'06 Olympics Can't Capture Fans' Interest

The time is upon us again folks. Time to gather 'round the warmth of NBC's scattered, time-delayed coverage. Time to pretend like we know who the best long track skaters are. Time do be inendated by sponsor after sponsor, parading their products around the flag and the young atheletes du jour. That's right folks, the Olympics are happening. Don't blink though, or they'll be gone quicker than Bode Miller's medal chances.

Much like a dormant cold sore you got on a college spring break trip to Mexico, the 20th winter Olympics has returned from its four year (did anyone notice?) slumber. This time the 15-day athletic extravaganza has landed in the Northern Italian city of Torino. The problem is, no one here cares. Now, I shouldn't say no one, that may be too big of a generalization. There are always going to be the die-hard figure skating fans, bobsled groupies ("Cool Runnings" was a good movie, and you know it), and snowboarders who like seeing their sport on such a big stage. As for the common spectator though, they're harder to find in Rome than good Chinese food.

The irony of all of this is that Romans tune into what's happening in Torino almost religiously, not for the Olympics but for Juventus, the fabled Italian soccer team. In fact, the bars here were packed to capacity for Roma v. Juventus, and Lazio v. Juventus. Both games within the same week of the opening ceremonies. Juve is real to Romans. They're the second most hated/loved team in the country, behind AC Milan. Their games mean something, especially when playing one of Rome's two squads.

The Olympics here have a somewhat gimmicky quality to them. All of the Coca-Cola bottles are covered in an illustrated snowy plastic cover, with their trademark bear on the front. MacDonald's employees all have Torino 2006 work shirts, bright orange with the rings by the breast pocket. There's also the occasional cardboard life-size cutout of some skier or figure skater. Usually, these can be found in front of cell- phone stores or supermarkets.

It could be the geographical separation, or even the cultural separation between Torino and Rome. Traditionally Italians are regional elitists and the cultural differeces, despite the distance, are drastic. In Rome it rarely snows. I've yet to see an ice skating rink. Oh, and did I mention how popular soccer is here. Soccer is year-round, practiced, played, and talked about, ad nausium. People here talk about politics, sex, love, food, and music; not curling or snowboardcross.

In the States I'm sure it's the same way. According to espn.com, this year's Olympic television ratings have fallen much shorter than expected, partly due to the failures of the most heavily marketed athletes (Michelle Kwan, Bode Miller, and Apollo Anton Ohno). Honestly, I think people just don't care for sports that are practically invisible outside of the four-year event. We try to get into it to muster up some national pride, but we live in a world where our borders are getting blurrier by the day. Hell, most of the NHL is playing for Canada, Sweden, Russia, and the Czech Republic. Does that mean we can't root for their countries when they play?

I'm being harsh, I know this. The Olympics are a great diversion and they're fun to watch on a cold Wednesday night in February. Primarily, they're a huge economic boost for the host city and region. Believe me, Italy could use all the economic boosts it can get. My contention is that they've lost some of their past luster and glory. Maybe I've just lost my interest in them. Regardless of how you slice it though, they'll be out of Italy as quickly as the came in. Then you'll have to wait until May to see Italy on your television. This time for the election, and believe me, everyone here from Parma to Palermo will be paying attention.