Tokyo 2021 Olympic Observations

Once every four years (in this case, five), I find myself waking up at 4 am to watch a women’s soccer game or beach volleyball. Welcome to the Olympics, when people who are household names and those who are unknown, all with stories, emerge as heroes. It is thrilling to watch unfold, and I cannot stop watching! I’m sure my observations here are similar to what I expressed watching the Rio Games in 2016, but I thought they were worth sharing.

We are a few days into the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics (or so say most of the signs I’ve seen), and I’m having trouble with the multiple places where sports are televised and with the time zones. I started watching a women’s soccer game the other day and realized it took place several days ago, so, no, the USWNT was NOT losing to Sweden AGAIN. I can watch the next game around 5 AM tomorrow. Fine, since I will probably be awake anyway.

The Opening Ceremonies were bizarre, with no one in the stands and the athletes all masked up.  I’m still conflicted as to whether even having the games is a good idea. As you will see, I watched anyway.

I am watching other sports that I never get to see and find them very entertaining. Rugby, for example. You can be on the ground and the play still isn’t over!

I caught a bit of women’s water polo the other day, where the US trounced the opposition. I had no idea whether scoring 25 times was the norm. What goes on under the water that you can only see with a special camera shows these players pushing, shoving and grabbing each other. It’s like watching rugby!

I watched some men’s and women’s handball, a sport like soccer except that you CAN use your hands on the ball. It’s also like basketball, which made me want to call traveling more than once as the players moved around with the ball.

This 3x3 basketball is fast and exciting, but how is this different from pick-up hoops in the park – except that the players wear uniforms? Congrats to the USA Women’s team for picking up the first-ever gold medal in that sport.

The triathlon is crazy! Swimming, biking and running. I would need a change of clothes and a couple of days (along with public transportation) to get through the course. How do they get those shoes on so fast after the initial swimming leg of the race, as they jump on their bikes?

Those badminton and table tennis players are VICIOUS! These are not your backyard or basement sports. They SLAM that shuttlecock and ping pong ball at each other!

Each Olympics, the swimmers play a big role. Katie Ledecky is on TV everywhere. But fame is fleeting; I had to look up the name of the last “It” girl for the US, because I couldn’t remember Missy Franklin.

The physiques on the swimmers are like giant Vs – broad shoulders, narrow waists and long arms. And, unlike the last Olympics, I didn't see any swimmers with those "cupping" marks all over their bodies. Maybe that technique just didn't deliver the desired results.

I had the TV on when the taekwondo people came out, but they were still wearing bathrobes, so I figured they weren’t ready yet. Or was that jujitsu?

You can’t call the Russians the Russians anymore since they were caught doping (old news…), so now the athletes compete for the Russian Olympic Committee, or ROC. Like we don’t know who’s who (wink, wink).

I could NEVER play beach volleyball. I understand that the sand is burning hot, and there are just two people on each side. The women wear skimpy bikinis, which I think it just WRONG. Put them in shorts and a fitted shirt so when they hit the burning sand, they will be protected.

Women’s soccer is exciting, but there is SO MUCH PRESSURE on the US team to win – again. This time they took home the Bronze Medal, and with so many players aged 35 and above, it is likely that the National Team will include many new faces in the future. Thank you, RU's own Carli Llyod, for your magnificent career, capped by scoring two goals in what might be her final game. What am I supposed to do at 4 AM now that soccer is done? 

The weather reports said that there was a typhoon possibly heading to Japan, so some of the rowing events had to be moved up so the water wouldn’t be too choppy for them to compete. But surfing, new to the Olympics, was thrilled at the prospect of big waves.

I watched a little bit of softball, which barely resembles the game I used to play. Those women can sure put some mustard on the ball! And by the way, why was softball eliminated from the Olympics a while back? Now it’s back, but it is a bona fide sport that should never have been sidelined.

Skateboarding is making its Olympic debut. The competitors all look like guys hanging around the park, and the tricks they do they could have practiced at the entrance to the J&J complex in New Brunswick, where skateboarders loved jumping over the stairs and hitting the railing before the security team could chase them away.

While I wasn’t expecting Bob Costas or Matt Lauer to show up as studio hosts this time around, I was struck by how many British accents there were from commentators and hosts I have never seen previously. Did you notice, too?

What does Tim Daggett (the gymnastics analyst) do between Olympics? They have been dragging him out since he competed for the US in the 70s. Oh, and one country has a gymnast who is in her 8th Olympics at age 49. I can’t imagine spending most of my life in a leotard.

I also can’t imagine having the amount of pressure and hype that some of these athletes have. They train for years to run or swim for scant seconds to win medals. To see local NJ girl Sydney McLaughlin, an alum of Union Catholic High School (where some of my friends went) not only take the gold in the women’s 400-meter hurdles but set a new world record was so exciting. Sydney is only 21 and who knows if we will get to see her defend her title in Paris in three years? Oy, the pressure!

