SPORTS: The Olympics...more musings

SCOLA transits TV news programs from many countries, bringing us not only facts but interpretations and different perspectives. Each country stresses its own victories, with little attention to those of other countries. The spirit of nationalism rather than international understanding prevails. The stress on winning leads to recriminations.

For some reason the Sydney Olympics have loomed largest in Mexican news programs. Probably being next to the US promotes an eagerness to excel and to show that even poor people can triumph. The stress on winning created ill will, particularly in the case of Bernardo Segura. Mexican charges that the judge was unfair and even corrupt provoked the committee to reply that the young Mexican was warned before he left the tunnel that he had been disqualified. This meant that he, not the judge, was dishonest, because, knowing that he had failed, he paraded around the field waving the Mexican flag. Televisa then took a poll, and a large majority of Mexicans refused to accept this stain on Mexico´s honor.

In basket ball, the players' height can be decisive. Mexican TV made the charge that in the kicking game, tai, the length of the player's legs could be decisive. A Mexican player interviewed said he had spent four years in Korea training. It was not clear if he had a job there or if he had gone to Korea because of its training facilities. Many Mexican athletes said they had spent four years training.

The journey to Sydney and other expenses add up to a considerable sum of money, and one wonders how people could afford it. In international soccer matches, even poor people scrape up enough money to make the expensive trip. How much people took advantage of the occasion to tour Australia was not clear. Most athletes, including the Mexicans, went home as soon as their games had ended.

Presumably knowledge of geography was enhanced, although there were some slips. WAR was led astray be a statement that Congo had won the soccer competition. In fact, it was Cameroon (capital Yaoundé), between Congo. Gabon and Rio Muni to the south and Nigeria to the north. Cameroon was first in the soccer championship. Spain second and Chile third. Presumably most spectators had no idea where Cameroon was. Now the Olympics had put in gloriously on the map.

Ronald Hilton - 9/30/00