Subscribe to Guide
No Result
View All Result
Hamptons.com
  • Spotlight Magazine
  • Lifestyle
    • Featured
    • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Community
    • Dining
    • Recreation
    • Trending
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Post an Event
    • Gallery
  • Real Estate
    • Real Estate Features
    • Search Real Estate
      • Open Houses
      • Search Sales
      • Search Rentals
    • Title Insurance
    • Happening In The Hamptons Podcast
  • Live Cameras
    • All Live Cameras
    • Live Weather Cams
    • Amagansett, Atlantic Avenue Beach
    • Bridgehampton, West Scott Cameron Beach
    • East Hampton Village, Main Beach
    • East Hampton Village, Main Street
    • East Hampton Village, Newtown Lane
    • Hampton Bays, Ponquogue Beach
    • Hampton Bays, Ponquogue Bridge
    • Hampton Bays, Shinnecock Fishing Dock
    • Hampton Bays, Tiana Beach
    • Long Island Aquarium | Coral Reef
    • Long Island Aquarium | Penguins
    • Long Island Aquarium | Shark Tank
    • Montauk, Downtown Circle
    • Montauk, Lars Simenson Skatepark
    • Montauk, Gin Beach & Inlet
    • Montauk, Sunset Beach & Inlet
    • Sagaponack, Sagg Main Beach
    • Sag Harbor, Foster Memorial Beach
    • Sag Harbor, Long Wharf Marina
    • Sag Harbor, Main Street (South)
    • Sag Harbor, Sag Harbor Bay
    • Sag Harbor, Windmill Beach & Bay
    • Shelter Island, South Ferry
    • Southampton, 39A to Montauk Hwy Merge
    • Southampton, Conscience Point Marina
    • Southampton Village, Coopers Beach
    • Southampton Village, Main Street (South)
    • Southampton Village, Main Street (North)
    • Southampton Village, Main Street (Hildreths)
    • Westhampton Village, Main Street (East)
    • Westhampton Village, Rogers Beach
  • Public WiFi
    • Public WiFi Map
    • Public Wi-Fi Support
  • Spotlight Magazine
  • Lifestyle
    • Featured
    • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Community
    • Dining
    • Recreation
    • Trending
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Post an Event
    • Gallery
  • Real Estate
    • Real Estate Features
    • Search Real Estate
      • Open Houses
      • Search Sales
      • Search Rentals
    • Title Insurance
    • Happening In The Hamptons Podcast
  • Live Cameras
    • All Live Cameras
    • Live Weather Cams
    • Amagansett, Atlantic Avenue Beach
    • Bridgehampton, West Scott Cameron Beach
    • East Hampton Village, Main Beach
    • East Hampton Village, Main Street
    • East Hampton Village, Newtown Lane
    • Hampton Bays, Ponquogue Beach
    • Hampton Bays, Ponquogue Bridge
    • Hampton Bays, Shinnecock Fishing Dock
    • Hampton Bays, Tiana Beach
    • Long Island Aquarium | Coral Reef
    • Long Island Aquarium | Penguins
    • Long Island Aquarium | Shark Tank
    • Montauk, Downtown Circle
    • Montauk, Lars Simenson Skatepark
    • Montauk, Gin Beach & Inlet
    • Montauk, Sunset Beach & Inlet
    • Sagaponack, Sagg Main Beach
    • Sag Harbor, Foster Memorial Beach
    • Sag Harbor, Long Wharf Marina
    • Sag Harbor, Main Street (South)
    • Sag Harbor, Sag Harbor Bay
    • Sag Harbor, Windmill Beach & Bay
    • Shelter Island, South Ferry
    • Southampton, 39A to Montauk Hwy Merge
    • Southampton, Conscience Point Marina
    • Southampton Village, Coopers Beach
    • Southampton Village, Main Street (South)
    • Southampton Village, Main Street (North)
    • Southampton Village, Main Street (Hildreths)
    • Westhampton Village, Main Street (East)
    • Westhampton Village, Rogers Beach
  • Public WiFi
    • Public WiFi Map
    • Public Wi-Fi Support
No Result
View All Result
Hamptons.com
February 20, 2018

Sixty-Something: Winners, Losers, And The Winter Olympic Games

T.J. Clementeby T.J. Clemente
in Community
Home Community

Many years ago, I had a noon “Tennis Date” with a “club” level tennis player named Peter Vale. On that same day Peter had to play an 8:30 a.m. singles tennis match against the #1 seed and defending champion in the Westchester Country Club Grass Court Championship. The plan was after that very predictable loss Peter would drive to the NYAC for our doubles match. However at noon, Peter never showed up, and only later that afternoon did I understand why.

