Games grow on you, slightly

With the Commonwealth Games nearing completion, Justine McCullagh-Beasy reports that, while not initially looking forward to it, the fanfare and events have grown on her, just like many others.

I’ll be the first one to admit it- the Commonwealth games, to me, felt more like an obstacle than a celebration of sporting success.

The reason behind cutting Victoria’s first school term to a meagre six weeks and then extending the second term to an excruciating fourteen weeks is still beyond my belief. First term felt like pre-season, with the real action commencing after a short break.

I heard more complaints about the school terms, than I had about the athletes and sports. Does this suggest to anyone else that schooling should not take a backward step to accommodate for a sporting event? Unless, that is, the AFL grand final. In which there should be a week before, to warm up, and a week after to celebrate.

As the months leading up to the game surpassed, I found myself dreading the arrival of the games. Not very Australian, but I know for a fact I was not the only person feeling this way. Look at the ticket sales; organisers were almost giving them away.

Despite my lack of interest, I found myself watching the last twenty minutes of the opening ceremony. Unfortunately, I missed the Duck and the boy flying on a skateboard, but I did manage to see Melbourne skipper David Neitz hand over the baton to AFL legend Ron Barrassi.

This also raised an eyebrow, not because the Sherrin does not take part in the Commonwealth games, but because Neitz’s Guernsey was with out the Asics and sponsor logos. It looked amateurish, but I can understand why sponsors were wiped from the equation; they are not paying the games for publicity.

I didn’t think I’d watch any of the events, but with afternoon television still at its brilliant worst I have slowly but surely eased into the games spirit. You could even say that one more than one occasion, I have become “united by the moment.”

Unknown athletes who shoot to fame in the blink of an eye become the talking point, until others surpass their supreme efforts. Many athletes, who train for years to make it to the podium, are far from household names. Apart from the obvious in Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett, whinging Jana Pittman and the like, most of the athletes who represent their countries are as well known as the man who stacks the pallets at your local Safeway store.

Is this because most people enjoy watching and supporting team sports? I believe so. Also most people are not going to go out on a limb and say: “I like the athlete who has won nothing.” Once an athlete wins a medal or smashes a world record they become recognised, admired, but until that day arrives they will continue to be as known as the Safeway pallet stacker.

For me the swimming takes precedence, maybe this is because most of the well-known competitors are swimmers. Swimming seems to be able to catch the attention of the public; no doubt the ‘Thorpedo’ input has had significant benefit for the sport.

Although costly and disruptive, I will concede that the Commonwealth games have won me over, slightly. Watching athletes from tiny oceanic countries to the populated English, Australian and South African teams complete against one another in various sports has opened my eyes to the strenuous training regimes they go through to stand on that podium at the end.

Although having to wait until round eight to see AFL back on the holy turf of the MCG still doesn’t sit well.

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