There’s probably nothing new I can tell you about the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio. You likely know that Olympic sailors and open water swimmers will be submerged in water that makes a port-a-potty seem like a day spa. And you may have heard that the country is essentially bankrupt, likely increasingly because of the king’s ransom paid to host these Games, which include expenditures for stadiums that may lay vacant for years to come. You might have heard about the undue security risks, which include a fairly unprecedented message from the local police that they simply cannot guarantee the safety of visitors – or as a sign held by a police official read, “welcome to hell.” You may have seen photos of unfinished or at the least extremely uncomfortable housing at the Athlete’s Village, where supposedly the world’s finest would prepare for record setting performances. There’s the fact that most of the Russians are banned from competing because of rampant drug use, and we’re not sure if those that are there are clean or not – which pretty much goes for lots of countries. And there’s Zika, the mosquito borne virus that somehow is now like the fifth most pressing issue for these Games. I’m leaving a bunch out here, like transportation and the how human body parts recently washed up on the Olympic volleyball beach. So there’s that.
These things are all known and well documented and speak to the existential crisis of these and future Olympic endeavors. Where it was once customary for the IOC chief to declare each Olympics the best ever upon its closure, I’m sure Brazil would be fine with something like, “we made it,” or, “thank God that’s over.” Maybe most fitting will be, “Good luck Korea in 2018. You’re going to need it.”
It’s hard to know how much of the aforementioned crises – and make no mistake, each onto its own is really bad – is more attributed to the IOC or more to the incompetence of this particular Brazilian host. For certain, it’s a joint effort, as the IOC’s greed and hubris gave full credence to Rio’s corruption and inhumanity. They are literally perfect enablers for one another.
NBC will certainly show a different side of these Games, as doing otherwise amounts to corporate suicide. For the billion plus dollar price tag, the network will remind us that the Olympics are still a place of inspirational elite athletic performance, done under the banner of American exceptionalism. We know those stories exist, starting with Muslim-American fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad and also including Michael Phelps’ George Formanesque return to swimming and gymnast Simone Biles vying for a pile of gold medals. There will be plenty to feel American-good about over the next few weeks, which I suppose isn’t a bad thing given the current malaise from sea to shining sea.
The question thus becomes, knowing what we know about these particular Olympics, and knowing the human and political carnage left in its wake, and knowing the impact of dollars and eyeballs on the future trajectory of the IOC, knowing all of that, should we watch? As a particular fan not only of the Olympics, but also several Olympic sports – yes, I’m the guy that likes track and cycling – this for me is like a sommelier taking a tour of Bordeaux. It’s almost too hard to resist. But if I watch, am I condoning and in fact supporting a system of inhumanity, all in the name of my own viewing pleasure?
The answer depends on your own desires and taste for dissonance. If you truly want to do everything in your power to denounce the injustice of these Olympics, then yes, you should not watch. You should also encourage others to refrain and perhaps take to social and other forms of media to express this opinion. For anyone wanting an easy way out of this, sorry. There are times where the choices are between right and wrong, even if both sides have nuance and exemption. So if you truly want to stand against this Olympic catastrophe, get ready for an August of Netflix.
That said, we do a lot of things everyday that support systems of oppression, when we don’t have to. We wear clothes made in sweat-shops using underpaid labor; we eat food from medieval corporate ranches and farms; we drive cars that pollute our environments with cheap gas that make bad people rich. So it’s not for me, or for anyone to say whether you should watch the Olympic Games. But we should all go in with clear vision, if not open hearts.
Now will I watch? Sadly, probably so. Which is even worse, since it’s kind of my job to know better. Just like I watch the NFL despite what we know about concussions, and college sports despite its abusive free labor policies. Sports often puts us at the crossroads of ethics and morality, contrary to its insistence to teach us just that.
When it comes to watching the Rio Olympic Games, and any sports really, you’ll have to draw you own line in the sand. There’s nothing new I, nor anyone else, can tell you about that.
Keith Strudler is the director of the Marist College Center for Sports Communication and an associate professor of communication. You can follow him on twitter at @KeithStrudler
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.
