FALSE ASSUMPTIONS

No, I’m not going to rant again about Isabel Allende’s assertion that she understood mysteries after reading some bestsellers, understood them well enough to write her own with a heroine she was sure was one-of-a-kind – though any mystery reader would know she was wrong. Nope, not going down that road again.

Today I’m indignant about something else. And lest you think I spend my life waving my fist in the air, I don’t believe I do. I warn you, this is Olympic related, so if you’ve had your fill of Sochi already, don’t read further.

Last night, I watched Paul Bonifacio Parkinson, born a Canadian, compete for Italy in the team ice skating competition. He performed in the Men’s Free Skate division of the competition, in which Russian star Victor Plushenko was also competing.

Plushenko had the performance of his life, and since he apparently plans to retire after the Olympics, who can not be glad for him?
Then Parkinson took the ice. He fell. Twice. His first Olympics. But he kept smiling.

The female commentator for NBC (Sandra Bezic, I believe) said, during his performance, “Well, he came in thirty-third in the Internationals.” Pretty condescending, huh? And after Parkinson’s second fall, she went on (this is not verbatim, but close): “But he’s got to be thrilled with sharing the spotlight with Victor Plushenko.”

HUH? Oh, sure, that’ll make up for the low scores.

And then she went on, “At least he can get a picture and an autograph.”

REALLY?

Are you kidding me?

Because of course, that’s why Paul Bonifacio Parkinson left his birth country to get on the team of his mother’s country. That’s why he trained for hour after hour. That’s why he endured the physical hardship of being an ice skater, and the mental preparation to be a successful performer, good enough to qualify to skate internationally and to represent a country in the Olympics. So he can get a picture and an autograph from a much more famous and successful skater.

In the indignation of the moment, I told my husband that if I were Parkinson, I would track Bezic down and do something terrible. (I may have mentioned taking her head, though I’m embarrassed by that now.) Maybe Parkinson is a much nicer person than I am, and maybe he’s mature enough to take such comments with a shrug and a smile. I hope so.

Please, don’t ever tell me that if I lose something I’ve spent my life preparing to attain, that at least I got to brush shoulders with the person who actually achieved it.

Or is that just me?

Comments

[Mario in DC]

That's not just you. The constant inane chatter of American reporters and commentators is one reason I eschew television news and, by extension, the Olympics and holiday parades. The example you cite is inane beyond belief.

[Charlaine Harris]

Thanks. I didn't know if I was just extra-touchy or if I really had cause to gape.

[Jan Burke]

Appalling. I think one could make a fortune offering commentator-free or at least minimally commentated sports television.

[Hank Phillippi Ryan]

Oh, gosh. That is sad. Sometimes I don't even like to watch the Olympics because I can't stand the pressure onto athletes. So it's awful to brush off the years and years of devotion and practice.

[Elaine Viets]

Wretched! That man just suffered the loss of his dreams and some enpty-headed ninny says he can get an autographed.
The worst part is, she won't be fired for saying that.

[Elaine Viets]

Appalling. That poor man has suffered the loss of his dream in front of millions of people, and the commentator makes a remark like that. She won't be fired, either.

[Dana Cameron]

How ghastly. It is so easy to be trite and dismissive of someone's monumental effort. :(

[Charlaine Harris]

No, she won't be fired, but I hope the silence right after her words indicated Scott Hamilton was reaching over and closing her mouth forcibly.

[Leigh]

I didn't see it, but you say he was smiling? That's Canadian for "I smite thee, you evil person. I hear you, but I'm Canadian which means being rude in public is not my go-to, so I'll smile, but inside, I'm smiting thee."

(Your pal, the Canadian)

[Charlaine Harris]

This announcer was babbling along while he was performing, so thankfully, he was unaware of it. Or he would have taken her head, Canadian or not. No, he smiling because he was out there doing his best and he's a pro. I applaud him.

[Brendan DuBois]

Charlaine, you're absolutely right... the commentator, what a dope. A serious dope. Jeezum.

[krisneri]

What an awful thing to say. So many of these commentators don't think at all before they speak. I do appreciate the insider sports info that some of them share, but I wish most of them would just shut up.

[Sandi]

Seems some of these commentators think THEY are the reason we're watching.

[Charlaine Harris]

Some commentators are just that; they explain what you're seeing, and tell you the significance of it in the scoring process. It's when the commentators go beyond that, as if they were getting paid by the word, that really gratuitous babbling goes on. This was the worst case of "open mouth, insert foot" that I'd ever heard.