I hate the Olympics, always have, always will, for just about every reason zombie84 so astutely pointed out and more. Anyone who thinks sports and the Olympics is just about fun is seriously ignorant. Sports, aside from making a game out of physical activities early humans used to survive (swimming, fishing, throwing, running, climbing, etc.), are also highly symbolic war game.s If you think that's lost on world leaders, you're crazy. So, right off the bat, it's presumptuous to assume that the Olympics are about fostering peace. Maybe on the surface, but politics is about claiming to foster peace while you prepare for war. Peacekeeper missile, anyone?

You don't foster peace between nations by beating them in a physical competition. My strongest memory about the Olympics, growing up in the 80s, is people cheering for the US to beat those commie bastards in the USSR.

I have no problem with being proud of your nation if your nation has earned it, but let's be honest. The Olympics are not just about taking pride in your nation. Most people I know watch the Olympics to see their country win, not just to "pick a side because it's fun" but because it's fun to believe that my country is better than yours. This is just basic human nature.

Anyway, that's enough out of me here. Dissenting opinions are not wanted. Maybe I should start a thread about hating the Olympics where no one is allowed to talk about liking them.