Big Trouble in Little Sochi

These 2014 winter games have been filled with excitement, but also filled with plenty of drama. I have always loved the winter Olympics. While many find it boring I enjoy watching these incredible athletes as they take on their frozen tundra's and compete in the cold. The drama surrounding these Olympics really has nothing to do with the athletes, or the athletics either, everybody seems to be talking about the setting. While the country is struggling to feed all of their citizens, Putin has chosen to spend billions and billions of dollars on new arenas and venues for the games. Here the catch, they cant even fill the stadiums up. Every Olympics I have seen in the past the stadiums have been filled to the brim with excited fans, roaring and cheering for their countries. When I watch the Sochi games I have seen a dormant audience. The few fans that are at the events are cheering but they are not even close to the intensity I have seen in the past. More controversy surrounds these games too. Russia does not allow gay right to be promoted, which is completely against my morals, but also against the morals of many of the people watching the games. All and all, Sochi was not the best choice of venues at this time of change and progression.

Meanwhile, in the summer of 2014, the World Cup will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This competition is surprisingly similar to this winter's Olympics. Both feature struggling countries, especially Brazil, where the slums of Rio are in some places beyond belief. Yet, the government decided to spend an outrageous amount of money on massive stadiums, attractions, or anything else that could make their events stand out. This is the same money that could be spent on helping the starving, feeding the hungry, curing the sick, or really any act of good. Granted, the World Cup will bring great attention and tourism to the country, but that is not always a good thing. It just seems like the priorities are not set, what is really most important is being pushed back further and further.