Sports and Politics like Oil and Vinegar

Last night I stayed up late to watch the US versus Spain in the gold medal basketball game. Fun game to watch, impressive effort by Spain, alpha roles showing themselves among the US players, and when healthy, Dwyane Wade showed that his game is the most complete and clutch of all, even more so than Kobe and Lebron in my opinion.

At halftime of the game, NBC showed an interview with IOC President Jacques Rogge and Bob Costas, where they discussed the Games in general and whether China lived up to its end of the deal regarding human rights reforms and other political stances as a result of being granted the Games. I did not envy Mr. Rogge. Understanding China and its growth as an international economy, while still functioning under a very authoritarian government has so many layers, particularly when posited from a Western, first world perspective. Even after my several visits there, and upon numerous conversations with Chinese nationals, American political scientists, and other folks simply living in Beijing, an oft-repeated answer I get is "It's China." Getting absolute answers to complex questions is very difficult when discussing China. Often one must resign themselves to the fact that the answers they want to hear will not be given and understanding the depth of their development is impossible, particularly in sound-byte halftime interview form.

Despite this, I was very impressed with many of the answers that Mr. Rogge gave to Costas' tough questions. When asked about whether China has lived up to its promises regarding human rights and such since being granted the Games, Rogge mentioned that there was never a contract in place that required China to alter its practices in order to host the Olympics, but only that they would urge or hope that China would look at practices that are more in line with global community. Fair enough. I particularly like his answer to a follow-up question. He said, heads of state, multi-lateral organizations (United Nations), and international NGOs (Amnesty International) have been dealing with the issues for years and have made strides but continue to seek reforms. How can the Olympic Committee be asked to transform a country's political practices when other more significant global leaders have been trying to do this for years.

This seems like an obvious point, but one that I believe needed to be expressed. While the whole world is watching the Olympics, it would seem that the IOC can have the influence to alter nation's behaviors, but really how can they? They have done all that they can regarding open media for internationals allowing for more Western perspectives about China to be transmitted around the world, and have been effective in making the Olympics a safe and fair (for the most part) international event, but I think being asked to do much more is unfair.

It seems so simple coming from our Western perch to criticize other countries' practices, and seek easy answers to what are the most complex questions. Evidence of this attitude is supported by the fact that discussion of today's most complicated issues were shown during halftime of a basketball game. This is not to say that such questions should be ignored. China's stance on Darfur is shocking, their treatment of Tibet is brutal, and their labor records are spotty to say the least. Reforms in these areas and many others should continue, but to place a brunt of the responsibility on the IOC is completely unfair and I think Jacques Rogge expressed as much in the interview. I also appreciate that he highlighted the great success of Beijing as a host city, and acknowledged the generosity and dedication of the Chinese people to pull off such a great event.

Obviously, I'm biased here and have developed a soft spot for China after my several visits there over the past three years. China has so much history and with that comes thousands of years of successful cultural development and unfortunately a record of atrocities as well. In today's sound byte driven world with information traveling faster than ever imagined, I would hope that people are able to grasp the concept that answers to many questions are not easy. This is why I was worried that the interview at halftime would not serve any real purpose other than allowing Bob Costas to show the world how well-rounded an interviewer he thinks of himself. I hope that others recognize that the IOC has done as much as it possibly could (note: the IOC has proven itself to be a corrupt organization in the past, so please don't think I am sympathetic to them generally) and cannot possibly have all the answers all the time.

What the IOC can do though is to remove the 20K walk from the Games altogether...such a dumb sport.

My Very Own Closing Ceremonies

Well, that's it. After seven weeks I'm leaving Beijing and heading back to the homeland. Its been an ultra-rewarding experience and had tons of great memories. Natalia and I went to the Great Wall; I had a great professional experience that went off without a hitch; and of course the Olympics. I'll write more about the other games I went to soon and post more pics etc, but wanted to send a quick parting shout to Zhong gou (Chinese for China).

First off, I realized that this is the longest time I've been oveseas for a single stint in my life. Crazy. But its good to know that I can pull this off, so hopefully there will be a time for me to break my own record soon.

Secondly, there's been a lot of buzz about the Chinese government launching missiles to clear the air and controlling the weather during the Olympics. After the first week, clearly the weather control was overstated. It was overcast, smoggy, rainy, hot, humid, and downright nasty on a couple days. Then yesterday, Friday August 15, the first day of events and activities at the Bird's Nest stadium, the weather was nothing short of perfect. I mentioned to a number of people that yesterday was a perfect Southern California day. Blue skies, probably 83 degrees, and periodic breezes. Rarely in all of my visits here have I experienced a day like this. I couldn't help but think that the govt somehow made this happen. The only evidence would be if the weather could sustain. It is now 8am in Beijing on Saturday morning and looking out the window the blue skies are still here. Very interesting.

Picture Diary (Day 1-Women's handball)

Last Saturday I went to my first Olympics game in Beijing and second of my life (during the 1984 LA Olympics, I went to a soccer game at Stanford. US v. Costa Rica. I remember US won 3-1 and this was the first time I ever participated in the wave.). Women's handball.

Here are some shots from Saturday's action:

As you can see, there was not too much action happening around the venue. It actually had the feel of a high school game or a Round 1 NCAA game.




We had pretty cool seats right behind the net of this crazy sport. Its like a cross between basketball and soccer and allows for crazy physical play. I actually enjoyed it.



