On my growing obsession with the Olympics

August 11th, 2008 | Posted by PostmanE

In the past few years, I’ve formed a pretty coherent daily newsreading schedule. And wouldn’t you know it, it’s about 65 percent sports, 35 percent everything else. Of that 35 percent, probably 25 is politics. Miniature political junkie over here, which is to say, I probably read more political news than the average American, but less than an actual “junkie.” Something like that.

Anyway, I’ve found that the confluence of sports and politics is causing an irrational, unexpected interest in the Beijing Olympics. I’m utterly fascinated by it — by the sociopolitical condition in China, by its various mysteries and abuses, by the way large countries work so hard to gloss their reputations, by how everyone sort of drops everything the minute the Games start and pretend that all is well in the world.

(Plus, I was thinking about this the other night — in the course of human history, the Olympics are, like, a really big deal. They really matter, you know? In 100 years, people will look at the Beijing Olympics as the real true start of China’s introduction as a hybrid East-West power. It’ll be a milestone. Grade school kids will study it. Etc. Sorry, I had this thought just after Pineapple Express, so you can probably gather what spawned it.)

Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that I really like sports, and I’m really interested in politics, and damn if the Olympics aren’t the best combination of the two sports has to offer. Which is a long way of saying that I would like to post this video now, where the U.S. beats France in an arbitrary race that, for whatever reason last night, meant a shitload to a lot of people just like me. It doesn’t make sense, but it sure is fun:

In your effing FACE, Frenchies. We destroyed you like a smelly Tibetan protester! Bitches!