My4Albany

Try as I might I can't avoid hearing about Michael Phelps. I've even caught a glimpse or two of Phelps in action. And that, in small doses, is the best way to watch these Olympics. The problem is: in order to see the good stuff, you're forced to watch the filler events and the feature stories that, frankly, I couldn't care less about.

My rule of thumb when it comes to the Olympics has always been: if the event was going on across the street from my house, and I could watch it for free, would I go. And I challenge others to use this as a guideline as well. If the answer is YES, then, by all means, spend a beautiful summer evening in front of your TV instead of outside taking a walk or playing with your kids. But, if the answer id NO, then what in the world are you doing glued to the set, engrossed in beach volleyball or archery?

Some will argue that, in supporting the games, they're supporting our country, showing patriotism. And this is one of the main reasons that I am anti-Olympics: it's not about sports, the competition, it's about Nationalism - "our country is better than your country", which should never play a role in true, athletic competition.

If the Olympics were a 2-week tournament, involving the best athletes in the world competiting in a variety of sports, it would be a beautiful thing and I'd be it's biggest supporter. But that's not what the modern Olympic Games have evolved into (and maybe they never were that simple and pure). 

Too much politics. Too many commercials. Not enough sports. Which is a shame, because the few events that actually are worth watching take a back seat to the hype, the fluff and the homerism.