Sports – Real Life or just more Theatrics?

As everyone knows, eventually the Olympic games in Sochi, Russia was going to bring out one magic celebrity darling.  This happened yesterday when an 18 year old slalom World Champion got Gold in an amazing display of luck and great skill.  Mikaela Shiffrin is an example of what every mom and dad in America would like their son or daughter to be like:  Focused, intelligent, gifted physically and mature beyond her years.  Mikaela had to go against the best in the world, no walk-over competition here.  Three time Olympic and World Champions, one 32 years of age.

Of course Mikaela is cute, with great support from her old dad and a mom driven to make sure she gets the best food, best training and best advice that anyone in public life can ever achieve.  Impressive and bringing most of us to both near tears and beaming pride in our country.    The greatest heroes for each country play out during this incredibly nationalistic devotion to worldwide competition.  Your country’s flag is displayed when you win.  The higher the flag the better you have done.  Gold, Silver and Bronze medals are the goal.  Participating, the opportunity to be seen by a billion people and offers for you to create a future of success amongst your peers and countrymen.  Valj Semerenko of Ukraine cried uncontrollably on the dias as her country’s flag was raised above that of Russia and Norway.  We cried as she crossed the finish line and fell into a heap.  This was history for a country on the edge of revolution.

The U.S. Women’s Hockey team were dejected when they lost the Gold Medal to Team Canada and had to settle for the Silver Medal.  Their down in mouth faces told a story of sadness and great let down.  Their looks were not attractive.  It was not a Brandy Chastain moment when after a loss on the grand stage, she told the great story of “we will get them next time”!  No, our girls looked defeated.  Of course today, they have made a great comeback considering the U.S. Mens Hockey Team meltdown in prime time.  Yesterday, lost to the Canadians 0 to 1 in the semi-finals.  Today, lost to Finland 0 to 5.  They were crushed and we have yet to see how they will handle the defeat.  No Medal for U.S. Hockey in this Olympics.  The U.S. Women’s Hockey Team….now feel alot better about themselves.

Other disappointing folks included some Figure Skaters….mainly Ashley Wagner.  A local girl from Laguna Beach that looks an awful like the Bad Housewives of Orange County.  She has probably been hanging out with that crew.  She had terrible hip hop music in her routine and then got upset by the judges scores.  She was very lucky just to be in the games in the first place.  That nasty attitude has done nothing to endear her to either the fans, her teammates or the U.S. Olympic Committee.  We didn’t need another Tanya Harding look………when it comes to U.S. Figure Skaters.

Our Two-Man Bobsled team – “The two Steves”  Holcomb and Langston are guaranteed to be doing beer commercials for the next four years.  These are guys you might see at any bowling alley in America …..or Sports Bar.  Just guys and we are truly proud of them.  Holcomb has a gimpy calf, but will probably down a few beers and get into the Four-Man Night Train Bobsled with his bud Langston today or tomorrow.  Good luck, you guys!  We are sure Budweiser has already written up your contracts for their next commercial during baseball and football season.  If not, get your agent on the  job…..between beers of course!

Shifting gears to events on other sports are relevant in that huge egos seem to be a prevailing force.  Tiger Woods?  Why do we still cover this guy?  Why don’t we just wait until he wins something….like everyone else.  Lindsay Vonn says: “I’m not going to marry anyone….for the forseeable future!”  One out of control ego talking about another out of control ego….maybe?  In case you didn’t know….Lindsay is still dating Tiger.  What about LeBron James?  Oh, he got his nose broken the other night.  He may or may not play on Sunday.  Who cares?  He is no Magic Johnson!  He is no Larry Bird!  He is no Kareem Abdul Jabar!

Then we have the worst example of over blown egos “out of control” on the planet.  Johnny Manziel is the Texas A & M Quarterback….that has been hyped as “Johnny Football”.  If you listen to the Sports Commentators “Johnny Football” will be the first player taken in the NFL Draft.  “Johnny Football” even had the temerity to tell the The Houston Texans, that unless they drafted him first…they would be sorry forever!  This clown reminds us very much of a Jay Cutler on steroids.  Someone with skills and zero humility.  Zero appreciation for having the ability to participate.  It is so bad that “Johnny Football” now says he is actually taking things seriously for once.  It is so bad that “Johnny Football” now thinks he is a “Business Man”.  Our bet – “Johnny Football….will soon be Johnny come lately!”  Nothing about “Johnny” works us up and certainly nothing except the desire to see him lose will make us watch.

Finally, we have the tale of Kobe Bryant.  Kobe is going through a brutal re-hab and his knee has blown up again.  It will take another three weeks until he can be re-evaluated.  Our bet – Kobe is done for 2014.  In fact, we are hoping that Kobe makes the right decisions in the year ahead that will secure his legacy as one of the greatest NBA of All-Time – which he is!  We just don’t want to see him ever hurt again.  He is a great Icon for all Americans.  He won the Gold in the Summer Olympics and has won his three World Championships.  Not much more to achieve – as far as we are concerned.  Nothing much more to prove to anyone, including himself.  Time to move on Kobe.  Time to hang out the President in a little one on one.  Time to make sense of stupid coaches and stupid leadership in various Sports Organizations.  Kobe can achieve great things for kids in our nation.  Kobe can do what many others couldn’t or won’t do.

Sports?  Real Life of just more theatrics?  Maybe both!  Maybe if we pay attention, we can learn something from the “Thrill of Victory or the Agony of Defeat!”