I wonder who will be on the box of Wheaties. It could be Jersey girl Sydney McLaughlin. Or all-time Olympic track medalist Allyson Felix, who now is the holder of 11 – count ‘em, 11 – Medals. On Sydney’s 21st birthday, she teamed up with Felix, Athing Mu and Dalilah Muhammad to capture the Gold Medal in the women’s 400-meter relay. The win moved Felix to the top of the list of track and field medal winners. When you consider the likes of Carl Lewis, the late, great Flo Jo, Jackie Joyner-Kersey and so many other outstanding track athletes, you have to stand in awe of what Felix has accomplished. At age 35, after having given birth to a daughter and suffering from serious complications. she was offered a significantly reduced contract by her sponsor, Nike. So, she started her own shoe company, which will make shoes for women, designed by women. Then she competed in her 5th Olympics, won two medals at the games and made history. Or is it HERstory?

How on earth do synchronized divers stay in sync? And why do the divers have such tiny towels? They get wet, so don’t they need something larger than a washcloth?

I marveled at the choreography and skill of the artistic swimmers, who can toss each other way up in the air, where the flyers reenter the pool with grace and beauty. These ladies can hold their breath while they perform routines upside down! I’m going to suggest to my aqua aerobics group that we all order the same bathing suits, slick back our hair and give it a try!

I have never watched any of the equestrian events, but this year, well, you know: Jessica Springsteen, daughter of Bruce and Patty Scialfa, competed and took home a silver medal in a show jumping team event. The horses are amazing, soaring over fences (I don’t know the official name) that are really high, and sometimes doing several jumps right in a row. But I also wonder, aside from tradition, what’s the point of the riders wearing those cutaway jackets and ties?

Rhythmic gymnastics is intriguing. The athletes use 20-foot long, colorful ribbons and what looks like hula hoops or balls that they toss high into the air and have to catch gracefully after doing difficult floor routines. The ribbons have multiple colors and look beautiful as they move swiftly through the air. How does one get started in this event?

Why does one indoor volleyball player wear a uniform different from his teammates? Did he forget to pack the right one? And why do the team volleyball players and even the beach volleyball players have to hug after every play? Is this the volleyball equivalent of a football huddle? Anyway, the USA women’s beach volleyball team and the indoor volleyball team each had a happy ending and won the Gold Medal.

I loved the American marathon runner Molly Seidel, who, after winning the Bronze medal, told her family watching at home to “drink a beer for me.” It was just her third marathon EVER! To get to the Olympics, she had to overcome OCD and an eating disorder that caused her to miss trying out for the Olympics in 2016. Somebody give that woman a beer!

Congratulations to the USA Men’s and Women’s basketball teams for taking the Gold Medal in their events. The women’s team captured its 7th consecutive Gold Medal, and team stalwarts Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi took home their 5th golds. USA Coach Dawn Staley has now won as a coach, an assistant coach and as a player who took home three Gold Medals. The Japanese team they defeated in the finals played fast and exciting basketball but suffered significantly from a height differential and could not stop big Brittney Griner, who poured in 30 points from the paint. The men’s team, without such marque names as LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Ja Morant, Kwaii Leonard and others, still outclassed the field to take the Gold and showcased so many up and coming stars. One thing for sure is the rise of international players in this game. There’s plenty of talent out there, and we may never see this level of dominance again.

In the first week of competition, Simone Biles, the GOAT (greatest of all-time) of women’s gymnastics, withdrew from team competition with what was called a “medical issue.” Later, she explained that it has to do with her mental health. Imagine being on the cover of every magazine, the center of attention in the Olympics and in your sport, always expected to be perfect. She also admitted to suffering from “the twisties,” where she could not determine where she was in the air. My heart races just watching her. If she never does another somersault or handstand or impossible vault, she will still be the best who ever lived in her sport. She did come back to take the bronze medal on the balance beam, which has far fewer spinning movements, especially since, as she explained, she downgraded her dismount. I hope she can take the time to appreciate her accomplishments and fill the rest of her life with great joy and satisfaction. May she have as much joy as she has given others. Meanwhile, her situation opened the door for her teammates, who took home many medals that they worked hard for and deserved. In an interview on the “Today Show,” with the team members gathered, they were asked who their role models are. Simone offered Naomi Osaka, Venus Williams and LeBron James. Her teammates unanimously named Simone Biles as their role model.

And that’s a wrap on the Tokyo Olympics. As Diana Taurasi quipped as she left the basketball court with her 5th Gold Medal, “See you in Paris!”

