Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Life after the Olympics

The Olympics are over and wasn't it grand? From the opening ceremonies, through all the various thrilling competitions, right up until they turned out the lights, it was quite the spectacle. But something was wrong.....

There was even a little scandal thrown in with protests over scores, an athlete here and there being suspected of doping, and whoever heard of badminton players intentionally throwing a match? The Olympics just wouldn't be the same without a little scandal to spice it up.

Even the mayor of London, Hizzoner Boris Johnson got in on the act. Getting stuck on a zip line while waving a couple British flags? Great stuff. We could use a few politicians like him in the US. Maybe even as President. BJ was born in New York, so he's technically eligible. He may or may not be capable of solving the myriad of problems the US is facing, but it sure would be fun. Something about those initials, though, hmmm, nevermind. Still, why did it feel like something was out of whack? It seemed like I should know this, but I couldn't put my finger on it....

Now the athletes are scattering all over the globe returning to their home countries, where they do -- what? It probably depends on the country. Some of them will go right back to training for the next Olympics in Rio, while others blend into society, and go in search of a real job. The American Olympians are a little different. They'll go in search of other things -- like the talk show circuit, breaking into fashion, TV, or the movies. And of course, there's the never-ending quest for the highest standard of all -- endorsements. Cha-ching. Surely, there's enough products out there for each of them to find a niche. Even the low-profile sports like, say, hammer throwers, could advertise wrecking balls. Somebody's gotta do it.

If one could avoid the dreaded "spoiler alerts" on the 6 o'clock news, it was pretty cool being able to settle in for Olympic action every night for the last few weeks. But that's when that mysterious feeling that something was amiss would get even stronger.

Now that it's all over, the problem is finally solved. It was obvious all along, but I just couldn't see it. And that's exactly the point.

No Jeopardy! for 3 weeks. Welcome back, Alex Trebek.

How appropriate they start right off with the Tournament of Champions in the wake of the Olympics.

Perfect. All is well now.

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