Episode Transcript
PeterB: [00:00:00] Okay, so, the Olympics are set in Paris, France this year, let's be honest Amanda, this is going to be iconic. But 10, 000 miles away and a 20 hour plane flight later the world famous Teahupu'u will make its debut as a host city as well, hosting the surfing competition that kicks off July 27th. You know what that is?
You know what that is.
Amanda H: I do. Tahiti.
PeterB: Tahiti checks the box for Paris organizers who promised to spread the Olympics throughout French territory and Tahiti, of course became a French territory in 1880. Go figure.
Amanda H: Fun fact.
PeterB: We're so sophisticated. But this does not come without controversy, of course.
Dun dun dun. All right, stay with me. So, in order to judge the surfing competition that they're going to have, the beachhead currently has this wooden tower that , was built for competitions in the lagoon off the coast. Like, Amanda, it's been there forever. Like surfing competitions have been going on there forever.
But in perfect bureaucratic fashion. It's not compliant with the safety regulations of the IOC. Right. And [00:01:00] that's pissed off some people in Tahiti and really the whole surfing community worldwide. So Olympic organizers wanted to build this massive, I mean, massive aluminum tower to take his place, but got a ton of shit for it.
Cause it was going to damage the coral reef. That sits off the coast. And this coral reef has everything to do, by the way, with like, why the waves in Teahupu'u in the first place, are so awesome. Like, it has to do with all that. Yeah, okay. So, video posted last year by Save the Teahupu'u Reef showed a barge being used to build the tower, like, that they were gonna plan on doing, totally stuck on the reef.
And like broken coral everywhere around this barge. So they're totally fucking this thing up. And so Tahiti's pissed and they're accusing the IOC and Paris of not living up to their claims of sustainability and being Environmentally friendly for the Olympics.
Amanda H: Well, this is a great way to start this podcast.
That's kind of depressing.
PeterB: It's totally depressing Yeah,
Amanda H: what are they gonna do about it?
PeterB: So they had to compromise, right? So they took a while and decided on this like super scaled down version. It's still gonna be an [00:02:00] aluminum tower They moved it so it's not gonna mess with the reef. It's somewhere else but they built it to still make it safe and I don't think either group is happy with the results You
Amanda H: so I think I already know the answer to the question I always ask, but what is this episode going to teach us about being more cultured and curious?
After hearing this, how can you not want to learn more about ways to make things more sustainable for future generations and be more environmentally conscientious.
PeterB: That's it. You nailed it.
Love it. Let's go
Hey everyone, welcome to sort of sophisticated, a podcast rooted in becoming more cultured and curious where we endeavor to suspend judgment, expand our worldview, and learn to appreciate varying perspectives and values, but really it's a show where we hope to enlighten anyone who cares on topics that might make them more interesting and well versed humans and just dangerous enough to hold their own in this sophisticated world, sort of.
PeterB: And today, we will be long jumping, you like that?
Amanda H: Ha ha.
PeterB: Into the world of the modern Olympics. We'll explore how a small event in ancient [00:03:00] Greece that started with a bunch of guys in togas evolved into a global spectacle featuring everything from synchronized swimming to competitive speed walking.
Amanda H: Is that actually still in the Olympics? Like, seriously? It's mind blowing. I don't know if you've ever watched it.
PeterB: Oh, I have.
Amanda H: But they walk so dumb. They do! I don't have a better word for it. Thanks. Because they like maintain contact with the ground at all times and makes them shake their backside all fast And it's just the weirdest thing.
PeterB: It is it is really dumb to watch. You're absolutely right and I Agree, it's a that's a wrap Let's go. Let's just close this episode out right now, then. Might as well. Apparently you don't like it.
Amanda H: All you need to know.
PeterB: Right. Done, done, done. We're done.
Amanda H: All right. Well, I mean, stop. We can continue with the episode. I just don't like that event. Okay, fine.
PeterB: You don't have to like that event.
Amanda H: It's not my favorite. Okay, fine. And, I mean, the pentathlon?
PeterB: Wait, so you don't like that event either?
Amanda H: I mean, it's okay.
PeterB: Are there any events you do like?
Amanda H: It's not that exciting. I love [00:04:00] gymnastics.
PeterB: Okay.
Amanda H: I mean, that's the only one that I know for the summer sports.
PeterB: All right. Well, you're going to learn a lot more right now. So, our word of the day is dicker.
Amanda H: I'm sorry, what?
PeterB: Dicker. Okay. That's D I C K E R. Dicker.
Amanda H: Did somebody send this one in, or did you pick this one, Peter?
PeterB: Uh, I picked this one. Nobody sent it in. We do need people to send them in.
our challenge, of course, Amanda, is to work podcast somewhere and uh, make it seem like we meant to.
Amanda H: Okay, but should I even ask for you to define it because I feel like we just need to make sure it's PG That's all
PeterB: relax. Okay, totally Dicker is a verb and it means to bargain like to haggle sort of
I have a modicum of filter in here, somewhere.
Amanda H: Do you? Do you? Alright, before we start dickering around
PeterB: no, no, no, it doesn't count.
Amanda H: Okay, fine, fine. Give me a little history, then, of the Olympics, for those of us who have no idea
PeterB: okay, I [00:05:00] will, but I gotta go back to this dickering thing. So, it's not bickering or arguing.
Like, dickering around doesn't count, like, this is haggling, okay? So you have to figure out how to work this in as like, some sort of like, what we're talking about, money, or bargaining on something, alright? Like, there's a big difference between dickering and bickering, okay? Alright, we ready to go? History?
Amanda H: Yeah, give me some history.
PeterB: History, alright picture this. Ancient Greece, 776 BC people. That's before Christ. And if you're not Catholic, that's before the common era. I love the way we do this. All right. Everyone's laying out on the Mediterranean. Cause well, let's be honest, there's no wars going on.