On the actual first point of the his 8:30 match, the #1 seed, (Peter’s opponent), hit a huge big serve and Peter flailed at and flopped it back into play hitting a short wounded duck of a return shot. The reigning champion #1 seed dashed up to smash the short lob but slipped, fell and somehow fractured his ankle. This resulted with paramedics removing the #1 seed from the court and loading him into the now courtside ambulance. On the scoreboard it said Peter Vale defeats #1 seed, “who retired due to injury.”

This week the 2018 Winter Olympic games have been going on in Pyeongchang, South Korea and every day there are winners, losers, defeated teams and new champions. Some win because they are simply the fastest. Others win because judges decide to grade them the best, and others win based on scoring goals, or other calibrated mechanism of separation within the competition. Then there are other reasons.

The best figure skater over the recent year falls on a jump and the skater not quite as talented wins due to a flawless skate, perhaps with less risk. For that event, he or she is declared the Olympic champion. A great women skier catches an edge and ends up 6th instead of first. Boom! No medal and the headlines say loser. The network talking heads talk of choking, failing to medal, or being unlucky. All this has become upsetting to me because in the Olympics there are competitors with the champions of that day but there are no losers, just amazing talented athletes with the unpredictable outcomes of winter sports.

Watching the TV coverage of the Olympic games is always a mixed bagged. You truly see “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” You watch it all. You witness the ski jumps, along with those vivid ski jump accidents. You can feel the intensity of the ski racer and wince at the violent crashes when they “loose it” on the course and crash at a high speed. Other moments like the curling coverage totally fascinates almost everyone watching what has to be the most bizarre but gaining popularity sport. I even watched some Finland versus Sweden men’s hockey just to hear the announcers fumble through the names.

Part of the price of watching is listening to the banter of the network talking heads who are either former Olympic athletes (who are totally knowledgeable), or the assigned journalist who are not so knowledgeable but under huge contracts to the network. However, it is the magic of competition that makes you watch for hours.

I have many vivid memories of past Winter Olympics. My first memory is of Jean-Claude Killy skiing for France and Peggy Fleming skating during the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. Who can forget the 1980 USA Hockey Olympic victory over the Russian team at Lake Placid, or the drama of Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic games? The actual winner of the Women’s Skating Gold Medal that Olympics was a young Russian named Oksana Baiul.

Then there were the 2002 (Salt Lake City) and 2010 (Vancouver) Olympics which the NHL stars played in and had amazing USA-Canada men’s hockey gold medal finals. Each team won the gold medal final game played in their respected country. Also the emergence of the fierce rivalry of Canadian and American women’s Olympic hockey teams has become very popular.

Yet, in the end, it is the story of the relatively unknown teenager or early 20’s young adults who are delivered from obscurity to world attention after a successful “Gold Medal” winning event. Sadly the networks over promote past “professional Olympic” athletes with their million dollars sponsors way too much. Athletes whose best days are behind them but have commercial contracts with the advertisers/financial supporters of the broadcasts. Yet, new fresh faces emerge and it is wonderful to witness.

In the end, the Winter Olympic Games make great diverse television for the otherwise dull days of February – when so many of us on the East End of Long Island are waiting for spring and summer to arrive. I must confess during the games I put on Olympic gear, sit in front of the TV and root for the USA. It is a good feeling.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter!

Get the top Hamptons events and latest scoop!

