Why the Olympics just aren't special anymore

I have very little interest in watching this year’s Winter Olympics, something I always looked forward to as a child. In fact, I haven’t had more than a passing interest in the Olympic games for probably 20 years now.

I’m old enough to remember being outraged when the 1972 USA men’s basketball team was robbed of a gold medal in their game against the Soviet Union, and I remember the “Miracle on Ice” upset of the Soviets at Winter Games eight years later.

I fondly remember Jim McKay’s “Up Close and Personal” segments with Olympic athletes, which helped viewers get to know the athletes as more than just names representing a flag. And I remember McKay reporting on the Palestinian terrorist attack on the Israeli Olympic team in Munich, West Germany, in ’72.

I was amazed at the feats of Brian Boitano and Scott Hamilton on the ice; Nadia Comăneci and Mary Lou Retton in gymnastics; Carl Lewis on the track; Bruce Jenner in the decathlon; Greg Louganis on the diving board; Eric Heiden in speed skating. And I was thrilled when the mostly professional Dream Team obliterated the field in the 1992 basketball competition, even though the team didn’t get a chance to exact revenge from the Russians for the debacle of 1972.

So when and why did I stop caring about the Olympics?

It’s hard to say, but I have a few ideas.

Fragmentation

Back in the day, like most Americans, I rooted for the American athletes. Their performance was a source of pride that we all shared, a validation that our country really was exceptional. A virtuous democracy could triumph over the “evil” communist machines that were the USSR and East Germany.

But today, everything is fractured. Fragmented. Jumbled. Some Americans have more contempt for their compatriots than they do for dictatorships abroad. When democracy itself is under attack at home, it’s harder to feel a sense of patriotism in rooting against the “bad guys” at the Olympics.

It’s not just our political system that’s become chaotic, the media that cover the Olympics are, too. Instead of just tuning in at 8 p.m. to watch the Games and bingeing all day on the weekends, we’re asked to pay a premium price to stream some of the events we’re interested in. Sure, we can watch whenever we want, but being able to do so dilutes the feeling of watching the Games together as a nation. Somehow, it’s just not the same.

Speaking of streaming, we have so many options today when it comes to entertainment, that it’s easy to find something else I’d rather watch. When I grew up watching the Olympics, there were three or four broadcast stations and, later, a handful of cable outlets. Now there are hundreds or even thousands of basic, premium, and streaming options. Maybe I’d rather watch Hawkeye on Disney+, or the latest Star Trek series on Paramount+; or maybe I want to binge on Schitt’s Creek or catch up on What We Do in the Shadows.

Besides, we can get results from the Games online as they happen now. We didn’t have that option when I started watching. Why wait around to actually watch the Games when we can catch the results — and video highlights — on our smartphones.

Disillusionment

As time’s gone on, the original Olympic ideals of amateurism and overcoming political divisions through friendly competition have been gradually stripped away. Maybe they were something of a fantasy to begin with, but each time the real world — with its political power plays and win-at-all-costs mentality — intruded into the Games, they lost some of their luster.

The Munich terrorist attack. ... The U.S. boycott of the 1980 Summer Games in Moscow and the Soviets’ tit-for-tat boycott of the Los Angeles Games four years later. ... The Olympic bombing in Atlanta. ... And the Dream Team seemed great at the time, but recruiting pros was to acknowledge that “friendly competition” was a pipe dream and sportsmanship was not nearly as important as winning.

Host countries have become so obsessed with one-upmanship that they spend obscene amounts and rack up incredible debts (to be paid by their citizens) in the quest to build palatial venues and stage eye-popping opening ceremonies. It’s the antithesis of the amateur ideal.

Over time, I just lost interest. So have a lot of other people.

It all comes down to this: Once upon a time, the Olympics were special. They represented the world coming together in search of a higher ideal. They were a singular event, unmatched on the calendar. These days, that higher ideal has been lost, and the Olympics are just another programming choice alongside Young Sheldon, The Masked Singer, 90-Day Fiancé, the latest streaming blockbuster, and Tucker Carlson Tonight.

So, no, I won’t be watching the 2022 Winter Games. If I want an Olympic fix, I’ll take a nostalgic look back at highlights from years past on YouTube. Chances are good, though, that I’ll be watching something else entirely.

Stephen H. Provost is a former journalist and the author of several books on sports, politics, and American culture. All his books are available on Amazon.