It's all, olive trees and grapevines everywhere. So the story goes that Zeus gets a little bored and decides to spice things up with a little friendly competition.
But it was probably more like a bunch of people who thought they were in charge Thought it would be a good idea to honor Zeus like Zeus didn't come up with the idea So they like made a festival in order to honor Zeus and the other gods so sort of like today The idea was that these Olympics would help unify the [00:06:00] Greek city states like we try to unify the world I guess not like unify but like Tolerate each other because the Greek city states had the same problems as we do today as as different countries So actually the main purpose of the festival wasn't even sports or games But this thing called the sacrifice of a hecatomb of Zeus What's a hecatomb?
Is that what you're about to ask me? What's a hecatomb? Let's go. The sacrifice of a hundred ox. Oxen? Do I say oxen or do I say ox? What's the, what's, what's the sophisticated word for ox? I think it's oxen. Yeah, And they would do this at the altar of his temple in Olympia, Greece, which is why it had to be in Olympia, Greece all the time.
Fun fact, that altar was the same temple as the statue of Zeus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Amanda H: I mean, let's go. And you were just talking Zeus from Alexander from our last week's podcast.
Everything's connected. It is so crazy.
PeterB: It's amazing. All right. So all they did was [00:07:00] basically want to kill a bunch of oxen in the God's happy. Okay. And like, if murdering 100 oxen wasn't enough, the actual highlight of the first Olympics was something called the staid race staid. It was a sprint covering one staid or 192 meters to be exact. That's like a 300 yard dash instead of the hundred yard dash, right?
Okay. So picture this, a bunch of probably pretty built Greek guys. Sprinting 192 meters, all to impress Zeus, and let's be honest, anyone else watching, especially the ladies, and to top it off, they did it, nude.
Nude. Totally naked. Yep. Naked.
Amanda H: I don't even I have so many questions. Like, the first question would be Was because it was hot and so they just like because they were hot or because like it was hot outside
both either That was like a question
PeterB: No, I think they thought that was what they were supposed to do back then like unencumbered and like that would they be fast that [00:08:00] way so so Like
Amanda H: shaving my legs when I swim to go faster Like we're just
PeterB: gonna be naked and like let it all go.
Amanda H: All right
PeterB: Yeah So after a minute they realized like the staid race wasn't enough because that was over in like 20 seconds So they had to add new events like wrestling, boxing Chariot Racing, my favorite, and the Pentathlon.
Amanda H: All naked.
PeterB: All naked!
Amanda H: Stop it. No!
PeterB: I'm not making this up! Look it up! Google it!
Amanda H: Yes. I will. Because I can't.
PeterB: In fact. I got a few more little fun facts. I think we should throw in right here about ancient games. Okay. Like, because this is a modern game, so I feel like I can throw in some ancient game stuff right now, real fast and get away with it. Yes.
Amanda H: I mean, I love fun facts, so I think you should always throw them in anywhere possible.
PeterB: I'm throwing them in.
Amanda H: Go. Let's go.
PeterB: Okay. All right. So if being naked isn't already super weird and over the top wrestlers, like in the sport of wrestling, fought covered in, uh, Oil. Not sure why, totally did.
Amanda H: Um, so, they, they [00:09:00] wrestled.
PeterB: Yeah so they. Were naked. With oil, all over their bodies.
They were, like, literally, like, oil, yeah, yes, like, yeah.
Absolutely.
Amanda H: So, Freud was right, people are insane. Yeah.
How do you wrestle covered in oil?
PeterB: Freud wasn't even born then, but he already, right. it's like female mud wrestling. Like, what do you want me to say? It's like
Amanda H: No, I feel like
PeterB: It was like Greek male oil wrestling.
Amanda H: That is a fun fact.
PeterB: Total fun. Okay, next. False starts on the track? Like, when they would run the state race? if you started too early? Are you ready for this? Corporal punishment.
Amanda H: They whipped them?
Peter B: Like, beat them!
, what the fuck? They would whip them! Wow. This is crazy. Okay. And finally in boxing, like we have points nowadays, like that's how we figure things out. Like there were no points, no time limits, no weight classifications. You just fought till you won. Like it could go on forever.
Like fight club, fight club, like crazy. Yes, I guess they were mildly civilized. They were urged not to grab genitals, since they were hanging out and flopping everywhere, and everyone was fighting naked . [00:10:00] This is, I can't believe I'm explaining this.
Amanda H: I mean, and no, no pun intended, but this is nuts.
PeterB: I really wish I was alive in 7 76 in the ancient games.
'cause it would've been so fun to watch. But apparently it was totally normal back then. Alright.
Alright, so this goes on for like a hundred years or so before they like finally decide to add cloths, thank God, and things start really clicking for like 1200 years.
They're like cooking for a while, all the way up to like 400 ad. So the ancient Olympic games go all the way on into like common era when some dude named Theodosius the first gets a bug up his ass and totally abolishes the Olympics because of Christianity everything comes back to Christianity.
Yeah. Thanks a lot Theo freakin jerk Apparently it was considered too pagan because you know people didn't believe in Zeus anymore the other gods and it was like all about Jesus and God and all that stuff, which I Respect and understand but like dude Kill the Olympics because of it. Dude, Theo, enough.
All right. So we go dark for like 1500 years before some French dude named Pierre de [00:11:00] Coubertin decides the world needs a reason to get sweaty again, every four years. Yeah. So in 1896, he restarts the modern Olympics. So Pierre was really into the ancient Greeks for some reason. I don't know why. Don't ask.
I think. I think it's because he was some sort of historian, like, you'd have to look it up. And he figured, if they could run around in togas, then, uh, why can't we?
So he thinks to himself, What's better than a bunch of people competing for medals while everyone else sits on a couch and watches while feeling bad about how fat they are? Well, that's at least what I do. So good on him, he convinces a bunch of countries to come together and participate in a friendly competition instead of, you know, wars and stuff.
