I don’t understand the endless obsession of Olympic commentators and event organizers with the countries competitors come from: parading in national costumes at the opening, keeping score by country on the front web page of the NY Times, Canadian whining about not winning enough medals, event winners swanning around waving their flags. It’s pointlessly nationalistic, but it’s also stupid: counting, much less comparing or “scoring” Olympic medal numbers per country, is like obsessing over a one-heat race among cheetahs, walruses, hares, tortoises, and trees.
Here are the numbers of medals per million population of the top eight medal winners so far:
Given that Canada has a little more than a tenth the population of the US, they’re “beating” us three to one by any reasonable measure; given that Americans mostly live where it’s much less wintry than any of Canada, so what? Given that Austria and Norway are rich, mountainous, and cold, why wouldn’t they rack up lots of wins at a winter sports party? Enough already; lets let the kids compete and have fun, and not coopt them as cannon fodder in a silly and jingoistic PR battle.
Horseball says
I think President Obama should say this tomorrow.
Brodysattva says
I don't know, I think it's a fairly harmless outlet for some patriotic pride, in what by any measure must be considered a sporting and friendly environment. I don't think you could make the case that it's harmful or that it passes up some kind of meaningful opportunity to bring people together.
Your point about counting medals in absolute terms instead of relative to population or wealth is well taken, though.
Ed Swierk says
There's nothing wrong with a little "go team!".
The NBC Olympics coverage is simply nauseating, though. Presumably they calculated long ago how many viewers would tune out unless they show or discuss "Team USA" at all times, and have behaved accordingly ever since.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/22/sports/olympics…
Brett Bellmore says
At least it's dumb nationalism that doesn't involve the really stupid stuff dumb nationalism can lead to, like armies crossing borders, or commerce NOT crossing borders. I personally despise organized sports, but I do appreciate that they're better than almost every other expression of dumb nationalism.
Proton says
Well, so much for the Jamaican bobsled team.
marcel says
Well, in northern New England, we don't see these medals as American. Especially in the Winter Olympics, we count by region of the US, and on a per capita basis, northern New England isn't doing too badly. GO NNE!
Barbara says
It's especially unjustified when you realize how many athletes have "chosen" their nationality in order to maximize their chances in the sport. Not the majority, by any means, because the majority don't have the choice, but from the Japanese turned Russian pairs skater, to Tanith Belbin (born in Ontario) to the American turned Canadian skier, to the TWIN brothers who compete for different countries in ski jumping (Norway and Switzerland) — and not even counting the successful American skaters nearly all of whom are coached by Russians — it just seems kind of silly.
John says
Actually, that's the whole point of the modern Olympics, which its founder, Pierre de Coubertin, saw as a way for nations to compete peacefully on the playing-field, as an alternative to competition on the battlefield.
Joel Levine says
In a prior opinion you stated:
"Cal won its last two games against good teams, one close and today’s running away, so I have to retract the snarky aside about Tedford’s record in this post. We will have a winning season, probably win our last game as well, and finish in the upper division of the conference. The team recovered from […]"
Your comment regarding Cal football leads me to believe you were able find a point in crowing about Cal football; Unless you put on the pads and helmet yourself, it is hard to understand the distinction you are able to make in cheering for Cal but not for country; or why isn't talking up Cal football "also stupid?"
Pete Guither says
Great post. While we're at it, what's with all the meaningless city loyalty in professional sports? Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, etc. How ridiculous. And they say that the Yankees were the "winners" last year with 4 games to Phillies' 2 games. Yet, New York has 19.4 million people, while Philadelphia only has 1.4 million. Looks to me like Philadelphia won that one! Better re-print those T-Shirts.
And what about little league? What's all this about cheering for your kids over other peoples' kids? And if you have six kids, your family shouldn't get as much credit for a kid's home run as someone who only has a single child.
Proton says
Pete Guither- As a New Yorker of The Bronx persuasion, I would like to point out that with all due respect, you have overstated our population by some 11 million, unless of course you are referring to the metropolitan statistical area, in which case the relevant statistic for Philly would be just under 6 million. In any event, our Yankees still won the "World" series. So there!!
Elzabeth says
Countries are so twentieth century… it's all about whether you belong to a class with the money and education and connections to plant yourself where you can bloom, or you're stuck where your parents planted their seeds. Yes, it matters where that place might be — the US is better than, for instance, Pakistan, but specific countries have nothing to do with those who succeed anymore.
Josh says
In the aftermath of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games here in Vancouver, there is much talk about a renewed Canadian patriotism. Spontaneous bursts of O Canada in the streets, red wearing and flag waving were staples of the Games. Now that they are over, where does it leave us?
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