Tina's July 2021 Movies & More

There was much more in the "& More" section this time, as my screen time was devoted to long series and watching the Olympics. The rating scale is 1-5 cans of tuna, and more is better. Numbering picks up from previous months and programs not seen previously are marked with an asterisk.

94.  Summer of Soul* (2021, Hulu) – In 1969, men were landing on the moon. Hippies were descending on Woodstock for a historic music festival. And in a park in Harlem that summer, some of the best Black musicians and performers entertained the locals with their special brand of soul. There was 19-year-old Steve Wonder, banging on the drums. The Staple Singers and other gospel groups took the onlookers to church. Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Chambers Brothers, The Fifth Dimension, David Ruffin of the Temptations and Sly and the Family Stone took everybody higher. And Nina Simone made her music stand out and stand up. In this gem of a documentary, made from film shot and saved but never shown for 50 years, musician and producer Questlove tells the story of the summer of soul. Come for the music but stay for the culture and the history that only the people who attended got to experience first-hand. It’s about time. 4 cans.
95.  The Hero* (2017, Prime Video) – The film stars septuagenarian Sam Elliott and his iconic mustache as Lee, an actor best known for the cowboy movie he made 40 years ago. He busies himself with commercial voiceovers when he’s not smoking weed with his friend/dealer (Nick Offerman). When he is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the obstinate actor refuses to share the news with his ex-wife (played by Elliott’s real-life wife, Katharine Ross) or his estranged daughter (Krysten Ritter). Finally, he confides in Charlotte (Laura Prepon), a much-younger woman who shares the same drug dealer when she’s not performing stand-up comedy. Who knew when they started dating that Lee would become part of her act? Elliott plays this part to perfection, with minimum dialog and his trademark expression – head down, glancing sideways, looking dismissive and dubious. The relationship may have a May-December aspect, but there is mutual respect and fondness.  I liked it. 3½ cans.
96.  City in the Sky* (2016, PBS Documentaries Channel) – After watching this three-part series about flying, I’m not sure whether to be more confident about safety in the skies or more scared.  With more than a million people in the air at any time, airplanes today are purported to be safer than cars – although the fender-benders are probably easier to survive than a plane crash. This series covers every aspect of air travel, from what happens once you check your luggage to inspecting the runways between flights for any kind of debris that could cause a catastrophic disaster. The systems devised to move that many airplanes and passengers have to be topflight, and the people interviewed here all take tremendous pride in and responsibility for their work. You can watch landings and take-offs in the coldest airport in the world, experience the twisting, narrow approach to an airport in Bhutan, and observe a huge auction for the thousands of bags that are either lost or left behind each year. 4 cans, which makes me a certified nerd.
97.  Sophie: A Murder in West Cork* (2021, Netflix) – French TV producer and socialite Sophie Toscan du Plantier was staying at her home in Schull, County Cork, Ireland, in 1996 when she was beaten to death, her body found on a road near her house. With no DNA and only circumstantial evidence available, finding the killer and bringing that person to justice was a challenging task for the local police, who had not dealt with a homicide in more than 100 years. The gossip around town pointed toward a local man but getting enough evidence or a confession from the suspect proved difficult. If you like your mysteries wrapped up in a neat package with a bow on it, this three-part documentary is not for you. It captured my attention, so to speak. 3½ cans.
98.  Tiny House Hunters* – (HGTV on demand) – This series (4 seasons, and I watched them all) falls under the “& More” section of this blog. Wouldn’t we all like to scale back, clean up our houses and get rid of stuff we really don’t need? This series focuses on people who are looking to live in a “tiny house,” a dwelling of less than 500 square feet. They have various reasons – economics and wanderlust are two – but not all of them have thought through this drastic move logically. I mean, if you have a large sectional sofa or three big dogs, do you think that a home of 350 square feet is a good choice? Do you want to climb a ladder to get into a sleeping loft where you can barely sit up without banging your head? When the only closet wouldn’t be big enough to store a winter coat? Some of these folks are ridiculously fussy about style: They want a rustic look or something that looks colonial. Seriously? The show takes them to see three choices, ranging from houses on wheels that can be moved (though not always easily) to things like a shipping container with very limited windows and even a 150-square-foot shed. (I yelled at the TV, “Don’t choose the shed!” but she did anyway.) The clever design of some of these “homes” allows storage under stairs, but if you are doing this because you like to go camping or skiing, where are you planning to stash your gear? Or your kids? Or your piano? If you need a separate office, you won’t find one in a tiny house that costs $10-50,000! I’d love to see the follow-up to this series, revisiting the people who moved into the shipping container or storage shed to see if they are still there and how they are managing. 3½ very small cans.