What's Happening in the Hamptons

Related Posts

A Bride’s Best Friend: Hamptons Bridal Brings Style & Soul to Southampton
Featured

A Bride’s Best Friend: Hamptons Bridal Brings Style & Soul to Southampton

August 4, 2025
QUAY Eyewear Frames Hamptons Luxury with Exclusive Edit at Montauk Yacht Club
Community

QUAY Eyewear Frames Hamptons Luxury with Exclusive Edit at Montauk Yacht Club

July 29, 2025
Fight Cancer – East Hampton’s Bryan Woods To Step Into The Boxing Ring
Community

Fight Cancer – East Hampton’s Bryan Woods To Step Into The Boxing Ring

July 29, 2025

Search Articles

No Result
View All Result

LOCAL EVENTS

Events

05
Aug
05
Aug
-
05
Aug

3D Pens

August 5 @ 02:00 PM - August 5 @ 03:00 PM
The Hampton Library
05
Aug
05
Aug
-
05
Aug

Ink Marbling

August 5 @ 04:00 PM - August 5 @ 05:00 PM
2478 Main Street Bridgehampton ny 11932
05
Aug
05
Aug
-
05
Aug

Hamptons Run Club x MYC

August 5 @ 06:00 PM - August 5 @ 07:30 PM
32 Star Island Rd, Montauk, NY 11954
05
Aug
05
Aug
-
05
Aug

Inda Eaton at The Stephen Talkhouse

August 5 @ 08:00 PM - August 5 @ 08:30 PM
161 Main St, Amagansett, NY 11930
05
Aug
05
Aug
-
05
Aug

Industry Night w/ DJ CK Beats

August 5 @ 10:00 PM - August 5 @ 10:30 PM
161 Main St, Amagansett, NY 11930
Load more listings
Next Post
Sag Harbor HarborFrost 2018 Schedule Of Events

Sag Harbor HarborFrost 2018 Schedule Of Events

    Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube
    Hamptons.com

    Saunders Broadcasting Corp.

    Phone: 631-613-8440
    Email: [email protected]
    Facebook: Facebook.com/HamptonsOnline
    Twitter: @Hamptons
    Instagram: @HamptonsOnline

    About Us | Contact Us

    Hamptons.com

    • Lifestyle
    • Events
    • Real Estate
    • Live Cameras
    • Public WiFi

    Subscribe

    Sign up for our weekly newsletter!

    Get the top Hamptons events and latest scoop!

    © 2025 Hamptons.com | All rights reserved
    Saunders Broadcasting Corp.
    Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | About Us | Contact Us

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Spotlight Magazine
    • Lifestyle
      • Featured
      • Entertainment
      • Arts
      • Community
      • Dining
      • Recreation
      • Trending
    • Events
      • Events Calendar
      • Post an Event
      • Gallery
    • Real Estate
      • Real Estate Features
      • Search Real Estate
        • Open Houses
        • Search Sales
        • Search Rentals
      • Title Insurance
      • Happening In The Hamptons Podcast
    • Live Cameras
      • All Live Cameras
      • Live Weather Cams
      • Amagansett, Atlantic Avenue Beach
      • Bridgehampton, West Scott Cameron Beach
      • East Hampton Village, Main Beach
      • East Hampton Village, Main Street
      • East Hampton Village, Newtown Lane
      • Hampton Bays, Ponquogue Beach
      • Hampton Bays, Ponquogue Bridge
      • Hampton Bays, Shinnecock Fishing Dock
      • Hampton Bays, Tiana Beach
      • Long Island Aquarium | Coral Reef
      • Long Island Aquarium | Penguins
      • Long Island Aquarium | Shark Tank
      • Montauk, Downtown Circle
      • Montauk, Lars Simenson Skatepark
      • Montauk, Gin Beach & Inlet
      • Montauk, Sunset Beach & Inlet
      • Sagaponack, Sagg Main Beach
      • Sag Harbor, Foster Memorial Beach
      • Sag Harbor, Long Wharf Marina
      • Sag Harbor, Main Street (South)
      • Sag Harbor, Sag Harbor Bay
      • Sag Harbor, Windmill Beach & Bay
      • Shelter Island, South Ferry
      • Southampton, 39A to Montauk Hwy Merge
      • Southampton, Conscience Point Marina
      • Southampton Village, Coopers Beach
      • Southampton Village, Main Street (South)
      • Southampton Village, Main Street (North)
      • Southampton Village, Main Street (Hildreths)
      • Westhampton Village, Main Street (East)
      • Westhampton Village, Rogers Beach
    • Public WiFi
      • Public WiFi Map
      • Public Wi-Fi Support

    © 2025 Hamptons.com | All rights reserved
    Saunders Broadcasting Corp.
    Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | About Us | Contact Us