I’ve Got Those Post-Beijing Blues

And I’m not the only one.

I suppose its apparent after almost 70 Olympic posts over the past few weeks that I’m an unrepentant, full-bore, red, white and blue Olympic Greek Geek.

Tis the season of overwrought superlatives, but I think it’s safe to say that I enjoyed this Olympiad more than any in memory (and mine goes back aways). Maybe its the fact that I can play press corp wannabe and team up with an actual correspondent on the ground, or maybe it’s because it’s all in HD now so that you feel like you’re actually “there.”

Whatever the reason, my heart aches a little this morning. What am I going to do without all the wall-to-wall, 24/7, electronic Olympic stimulation? I’m open to suggestions.

I do think I’ll take a short blogging break. I’ve got a column deadline to work on and some much neglected personal hygiene to attend to which those in my immediate circle have been nagging me about. I’ll be back soon, though–I hear there’s some kind of football game this weekend?

But before signing off the Beijing beat, kudos to the U.S. Olympic team. They conducted themselves with class, grace and were fierce competitors–they made me patriotic proud.

And hats off to the Chinese as well. While there were a few bumps along the road, they put on quite a show, were gracious hosts to the world (well, mostly) and demonstrated, without a doubt, that when they decide to come together to do something, the world will stand back in awe–and maybe just a little bit of fear and respect.

I think that’s exactly the way they wanted it.

Talk therapy is always a good way to cope with the blues, so feel free to weigh in with your favorite Olympic moment, competitor, rant or review. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my posts as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them.

I call upon all of us (both the youth of the world and old fogey Olympic wannabes like me) to assemble four years from now in London to celebrate the Games of the 30th Olympiad.

If not before then. That is all.

3 Comments

  1. Mike the Redneck

    Thahutt boy shore duz go on, and on, and on…

    Now thahutt thar O-limp-icks is outta the way, weeze kin git down to some real bizness. Roll Tide!

    But I did take a likin’ to thahutt thar beech volleyball. I did.

  2. stephruns

    I’m usually glued to the tv during the Olympics, but I skipped the games this year. Since I felt like the athletes, heads of states or at least our own Lausanne city officials should boycott because of human rights violations (including widespread persecution of Christians), it would have been inconsistent of me to watch.

  3. Mike the Eyeguy

    Well, I’ll chalk that one up as an Olympic rant! 🙂

    No TV at all? You mean I was your sole source for Olympic news from any perspective, much less a Stone-Campbell one? Wow, I had no idea of the great weight that I carried on my shoulders…

    I understand your point and respect that. I’m not a big boycott fan, though (went to Disneyworld back when the Baptists said I shouldn’t and enjoyed it). That sort of thing is typically a bit too Manichean for me, personally.

    Speaking of human rights violations, I wonder if the kind that U.S. officials have committed at Gitmo, Abu Ghraib and the CIA “black sites,” which amount to an utter disregard for the safeguards of the Geneva Conventions, will ever come back to haunt us in the form of a boycott–or worse?

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