And he founds the International Olympic Committee, the IOC, in 1894 and starts the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, of course, in 1896. Total shout out to the ancient games. Home field advantage. And basically, here we are, 125 years later, still at it, together for the most part, where people like sprint, swim, and judo [00:12:00] chop their way to glory, while I keep telling myself I could totally do it if I just had a little more time to train.
Amanda H: I mean, the vision that he had, man. To think. If one person could do something like that and bring it to the world, that's awesome. I mean, I will never leave that type of mark on history. Yes, you will.
PeterB: You don't say that. Don't. You might. You could.
Amanda H: I mean, I guess. Maybe. But like, that's incredible.
PeterB: I think we could do it, Amanda. I think we could leave that mark.
Amanda: I mean, the best thing that we could do is maybe a world pickleball tournament, but that probably already exist.
PeterB: That is a fantastic idea. Do you think it exists? I don't even know. Let's do it.
Amanda H: Probably.
PeterB: All right. Forget this podcast.
Let's go international pickleball tournament. Let's go. Okay, every four years.
Amanda H: We we digress So the Pierre guy,
PeterB: yeah, what about Pierre?
Amanda H: He was also the guy who picked which sports to include in the Olympics or did the committee or was it arbitrary? I mean, there's some weird things
PeterB: Like like like walking and pentathlon that you don't like Are those the weird ones you're talking about?
Amanda H: I mean, not weird. Okay, [00:13:00] speed walking is a little weird. It's very weird. Weird is a wrong word. Maybe obscure sports?
PeterB: Okay, what are you asking me?
Amanda H: How do they pick the sports?
PeterB: Oh, how do they pick the sports? Yeah. Okay, let's go through it. I got it. I'm ready. Okay, go. Alright, so I had to dig a little bit for this, but I got it all figured out.
And it is, uh, you're right, a little arbitrary. Sorry. Yes, you were totally right. You'd like to think it's all planned out, but it's a little mix of tradition, a little practicality, and some pretty drug induced brainstorming sessions, in my opinion. So, it all starts because Kuberta and some of his buddies want to pay homage to the Ancient Olympic.
Like, I get it.
Amanda H: So of course, right away, they picked some of the classics.
They probably Dickard Over That For a Hot Minute, huh?
PeterB: Yes! That was so smooth, sister. They totally dickered.
They had to figure out what sports people could actually do without needing a whole setup. Something cheap, something easy. Same as back in the day in ancient Greece land, just without the nudity. So they start up again with things like running, swimming, cycling, wrestling, and, of course, throwing [00:14:00] stuff around.
So then they looked at what sports were popular around the world.
Like, if people were already hitting balls with sticks or kicking balls into nets, it was probably a good idea to include those. So sports like tennis, gymnastics, and soccer found their way in.
Amanda H: Or football. Right? That's probably the more appropriate term.
PeterB: I love the way you say football. Yeah.
Amanda H: I probably didn't say it right.
PeterB: Thank you, Miss Sophisticated. You're fantastic. Okay. You got it. So after that, they needed to make sure that as many countries as possible felt included, because remember, we're all trying to be nice to everyone, and they didn't want any nation to feel left out because they didn't have, snow for skiing or rivers for rowing or shit like that.
So a bunch of sports from different cultures were added to keep everyone happy and motivated to participate.
Amanda H: And that's probably how table tennis got in.
PeterB: Oh, you are tracking. I'm loving this. Absolutely. And basically that was it for a while. Pretty simple really. Right. But they couldn't leave well enough alone. So the Olympic committee gets together and thinks, Hey, what if we added some fun, modern shit that barely anybody can do?
And that's how sports like snowboarding, [00:15:00] skateboarding, and even surfing made their debut. They're always on the lookout for new sports, man. It's all about viewership. Now they want to attract younger audiences and to do that, they need to keep it fresh.
Amanda H: , I mean, what 15 year old wants to watch trampolining or rhythmic gymnastics?
Am I right?
PeterB: Oh, you are right. I would say a big whopping zero.
Amanda H: But wait, when did synchronized swimming get thrown into all of that? Because also, fun fact, not really, um, I have a friend who dresses the artistic swimming team.
PeterB: No. Like there's a job for that. Yeah. Like she's the costume designer.
I need to meet your friend. Okay. Okay. That's fantastic. Okay. So actually synchronized swimming debuted as part of the opening celebration like the opening games in 1960 as the performance part like the fun part that you watch before the Olympics start but when people saw how hard it was to swim and do tricks and do all of it at the same time They immediately put it [00:16:00] in as an Olympic event.
Amanda H: I Mean, I would drown.
PeterB: I think it's weird, but I'll admit in the last hundred years They've been some some pretty weird ones for sure Okay, so like synchronized swimming you just said but also he used to be croquet like shout out to the reason weird,
Amanda H: maybe we should say Um. Specific .
PeterB: Stupid.
Amanda H: no .
PeterB: Uh, ignoramus. Okay, so croquet, right? Shout out regency, let's go. Okay, tug o war. Really? Tug o war. We're doing that.
Amanda H: Is it actually, today, still?
PeterB: No, it's not in anymore. Oh, okay, okay. These used to be in there. Man, are you ready? And live pigeon shooting. Seriously. Like, live pigeon shooting.
They would kill pigeons.
Amanda H: I mean, it's a good thing they took that one out then.
PeterB: Poor pigeons, right?
Amanda H: So sad.
Poof!
PeterB: Oh my god, that was classic. Okay. I just had a whole vision of a pigeon.
Amanda H: Yep, exactly.
PeterB: Okay, so that was fantastic. Just blowing up.
Amanda H: Okay. Alright, so Pete, that was like, that was a nice little history lesson.
So, thanks for that. You are welcome. And this visual of, you know, pigeons, pigeons. Exploding with feathers. [00:17:00] Um, but if I'm going to be able to hold my own in a conversation and try to feel sort of sophisticated, I'm going to need to get familiar with some of the most iconic Olympic moments probably. Right.
