A visual guide of medals won by country during the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.It has kidnapped my family every four years for as far back as I can remember, at least since 1968, possibly longer. Near the end of all those long, hot summers, our sleep stolen by Mark Spitz and Mary Lou and Carl Lewis and Karch Kiraly and Kerri Strug and Michael Johnson’s golden shoes, we’ve slogged through the days looking like cast members from “The Walking Dead” before “The Walking Dead” existed.
Ah, the Summer Olympics in all their glory, grandeur and jingoism.
But it wasn’t going to be that way this year. To heck with Rio. Too much dirty water. Too many dirty athletes (especially those from Russia). And way too many dirty politicians – which is why, despite all the Brazilian government’s promises, open-water swimmers such as former McCallie star Sean Ryan will be forced to endure the disgustingly dirty water when he begins his 10K swim next Tuesday, three days after his 24th birthday.
No, if ever there was a year to go to bed at a reasonable hour, to mute NBC swimming analyst Rowdy Gaines’ constant warning of “don’t go out too fast,” to forego Bob Costas’ cutesy late night interviews, this was the year.
After all, what was Michael Phelps thinking by jumping back into the pool at the creaky age of 31? How can the Dream Team be the Dream Team without LeBron or Stephen? And if you’re going to make golf a sport for the first time in more than a century, shouldn’t the United States be sending its top two ranked players, Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson, rather than world No. 14 Patrick Reed?