OK - why does it have to be 'us' vs 'them? Is he so sure that that's why Americans watch the Olympics? He may be right in some respects, but based on the fact that people tended to tune in for their particular premier sports and tune out for those they weren't interested in (or already knew the outcome of), I'd say that's not the whole picture.
That's certainly not what my understanding of the Olympics is. For me, if I had decided to watch this year, it would have been to see competitors from around the globe gathering to give their best to their sport and watching the best athletes win. I don't care if the Americans or Armenians were the ones to bring home umpty-gazillion medals. The 'us vs them' mentality is part of what causes so much trouble in so many other venues, adding 'us against the world' in sports is ultimately a defeatist position. As I understand the Olympics, it was intended to be a time when we put aside our nationalistic differences and just plain enjoyed competing and watching for the glory of atheletic achievement. To live up to the Olympic ideals, which each of the competitors attest to, would be to have each athlete give his/her best and let the sport itself decide who's worthy of standing on the winner's podium.
It'll never happen, but just once I'd like to see an Olympics where the winners stand up to accept their medals and the only music played would be whatever the Olympic theme happens to be for that year. No national flags dramatically and slowly raised to the playing of national anthems. Just the Olympic 5-ring flag soaring overhead. If we ever reach that point, I think we would finally have attained something of great value in the Olympics.
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