In the last a hundred years. And I'm sure each country has their top five, but since I'm an American, you got to kind of Americanize it for me, or at least mostly,
like, I can't do just American. Okay, wait, how about that? I
feel like if you didn't, it would just make for a really long podcast.
PeterB: Okay, but it's not all about America. So, so can I just do some American ones with others thrown in? Like, I have a few, but like some Americans aren't
Amanda H: okay.
Fine.
PeterB: Okay, wait, so because at the very least, I have to start with number one by far, Amanda, the tragedy at the Munich Games in 1972, where 11 Israeli athletes and coaches were taken hostage and subsequently killed by the Palestinian terrorist group Black September.
That for sure marked the darkest moment in Olympic history. So first of all, it was terrible to happen at the Olympics where the idea was to [00:18:00] promote peace. And second, it sort of woke us up to the realization that nothing is sacred. And if we're going to continue having these international events.
We were way too vulnerable to political violence, and we had to do something about it. So, if anything good came of it, at the very least, it led to massive changes in Olympic security and protecting athletes and spectators. Sorry, it sucked that I had to start with that one, but it was super important.
We can't ever forget those 11 athletes, those coaches, watch, there's a movie called Munich, if you haven't seen it, I highly suggest you watch it. It is so moving. It's remarkable. I mean, super sad.
Amanda H: When I asked the question, I thought I was asking for like moments when the Olympics were happening or at an event I had no idea that right so I happened
PeterB: so I I didn't I was born in 1972 Like of course, I don't remember this but like it was close enough to my era So like it's like the first thing I think of when I think of the Olympics I think of this massacre and it was it was fucking terrible.
So I [00:19:00] got it, but we're gonna lighten things up a little bit Okay, so mildly more upbeat number two Okay, was when Jesse Owens, you've heard of Jesse Owens?
Amanda H: Uh, no.
PeterB: Okay. I love that we are not from the same generation.
Amanda H: We are not.
PeterB: And I hate that we're not. Okay Jesse Owens made history in the 1936 Berlin Olympics by winning four gold medals in four different track and field events in front of Hitler.
You got to remember that these Olympics were held in Nazi Germany. And the idea was that they were supposed to showcase Aryan supremacy and all that. But this black dude. from Alabama, kept winning, and totally fucked up Hitler's big propaganda plan. It was awesome because it sort of turned into a symbol against racism and became like this beacon of hope for equality Well, and until World War two broke out anyway and sort of fucked everything up And so I suggest you watch Jesse Owens because it's an amazing movie.
They did a movie on this whole thing, too
Amanda H: I'm gonna have to watch that one.
PeterB: It is totally fantastic and like amazing [00:20:00] Hitler is furious Fury.
Amanda H: Well, I'm sure. It's his whole, his whole marketing is all messed up.
PeterB: So here we start with like all this like political shit, right? You ask for iconic moments.
I go right to politics. Okay. All right. And this whole podcast wasn't supposed to be about politics. Okay, fine. All right, so I got one more about politics Okay, so right behind this one was the political statement made by, do you know this one the Black Power Salute on the podium in 1968 have you seen like the famous like 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico made by John Carlos and Tommy Smith the two black guys with the black gloves Okay, so they stuck their right hands in the air with their black gloves on them but what's super less well known was that the silver medalist?
You Was an Australian white man named Peter Norman, and he totally stood by this duo in solidarity while displaying a human rights badge. So go Norman like he was helping these guys make their political statement. It was a look it up on the internet It's like super super famous and anyway They totally ended up John Carlos Tommy Smith and Peter Norman totally ended up being friends knowing each [00:21:00] other through their whole life And it was this amazing we need to do something . Big deal. So we use the Olympics for politics, right? That's from time to time. Well, all the time.
Amanda H: Breaking boundaries.
PeterB: All right.
Then we can lighten things up a little bit with Miracle on Ice. at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics in 1980. Please tell me you watched that movie
Amanda H: Is that like Miracle on 34th Street?
PeterB: No, no, no. And this is so embarrassing, okay, okay. I'm trying to suspend judgment. Okay. And I wanna be a better human being because it's all about,
Amanda H: maybe you should make me a watch list. Yes. Okay.
PeterB: Maybe I will do that. So, um,
Amanda H: oh, we should have a watch list for the podcast.
Wait, we should, there you
PeterB: go. So, so I, I guess we got Jesse Owens, I don't remember the name of that one. We got, uh, Munich, Munich. We got Miracle on Ice. Okay. Right. We got 'em all. Um, so by the way, miracle on Ice, has the best, like, uh, what would that be? Motivational speech by any, like, by anyone?
It's, um, it's not Patrick Swayze. Kurt Russell plays the coach. It's you have to. It's like it's like [00:22:00] bone chilling to listen to his speech in the locker room.
So just watch that two minute segment if you're gonna watch anything. It's amazing Okay, so basically it's when the u. s. Men's hockey team made up of all amateurs mind you beat the seemingly Unbeatable Soviet team because back then they were the Soviet Republic Which was made up of their entire? Professional team and even bigger was the timing of it all because really I don't know if you remember this is like 1980. it was really at the height of the Cold War.
Like this was a big deal. It like transcended sports. It symbolized David versus Goliath. A lot of people forget it was actually only the semi final game and the U. S. still had to go on and beat Finland in the actual final game to win the gold, which they totally did. It was probably one of the best moments in Olympic history that embodied the concept of the whole underdog spirit and the unifying power of the Olympics.
Super amazing. Watch the movie. Okay, then, your era, uh, Usain Bolt.
Amanda H: I know him.
