Tuesday August 16, 2016
What the Olympics Do To Us
From my man Joey Poz in Rio:
Monday, I watched a Chinese gymnast named You Hao grab two rings that were dangling from ropes, pull himself up, flip around, do a handstand, hold out his arms and turn himself into a human cross and them flip around some more and dismount with like two flips.
My jaw should have dropped to the floor like they do in cartoons.
Instead I thought: “Eh, he didn't keep his body straight enough.”
That is what the Olympics do to us.
This is his lead-in to a piece on the balance beam and how unforgiving it is. I know what he's talking about, above, even though I've barely watched any of the Olympics this year; I've just been following it through social media. The world at an even further remove. But I do try to refrain from the “Eh.” I do try to remind myself that the worst player in Major League Baseball is one of the best baseball players in the world. It's good to keep that in mind. It's fair to keep that in mind.
Twitter: @ErikLundegaard
Tweets by @ErikLundegaardWhat Trump Said When About COVID-19
Recent Reviews
The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (2020)
John Lewis: Good Trouble (2020)
Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood (2019)
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Cagneys
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)
Something to Sing About (1937)
A Lion Is In the Streets (1953)
Man of a Thousand Faces (1957)
Never Steal Anything Small (1959)
Shake Hands With the Devil (1959)