Athletic apathy: Paris 2024 Olympics

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Skepticism and sarcasm add to the experience...

The Paris 2024 Olympics kicked off five days ago, and I’ve dutifully consumed the pre-games hype, the grand opening, and the athletic feats that followed. Yet, here I am, heretically thinking: I couldn't care less about the Olympics this year. I’ve started switching channels, closing web pages, and turning off my brain. Why am I being such a spoilsport (pun intended) about this global sports spectacle that happens only once every four years?

Sure, the Olympics capture the world's attention. Let's nerd out the facts and figures: 206 countries, 10,500 athletes, 32 sports, 329 medal events, an 8.8 billion Euro budget, nearly a billion TV viewers, and fortress-like security with 30,000 police and 15,000 military personnel. It’s a colossal endeavor of preparation, money, planning, and precise execution.

But I can't help wondering if it makes sense to spend billions guarding young people running, jumping, kicking or hitting balls, and swimming all while geopolitics turns nastier by the month? Of course there’s do-gooder sentimentality about fostering global unity through sports. But does it really put a band-aid on the serious clashes and wounds among nations? Or is it really just more chest-thumping as countries compare their medal hauls?

AI image credit: elblog.pl.com

And yes, Paris is a beautiful city and it will strive to host the greatest Olympic games ever in spite of the cost and the burden on Parisians and French taxpayers. I'm equally sure that Parisians will welcome even more millions of sweaty people crammed into their city in August. And I'm convinced the eco-friendly types will love the millions of extra plane trips and mountains of disposable plastic items that come with the spectators.

Despite all this, there must be something about the Olympics that captures the attention of billions of folks worldwide. Maybe it's the spectacle of human potential, the heartwarming stories of athletes overcoming adversity to win. Or is it just a great excuse to avoid doing anything productive in late-July/early August?

As for me, I daresay my sourpuss attitude toward the 2024 games might be caused by the lack of Olympic baseball. (France is not much of a baseball power and chose not to include it.)

Maybe it's just too darn hot to care. De l'audace, encore de l'audace, et toujours de l'audace.

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