PeterB: Yeah, he deserves to be on the This Faux Show. Usain! Who doesn't love [00:23:00] Usain? Okay, really tall Jamaican sprinter, basically took over, like, 2008 Olympics in Beijing and ran record breaking 100 meter in 9. 69 seconds. If you remember why this was so memorable, Amanda, like he was celebrating before he even crossed the finish line.
Like I have like this vision, like his arms are totally spread out. He's looking at the crowd while he's breaking the world record. So he could have totally won by even more. Like he could have even broke it by more. He was that fast. Oh, it was amazing. Yes. Then also in 2008, you got good old Michael Phelps.
Insane eight gold medals, eight golds. One Olympics that's nuts, but he wasn't like naked nuts like this was he was still wearing his little weird speedo thing so he broke mark spits his record of seven gold set in 1972 He won like in every different stroke butterfly freestyle individual medleys everything and if you remember one of those goals included that Point zero one win in like the hundred meter butterfly [00:24:00] like that was iconic.
Amanda H: That was pretty epic.
PeterB: That was epic. Yes But then he got old and started smoking dope and stuff But he was awesome while he lasted so I'd say one of the greatest if not the greatest Olympian like of all time
Amanda H: Huh, that's a big feat.
PeterB: Yeah, totally. Okay, so some quick honorable mentions. Let me run through.
So, you have the inaugural Women's Marathon at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, total landmark for gender equality. Because, before that, like, they weren't even doing, like, a lot of women's events. 1984, Amanda! It fucking sucked, but then after 1984, everything started getting equalized, which was super awesome.
Amanda H: So in 1984, my grandfather was actually a physical trainer for the women's track and field.
PeterB: What? That is fantastic. Look at that. He's an OG, he's an OG trainer to the, like, the women that were starting it all. Good for him. Um, all right, then you have, uh, Eric Musambani from Equatorial Guinea.
Eric the eel you hear the story So he was the hero of the 2000 Sydney Olympics when he [00:25:00] swam the hundred meter freestyle in like two minutes Which by the way was like more than twice the time of everyone else like they usually finish it like 58 seconds
Amanda H: Dang,
PeterB: but it was so awesome because he had never seen or trained in an Olympic sized pool before and the whole concept of his sheer determination totally won over the crowd like goosebumps everywhere iconic insane moment like, Olympic folklore, baby.
Amanda H: I mean, he did it. Yeah. That's all that mattered.
PeterB: Like totally. Some people would say like, really, what an idiot. Like, why would you get in the pool with, but that's part of the reason for the Olympic, that's part of what makes it fun. Alright, then Nadia Comaneci's perfect 10 in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, the first ever 10, and mind you, she subsequently went on to get 6 more perfect 10s in the same Olympics.
That never, never happened until that point, and then get 6 in a row. Shout out to Nadia and Romania. Then of course you got Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding, do you remember this?
Amanda H: I do.
PeterB: And the figure skating fiasco, when basically Tonya puts a hit out on Nancy.
The whole Jeff Gagliuli thing, [00:26:00] oh that was classic. Okay, and then all the doping scandals. but none greater than the East German women of the 80s who were all jacked up on male hormones and basically looked like men and destroyed all their competition.
And, um, that's all I got.
Amanda H: Well, That was a good list. And it had a little bit of everything. You're welcome. Some athletic stuff. The spirit of competition, some tragedy and some resilience. So I will say good work, capturing it all.
PeterB: Thank you.
Amanda H: And I guess that's why the Olympics have such a power to kind of inspire and unite people. So I love it, but. Ready? I have another question because I always got questions and I think everybody kind of wants the answer to maybe this one.
PeterB: What?
Amanda H: Well, it's actually two questions.
PeterB: What is it? Shoot.
Amanda H: So why are there five rings and why the Olympic torch?
PeterB: Okay, good ones. Let's go. Alright, so, the five Olympic rings were created in 1913 by none other than, of course, our buddy Pierre de Coubertin, and he finally unveiled them at the 1920 Antwerp [00:27:00] Games.
They symbolize the coming together of athletes from the five inhabited continents. It consists of five interlocking rings, blue, yellow, black, green, red? Yep. Red, okay. Uh, set on a white background representing the continent Africa. The Americas, considered one continent, North and South America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, which is Australia and New Zealand.
And the six colors, including the white background, chosen because every national flag in the world includes at least one of those colors. That's genius. Totally was. I thought, good, good old shout out to Kuberta. This Kuberta guy, he was really something, right?
Really appreciate him. Okay.
Amanda H: He was a big thinker.
PeterB: He was. Absolutely. So the Olympic torch was introduced by Carl Diem, some German sports dude, in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. It's a shout out to the original Ancient Greek Games. In ancient Greece, a fire burned at the altar of Hestia, the [00:28:00] goddess of hearth and home during the first Olympic Games. So every year, the torch is lit in a ceremony in, of course, Olympia, Greece, using a mirror to focus the sun's rays to light it. Nothing mechanical can be used to help then it goes through like a gazillion countries being held by like a thousand runners Or I guess we call them torchbearers not really runners, right?
Before basically being lit in this huge cauldron during the opening ceremony at wherever the current games is taking place
Amanda H: And so this year it's France. Yep. However, how do they get it? Across the ocean.
PeterB: In a boat. They just The torchbearer will They just harness it? Absolutely. They'll just go on. Yeah.
Amanda H: And keep it inside?
PeterB: Yeah. Absolutely.
Amanda H: Oh, interesting.
PeterB: Yeah. It's totally amazing. Alright. So there you go. Look at that. You're a bit more sophisticated, Amanda.
Amanda H: A little more sophisticated. Yeah
So speaking of Paris, I read, cause you know, I'm in finance. And so this tracks just go with me on this is that the countries that host the Olympics do well financially, but others don't. And so why do you think that is? [00:29:00]
PeterB: Hmm. I, uh, I don't know. I think you bring up a good point. Um, I will say this.
