The Winter of Our Discontent

Welcome to the Bill Bradley Collective, where this week your hosts examine the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and the many complications surrounding these games. A cloud exists over these Olympics, and that cloud is the authoritarian regime of host China and, amongst other human rights offenses include most prominently the ongoing Uyghur genocide. How Beijing came to host these Olympic Games in spite of the nation’s deplorable record on human right issues begins the conversation, followed by a look at the efficacy of the diplomatic boycott of the United States and others, the pros and cons of a hypothetical boycott by American Olympians, and finally how we approach these games as both enthusiastic observers of the events themselves and ardent critics of the host country’s record of rhetoric and action. But first, a trio of rants cometh: Zak sees and raises Ed’s prior bet on Aaron Rodgers as the NFL’s principal attention whore with insight on the drawn out saga of Tom Brady’s retirement announcement with a little shade thrown toward TB12’s “neglected” fanboys across New England; Ed censures the censure enacted by one Ronna (Romney) McDaniel, disgraced RNC chair and water carrier-in-chief for our deposed previous President; and finally Andrew leads us into the valley of morally compromised athletic spectacles with a look at the latest in Saudi efforts to buy golf following the conclusion of a tradition unlike any other bankrolled by blood money.