Olympic Thoughts

It was the evening of February 20, 1980, when I arrived at the Moscow Airport. It had a long name and I have no idea what it was, but I do remember that it took me nearly three hours to clear customs. They really didn't want me in their country.

I was met outside of customs by a driver from the NBC News Bureau. My first question was, "Are they out?" His answer, "They're out of everything." "No, no, are the Russians out of Afghanistan?" His simple answer was, "You've got to be kidding." That's how I found out I wouldn't be back for the 1980 Moscow Olympics. President Jimmy Carter's boycott was going to stand up. I was scheduled to host Gymnastics and Athletics. (Track and Field.)

I mention this because of the recent rumblings out of Tibet and China's reaction. Communist forces moving in and a journalism black-out. However, as we know, word in one form or another always filters out and Olympic countries across the globe are beginning to make sounds about that "B" word, boycott. The difference now and 1980 finds the Olympic Rings have turned to gold, the gold of big business. Ironically this turn around was created by the very successful 1984 Los Angeles Games, also boycotted, that time by the Russians. Plus the Beijing Games closely involve the gold of business between China and the United States plus China's purchase of billions of dollars of loans to help the U.S. support our on going war with Iraq.

It's very complicated, but don't count on a boycott. Too many countries want to do business with the largest market in the world, China.

One other note. Isn't it ironic that in 1980 the Russians were in Afghanistan and in 2008 the United States is the occupying country?

The more the world changes, the more it stays the same.