My Cold War view of the Olympics
I've often said that I'm a product of the Cold War. Nowhere is it more clearly exemplified than in my sentiments during the Olympic games.
Most notably, I hate seeing Germans win medals. Seriously. I hate it. I like German people - I have no problem with Germany - but I hate the Germans with a vicious passion in the Olympics.
This is because I grew up when the Cold War was still going on. Summer or winter Olympics - we knew that the East German women were either actually men or highly doped. They had an unfair edge. The whole Communist bloc was made up of athletes in special sporting schools, rigorously trained. If they failed - their families lost all benefits of their special status. They had much more at stake than anyone else.
As a child, I knew that you always rooted against the USSR and East Germany.
I don't remember ever not knowing that the greatest moment in sports history was the US college boys beating the USSR Red Army team in hockey at the Lake Placid Olympics. Sentiments ran deep.
In short: Commies were bad.
Today, I've limited my opposition. I no longer root against Russia and the former Soviet Republics - they're too poor and the adversity that they overcome to reach the Olympics deserves my admiration. In uniting with West Germany, however, East Germany managed to keep its sports program and make Germany a dominant sports super-power. Take the pairs figure-skating coach - he was recently accused of having been a part of Stasi, the notorious East German secret police.
So I irrationally continue my Cold War hatred of East Germany in the Olympics, and as a result root more vehemently against Germany than against any other team. Screw "Olympic spirit" - the Olympic games are all about politics, and as a product of the Cold War, I can't just let bygones be bygones.
Most notably, I hate seeing Germans win medals. Seriously. I hate it. I like German people - I have no problem with Germany - but I hate the Germans with a vicious passion in the Olympics.
This is because I grew up when the Cold War was still going on. Summer or winter Olympics - we knew that the East German women were either actually men or highly doped. They had an unfair edge. The whole Communist bloc was made up of athletes in special sporting schools, rigorously trained. If they failed - their families lost all benefits of their special status. They had much more at stake than anyone else.
As a child, I knew that you always rooted against the USSR and East Germany.
I don't remember ever not knowing that the greatest moment in sports history was the US college boys beating the USSR Red Army team in hockey at the Lake Placid Olympics. Sentiments ran deep.
In short: Commies were bad.
Today, I've limited my opposition. I no longer root against Russia and the former Soviet Republics - they're too poor and the adversity that they overcome to reach the Olympics deserves my admiration. In uniting with West Germany, however, East Germany managed to keep its sports program and make Germany a dominant sports super-power. Take the pairs figure-skating coach - he was recently accused of having been a part of Stasi, the notorious East German secret police.
So I irrationally continue my Cold War hatred of East Germany in the Olympics, and as a result root more vehemently against Germany than against any other team. Screw "Olympic spirit" - the Olympic games are all about politics, and as a product of the Cold War, I can't just let bygones be bygones.
posted by Nixie at 4:18 PM
4 Comments:
The whole Communist bloc was made up of athletes in special sporting schools, rigorously trained. If they failed - their families lost all benefits of their special status. They had much more at stake than anyone else.
P
R
fucking
C
SLOVAKIA BEAT RUSSIA!!!1!!11!!1!
How could Slovakia lose, with Satan on its side?
When will they allow Buttball (warning: link is exactly what it sounds like) into the Olympics?
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