Daily Words 2/25/6 - Humility
Saturday, March 4th, 2006 09:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
flwydIn an interesting example of storytelling, NBC likes to build up major Olympic hype and then do a story at the end about how events didn't live up to the hype.
The Americans have never been strong in Alpine skiing, but NBC commentators were prognosticating that Bode Miller had a chance win all five events. And then to prove them wrong he proceeded to only finish two races. To his credit, Bode didn't make as big of a deal out of it as the network. He frankly said that he's out to ski his hardest and have fun and that sometimes that gets a little sloppy.
For the last two Games, the American media has given the impression that short track speed skating is a sport invented to showcase a cute young American. The little logo would pop up in the bottom corner of the screen saying "Apollo Anton Ohno, coming up in 13 minutes." Does nobody else like to watch two Koreans and two Chinese skate as much as two Koreans, an American, and a Chinese? Fortunately Ohno is humble in defeat and gracious in victory. His "monastic life at the Olympic training center" has helped give him a Zen-like mindset that fits well with the sport.
On the flip side, Chad Hedrick could learn a thing or two about humility. Statements like "I didn't come here to win bronze, I came here for the gold" displays a lack of understanding of the Olympic spirit. Olympic Bronze is a great honor for a person and a country, and an amazing accomplishment for someone who picked up the sport three years ago.
The Americans have never been strong in Alpine skiing, but NBC commentators were prognosticating that Bode Miller had a chance win all five events. And then to prove them wrong he proceeded to only finish two races. To his credit, Bode didn't make as big of a deal out of it as the network. He frankly said that he's out to ski his hardest and have fun and that sometimes that gets a little sloppy.
For the last two Games, the American media has given the impression that short track speed skating is a sport invented to showcase a cute young American. The little logo would pop up in the bottom corner of the screen saying "Apollo Anton Ohno, coming up in 13 minutes." Does nobody else like to watch two Koreans and two Chinese skate as much as two Koreans, an American, and a Chinese? Fortunately Ohno is humble in defeat and gracious in victory. His "monastic life at the Olympic training center" has helped give him a Zen-like mindset that fits well with the sport.
On the flip side, Chad Hedrick could learn a thing or two about humility. Statements like "I didn't come here to win bronze, I came here for the gold" displays a lack of understanding of the Olympic spirit. Olympic Bronze is a great honor for a person and a country, and an amazing accomplishment for someone who picked up the sport three years ago.
