Olympic anxiety

You wouldn’t know it from the headlines and talk shows but according to some polls most Canadians are relatively laid back about our nation’s performance at the Olympics.

On the other hand there’s a large minority led by the media who always manage to put on a great show of emotion ranging from severe anxiety to boastful jingoism, depending on the medal count. If, like the first week this summer at Beijing, there’s a drought in medals the whining is world-class. If the count is just middling there are complaints about apathy and mediocrity and what can be done about it. Occasionally, when our athletes produce outstanding results the crowing and breast-beating are something to behold.

Well, thank God the medal drought is officially over. Our sports neurotics can now shift from shrill whining to snivelling about mediocrity. Maybe by the games’ end we’ll even get in some bragging.