Closing Thoughts

Please humor me for a moment as I express my thoughts at the moment.

I have 2 sporting events that live for. The World Cup and The Olympics. I love the World Cup for its competiveness and greatness. Its also my favorite sport.

However, I love the Olympics for so much more. Its by far my favorite sporting event. The competitors, the winners the losers and more importantly...the joining of a world.

For 2 weeks, athletes from around the world put aside their differences to take part in the greatest spectacle we will ever know. they show the rest of us that we can live together, that we can all be friends and that all we need is one thing in common to spark that light in all of us.

When an Olympic athlete is on the ice, snow o whevere they may be, they arent thinking about what religion their opponent is -  what race they are -  or even where they are from. They simply want to win! They show true competiveness and the desire to be the best. And when they lose, they do so gracefully (except for the diva figure skaters)

For us its a nice show on TV that we may pay attention to, or we may not. Some of us may not even know its going on. But for them, its a life long journey that culminates every 4 years. Some are fortunate enough to experience it more than once. While the majority only get 1 shot.

For them its not about beating a specefic country because of their beliefs or culture, its about showing what they have trained their whole life for. Its about the spirit of the games and taking pride in what you do.

For too long, governments have bickered, battled and held senseless grudges. If all it takes is 2 weeks of a world to come together, why cant it always be this way?

the closing ceremoinies are always a bitter sweet time. Its an amazing show that i enjoy, but its also an end to all I love about what the Olympics represents.

I know that in a short time, we all forget about the times we spent cheering our countries athletes on and sharing the memories with those we care about.

We will also forget how athletes who dedicate their lives to a sport, showed us that we can all live peacefully, together without hate, and without judgement. This is what makes me most sad.

Yes, i cried like a little baby and will cry after the next closing ceremonies. i will watch replays of the Olympics in an attempt to get that feeling of joy, compassion and excitement back. It will never do the job though. all it does is prolong the inevitable loss of a magical moment that I will have to wait another 4 years for.

Very touching.

I to liked watching the olympics, and you have some very good points in what you said too, i agree with you

I do seldom watch just the england team play in the world cup, but i dont follow football

Beautifully said ohmesohrny! I feel pretty much the same way, I always follow the World Cup and the Olympics, the European Football Championship as well.

Beautifully written and you certainly stirred those same feelings in me.

Very well said ohmesohrny! There's such a great excitement around both Summer and Winter Olympic games; such great events.

So very true and you just gave us a piece of your heart expressing your passion. Thanks for giving us a glimpse and reminding us all the deep meaning of what the Olympics is all about. 

Very well said.

Although I find that not enough is done to give everyone a crack of things at some of these competitions.

Take the world cup for example. A lot of country's teams are not even given a chance. Before the world cup starts it's the qualification. It always seems to be the same teams who qualify. Richer country's qualify. Poorer country's who don't have the facilities simply don't.

You can guarantee teams like France, Italy, England, Germany, Spain and so on will always qualify. However there's teams like Syria, Hong Kong, Kenya, Finland, Latvia who have been trying for as long as 60 years to qualify with no success. Actually 150 teams have never qualified.

It should hardly be called the "world cup" when most of the world are not given a chance. It would be nicer to see an extra 2 leagues in the group stages be opened and give some teams who have never qualified a chance to play so other country's can get involved.


As a whole more facility's should be built in country's to allow more people and country's to compete in the summer and winter olympics.

Such as in these winter olympics, hotter country's didn't even enter because they don't have facility's to train competitors (no snow, etc). These country's should invest in facilities (dry ski ramps, ice rinks, and so on) to allow people to get involved, instead of just sitting back and not entering.

Same applies for summer olympics. Colder country's don't enter or don't do well. Facilities should be provided to emulate hotter weather and allow people to train in those sports.

:'( agreed,very well said.

          Very well put Ohmesohrny, Marcus.  I was hoping this year things would be a bit different but
look at all the drama that was/is unfolding so close to  Sochi.    It would be nice to have a politics free Olympics but I'm afraid that's a long ways off.   
            I, too  enjoy the World Cup and wish we had it more frequently.  I particularly like a good upset.
Would love to see the US  win it one time. 
         

You got a way with words bro that's not something that comes easy to me. I have memories of my dad and me watching the games. Its always sad to see the Olympics go. Again well said buddy.