In just a few days the closing ceremonies for the Winter Olympics are going to be held and wouldn’t you know it, Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir are going to be hosting. There are those that will be able to say this with excitement and as much aplomb as might be required considering that Lipinski and Weir are being considered the new gold standard when it comes to commentating the Olympics, but then there are those that might groan as well. There’s no real chance of forgetting just how scathing the two were during the figure dancing when they were heard to rip into one after another figure skater while watching their routines. From that input alone one would think that they’re not entirely fit to stand in for any position in which they would need to be completely objective and consider the feelings of others.
However upon watching other interviews in which the two were present and willing to share their thoughts they’ve been quite supportive of the sport and more than complimentary towards the athletes in describing just how difficult some of the techniques were and how impressed they were by what they’d seen. Perhaps in the heat of the moment, being that close to the sport that made them both famous, it was just too difficult to not be critical. They’ve certainly earned the right, but one thing they must both remember it seems is that humility is not a burden or a curse, it’s a tool used to temper even the greatest of egos at times and to recall that there are moments when everyone falls. Getting back up is the truest test of character of all really.
But seeing as how it is the closing ceremony their criticisms might not be a concern as they will be more likely to comment on the competitors and how mightily some of them have struggled and how close others came to their goals. Being overly critical near the end seems like it would be a waste of breath while being congratulatory to those that were selected and performed to the best of their abilities is a far better use of their position. They are both individuals that have competed at the top level in their prime and know what it takes to get to that point, but they also know the struggle that is involved and how it can break some and sharpen the focus of others. Being humble in such situations tends to mean being able to congratulate those who succeed and feeling for those who fail if only because they had a chance at their dream, but fate just wasn’t with them at that moment. There’s no need to remind people of how bad the failures were or how close they came to greatness just to trip.
Again that might not be an issue and we can certainly hope that they’ll be far more gracious to everyone that competed this year. Simply earning a spot in the Olympics after all is anything but a small feat of excellence.
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