kimmymoss

Call me overly sensitive, but the term “crashes out” comes across as unecessarily insensitive.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124117657&ft=1&f=1055 

After reading this short AP article about American skier Lindsey Vonn, I felt like the media was trying to make her feel bad for a simple mistake in what must be an incredibly difficult and stressful event she was competing in, the women’s slalom.

Maybe I feel badly for her because I know she has been plagued with injuries.

Maybe I feel badly for her because as an athlete myself, and I KNOW that no matter how hard you try sometimes, you mess up, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

But above all, MAYBE I feel badly for her because she is an American olympian, and that, in and of itself, is enough.

I’m not asking American journalists to glammorize any sporting event that isn’t worthy of it.  But for whatever reason, I’m really fired up by the fact that her missed opportunity to medal in the slalom was reported on in such an insensitive manner.

I mean let’s be honest, the article isn’t really THAT critical of Vonn.  It more or less give a straight-news story of what happened to her.  But all in all, the term “crashes out” just does not seem necessary in my opinion.  I could feel that way because as an athlete myself, I have empathy for the failures of other athletes.  Then again I could feel that way just because I’m a girl and we tend to get worked up over nothing.  Who knows?