Hosting the Olympics, like you just said, has some massive benefits. Right? Like,
Amanda H: Right. I mean, there's cost to it. works. It's a build out stuff, but
PeterB: I would, I would argue a country like France is gonna do well. Because hosting the Olympics has some massive benefits, like think of global viewership and visibility to that country, which totally funds growth, the tourist boost is huge for the economy and like local businesses.
And because of all the construction, hospitality, all that kind of stuff, it's a big, big, like big boost on jobs, which totally helps the economy. If you manage that correctly, and that is a big, if all the infrastructure improvements like roads, sports arenas, airport renovations, like can help that country for like years to come, which in turn.
Can attract future tourists and even like new investment firms. So in theory, it's awesome. I think France [00:30:00] in this case totally wins from this because they are set. Right. But for every upside Amanda, there's a downside. So the biggest one is that all these countries usually spend a shit ton of money to get ready and go way over budget.
So before they even start, they're in massive debt.
Amanda H: I mean, cause they don't know how to dicker, clearly.
PeterB: Oh my God. Oh my God. You just nailed
Amanda H: that one. It's going to be my new favorite one.
PeterB: You're so, you're so smooth with that one.
Yeah, I'm sort of getting that vibe, right? You love the dicker. You totally, you love the dicker. All right. Okay. Listen, but seriously, like, listen, if not carefully planned all the infrastructure developments. Put a super strain on local labor and like totally fuck up communities that leads to problem with the environment screws with residents They don't have housing anymore, which is totally what happened in Brazil in 2016 and depending on how you market it Many post Olympic cities struggle with venues that don't get used anymore.
So they can't pay off the debt So if you don't have an Olympic after plan, you're kind of screwed it all comes [00:31:00] down to sustainability, and that's totally what the IOC is finally starting to look for now, unless they're still getting paid under the table, which is way too sophisticated for this episode, so let's not go into that, but they don't want countries that like fuck with the balance of resources or have to bring them in from other countries because it's not sustainable long term, and that gets super dangerous.
They're looking for countries who have a lot of infrastructure already built out that can handle shit for the most part. With like not a ton of extra resources required.
Amanda H: All right. That makes sense. Then why they're picking cities like Paris in 2024 and LA in 2028.
PeterB: Yeah, totally.
Amanda H: At first, I think there was a whole thing like, it's not fair.
All the rich cities keep getting the Olympics, but it makes sense now. So there we go. We have answers, which is good. And they already have, if you think about it, a lot of the infrastructure and they can reuse or repurpose so much stuff. And it just makes it easier all around.
PeterB: It, it, it, honestly, it really does.
Like personally, I think they should pick like six places around [00:32:00] the world and just literally rotate like every four years, like just go from this place to this place. Because, because otherwise
Amanda H: it's already there. Yes. And you're reusing the resources. So speaking of that, then we know where the next two are, where are they after that?
PeterB: Okay. So Paris, France right now, right? We talked about that. Then, um, I'll do the winter. So then Milan and Cortina, Italy. So they're sharing the winter Olympics of 2026.
Amanda H: And note for anybody who doesn't know, you have your summer Olympics and then two years later, you have your winter Olympics. And then two years later you have your summer back, right?
PeterB: Back and forth. So then in LA, you just said in the summer of 28, let's go Los Angeles doing it again. We love LA. We love LA. Then Actually TBD in the winter of 2030, but the front runners are the city or I guess cities in the French Alps. Like I don't know all the cities in the French Alps, or right here at home in Salt Lake City, Utah.
It's two front runners. So 2030, let's hope. And then [00:33:00] finally the summer Olympics in 2032 are already figured out and those will be held in Brisbane, Australia. First time hosts. So let's be careful, right? Infrastructure development, infrastructure, first time host for Brisbane. They did Sydney in 2000, but this is the whole infrastructure thing.
They got to make sure they know what they're doing. Right. Um, and then after that, I have no idea, like 2034 and neither does the IOC. So they'll, have to figure all that out.
Amanda H: So I feel like. They would need more time
PeterB: the more time than 2034. It's 20. They got 10 years. They'll start figuring out like like they're usually 10 years out
Amanda H: It's amazing and these structures get built so quickly
PeterB: I know but when you think about it's awesome But then it's terrible because you go back to Brazil and in 2016 the stadiums they use like they don't even get used it's gross It's super sad. Yeah, right and they did them in some random places like in the Amazon so crazy So you think of LA like we're gonna reuse the Coliseum. We're gonna use a stable sentiment It's not stable center crypto commery. Like we're gonna use all these different places, right? So it's just like it's so much better when you have infrastructure.
Anyway,
Amanda H: sustainability,
PeterB: it's all about it really is [00:34:00] I
Amanda H: love it I love it. But I hope you did maybe just a little bit more homework for the episode.
PeterB: Why?
Amanda H: Because I mean you already kind of gave a couple of fun facts, but I feel like we need some more fun facts
PeterB: Oh, I did ancient Olympic fun facts Are you asking without asking are you saying you want some modern Olympic fun?
Amanda H: I do. You. Is that it so you got it locked and loaded
PeterB: Oh, I'm loaded. I got modern Olympic fun facts ready to go.
Amanda H: I'm ready. Let's go.
PeterB: Okay. So the official languages of the Olympic Games are English and French, complemented by the official language of the host country.
So there's three official languages. The relay torch and the Olympic flame are supposed to burn during the whole event, in case the flame goes out. Amanda, you're not going to believe this. It can only be reignited with a backup flame, which has been lit. In Greece, all the way back to the ancient games, like Olympia, Greece is where it has to be lit.
Amanda H: Every year.
PeterB: Well every two years, and never with a regular lighter. So shit, I hope it doesn't go [00:35:00] out. Because if it went out during the games, they have to go all the way back to Olympia, Greece, get it lit with a mirror, come all the way back, run it back, well I don't know if run it back, fly it back, whatever they have to do, to the Olympic Games.
Amanda H: That's crazy.
