Open Olympics thread

You’d think, with my interest in sports and international relations, that I’d have a lot more to say about the Beijing Olympics.  In a perfect world, I would.  In the world we live in, however, I have people screaming at me to finish my papers some other obligations.  So I’ll just leave this as an open thread.  ...

By , a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast.

You'd think, with my interest in sports and international relations, that I'd have a lot more to say about the Beijing Olympics.  In a perfect world, I would.  In the world we live in, however, I have people screaming at me to finish my papers some other obligations.  So I'll just leave this as an open thread.  Some questions to stir the pot: Will the Games be a success for China?  Will the smog clear?  Will I be able to avoid NBC for two weeks?  Seriously, isn't the Olympics precisely the kind of sporting event meant for YouTube?  Why watch eight hours of gymnastics when a three-minute YouTube clip sums things up?  Will someone do something that triggers a Chinese boycott or a Western media company?  Will Americans care about anything besides the basketball tournament? Speaking of which, will Coach K and Kobe bring back the gold? Fire away! UPDATE:  Hmmm... after reading this, I wonder if Russia and Georgia are meeting in water polo this year.... ANOTHER UPDATE:  Eszter Hargittai has a fine rant about the jingoistic way the Olympics are broadcast in the United States.  I do wonder, however, if her lament is simply a big country/small country distinction. 

You’d think, with my interest in sports and international relations, that I’d have a lot more to say about the Beijing Olympics.  In a perfect world, I would.  In the world we live in, however, I have people screaming at me to finish my papers some other obligations.  So I’ll just leave this as an open thread.  Some questions to stir the pot:

  1. Will the Games be a success for China? 
  2. Will the smog clear
  3. Will I be able to avoid NBC for two weeks?  Seriously, isn’t the Olympics precisely the kind of sporting event meant for YouTube?  Why watch eight hours of gymnastics when a three-minute YouTube clip sums things up? 
  4. Will someone do something that triggers a Chinese boycott or a Western media company? 
  5. Will Americans care about anything besides the basketball tournament?
  6. Speaking of which, will Coach K and Kobe bring back the gold?

Fire away! UPDATE:  Hmmm… after reading this, I wonder if Russia and Georgia are meeting in water polo this year…. ANOTHER UPDATE:  Eszter Hargittai has a fine rant about the jingoistic way the Olympics are broadcast in the United States.  I do wonder, however, if her lament is simply a big country/small country distinction. 

Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner

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