A handheld torch will be lit by the sun shining through a parabolic mirror at the original site of the Olympic Games, marking the start of the official run-up to the Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, from Feb. 10-26, 2006. The lighting ceremony starts a torch relay through every region and province in Italy. The relay ends at the Games. Some 10,000 torchbearers from Italy and around the world will take turns carrying the flame. The host country has the task of designing the Olympic torch. The torch for Torino was designed by Italian design company Pininfarina. It reflects the symbolic and historical features of the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games, such as Italy's heritage in the arts, design, fashion, and winter sports....
Official Torino 2006 website
Official Torch Relay website
How the torch works
Now if the Olympic Committee would just get rid of Figure Skating and Freestyle Skiing we could have good games - don't get me wrong I think figure skaters and freestyle skiers are highly skilled. But that doesn't necessarily make it a sport. I think we've seen enough backroom politics in Olympic sports. If it can't be measured - higher - faster - longer - more points - then drop it from the Olympics. If it is a subjective judgment call - continue to have world championships - but drop it from the Olympics.
That's my 2 cents.
4 comments:
Interesting...indeed. I have always been puzzled as to what constitutes a sport. It is so diverse: ranges from blowing brains out animals; hooking fish in the mouth and shamelessly dragging them up on the rocky shoreline; chasing a vulcanized rubber disc on a icy surface with skates on; to peddling bikes..blah blah..blah.. It goes on without end....why don't we see solving crossword puzzles as a sporting event? Why isn't sleeping considered a sport? Sports seem to be fairly self absorbed and focused....especially so the context of over-priced Olympics. Why do countries compete against one another? Isn't there enough hostile agression and rivalry in the world - look at global military spending if you don't believe me. Maybe the focus is wrong...perhaps we should invent a new type of Olympics...one that focus on the well being of others. Gold metals (which could be melted down) awarded to those who, say...who can feed the most children or who can house the most destitute widows and children, who can prevent the most wars, who can free the most wrongfully jailed and abused prisoners.
Confused by it all, I went looked at a definition. Here from Brainy Dictionary is the cut and paste version of 'Sport':
"Sport...That which diverts, and makes mirth; pastime; amusement.
Mock; mockery; contemptuous mirth; derision. That with which one plays, or which is driven about in play; a toy; a plaything; an object of mockery. Play; idle jingle. Diversion of the field, as fowling, hunting, fishing, racing, games, and the like, esp. when money is staked. A plant or an animal, or part of a plant or animal, which has some peculiarity not usually seen in the species; an abnormal variety or growth. See Sporting plant, under Sporting.
A sportsman; a gambler. To play; to frolic; to wanton. To practice the diversions of the field or the turf; to be given to betting, as upon races. To trifle.
To assume suddenly a new and different character from the rest of the plant or from the type of the species; -- said of a bud, shoot, plant, or animal. See Sport, n., 6. To divert; to amuse; to make merry; -- used with the reciprocal pronoun. To represent by any knd of play. To exhibit, or bring out, in public; to use or wear; as, to sport a new equipage.
To give utterance to in a sportive manner; to throw out in an easy and copious manner; -- with off; as, to sport off epigrams."
Interesting...sounds like 'sports' have much in common with many 'Sunday morning assemblies. Perhaps, we could accelerate even more significant christian sporting activities into our church buildings...develop very entertaining syncronized swimming events in the baptismal tanks. Have the congregation openly rate the pastor's message...markers and papers held up 9.9 ... 8.9... 9.7...9.7...better yet rate the children of the church members who parade their talentless kids on stage in the name of worship! Forget the 'Olymic' village (sports)...let's focus on the 'global village' (world) that is starved with physical and spiritual needs!
sunday morning sport... let's not go there... we might get people laughing and carrying on... that would never do!!! :-)
A sport is defined as such:
Any activity where everyone playing must be an athlete.
Examples of sports:
hockey
basketball
football (north american soccer)
cycling
running
Examples of non-sports:
curling
baseball
golf
Golf is likely the abomination that causes desolation, when speaking of 'sport'. One participating in golf may actually be an athlete, but golf is not a sport because so many people who are definitely not athletes play it.
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