99.  Nashville (2012-2018, Hulu) – No, this is not the Robert Altman movie. It is the TV show that ran for six seasons and focused on people in the country music business, centered around Nashville. Initially the story of revered, veteran country music queen Rayna James (Connie Britton) and her upstart young rival Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere), this is an ensemble show, so there are plenty of roles and plots and drama as the interconnected stories and characters evolve. In addition to Rayna, there’s Deacon Claybourne (Charles Estin), the guitar-playing love of her life, who complicates and complements Rayna’s quest to stay on top of the country music biz. It is impossible to provide plot lines succinctly and without spoilers, so I’ll just say that the characters and most of the stories held my attention and that the music, all of which is performed by the actors, is terrific. When this show moved from network TV to CMT on cable, I subscribed to a package just so I could watch it (and immediately cancelled it each time the season ended). Seeing it again all the way through (about 100 episodes) was a tall order, but it was like seeing old friends. 4 cans.
100.  Naomi Osaka* (2021, Netflix) – This 3-part Netflix documentary (about two hours total) is the story of women’s tennis champion Naomi Osaka, the first Asian woman ever to be the world’s number 1 player. Bursting on the scene with an upset win over Serena Williams, the reigning Queen of Tennis, Osaka captured the US Open in 2018 in a memorable match. The footage includes her subsequent defeat of up-and-comer Coco Gauff, when Osaka graciously tells the weeping teenager to take part in the post-match on-court interview. Since this movie was completed, Osaka declined to do after-match interviews (at the French Open), taking a stand for her mental health. Osaka comes across as a player not afraid to work hard to achieve her on-court victories, but she doesn’t appear to get the full measure of joy you would expect. Her wry smile or expressionless face reveals a woman who hates to lose but doesn’t fully enjoy the victories, either. Off the court, her life is an endless series of photo shoots and fashion and obligations that she doesn’t seem to enjoy, either. I’m not criticizing this young and dynamic champion because her behavior doesn’t conform to our impression of a winner. Her answers are thoughtful and measured, and they seem genuine and truthful, even as she reluctantly agrees to give them. I’m left to wonder what message she wanted to convey by participating in this documentary in the first place. 4 cans.
101.  Catch & Kill* (2021, HBO) – Journalist Ronan Farrow spent more than a year investigating the claims of sexual assault against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, coaxing reluctant victims to share their stories. When NBC refused to air his in-depth story – the implication being that the powerful Weinstein had friends in high places at NBC – he took it to The New Yorker magazine, where braver editors ran the piece. Eventually he published the well-researched story as a book, which I read. The acts of Weinstein, who has since been convicted of many of the crimes, were despicable, but equally despicable is the extent to which Weinstein and his team went to prevent the women from talking. Here, Farrow puts together filmed podcasts that include many interviews with the reluctant victims, but he goes on to make himself and his persecution by Weinstein’s secret network of spies much more central to the story. I thought the book was disturbing but extremely well written and researched, but I think that after a magazine story, a book and now this six-part documentary, Farrow should take his talents to another subject. He’s become the story instead of the reporter. 3½ cans.
102.  This Changes Everything* (2021, Netflix) – This documentary is almost a companion piece to “Catch & Kill” (see above), focusing not on the sexual harassment of women in show business but on their systematic exclusion from all facets of Hollywood. Instead of relying on the anecdotal information of how few women are hired to direct TV and movies, the women in this movie collected the data, which show a gross underrepresentation of women in every category – behind and in front of the camera. To me, what changed everything (and lawsuits didn’t) was the success of Shonda Grimes, a Black woman who not only hired women, but made her “Grey’s Anatomy” series reflective of a diverse population. Success breeds success, so now there are more women in roles other than the kooky neighbor or sexy girlfriend, and there are women running shows and hiring staff. Tellingly, not one studio head agreed to be interviewed for this documentary. Hopefully, we are making strides so that talented women like Shonda Grimes and Reese Witherspoon (who formed her own production company to find and produce women-centric programming) will continue to succeed and a whole new group of talented women will get the chances they deserve. Credit to Gena Davis of “Thelma & Louise” fame for getting the conversation rolling with the statistics needed to prove the point. 3½ cans.
103.  Dream Horse* (2021, rented on Apple TV+) – A man walks into a bar…Actually, that IS what happens in this heart-warming movie based on a true story of the people in a tiny Welsh town who form a syndicate to buy a racehorse. The man who walks into the bar (Damien Lewis) once owned a racehorse, so he knows it is an expensive and dicey proposition.  But Jan (Toni Collette), a local housewife who works there, perks up her ears, does her research and finds a brood mare. She can’t afford to buy a horse, but the local townspeople have nothing exciting going on in their lives, so they all chip in. It’s not long before the mare gives birth to a foal they name “Dream Alliance,” the name chosen to reflect the group of owners. What’s the chance he will ever get to race, no less win? I think you can figure that one out, but it is worth watching anyway. Dream on! 3½ cans.