February 13, 2002
espite
the fact that I forgot to upload the list of entries yesterday, some of
you were smart enough to go to the previous day, and click on "next
entry" at the bottom, to read yesterday's post
about the two kinds of sport (subjective and objective?). The reason I
know this is that I've already received some enthusiastic feedback agreeing
with me. However, I want to make something rather clear... in my opinion,
the skills and athleticism difference between the two kinds are not greater
or less in any fashion, merely different. I watched the skating competition
(which is what caused the whole silly though process) and marveled at
the athleticism required. I can't stand up on ice skates - my ankles aren't
strong enough. Even if I was on roller skates, which I used to be fair
at, I couldn't jump 6 feet in the air and spin around, or lift another
person over my head and spin her around. These folks are strong, skilled,
amazing. Same thing for those guys flying through the air on their skis.
Sure, there's a score for distance, but there's style points there as
well. But you don't see me jumping of the end of a slope at 60 mph, and
landing a football field away without snapping all of the bones in my
body. These folks are serious athletes, competing in sports where there
ends up being an aspect of human judging.
So, it isn't the athleticism or skills I'm knocking, it is just that I think that we should have a separate category for sports that are "judged" by humans. And I don't mean the judgment call that you get in football (were both feet down and did he have control of the ball?) but the style points that seem rather prevalent in many of these sports in the Winter Olympic Games. There is no doubt in my mind that these athletes are outstanding, but their competing in a world in which it appears that other motivations beyond pure sport have sway. I'm eager to see what, if any, effect the investigation of the judging has.
Finally, on my own front, I'm trying to get up enough gumption (and early enough) to start making lunch to take with me to work. I suspect it will be a good thing, once I really can get into it, but it will require me changing my schedule in the morning, which is one of the biggest hurdles possible :)