Transcript Sport and Society The Olympic Games – Ancient and Modern Games

Sport and Society
The Olympic Games –
Ancient and Modern
Games
Question for Consideration:
 What function(s) does (do) the Modern
Olympics fulfill?
– When countries are invited to participate in intl’ competition, it is
recognition of their country and govt’
– Refusing to engage in intl’ competition with another country is akin to
cutting off diplomatic relations.
Greece: 800-400B.C. – The
Ancient Games
 Concept of “athlete” is attributed to rituals developed within
clans.
 Tradition of elite, male athlete – sport was used to prove “Arete”
– total excellence – mental, moral, and physical.
 The Odyssey includes a variety of adventures with many
references to sport.
The Trojan Wars:
 Funeral Games for Patroclus (friend of Achilles) – precursor for
Olympics.
 Sparta reflected use of sport and athletes by Govt. to further the
State.
 Sparta is first society to require regimen of exercise for children.
Major Pan Hellenic Festivals
(4 year cycle)
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2.
3.
4.
Olympic (Zeus)
Pythian (Apollo)
Isthmian (Poseidon)
Nemean (Zeus)
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
Beginning of Olympics – 776 BC
As the Olympics grew in importance:
–
# of events increased
Facilities became more organized.
–

First games were 3 days length
1.
2.
3.
Sacrifices and ceremonies
Chariot races and other events
Feasting, rejoicing, paying tribute to the gods
Athletic Events in the Ancient
Games:
1. Footraces:
1.
2.
3.
4.
2.
3.
4.
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8.
Stade – 1 stadium length
Diaulos – 2 stadium lengths
Armored race
Dolichos – long distance event
The Jump
Discus
Javelin
Wrestling
The Pentathlon
Boxing
Horse and Chariot Racing
Changes in the Function of the
Festivals:
 Winning a wreath at an event was a mark of social distinction –
while there were direct rewards, winning resulted in other
extrinsic, indirect rewards.
 Victors were treated as heroes – had statues erected at Mount
Olympia.
 Gradually, athletes started to specialize in one event – earned
their living by traveling from festival to festival.
 Gradual influence of Christian and Roman rulers was demise of
Ancient Games
 Official banning of Olympics – Emperor Theodosius I (393 A.D)
The Modern Olympics:
 Pierre De Coubertin – 1st proposed Olympics idea in
1892 – not well-received.
 Coubertin believed formation of IOC would be
influenced by neither national interests nor sport
organizations.
 Olympics were open to all athletes – eligibility was
established by the IOC.
Olympic Summer Game
Timeline
 1896 - Athens
1900 - Paris
1904 - St. Louis
1906 - Athens ("Unofficial")
1908 - London
1912 - Stockholm
1916 - Not held
1920 - Antwerp
1924 - Paris
1928 - Amsterdam
1932 - Los Angeles
1936 - Berlin
1940 - Not held
1944 - Not held
 1948 - London
1952 - Helsinki
1956 - Melbourne
1960 - Rome
1964 - Tokyo
1968 - Mexico City
1972 - Munich
1976 - Montreal
1980 - Moscow
1984 - Los Angeles
1988 - Seoul
1992 - Barcelona
1996 - Atlanta
2000 - Sydney
Schematic of the Original
Olympic Ideal Structure:
IOC
National Olympic Committee
(USOC)
International Sport Federation
(International Federation of Cycling)
National Governing Body
(US Cycling Association)
The Athlete
NGBs must be open to all
athletes and must not
discriminate on basis of religion,
age, race, sex, creed, etc.
Pierre De Coubertin’s Ideals:
 His first idea – hold the games in
connection with 1900 World’s Fair (Paris)
 Included a race to honor Greek who ran 26 miles from Marathon
to Athens to inform of battle victory
 From the beginning, politics have plagued Olympics
 De Coubertin did not want females in the Games.
 He felt that 1900 and 1904 games were failures – held in
conjunction with World Fairs.
 1900 (Paris) – Tennis and Golf had female athletes
 1908 (London) – marked 1st time special sport facilities were built
 With 1912 (Stockholm) Games, Coubertin believed the modern
era of Olympics would succeed.
A Period of Political
Development:
 1916 Games were not held (WW I).
 Antwerp (1920) was given Games b/c it was felt that Belgium had
suffered during the war.
 Paris (1924):
– 44 Nations; 3, 000+ athletes.
