In class this week we talked about whether or not politics should be involved in the Olympics and watched a clip of Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. After watching the video and reading chapter 12, I can say that my opinion is that politics should not be any part of the Olympics. The Olympic games are about finding the best athletes in each country that train their absolute hardest to compete against the best of the best from nations all across the world. Being a part of the Olympic games is an honor and the opportunity o a lifetime and the athletes deserve to be part of something that is about them, not politics.
However, after reading the chapter I also realize that it may be impossible to completely separate politics from the games. In the 1936 Olympics, Germany spent countless dollars to invest in the proper facilities to host the games. Also, according to Rader, because of the political animosities that arose from WWI, some of the countries were excluded from the following games. Even though politics may always be a part of the games, I think that there is a way for athletes to overcome some of it. That is to go for the gold. Proving yourself on the field is the best way to get back at any political injustices such as Hitler not congratulating Jesse Owens after he received the gold in 1936.
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I found the comment that Jesse Owens made about Hitler making him millions of dollars (because he did not shake his hand) to be intriguing. In a way, that illustrates what you are suggesting about the need to prove yourself on the field. That was clearly what Jesse Owens did, and he became an international hero for it. The fact that he became popular among German fans must have been difficult for Hitler to witness as well. When it comes to politics, I cannot think of an Olympics that has been without politics in some way, shape or form. That seems to provide athletes with a greater challenge to remain focused on the field, or the pool, or whatever their venue.
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