Last Updated on February 12, 2022
The next time I hear a Republican lambaste a Democrat for wasting time on something unimportant, I’m going to refer to them to the story of a state representative from Greenville, South Carolina, who has taken it upon himself to make curling the Official Winter Olympic Sport of South Carolina.
Not just the “Official Olympic sport,” but the Official Winter Olympic sport, kindly paving the way for someone else to waste the state taxpayers’ money with recommendations for the Summer games.
“No one is going to come here just because we like curling,” this guy admits, “but people could recognize we are fairly progressive and willing to look at other cultures.”
Progressive?  Willing to look at other cultures?
This from a state that continues to fly a Confederate flag on its statehouse grounds just because, doggone it, that’s the way it ought to always be!
I mean no offense to the sport of curling or its admirers, of course, but there’s a lot more important issues this state needs to deal with before adopting a sport that’s requires a climate a good bit colder than South Carolina offers for backyard enthusiasts to grow up playing if it wants to truly be considered progressive enough to attract people from “other cultures.”
I wonder what he’ll propose to accomplish that.
Hmmm…got me thinking again! See you start this! HA!
Ok, I’m wondering…
1. Does a state have to have hard winters to be known for a winter sport? Isn’t there a commercial on about some bobsledders from some very hot country that didn’t take no you are crazy for an answer. I mean curling would be no different than ice skating or hockey doing well in the state..they do have indoor ice rinks in every state right? So I don’t see that as a problem IF they do well in it. Can Olympic Swimmers only come from Hot temperature states?
2. I don’t think just because you have bigger issues (being bipartisan here) doesn’t mean you have to totally eliminate the smaller and fun things. In fact of all times that is when we might need it. You can do both, but they better do both!
3. I also don’t think that just because the state uses the confederate flag, which no I totally disagree with, is a reason not to do some good things. Again, you can do both and maybe one will influence the other. Work on the flag issue as well but doesn’t mean you can’t have other lovely things. In fact, that is the way to change the culture by bringing in “other cultures” in. Then maybe it won’t be just tolerance (sorry to bring on this comment again) but people actually understanding. He did say “fairly” which is not majority or totally. Then I would have an argument with him. I think he was trying to “open the door” but of course what happens when people come through the door is what will be the deciding factor. Go for it I say. To anything & everything to keep that progressive momentum going. Better than it staying as it is or being dragged.
I don’t mind eliminating “fun” things, either, but if you’re going to do something fun, why not do something that will actually help some of the issues we have. South Carolina has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Making curling an official winter olympics sport isn’t going to put a dent in that. If it attracts someone from up north who happens to favor curling, they’ll be sorely disappointed when they arrive and discover that most people here barely know what curling even is.
For example, the state dog is the Boykin Spaniel. The breed originated here in South Carolina, so the state actually has some kind of tie to it. If curling had any kind of tie to this state, it might make more sense to me to try to designate it as a state sport. But try ranking the top 10 sports people here might think about in the winter months and I seriously doubt that curling would make anyone’s list.
More importantly, the way this state’s government does things, nothing happens without a lot of red tape and time wasting (and thereby, money wasting, too). I just hate to see something this trivial be part of that mix.
Hmmm…
Well it is a start. Who knows, it could become popular draw more people to watch so then more income then more jobs. HUGE? Well, ever little bit helps & again it doesn’t mean they are not working on say unemployment in a larger or better way also. This may just be a small ticket item like ok, lets repaint the fire hydrants.
Some could say they barely know what living in a nondiscriminating way is but that does not mean someone from the north can’t bring that there either.
Well everything in govt takes too much time & cost so much & waste so if we use that they would do nothing & nothing would get done. I guess I figure always try. Again is baseball only in the states which originated it? We have Football in Chicago. One would think hey isn’t it nicer to play in warmth, not deal with sliding in the snow, getting muddy, tearing up the field in the mud etc. Like I said, what does it matter if they wanted ice skating or gymnastics I don’t care. If the state wants it they can have it. I don’t see that it really will hurt other concerns that much.
Curling is ‘another culture’, really? Cuz yeah, curling is pretty popular in Minnesota and Wisconsin and probably some other places in the same country South Carolina is in. Or, wait, am I just confused? 😀
“Official State _____” stuff makes me crazy. They get PAID for this? While the state budget is hitting the red zone? Ugh.
Amazing, the lengths politicos will go to attract attention.