Usain Bolt, USA Track & Field shine, while some Americans just whine
August 10, 2012 09:36 AM
Each day during the Summer Games, SportsBusiness Journal offers its take on the business performances of some of the people, sponsors, broadcasters and other entities around London.
GOLD
Usain Bolt … again
For the second time in a week — and second Summer Games in a row — the Jamaican sprinter captivated the world by sweeping the sprint events in London. Bolt’s personality and performances have helped NBC fight off Olympic fatigue during the Games’ final week, and have even provided what’s being called the “Bolt Boost” as searches for flights to Jamaica are up 51 percent this week, according to one tracker.
SILVER
USA Track & Field
The organization has taken its lumps in recent years, both for its dysfunction and on-track results. But with two days left in London’s track and field competition, the U.S. has already won more medals than at any Olympics since the boycotted L.A. Games in 1984, and there have been no embarrassing stumbles or displays along the way. There’s still a lot of work to be done at home, but congratulations are certainly in order.
BRONZE
Those venues
From the open and inviting Olympic Park, to the Olympic Stadium and archery at Lord’s Cricket Ground, to beach volleyball at Horse Guards Parade, virtually every venue on the London Olympic program has been spectacular. Save for a few missteps where form overshadowed function, London’s venues have been among the most convenient and picturesque of any Olympics in recent memory.
TIN
Ugly Americans
Whether it’s gymnastics coaches protesting scores, boxing analysts screaming that we’ve been robbed, accusations toward Chinese swimmers or simply not being gracious in defeat, we’re been seeing too much whining and finger-pointing from U.S. athletes, coaches and even commentators. Every time somebody from another country beats an American, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the judges blew it, we were robbed or — whether stated subtly or outright — that the other athlete was doping, It also doesn’t necessarily mean that our athlete was better but just had a bad day. Sometimes we just get beat, and that’s OK.
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GOLD
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For the second time in a week — and second Summer Games in a row — the Jamaican sprinter captivated the world by sweeping the sprint events in London. Bolt’s personality and performances have helped NBC fight off Olympic fatigue during the Games’ final week, and have even provided what’s being called the “Bolt Boost” as searches for flights to Jamaica are up 51 percent this week, according to one tracker.
SILVER
USA Track & Field
The organization has taken its lumps in recent years, both for its dysfunction and on-track results. But with two days left in London’s track and field competition, the U.S. has already won more medals than at any Olympics since the boycotted L.A. Games in 1984, and there have been no embarrassing stumbles or displays along the way. There’s still a lot of work to be done at home, but congratulations are certainly in order.
BRONZE
Those venues
From the open and inviting Olympic Park, to the Olympic Stadium and archery at Lord’s Cricket Ground, to beach volleyball at Horse Guards Parade, virtually every venue on the London Olympic program has been spectacular. Save for a few missteps where form overshadowed function, London’s venues have been among the most convenient and picturesque of any Olympics in recent memory.
TIN
Ugly Americans
Whether it’s gymnastics coaches protesting scores, boxing analysts screaming that we’ve been robbed, accusations toward Chinese swimmers or simply not being gracious in defeat, we’re been seeing too much whining and finger-pointing from U.S. athletes, coaches and even commentators. Every time somebody from another country beats an American, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the judges blew it, we were robbed or — whether stated subtly or outright — that the other athlete was doping, It also doesn’t necessarily mean that our athlete was better but just had a bad day. Sometimes we just get beat, and that’s OK.
