ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, July 22, 1996 TAG: 9607220067
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-4 EDITION: METRO
GO AHEAD if you have to. Ask the tough, relevant questions about the Olympics (which, some of you may know, opened this weekend in Atlanta). It's not going to cool our excitement.
What about the subordination of sport to commerce?
No question, one could be forgiven for mistaking these games for a made-for-TV extravaganza in which Nike and Reebok, rather than athletes, are the principal competitors; and sponsorships, logos and ratings, rather than medals, are the principal currency.
What about the terrorist threat?
No question, since the 1972 attack on Israel's team in Munich, security worries have shadowed the games. Last week's destruction of TWA Flight 800 accentuates the concern.
What about political exploitation?
No question, President Clinton, who opened the games Friday, would like to follow Ronald Reagan's example. During the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Reagan's re-election campaign benefited from the good feelings and pride in country that the games inspire.
What about other challenges in which our nation doesn't fare so well?
No question, if America came in 10th or 11th in medal totals, you'd hear a national gnashing of teeth, along with cries against boob-tube lifestyles and for greater investment in physical education. It's less clear, meantime, how the nation feels about its students ranking 10th out of 11 industrialized countries in science achievement, and last in math.
We're as worried as anyone about these things. But we're still glad the Olympics are on TV. (Thanks, advertisers.) We think one way to deal with terrorists is to reduce their ability to disrupt and intimidate. Clinton's mugging for the camera seems to us a fairly benign political exploitation - compared, say, with Nazis or Communists trying to prove their superiority.
And as for test scores: Hey, this is summer. We can spare a couple of weeks every four years to marvel at the drama of the world's top athletes striving to achieve their best.
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