 US women physical educators opposed Olympics b/c of the cost,
attention given to only few elite athletes, instead of instruction to
many.
 Los Angeles (1932):
– 105,000 seat stadium was largest yet; represented mammoth effort
as a sport entertainment spectacle.
 The addition of team sports made identification of winning
countries a necessary component.
The Nazi Olympics:
 Berlin was awarded 1936 Olympics in ’33 (2 years before Hitler
came to power).
 By ’36, power had moved from German Olympic Committee to
Hitler and Nazi party.
 In 1933, US AAU passed resolution against entering games unless
Germans complied with Olympic Nondiscrimination policy
 Visitors and athletes enjoyed carefully planned German
hospitality.
 These games marked 1st time host country moved control of
games from organizing committee to government
Hitler’s Propaganda and the
Aryan Race:
 Hitler wanted to use Games to
make a statement about
German superiority.
 Jesse Owens’ performance was
pivotal in denouncing this
philosophy.
12 Successive Olympics:
1948-1992
 As soon as WW II peace was
declared – 1948 (London)
Games brought:
– 4,062 athletes; 58 countries
 Soviets entered Games for
first time in 40 years.
 Germany and Japan were not
invited.
Notable Political Olympic
Moments:
 1956 (Melbourne) –
 Netherlands, Swiss and Spain did not compete in
protest of conditions in Hungary (Soviet Invasion).
 Egypt and Lebanon did not compete (Mid-East Crisis)
 China refused to compete (Taiwan entered athletes
independently)
Notable Political Olympic
Moments:
 1960 (Rome)
 These games honored De Coubertin’s wish that they
be held in Rome.
 1st games to be televised.
 1964 (Tokyo)
 These games reflected the increasing size, complexity.
 South Africa had been banned (Apartheid policies)
 Indonesia, North, South Korea voluntarily withdrew
from the games (athletes had competed in illegal
competition)
Notable Political Olympic
Moments:
 1968 (Mexico City):
 Group of African American
Athletes threatened to boycott to
illustrate AA athletes’ plight.
 Tommie Smith and John Carlos
were stripped of medals, thrown
off US team.
Munich – 1972 – The Olympics
are changed forever.
 US-Soviet B-ball
controversy
 PLO terrorists kill Israeli
coaches and athletes
 Event was huge
embarrassment for
Germany
 Games were billed as biggest
yet “Perfect Games”
 IOC made controversial
decision – go on with the
games.
 Avery Brundage makes
decision. -- Many are highly
critical of it.
Notable Political Olympic
Moments:
 1976 (Montreal):
 After Munich – cost rose
exponentially for security.
 Organizers estimated cost
$310 million.
 However, due to political
corruption,
mismanagement, labor
disputes, inflation and a
$100 million outlay for
security to prevent
another Munich, the final
bill came to more than
$1.5 billion.
 IOC refuses to ban New
Zealand for playing S.
Africa – 32 African nations
Notable Political Olympic
Moments:
 1980 (Moscow):
 USOC House of delegates
votes not to send US athletes
to Moscow.
 61 other countries join the
boycott.
 France, GB, Italy, and
Sweden did not join the
Boycott.
1984: (Los Angeles):
• Soviets reciprocate Boycott
•Local organizers rely on
corporate sponsorship.
•Peter Uebberoth delivers on his
promise of a “Debt-free
Olympics”
•Games show a surplus of over
$200 million.
•6,000 athletes, 140 countries
Notable Political Olympic
Moments:
 1988 (Seoul):
 In spite of Boycott of N. Korea,
threat of terrorism, 160 nations
9,500 athletes take part.
 Drug Scandals (Ben Johnson) are
biggest news.
 Amateur ruling was overturned in
1986 – now it was up to individual
sport organizations to determine
who was amateur.
 Opened the flood gates for
professional athletes to compete.
Coakley's Suggestions for “DePoliticizing” the Olympics: Would They
Work?
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Do away with National uniforms for athletes.
Revise opening ceremonies so that athletes and flags enter arena by event
Eliminate national anthems and flags during award ceremonies
Eliminate medal counts for nations
Eliminate / revise team sports
Add to each Games “Demonstration Sports” that are native to each
cultural region
Use multiple sites for each Olympics
Emphasize global responsibility in media coverage and commercials
Provide TV time for Nonprofit Human Rights groups that work to
improve human conditions and promote justice.