Hey, I've got an idea. Why not toss out this whole archaic "nations" concept and simply have Coke, Nike and their corporate ilk field teams that would battle for Olympic gold.
I am absolutely, utterly disgusted by this report (which I read about on BoingBoing) that spectators at the Olympics -- some of whom will have paid hundreds of dollars for their tickets -- might be turned away if they if they are wearing a T-shirt with a logo from one of the games' sponsors' competitors, or are drinking the wrong brand of bottled water (i.e. not the Coke-owned brand).
I'm speechless. For me, the Olympics have become less and less palatable over the years because of all the commercialism and the sensational reporting about doping and cheating scandals. I always appreciated the ideals that the Olympics supposedly represent, but it's increasingly clear that nobody actually involved with the Olympics cares about anything except selling shoes and soda.
Forget it. I'm not watching this manufactured corporate event this time around.
Posted by Brent Marykuca at August 12, 2004 10:01 AM