HE SHOOTS HE... who gives a shit
A good news assignment editor is pretty much like a good political leader -- both should ultimately lead not follow.
Today I wake up to the CBC's World Report on CBC I leading the newscast with Canada's losses in Olympic hockey. Of course the story was top of the heap 'cause so many people were talking about it -- including everyone in the news lineup meetings. So much of importance happening, so much demanding some level of real public discourse (which of course the news no longer comes close to providing) and we instead get a bannered and top story on hockey games.
The story would have been better if it explored the need for people to attach personal ownership to sporting events or sporting individuals as if the people had anything to do with the damn performance or achievement/failure. I just don't get it.
I remember when Canada and Russia played hockey in whatever year that was ('72?), when Henderson scored the famous winning goal. My friend Paul and I admitted to each other later (we'd shared the cheering and jumping around with everyone else -- tv sets were set up in school classrooms so everyone could watch the game) that we had both been secretly hoping the Soviets would win the game. And both felt that way because we found it stupid that everyone around us was so engaged with something totally without any kind of real context at all. What the fuck did we (or the country generally) have to do with the team's performance?
The cry "we did it" when an athlete wins wearing a Canadian team uniform astonishes me. This isn't to say I don't root for someone when watching a sporting event, for I do (but rarely has nadathing to do with nationstatehood -- and usually has to do with opposing the other team)but the sense of ownership and self achievement that people adopt, adopting as one's own, someone else's achievement is frankly pathological, me thinks.
When I cheer on someone in a sport it's because I'm taking enjoyment from the glorious physicality of the performance, a sense of how difficult or how much talent it takes. Was thinking that yesterday watching bobsled on tv at the gym. For me, with no sense of what physical ability it takes (or what talent to steer or brake) I couldn't imagine how anyone could cheer for anyone in that sport -- unless one's concern is about what flag finishes at the top...
I love the fact a Canadian competed for Australia and won a Medal. I've been saying for years that Olympian should compete without colours -- it's the PERSONAL athletic accomplishment that is key, not the flag waving hyperbole.
But hacking off any third-party, detached sense of competition ("My country got more medals than your country") would only ruin TV viewership and sponsorship deals, so I'll just shut up.
PS -- makes more sense to cheer on athletes based on how hot they are not the state that issued their passport.
Today I wake up to the CBC's World Report on CBC I leading the newscast with Canada's losses in Olympic hockey. Of course the story was top of the heap 'cause so many people were talking about it -- including everyone in the news lineup meetings. So much of importance happening, so much demanding some level of real public discourse (which of course the news no longer comes close to providing) and we instead get a bannered and top story on hockey games.
The story would have been better if it explored the need for people to attach personal ownership to sporting events or sporting individuals as if the people had anything to do with the damn performance or achievement/failure. I just don't get it.
I remember when Canada and Russia played hockey in whatever year that was ('72?), when Henderson scored the famous winning goal. My friend Paul and I admitted to each other later (we'd shared the cheering and jumping around with everyone else -- tv sets were set up in school classrooms so everyone could watch the game) that we had both been secretly hoping the Soviets would win the game. And both felt that way because we found it stupid that everyone around us was so engaged with something totally without any kind of real context at all. What the fuck did we (or the country generally) have to do with the team's performance?
The cry "we did it" when an athlete wins wearing a Canadian team uniform astonishes me. This isn't to say I don't root for someone when watching a sporting event, for I do (but rarely has nadathing to do with nationstatehood -- and usually has to do with opposing the other team)but the sense of ownership and self achievement that people adopt, adopting as one's own, someone else's achievement is frankly pathological, me thinks.
When I cheer on someone in a sport it's because I'm taking enjoyment from the glorious physicality of the performance, a sense of how difficult or how much talent it takes. Was thinking that yesterday watching bobsled on tv at the gym. For me, with no sense of what physical ability it takes (or what talent to steer or brake) I couldn't imagine how anyone could cheer for anyone in that sport -- unless one's concern is about what flag finishes at the top...
I love the fact a Canadian competed for Australia and won a Medal. I've been saying for years that Olympian should compete without colours -- it's the PERSONAL athletic accomplishment that is key, not the flag waving hyperbole.
But hacking off any third-party, detached sense of competition ("My country got more medals than your country") would only ruin TV viewership and sponsorship deals, so I'll just shut up.
PS -- makes more sense to cheer on athletes based on how hot they are not the state that issued their passport.
posted by Heipel at
9:43 AM
4 Comments:
Hear hear!
People seem most interested in the personality of sports figures first, their nationality second. It's not enough to just watch someone do something silly faster than everyone else, or throw a lump farther, people want to see the backstory to give the moment some sort of important context.
"Oh, he was abandoned as a child in Povertistan and learned to run fast to get away from the rape gangs? What a hero!"
"Oh, she's the daughter of a tsar who bought her an ice rink of her own to practice in? What a b*tch!"
You know I guess the world event like olympic games is when I only feel some "nationalism". And, it's great for everyone to cheer the same team. Or, am I being too brain washed? :-)
But I really enjoy current games. I wish I were in Torino is only thing I regret this month...
Hey Shigeki, welcome to my site. I really enjoy your blog. I don't have problems with a country cheering for their national team --it's when people act and judge as if they are directly/personally involved with the accomplishment. And that normally takes the form of people being royally pissed off when their team loses, or take credit for the win...
I'm happy to report that as I was getting all misty reading about the Canadian women's hockey team's winning of gold this morning (reading it on an American news site) my feeling of elation for the team members had nothing conscious to do with their being Canadian -- just with the annecdotes of their reactions to winning and of their personal achievent.
And, hey Hame that backstory stuff can often (if relevant -- and I admit it is too often not) have a lot to do with the power of the final achievement. But I'm with you on the gossipy stuff (although that can be fun, at least!)
Flatmate Dave recounted the story to me last night that Bert described on his blog, about the ice danceur who threw a silent tantrum after being dropped. I gotta admit, that would have been a good moment to witness.
I also forget that so many of these people are really young. What an incredible amount of pressure to withstand when you're not yet fully formed as a personality.
Except for the Canadian bobsledding team. Those can't have been young people. The guy in back was a behemoth! Seeing him jump into that space toboggan was like watching someone stuff a rottweiller into a shoe box.
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