Behind the Bastards Part One: How Avery Brundage Gave Hitler an Olympics
Jun 25, 2024
Professional Olympics nerd, Matt Lieb, discusses Avery Brundage's controversial role in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Topics include the evolution of the modern Olympics, ancient Greek origins, amateurism in sports, risks of data breaches, financial struggles, mistreatment of athletes, and the complexities of navigating political ideologies within the games.
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Ancient Olympics
- The ancient Greeks created the Olympics, initially a single race, around 776 BC.
- They quickly added combat sports like wrestling, boxing, and pankration (ancient MMA).
Modern Olympics Revival
- Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin revived the Olympics in 1896, inspired by English boarding schools' use of sports.
- Coubertin, a staunch anti-war advocate, believed sports could promote peace.
Sports and Violence
- Coubertin's focus on sports for peace contrasts with others who saw sports as an outlet for aggression, like boxing to prevent war.
- This highlights the complex and sometimes contradictory views on sports' role in society.