Anticipation only increases the tension for the coming events. Of all the wonderful sports events which gain our attention, the Olympic Games, without question, is the top attraction every four years. We see superbly-conditioned athletes from a world-wide perspective. The competition is great. Nationalism is a natural perspective. Unexpected excellence and new stories are part of the process. The dates are Wednesday, July 24 through Sunday, Aug. 11. Even non-sports fans can find something of interest in watching television coverage of the Games and newspapers will be filled with on-site coverage of the events. We reported a great deal of activities in last week’s edition of The Voice. If we were blessed with being on site in Paris, France this year, that capability would provide many additional facts, personal stories, and a personal view of the activities. Those who will attend should offer a sense of thankfulness. The last time the Olympic Games were in the United States, 1996 for the Summer Games in Atlanta and 2002 for the Winter Games in Salt Lake City, hearing the stories who were witness provided a sense of inclusion and excitement.
The first Olympic Games in the United States were the Summer Games in 1904 in St. Louis. Other Games in the U.S. included both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta, the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, with the 2028 Summer Games to be in Los Angeles.
Thankfully, NBC Sports has been a recent provider of Olympic Games telecasts and puts the spectator in view of the events. The 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo were wonderful and likely a parallel to the Games this year in Paris.
It takes a great effort to produce the Olympic Games and we should be grateful. It is no easy task. . Nearly every sport has been included for the Summer Games this a year. Enjoy!
•Football is around the corner, college, high school, and professional. The Chicago Bears will play their first preseason game Thursday, Aug. 1 at Houston and start the regular season at home against Tennessee, Sunday, Sept. 8 at noon. College football will begin Thursday, Aug. 22 and be under way in all aspects by Saturday, Aug. 31. The high schools in Illinois can begin practice Monday, Aug. 12.
•There will be changes in the college football scene, especially in Big Ten Conference, always enjoyable. The Big Ten will expand to 16 teams with the inclusion of Oregon, Washington, USC, and UCLA and mark end of the Pacific 12 Conference. The Conference will not expand into divisions.
College football will begin at the end of August and will expand to a 12-team playoff format.
•In high school football, The Upstate Eight will expand into two seven-team divisions, East and West. In the East the realignment will include Fenton, Elmwood Park, Glenbard South, Glenbard East, Ridgewood, Riverside-Brookfield, and West Chicago. The West Division: East Aurora, West Aurora, Bartlett, Elgin, Larkin, South Elgin, Streamwood, the latter basically Elgin area schools and Aurora area schools. The DuKane alignment: Batavia, Glenbard North, Geneva, Lake Park, St. Charles East, St. Charles North, Wheaton North, Wheaton Warrenville South. DuPage Valley: Waubonsie Valley, Metea Valley, Neuqua Valley, DeKalb, Naperville North, Naperville Central.
•First we will be obliged to watch the U.S. Clay Court tennis games from New York City, one of the four big tournaments to include Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon in London, then the U.S. Open.