of life and backgrounds meeting and competing in summer or winter sports.
By playing in the Olympics Games, countries around the world are able to share an experience amongst the entire population, as political or social differences can be overlooked for a temporary time. As stated in The Guardian, “In the Olympic Games, we are all equal. Everyone respects the same rules, irrespective of social background, gender, race, sexual orientation or political belief.” (Bach). Not only do the games serve as an example of shared human experience and friendly competition, it also provides a platform for athletes to share their story and for the media to cover games that may be exposed to audiences for the first time. With NBC airing live coverage for 15 sports in the 2022 Winter Olympics and providing replays of events on the Peacock streaming service (Weprin), viewers will have more access than ever to watch the game unfold, which may exposed audiences to new events and athletes. Games such as women’s ice hockey, curling and bobsled can be placed in the spotlight and grow through the continued support of the Olympic games. Even with more coverage than ever, interest is also waning, which is one of the negative aspects of the modern Olympics.
Clever Streich (Part 2)
ReplyDeleteAccording to Yahoo, viewership for the 2022 Winter Olympics’ opening ceremonies hit record lows, as the broadcast only drew average of 16 million viewers, a 48% decrease from 2018 in Sochi (Wetzel). This sense of apathy hinders the growth and purpose of the Olympics, as viewing audiences continue to migrate towards other options than watching telecasts of the games, with fatigue beginning to set in for an audience who have been exposed to back to back games in 2021 and 2022. The 2021 Tokyo Games also suffered from struggling ratings with an average nightly audience of just 15.5 million, showing the decrease in viewership in beginning to become a trend. Another negative aspect of the Olympics are the amount of economic capital necessary for the hosting country to invest in the games. For example, after Japan hosted the 2021 Olympic Games, it was estimated that the final spending was close to $15.84 billion (Teh and Stonington), as the country invested in new arenas and stadiums in order to fulfill the needs of different competitions. After the games conclude, it can be difficult for countries to utilize the newly constructed and expensive spaces, as the temporary nature of the games can lead major investments into quick obsolescence.
Despite these negative aspects, I believe the Olympics are still important and necessary for the sporting world. Many of the world’s greatest athletes are given a worldwide spotlight, and the stories of triumph, spectacle, national pride and hope that emerge from the games can justify the hefty price tag that comes with staging the Olympics.
Clever Streich (Part 3)
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
Bach, Thomas. “The Olympics Are about Unity and Diversity, Not Politics and Profit. Boycotts Don't Work | Thomas Bach.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 23 Oct. 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/oct/24/the-olympics-are-about-diversity-and-unity-not-politics-and-profit-boycotts-dont-work-thomas-bach.
Teh, Cheryl, and Joel Stonington. “Beijing Says the Cost of Hosting the 2022 Winter Games Is among the Cheapest Ever at $3.9 Billion. but the Real Cost Might Be More than $38.5 Billion, 10 Times the Reported Amount.” Insider, Insider, 4 Feb. 2022, https://www.insider.com/real-cost-of-beijing-games-10-times-chinas-reported-figure-2022-1.
Weprin, Alex. “NBCUniversal's Peacock to Stream All Winter Olympics Coverage Live.” The Hollywood Reporter, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Jan. 2022, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/peacock-2022-winter-olympics-streaming-plans-1235070215/.
Wetzel, Dan. “Olympics Opening Ceremony Draws Record-Low Ratings: Why Aren't Americans Tuning in?” Yahoo! Sports, Yahoo!, 5 Feb. 2022, https://sports.yahoo.com/olympics-opening-ceremony-draws-abysmal-ratings-why-arent-americans-tuning-in-011318548.html.