Just this past weekend in Maine – yes, I said Maine – the Redneck Olympics took place. A chance to have some fun and hopefully get a little exercise, some of the events included the greased watermelon haul, a wife carrying race, toilet seat horseshoes,
and bobbing for pig’s feet.
Hey, any time 2600 “rednecks” can gather and have some fun, more power to them. A seemingly innocent weekend of fun. There were no arrests and the only injury was a bee sting… not bad for a sun filled fun weekend with likeminded, spirited people.
Well, not so fast. Apparently, the legal division of the U.S. Olympic Committee has some other thoughts on the matter. They called the event organizer and said to change the name or a lawsuit was coming. The organizer was told that “Olympics” is the property of the ISOC and the USOC. Without getting
into the back and forth, it looks like everyone is holding their ground.
Hey, I get it. Seems like the USOC files quite a few lawsuits to protect the name. My father was in the 1948 Olympics – not the Redneck Olympics, I might add, but the one in London. I understand some of the sensitivity. But when I really think about it, people need to relax. It just seems like everything in our society revolves around lawyers and litigation. You can’t brush your teeth, walk down the street or host a party these days without someone questioning the legalities of it all.
I have a feeling the
Rednecks might lose this one since the only organization that is allowed to use the term “Olympics” is the Special Olympics. But could we not “git-r-done” without the threat of a lawsuit or lawyers?