This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Mike Krzyzewski would not play along. Asked about his concerns regarding taking a team to the Olympic Games, with so many publicized issues surrounding Rio de Janeiro's preparations, the U.S. men's basketball coach deflected the question.
Having defeated Argentina in an exhibition in Las Vegas, Krzyzewski spoke of his pregame conversation with opposing coach Sergio Hernandez, who promised him, "You'll love it … All that stuff, don't let it get to you."
Krzyzewski continued, "People like to talk about the negative. … We'd rather focus on all the positive stuff that will occur."
That's easy for a cruise ship occupant to say. USA Basketball personnel, including the men's and women's teams, will be docked luxuriously in the bay, while other athletes and visitors will deal with the reality of Rio.
It's true, the buildup to the Olympics almost always evokes a sense of dread. Whether the issue is the threat of terrorism following 9/11 in Salt Lake City, the scrambling preparation in Athens, air pollution in Beijing, lack of snow in Vancouver or security in Sochi, concerns dominate the coverage. And then the Games generally turn out well — except for the unforeseen occurrences.
The bombing in Atlanta, the stabbing of an American tourist in Beijing and the death of a luger in Vancouver are reminders that even the most dire forecasts occasionally are exceeded by tragic events. In 2008, nobody would have imagined the father-in-law of U.S. men's volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon, a former BYU player and coach, being stabbed to death at a popular tourist attraction, the afternoon of the first full day of competition in China.
The point is, bad things do happen in and around the Olympics — regardless of the theme of the pre-Games coverage. And the news just keeps coming from Rio. After a group of Australian athletes moved into, then out of, then back into the Olympic Village, a fire forced them to evacuate. Following their brief absence, they reported the theft of laptops and other items.
The travails of the Aussies, who initially encountered plumbing problems and exposed wiring, reportedly attributed to sabotage by unhappy workers, are the latest example of Rio's problems. Security, transportation, disease-causing sewage and other issues have dominated the previews of these Games. If the media are sometimes guilty of latching onto a theme to an unhealthy degree, there's obviously some validity to the concerns.
So when American rower Megan Kalmoe blogs in protest of the tone of Olympic coverage, "All you want to talk about is s—- in the water," she makes a fair argument, but not a convincing one. Kalmoe at least has more credibility than Krzyzewski, who will be operating in his secure, comfortable bubble of ship and gym.
Kalmoe wrote, "My request to everyone who is fixated on the s—- in the water: Stop. Stop trying to ruin the Olympics for us."
Here's the thing: The athletes will have their say. Once the Games begin, the other issues either will become the merely backdrop for the competition or be overshadowed entirely. If the Olympics indeed are tarnished, it won't be the media's doing. We're there to cover sports. But to ignore everything else would be irresponsible.
Personally, my approach for nearly 40 years has been to avoid complaining in print about issues that affect only me. Any problems beyond that scope are in play.
So when Megan Kalmoe promises, "I will row through s—- for you, America," she's making me even more interested in how these Games will unfold, for her and every other athlete. If she overcomes those conditions, that will be another great story.
Getting started
Some events in the Olympics will be staged this week prior to the Opening Ceremony (times MDT):
First U.S. event • Women's soccer vs. New Zealand, 4 p.m. Wednesday.
First event for athletes with Utah ties • Elder Torres of Honduras men's soccer vs. Algeria, noon Thursday.
Opening ceremony • Friday, 5 p.m.
Saturday's events for athletes with Utah ties:
• Kim Gaucher, Shona Thorburn and Michelle Plouffe of Canada women's basketball vs. China, 11:15 a.m.
• Joe Ingles and Andrew Bogut of Australia men's basketball vs. France, with Rudy Gobert, Boris Diaw and Kim Tillie, 11:15 a.m.
• Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson of U.S. beach volleyball vs. Qatar, 1:30 p.m.
• Leilani Mitchell of Australia women's basketball vs. Brazil, 2:30 p.m.