Tuesday, August 7, 2012

IT'S IMPORTANT TO GLOAT OVER GRENADA. BUT GLOATING ISN'T ENOUGH. EVEN BRAGGING ISN'T ENOUGH. IT'S EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO ASK THE QUESTION, "WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL?" FOR OURSELVES, AND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS: You know what my favorite part of the Olympics is? The medal ceremonies. And the more obscure the country that wins, the more novel the national anthem, the better. So, of course, NBC can't (apparently?) be bothered to show Kirani James receiving the gold medal after winning the 400M dash on behalf of Grenada -- ahem -- on behalf of "[himself], his family, the people of St. John and indeed all of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique including those in the Grenadian Diaspora as well as the Caribbean."

We will not be so neglectful. Ladies and gentlemen, please remove your caps.


Hail! Grenada, land of ours,
We pledge ourselves to thee,
Heads, hearts and hands in unity
To reach our destiny.
Ever conscious of God,
Being proud of our heritage,
May we with faith and courage
Aspire, build, advance
As one people, one family.
God bless our nation.

N.B.: If anyone can find a video of the medal ceremony, do post a link in the comments.


* * *
Addendum: Grenada got to take the afternoon off in celebration.

13 comments:

  1. bristlesage10:11 AM

    My brother-in-law is from Grenada--the island is so small there's always that someone-who-knows-someone thing.  Anyway, he was thrilled with this win last night, and really, Granada, not a bad anthem. 

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  2. Anonymous10:25 AM

    I think the track medals are awarded the following day, as that is what happened to Usain Bolt. So you may still get to see it.

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  3. The Pathetic Earthling10:45 AM

    Yes, although it wouldn't be out of place among the Whos down in Whoville.

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  4. Joseph J. Finn11:04 AM

    Wow, that anthem sounds like it's straight out of the Roman Catholc hymn book, Glory & Praise.  Like say, On Eagles Wings. 
    http://www.youtube.com/v/O7FbycDXxXk" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="170" height="140

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  5. sconstant12:14 PM

    I think the medal ceremony hasn't happened yet.  19:55 GMT, saw somewhere.

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  6. Ratphooey1:01 PM

    They did share a sweet anecdote about Kirani James.  A woman asked him to sign an autograph for her child, and he did, writing:

    Your mother is very proud of you.
    Kirani James

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  7. Eric J.1:18 PM

    I was disappointed by the Jamaican national anthem. I think they need to replace it with something that sounds more ... Jamaican.

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  8. That guy from Grenada is a class act.  In every race, it was clear he was overt about being a good sportsman.

    Track and field is a great place for the smaller countries.

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  9. Anonymous2:37 PM

    To me, it sounds more like the Kellerman's anthem:

    Join hands and hearts and voices,
    Voices, hearts and hands.
    At Kellerman's the friendships last
    Long as the mountain stands.

    But I do love that hymn.

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  10. Anonymous2:38 PM

    To me, it sounds more like the Kellerman's anthem:

    Join hands and hearts and voices,
    Voices, hearts and hands.
    At Kellerman's the friendships last
    Long as the mountain stands.

    But I do love that hymn.

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  11. Marnie6:14 PM

    While watching the livestream of Track and Field events today, I saw the Kirani James medal ceremony. As someone mentioned above it seems they are showing the track and field medals the next day. I watched the 100 meter hurdles but didn't see a medal ceremony. I assume it will be tomorrow.

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  12. Marsha1:43 AM

    My dad (who was a track and field official at the 1996 Olympics) always said that track is the great equalizer in sports. For most sports you need either lots of people or specialized (expensive) equipment or both. Even if you just need a ball, well, that's too much in some countries. But anyone can run, pretty much anytime, anywhere.

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  13. Marsha1:44 AM

    Dammit, I meant 1984 Olympics, not 1996. Brain fart, there.

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