Jim Taylor’s Weblog

John Shearman wrote, “I seriously doubt that Baron de Coubertin was the pure white amateur that you enthuse about. He certainly used his political and social connections in any and every way he could to get the Olympic movement launched. The first Olympic Games were played in 1896 after years of wrangling. De Coubertin did not want them held in Athens at all. De Coubertin’s favourite sports, polo, football and boxing were omitted.
        “Some athletes, and the Games in general, have always needed financial assistance from governments. Many athletes still need corporate and government sponsors to make ends meet and rise to any level of excellence.
        “Personally, I believe that it is our need for hero worship that make these athletic contests so compelling. The media also needs more corporate advertising dollars and make a business of promoting the games ad nauseam. And we just lap it up with all the enthusiasm of addicts.”

Cliff Boldt forwarded my column to a group he belongs to – thank you for that, Cliff – with this notation: “Billions of dollars of tax money are going in to these games and will for years to come. Naïveté is trumped by bread and circuses every time.
        “I question some of the ‘facts’ Jim uses, but essentially his thesis is correct. Athletes are forgotten in the corporate and economic crush. Athletes are like Roman candles: for two weeks they flame and burn, and then there is absolute silence and darkness in between.
        “Canadian governments have cut funding to amateur sport for years and no complaint from Canadians who love their tax cuts and expect service levels to remain the same or improve.
        “Collectively, we Canadians are to blame for the sorry state of amateur sport and the emphasis on corporate economics – we love our bread and circuses.”
        In a separate e-mail, Cliff offered these corrections: “The natives are allowed to sell burgers, but can’t call them burgers. And children were not served McDonald products at the public libraries.”

Karen Stoner articulated three beefs about the Olympics, ending with this one: “We get to see only what some committee or network decides to show us, which for U.S. citizens means we see mostly U.S athletes who made it to the top five in a sport. I care about everybody, and I realize I can’t see everybody perform, but I want an inclusive view and honest reporting — the Jamaican bobsledders, the folks who walked over hundreds of miles to get to public transportation, the ones who worked so hard and didn’t get to the top places, but earned respect from others by being good sports, good persons, remember those who lost their lives trying, those who backed off for another member of the team — in an honest and unbiased way, regardless of the money a sponsor can make or not make from this reporting.
        “Yeah, maybe I’m a dreamer. But, if this doesn’t happen soon, my household will just not watch. And that, more than anything, will hurt the honour of those who prepared for the games. Can we win this one at all?”

Josef Obermeyer liked the column in general, but noted, “There is only one sponsor and that is the taxpayer and consumer. The government has no money except the taxpayers. The sponsors have no money except the consumers. As long as there are foodbanks and soup kitchens in the country, there is no excuse for an extravaganza like the Olympics.”

Ed Landsell and John Cameron simply sent short notes of approval. “Strips away all the hype and drivel, and goes to the heart of the problem,” John wrote.

And someone identified only as Cheryl wrote about her own response to the Olympics: “I work in healthcare and am presently protesting the Olympics ‘live ‘ in Vancouver on robson. I am alone and only started today…. I dress very well and just walk around with my sign and sit , quietly; tons of people give me thumbs up and high fives… The cops left me alone and one women cop even said I was awesome!…..there is a bylaw here prohibiting ‘groups’ of protesters from gathering anywhere BUT I walk alone and I think that real protesters with something legitimate to say should disperse and wander around like me (as the lady cop said, we can go anywhere if we are not a group) practicing freedom of speech in a civil way. The balaclava’s [a group of violent protesters hiding their identity behind black balaclavas: JT] have made protesting negative now…”

• Everyday God: Insights from the Ordinary

(1981 and 2005, WLB, $19.95)


• Two Worlds in One

(1985, JT only)


• Last Chance

(1989, JT only)


• Seeing the Mystery: Exploring Christian Faith through the Eyes of Artists,

(1990, with William S. Taylor, JT only)


• Surviving Death

(1993, JT only)


• Everyday Psalms

(1994 and 2005, WLB, $19.95)


• Everyday Parables

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• Letters to Stephen

(1996, WLB, $17.95)


• A New Understanding of Virtue and Vice

(1997, WLB, $19.95)


• Precious Days and Practical Love: Caring for an Aging Parent

(1999, WLB, $19.95)


• John for Beginners

(2001, WLB, $11.95)


• Spirituality of Pets

(2006, WLB, $39)

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        For other web links worth pursuing, try

• Charlene Fairchild’s United Online site,
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• The Canadian Centre for Progressive Christianity home page
• Dan Strizek’s Gathering Place for Creation Spirituality
• Alva Wood’s satiric stories about incompetent bureaucrats and prejudiced attitudes in a small town are not terribly religious, but they are fun; write [email protected] to get onto her mailing list.