PeterB: It's stupid. Okay, one I think we talked about in older episodes about art. From 1912 to 1948, artists participated in the Olympics. Painters, sculptors, architects, writers, and musicians all competed for medals. In a respective field.
Amanda H: We did talk about in our art appreciation episode. Yeah. And I still think it, like, it blows my mind. That's creepy.
PeterB: Shout out to all these badasses. Except how boring would that be to watch on television, somebody painting. So, uh,
Amanda H: I mean that's probably why it got nicked.
PeterB: He's going for gold.
I hope he makes the right brush stroke. It would be so dumb.
Hey, Have you ever seen Olympians biting their medals during award ceremonies and wondered why they do that?
Amanda H: I mean, I've seen them do it Right, I don't know if I've ever wondered why I just thought it was like a thing
PeterB: they were eating it Is that what you thought they were like,
Amanda H: it's like a
PeterB: Well It's tradition that goes back to when merchants would [00:36:00] check to see if a coin was really the metal they required and not like a lead Forgery a lead coin would leave teeth marks while a gold coin Would not it's all fun now because Olympic medals are not made of gold anymore.
They're only finished with gold They're mostly made of silver and then coated in gold. The last time they were entirely made of gold was 1904 a long time ago.
Amanda H: I mean the gold standard no longer a thing
PeterB: no longer a thing So now they just bite him for fun and then break their teeth and Dennis love them.
Okay Next four athletes have won medals in both the summer and winter Olympics You And only one of them, Christa Ludinger Rothberger, an East German like me. Really big, massive, hairy German woman. Won medals in the same year. Speed skating and sprint cycling. That's when, like, Winter and Summer Olympics were held in the same year.
Now they're every two years. But, like, back then, same [00:37:00] year, she totally did it.
Amanda H: And note, she was hairy because this is when, uh, in the 80s, when the Germans were
PeterB: Harry. And they lived in East Germany. That was the
Amanda H: whole male testosterone scandal.
PeterB: Yeah, you could argue that or you could just say it was, Germany gets very cold and women had a lot of hair.
So either way, I think you're probably more right than I am. Let's be honest. They were just big hairy women. Okay, uh, next one. Tarzan competed in the Olympics. Like? Tarzan. Yes, Tarzan. Johnny Weissmuller. The athlete turned actor who played in Tarzan's 12 movies won five gold medals in swimming in the 1920s.
Amanda H: Hey fun fact Let's go Tarzan. That's my chiropractor One in the swimming. Wait, wait, wait,
PeterB: you have you know a famous olympian?
Amanda H: I mean, I don't know if mckinnon's famous I mean,
PeterB: first of all your grandpa Hung out with like the women in 1984 and now your chiropractor, but he's a chiropractor, by the way Aren't they all a bunch of hacks?
Amanda H: No, ours is a non [00:38:00] manipulative. He's quite fabulous. I
PeterB: don't even know what that means
Amanda H: They don't like crack your bones. It taps your atlas
PeterB: Episode episode on on chiropractors. Okay, fine All right. Next one during the 1936 Berlin Games two Japanese pole vaulters tied for second place
and they weren't smart enough back then to just award two silvers like they do now. So instead of competing again, they literally cut the silver and bronze metals in half and infused the halves together so that each of them had half silver and half bronze.
Amanda H: I mean, they have a very unique metal.
PeterB: They do.
The two Japanese guys.
Amanda H: Nobody else has it.
PeterB: Okay, so here's a list of sports that are sadly, like no longer part of the Olympics anymore.
Solo synchronized swimming,
Amanda H: like solo. One person,
PeterB: like, so, like one person. Like what, what does that, what does that even mean? Like, how can you be solo and Synchron? Who are you synchronizing with? That's not even a thing. That's the dumbest thing ever. Thank God.
Amanda H: That's why it's not in it anymore, right?
PeterB: We talked about tug of war.
We talked about live pigeon shooting. Um [00:39:00] rope climbing hot air ballooning
Dueling pistols. What the fuck? Dueling pistols like they were doing like Code Duelo like trying to shoot each other and kill each other
Amanda: When did that one go out ?
PeterB: I don't I don't don't ask me to have to look that one up. Okay tandem bicycling A swimming obstacle course, where these like, like have shit in the water that you'd have to like crawl over get under or like they throw shit at you like
Amanda H: I mean, if you're shooting each other in a duel, maybe they were just trying to see who would drown.
PeterB: I don't know, like, okay, that's all nuts. Okay, anyway. All right, next one. During the 17 days of the 2024 Summer Olympics 10, 500 athletes from 200 countries We'll represent 32 different sports and participate in 329 competitions in Paris. And 36 athletes will compete as part of what's called the Olympic Refugee Team.[00:40:00]
Amanda H: That's a really cool fun fact.
PeterB: Isn't that an awesome one? Right. Anybody not know the Olympic Refugee Team? Those are, those are Olympians that defected from their countries that aren't participating in the Olympics for a number of reasons or won't allow it. Um, and they want to participate and the IOC has money to be able to support those Olympians.
So shout out to the Olympic Refugee Team. And lastly, The oldest record that still stands today in modern Olympic history is over 50 years old. The American Bob Behrman, who won the long jump in the 1968 Olympic games in Mexico, his superhuman leap registered a remarkable 8.
9 meters, 29. 2 feet. That became an Olympic record, which to this day stands 56 years later, all the rest of the Olympic records have been broken more recently. This is the last one.
Amanda H: Do you think it's going to be broken this year?
PeterB: I do not. I believe this is an amazing record that will last for a hundred [00:41:00] years.
Amanda H: That's awesome.
PeterB: I know.
Amanda H: Well, thanks for all the fun facts.
PeterB: You got it. That's all I got. Fun facts complete.
Amanda H: The Olympics are truly the best.
They are. And probably there was a gazillion fun facts. for you to choose from. Oh, there was. So, good job pairing it down to something that's kind of more manageable and entertaining and You're welcome.
