The Olympics Have Lost Their Luster.....

I used to really enjoy watching the Olympics. Everything from the opening ceremonies, and the parade of nations, to the closing ceremonies. I would even enjoy the Winter Olympics which include sports that many of us in the United States are not too familiar with. I'll still watch, buy I'll do it with skeptical attitude. Not so much for the athletes. But for the whole corrupt process.

Back in the day, the Olympic Games were all about amateurism. Only amatuer athletes were allowed to compete. This was the amatuer athlete's one shining moment. Maybe there wasn't much money in the actual competitions they were in. But there was the dream of Olympic gold. There was something pure about it. Strict rules made sure about this.

One of America's greatest athletes was Jim Thorpe. He won gold for track and field events in the 1912 Olympics. But it was discovered that when he was in college, he played semi-pro baseball one summer and had his Olympic medals stripped. It was said that he was heartbroken. He had his medals reinstated 30 years after his death. So at least his ghost feels better.

1980 USA Miracle on Ice - just college kids.

One of the most memorable Olympic teams was the 1980 USA Men's Hockey Team, That was a underdog team of college hockey players that came together and won the gold against older and better paid squads. It is known as "The Miracle on Ice". They made a movie about it. But those days are gone.

Most of the Olympic athletes you watch in the present version of the Olympics are professionals in the truest sense. In this Winter Olympics you will be watching athletes like Shaun White, Ted Ligety. and America's sweetheart Lindsey Vonn. They are all millionaires. There are professional ski and track circuits that they compete on. But more than that, they are paid handsomely for endorsement deals. Every skier that comes down the mountain will proudly show the brand of ski they are using.

What changed it all? Television and television money. NBC is paying over $900 million dollars for the rights to broadcast the winter games to America. They will make a profit from advertising sales. But to get top dollar from ad sales, broadcasters want the best athletes. Professionals have familiar names. The heck with the amateurs.

USA Dream Team included Larry Michael, and Magic.

In the 1970's the USA Olympic men's basketball team was made up of a college all-star team. They still normally won the gold, but that wasn't good enough for the networks. Gradually, the rules were changed and in 1992 the USA fielded a "Dream Team" with professionals Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson. So the floodgates were opened.

The other thing that has wrecked the Olympics are the cheating scandals. Athletes have been trying to gain an edge for as long as anyone can remember. But now science is involved.

Athletes are subjected to regular doping tests to see what they, or their Olympic committees, are up to. On occasion, a result or medal will be changed after testing. It's not just the athletes, it can be the sports entire Olympic committee.

This is the symbol Russian athletes will be competing under.

In the 70's, East Germany would do "blood doping" and more for their athletes. Their athletes looked extremely pumped up. The times for their Olympic swimmers were at a level that they had never reached before or ever again.

As you watch the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, you won't see any Russian flags. It was determined the Russian Olympic program was so corrupt, they were totally kicked out. Russian athletes can still compete, but under a generic Olympic flag, not Russia.

USA Olympics is not immune from the scandals either. USA Gymnastics officials have been resigning left and right recently as it was learned of their tacit OK of a team doctor sexually abusing young girls. When there is pressure to win, I guess almost anything goes.

So enjoy the Olympics for what they are. Try to leave the politics out. The athletes still have to train. They are the best in the world. In fact, they probably the best money can buy.