For the first part of the week I’m in Hong Kong, covering – of all things – equestrian events. I’ll have more to say about all of that – including the venues (complete with photos) – tomorrow, probably. For now, I’ll just say that I’m in a hotel that houses members of the US and…
All posts in Olympics
Life in [Y]our Hands
It began to rain around the time that everybody was arriving at Shanghai Stadium for tonight’s soccer matches. At first, just a drizzle. But then, quite suddenly, the thunder started and the skies opened up. There’s very little shelter in the area, and – making matters worse – the Olympic organizers included umbrellas on their…
Shanghai ? Argentina
On Thursday I published a short dispatch at the Atlantic in which I described the deep affinity that Shanghai’s sports fans have for the Argentine national team. So it makes a certain kind of cosmic sense that – when I arrived at Shanghai Stadium this afternoon for the match between Argentina and Australia – I…
The Drum Tower Murder – Local Connections.
The man who was murdered on Beijing’s Drum Tower is Todd Bachman, the CEO of a 123-year-old Minnesota-based home and garden center. That might not make much of an impression if you didn’t grow up in the Twin Cities. But if you did, then it was hard to get through a year without the company…
Second City Olympics
The Atlantic has just posted “The Olympics’ Second City,” my dispatch from last night’s matches at Shanghai Stadium. It’s the first of several Atlantic dispatches that I’ll be doing from co-host cities during the Games.
Shanghai’s Worst Concessions
I had such a fine time at last night’s Olympic soccer matches that I’m really loathe hesitant to say anything negative about the experience. So, first let me say something nice: the organizers ran a smooth show. Security was omni-present, but by no means was it intimidating or heavy-handed. Everything started on-time. And, best of…
Hot August Night: Argentina v. Ivory Coast
Just returned from the barn-burner men’s Olympic soccer match between Argentina and Ivory Coast at Shanghai Stadium. The Argentines pulled it out at the end for a 2-1 win. All in all – a fantastic atmosphere in the stands. Great fans, great overall spirit, and, as far as I’m concerned, this was the Opening Ceremonies.…
Six Years Later … a personal note.
I arrived in Shanghai on September 5, 2002, with plans to be here – I dunno – six to eight weeks, and then head back to the US. Obviously, it didn’t quite work out that way. Many things have kept me here. Too many to list, really. But the best accounting comes from an extroverted…
And now, the Catholic Olympic Bible
We’ve come a long, long way since the bogus Olympic Bible Ban stories of last fall. First, the Chinese Protestants publish a special, bi-lingual edition (50,000, complete with the Olympic seal on the cover) for distribution during the Games. And now the Catholics – with the aid of United Bible Societies, and some Franciscan translators…
… only as far as I can throw it.
The mystery deepens. For weeks, Olympic authorities have been adamant that spectators are not allowed to bring food or drink into Shanghai Stadium during the soccer matches to be held there. But thanks to a helpful reader, we learn that the rule has been refined: Ticket holders will also be screened for thermos flasks and…