PeterB: I mean, as always.
Amanda H: Things that I'm totally going to pull out of my back pocket. That's what you need it for, right?
PeterB: That's why we do it.
Amanda H: So you got anything else for us? Or are we gonna start wrapping it up?
PeterB: No, no, no. That's all I got. That's all I got. Now go watch the Olympics.
Amanda H: I'm just gonna get on that. Well, hopefully. Our listeners feel like they got the inside scoop on all things Olympics, and whether you're dreaming of racing or just cheering from your couch, remember, it's like watching a superhero movie, but without the CGI, capes, or all the other dramatic villain stuff. Sometimes.
PeterB: That's right.
Amanda H: These are the real studs who must be just a little nuts and a lot neurotic to spend their entire lives practicing to compete for five minutes of glory.
So all right, Pete, sum it up for me. What do I need to know from this episode [00:42:00] to be sort of sophisticated? Let's go. Besides my fun facts.
PeterB: Oh, let's go. Are you ready? I'm ready. All right. So watch some 2024 Summer Olympics or at least check your socials for updates and recaps so you can stay in the know.
Like don't go a day without knowing what's happening.
Second, I would challenge yourself to pick a new sport to follow that you haven't before. It, like, makes it way more fun. Like, do a little research on a sport so you know, like, a little bit about how it all works, and then follow the event through the Olympics.
I'm choosing breakdancing this year.
Amanda H: You didn't even mention that breakdancing was a sport.
PeterB: Because I like to add something for you. That's awesome. Right, it is.
Amanda H: How many sports, how many?
PeterB: First time, first time it's going in. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So, uh, so why not? Like, I'm going to learn it. Okay. Okay. Then after you're armed with some info, when you're at your next party, ask anyone if they've been watching the Olympics.
Of course, like, you know, do this during the time that the Olympics is going on. If they're super into it, then listen to them for a while and engage with them about their favorite events and maybe share yours. Remember, this is about perspective and like being cultured and curious and listening to other people.
So like, don't just jump in [00:43:00] and if they aren't that into it, just give them a quick and dirty on some of the fun facts that we share just to keep it light. So you've got to sort of read your audience here. And of course, share these interesting and relevant details to seem sort of sophisticated. The modern Olympic started in 1896 by some French dude named Pierre de Coubertin.
Cause he was a history buff who loved the ancient Greeks. The 1896 game started with 43 events across 10 different sports compared to today with 329 events across 32 sports. While there are a number of benefits to the Olympics, I think the most important to remember are that the games are based on universal values of fair play, respect, and friendship.
Which can help people from around the world understand each other better and inspire people to overcome differences. They serve as an example of peaceful global interaction and help us build a better world. And finally, there's really only one place I could finish. Paris, 1900. The most obscure event ever created. I had to save this one, best for last. I'll admit it, it was a test event. It didn't [00:44:00] make it in, but thank god.
Amanda H: Alright, but can you stop dickering around? What is it?
PeterB: Okay. Okay. First of all, you totally used that wrong that time. You can't, that's just, you would say dicking around. You can't say dickering there because it's not about haggling.
Amanda H: I mean, but dickering and dicking. No, that's not to say. I'm going to use dickering all the time.
PeterB: Okay. Fine. Fine. Okay. But second and most importantly, are you ready? Poodle clipping.
Amanda H: Stop it.
PeterB: Poodle clipping.
Amanda H: Lies. Lies. Yes. Lies.
PeterB: No, over 100 ath athletes, can I call them athletes? This is fantastic, raced to clip fur off of as many poodles as possible in two hours. And the winner was gold medalist Avril LaFleur. Like what a Frenchie. With a total of 17 clipped poodles.
Amanda H: So I have so many questions. So many questions. How did they keep it fair? Like, how did they ensure all the poodles were the same size? Were they all equally tamed? Wouldn't that slow them down if the poodles were biting the athlete?
And, most importantly, why are they [00:45:00] doing this in the first place? I mean, it's a French poodle, so of course the French are gonna win. So
PeterB: Wait, listen, Amanda. I don't decide this stuff. I just report on the facts. And this one was like way too good to pass up. This was like the best fun fact of all time.
Amanda H: I mean, it's probably more of a random fact than a fun fact.
Poodle
PeterB: clipping in the Olympics.
Amanda H: Who would have thought it?
PeterB: Done. Out.
Amanda H: But it never actually was in the Olympics.
PeterB: It was a test event.
Amanda H: How do you have a test event?
PeterB: That's what they do. They put it in the Olympics as a test event and they see if people like it. Oh, like for a year? Yeah.
Amanda H: Oh, and
PeterB: then they decide later if they don't like it.
Amanda H: Oh, I didn't know that. Okay. Like, Oh, this is a failure.
Okay.
Alright, well there you have it, dear listeners. That's a wrap on our race through the modern Olympics.
Where I'm sure we'll see world record smashed, medals won, and questionable dance moves at the opening ceremony. But seriously, who knew breakdancing was going to be an Olympic sport?
PeterB: I know. I think they missed that one by like a few decades, right? Like wasn't that the 80s? And now we decide to shove in breakdancing?
Amanda H: Maybe it's gotten better.
PeterB: Great job, IOC.
Amanda H: I don't know. But from athletes pulling off the impossible to commentators pulling hamstrings trying to [00:46:00] keep up, these games will certainly be a spectacle to remember. We'd like to think we've shared just enough information to make you either a flaming nuisance or a little more sophisticated to your fellow humans.
Sort of. Remember folks, whether you're an aspiring Olympian or just running late to work, keep aiming for gold. Well, At least bronze. And if you enjoyed this episode and found it particularly interesting, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with your peeps. Until next time, keep those sneakers laced and the snacks nearby, because who needs a medal when you've got a great podcast to listen to?
All right, stay curious and stay ambitious.
