A Rooting Interest

You should have seen me. My buttock was hanging off the end of the couch, my eyes glued to the television, and the glass drink in my hand feeling the pressure from my anxious squeeze. If I could have seen myself from a third person point of view I would guess I was watching the final minutes of a Buffalo Bills or L.A. Lakers playoff game. In reality it was late July when most of the Lakers are on a beach somewhere and the Bills are just beginning a long journey with training camp. And in a way what I was rooting for came with even greater interest than my favorite American sports teams, and that was America itself. Watching the Olympics has always been a part of every fourth summer for as long as I can remember, but I forget during the three 'off' summers just how badly I pull for the Americans when we square off against the world. Besides the front and center notables like Michael Phelps or Hope Solo, I really don't have any idea who 90% of our athletes are, but because they have the stars and stripes on their spandex or swim cap, I'm pulling for them as if I followed every step of their career. It's funny how patriotism works. I don't find myself standing on my American soap box all year long as I once remember myself doing, but put our best athletes side by side against other nations strongest and fastest and I begin to subconsciously picture the competition as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV trying to tear down our traditions or way of life. Of course that's an extreme outlook but the analogy is still true. In a bizarre way I feel threatened by other countries being superior during the Olympics, and that in turn makes me root just as hard against them as I do root for our own team. In the early going China has the slight advantage on the USA medal count, so I'm pulling for the Japanese, the Brits, the Sweeds, and just about anybody else (besides North Korea!) to edge the Chinese on the judges scoring cards. Hey, it's kill or be killed out there in London, so I'm keeping my star spangled fingers crossed that Phelps can break the all-time Olympic medal total in the pool, that beach volleyballers Misty May and Kerri Walsh can continue their Olympic undefeated streak (never even lost a set!), that team USA can steamroll the rest of the world on the basketball court, and that we hear our national anthem played on every podium from Archery to Water Polo. GO USA!