Here are the two reasons I really enjoyed myself:



The exchange rate is 6.8 RMB to $1. Translated...beers cost about $0.75. Also, the second game featured Korea v. Russia. I still remember a lot of the cheers from World Cup 2002, so I found myself rooting for them. After an even match, the Russians took what seemed to be an insurmountable lead, but Korea showed resounding Olympic spirit and caught and ended the game in a 29-29 tie. Russia was bummed and Korea was lucky to escape with a tie.

As is the case with most of the games I've seen on TV and the two I've attended here, there are tons of empty seats despite being touted as sell-outs. Based on conversations I've had with folks, a huge allotment of seats are earmarked for corporate sponsors who often do not use their tickets. Such a waste. They also fill up sections of the stands with students and migrant workers. This I can dig because at least they're at the game. The unused seats thanks to Budweiser and Coca-Cola are a bummer.




Lastly, after the tons of cheap beer, I had no choice but to use the dreaded port- a-potty. Here is where the US can learn something from Chinese technology. Periodically, the squatter will fill up with suds in a mechanical self-cleaning mode. It's great. The booths don't reek and you don't have to see what lies beneath. You just see peaceful flowing suds like in a soothing bubble bath.

More soon...

08.08.08 O My

Tonight it all begins. After seven years of preparations, Beijing will welcome the world with the Olympic Opening Ceremonies. Locals have been told to stay home from work today, bars and restaurants are getting booked, and red China flags are out in full force...along with security.

A group of us will be watching the Ceremonies in typical ex-pat fashion- at a Western style, hip bar on a giant flat screen tv. Good times. It really feels like New Years Eve. Excitement is in the air, folks are making plans, and traffic is eerily light.

Quick weather update: much has been made about the weather here and the plans to blow up the clouds, shut down factories, etc. At 12:15pm on Aug 8, it is an overcast day. The air actually doesn't have the brownish tint that I've gotten used to, but is just a foggy day, almost SF style plus the ungodly heat. Hopefully, it will rain early this afternoon so the clouds could thin out, but at the moment, thoughts of a clear night doesn't seem likely.

Ticket update: I have been able to score some games and am hoping for more during my one week of Olympiad. Here's what I have so far:

• 8/9 Women's handball prelims- Korea-Russia & Kazakstan- Romania
• 8/10 rowing prelims
• 8/13 Men's soccer- US-Nigeria & Argentina-Serbia
• 8/15 boxing prelims- lightweight and bantamweight prelims
• 8/15 baseball- Japan-Netherlands

Later today I head to the NZ Embassy to try to score some of their unused tickets. More soon.

**UPDATE**: I just returned from the NZ Embassy. Nothing is better than getting tickets from nice folks that speak like Jemaine and Bret. Apparently a number of game tickets reserved by the Kiwis have gone unused. The games that they had available though were not too sexy. I picked up:

• 8/12 women's field hockey: US-Japan; Korea-Netherlands

The other sports they had included softball, equestrian (in HK), soccer (in Sheyang), and canoeing. Like I said, not too sexy. The bright side is the field hockey tickets only cost me 72 RMB each ($10.58). It also doesn't look like I'll be getting tickets to US-China hoops on Sunday night. I can't afford the $500 price tag. I did find out about a viewing party hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce. For 250 RMB ($36), all you can eat and drink at a BBQ joint during the game. Sounds like a sweet alternative, no?**

Balling in Beijing

I'm back to about 85% health-wise and spent a Sunday afternoon playing hoops with a co-worker. We went to the Beijing Communciations University to play some pick-up. First of all, it was great to know that the atmosphere on a college campus in Beijing mirrors the vibe of a campus in the US. I've never been able to put my finger on it, but whether I'm at UCLA, Stanford, or Beijing, the same sensation resonates. It must the concentration of thousands of young, eager minds coallescing in one tree-lined, grassy commune that gives off a certain sentiment. Either that, or the innumerable dating opportunites for college kids that gets everyone excited.

So basketball is indeed a popular sport here. There were five full-courts full of people playing 4-on-4 halfcourt with a least one team waiting at each court. Furthermore, there were packed volleyball courts, soccer fields, and of course badminton. It was great to see.

As I got in my first game (I was the only foreigner in the whole joint), the other three guys each asked if I could speak Chinese. When I said no, they all looked bummed. Once the game started, it was all good. A couple of passes to guys for easy buckets put me in good graces. Unfortunately, my first shot was a wide open 18 footer for an airball. Nice. I later hit my stride and it was fine.

More than breaking down my own game, I wanted to point out a few differences of pick-up on this side of the Pacific. 1) they play games to 5. The insane amount of people in China must be the reason. Only short doses so all could get a taste. Quite communist. 2) when you get fouled, you take the ball out from under the hoop, not up top. 3) they don't "check" the ball, whenever I was taking it out after a bucket, I would instinctively pass to the guy guarding me first. Fortunately, he immediately passed it back seeming to know what I meant, but one guy on my team told me to stop doing that. 4) screening has not exactly made its way to China. Its a ton of one-on-one isolation, and drive and kick or shoot. 5) This one is perhaps universal. The fellas with the best gear were not the best players. A kid with the crispy Jordans and the Lebron t-shirt was garbage, while the dude in jeans was going off. 6)Like the Fresh Prince once said, basketball courts in the summer got girls there. Among the 150-200 guys playing hoops, there were a handful of ladies checking out the scene and watching their guys play. Again, this is fairly universal. 7) Not much acknowledgement for a good pass. Anyone that has played with me knows that I like to distribute. Not that I need it, but a nice gesture, finger point, or high five would have been nice. Its all for the greater good, so I guess its fine.