China’s Olympics Over – Thank Goodness

NBC’s favorite number these days is the number of people who have tuned in at some point to U.S. television coverage of the Beijing Games. More than 200 million and counting.

China is basking in the glow of winning their 51st gold medal and received a pat on the back from International Olympic Committee on the last day of the Games today. The IOC has brushed aside criticism of its decision to hold the Games in China. It said Olympics could not solve all the world's problems and argued they had left a positive legacy for China.

Really? And what part of the following would be a positive legacy? Perhaps the IOC is impressed with the number of Chinese “volunteers” who helped guide their guests through and around certain parts of Beijing but did not allow them to go into or film many other parts of this vast country? Or, say, how about those Opening Ceremonies?

If you watched the Opening Ceremonies chances are you said something like, "no way that's possible" at least once. It turns out you were right. London's Telegraph newspaper reports some of the fireworks which appeared over Beijing during the television broadcast of the Olympic Opening Ceremony were actually computer generated. But hold on, it's not necessarily as bad as you think. The faked fireworks were actually set-off at the stadium but because of potential dangers in filming the display live from a helicopter viewers at home were shown a pre-recorded, computer-generated shot. It sounds dishonest but I'm not sure it's such a terrible thing. And the NBC broadcasting team brought it to us “live”. So, they were complicent. (That means they were in on it).

As if that was not enough to curl your javelin, just before the opening ceremony stared in the Bird’s Nest, China replaced Yang Peiyi, the seven year old little girl who was supposed to sing during Olympics opening ceremony. Why? Her teeth weren’t straight enough to represent her country. She just was not pretty enough. She was replaced by Lin Miaoke who performed in Yang Peiyi’s place, lip syncing. Beautiful little girl singing, a lie. Not so beautiful girl not singing, a worse lie. Everyone was blown away at what they heard and though what they were seeing. Priceless. Both girls will grow up with these memories to deal with….

But, folks, this is China and we should have expected more slight-of-hand, make that cheating, from the host country that now basks in glory and has received a thumbs-up from the IOC. Questions now are swirling around Chinese gymnast He Kexin. Was she indeed old enough to compete at these games? And will she be permitted to keep the two gold medals she “won”, including team gold and a tiebreaker over Nastia Liukin on the uneven bars.

It's about time these questions are being asked as the gymnastics competition ended last Tuesday. Liukin and most of the rest of the U.S. gymnasts are already back at home. But, here's the bad news. The IOC expects a decision as soon as today (or was that yesterday). I don't know about you but one day investigations sure don't seem overly thorough to me. It hints of being a PR move and simply an attempt to put this thing to rest. One U.S. national team coordinator has suggested getting rid of the age limits so everybody's on an even playing field. Oh, now that’s a great solution.

Where is all this going? To the closing ceremonies which I will not bother to watch. We all have been sold on the concept the Olympic Games were to held in the highest esteem in terms of countries sending participants from all over the globe to compete fairly, honestly and openly, without regard to politics, war or other issues that continue to put stress on the relationships of many countries represented at the games. The athletes themselves have always looked for the good at these games.

But the medals, just like the faked opening ceremony and cheating that has apparently occurred, are tarnished even before the games are closed. Ever sucked on metal? It leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Perhaps this where the term "getting Shanghaid" comes from?