Politics and sport have never made the happiest of bedfellows. They normally end up in bed together after sport, on a celebratory night out on the town, has its drink spiked at the bar. Worse is to follow as sport wakes in the morning to find the other half of the bed empty and nine months later the politician refusing to take a paternity test.
Certainly the history of political involvement and symbolism in the Olympics is already well documented. From Jesse Owens defying Hitler in his own back yard to the ‘Black Power’ salute of Tommie Smith and John Carlos in Mexico. From the Palestinian murders of Israeli athletes in Munich to the Cold War boycotts of Moscow and Los Angeles. The International Olympic Committee’s choice of Beijing as host of these games guaranteed that this trend would continue.
As the communist party PR machine cranked into overdrive in the face of protestors taking their pick from China’s manhandling of Tibet, human rights record and denial of free speech the world’s political leaders arrived for the opening of the Games. Spotted in the stands was the ‘leader of the free world’, George Bush, watching the opening ceremony with binoculars glued to his eyes. Was he looking for weapons of mass destruction or something more clearly labelled? His new best friend, Nicolas Sarkozy, was there but much to the disappointment of the viewing masses and Bush he had left his model-cum-chanteuse of a wife back in Paris. No doubt she was preparing for her meetings with the Dalai Lama. Vladimir Putin was there too but evidently using his binoculars to spy on his neighbours rather than admire the dove that was being elaborately depicted on the floor of the stadium.
Meanwhile on the eve of the games China’s President, Hu Jintao, took the opportunity to press the flesh with as many world leaders as he could poke a chopstick at and racked up an impressive 11 with only one change of tie. It’s Bush though that deserves a gold medal for his effortless balancing of sports watching and Texas style diplomacy.
Despite his day job Bush has rarely let politics get in the way of a good day out at the sport and in China he’s managed to irritate the hosts no end whether it be by making repeated calls for increased religious and political freedom for the Chinese or quite literally waving the stars and stripes in support of his countrymen. Brazen doesn’t do the guy justice. Watching Michael Phelps by day and cheering on LeBron James by night the camera doesn’t lie and the coup-de-grace was undoubtedly Bush’s visit to the US women’s beach volleyball team. As he performed a close inspection of the pornographically named Misty May-Treanor’s bikini, in much the same way that Hugh Hefner presumably would of a prospective addition to the playboy mansion, it’s the look of excitement on his face that tells us that Bush has finally found what he spotted through his binoculars on opening night. Still, I’m confident that this is one US politician that won’t be coming under pressure to take a paternity test.
Certainly the history of political involvement and symbolism in the Olympics is already well documented. From Jesse Owens defying Hitler in his own back yard to the ‘Black Power’ salute of Tommie Smith and John Carlos in Mexico. From the Palestinian murders of Israeli athletes in Munich to the Cold War boycotts of Moscow and Los Angeles. The International Olympic Committee’s choice of Beijing as host of these games guaranteed that this trend would continue.
As the communist party PR machine cranked into overdrive in the face of protestors taking their pick from China’s manhandling of Tibet, human rights record and denial of free speech the world’s political leaders arrived for the opening of the Games. Spotted in the stands was the ‘leader of the free world’, George Bush, watching the opening ceremony with binoculars glued to his eyes. Was he looking for weapons of mass destruction or something more clearly labelled? His new best friend, Nicolas Sarkozy, was there but much to the disappointment of the viewing masses and Bush he had left his model-cum-chanteuse of a wife back in Paris. No doubt she was preparing for her meetings with the Dalai Lama. Vladimir Putin was there too but evidently using his binoculars to spy on his neighbours rather than admire the dove that was being elaborately depicted on the floor of the stadium.
Meanwhile on the eve of the games China’s President, Hu Jintao, took the opportunity to press the flesh with as many world leaders as he could poke a chopstick at and racked up an impressive 11 with only one change of tie. It’s Bush though that deserves a gold medal for his effortless balancing of sports watching and Texas style diplomacy.
Despite his day job Bush has rarely let politics get in the way of a good day out at the sport and in China he’s managed to irritate the hosts no end whether it be by making repeated calls for increased religious and political freedom for the Chinese or quite literally waving the stars and stripes in support of his countrymen. Brazen doesn’t do the guy justice. Watching Michael Phelps by day and cheering on LeBron James by night the camera doesn’t lie and the coup-de-grace was undoubtedly Bush’s visit to the US women’s beach volleyball team. As he performed a close inspection of the pornographically named Misty May-Treanor’s bikini, in much the same way that Hugh Hefner presumably would of a prospective addition to the playboy mansion, it’s the look of excitement on his face that tells us that Bush has finally found what he spotted through his binoculars on opening night. Still, I’m confident that this is one US politician that won’t be coming under pressure to take a paternity test.
DS
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2 comments:
Journalism at its very best. Keep blogging Mr S!
Great blog mate. I'll be keeping a close eye on it for the next couple of weeks.
Nick
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