It's time for the Commonwealth Games again! The Commonwealth Games are in that second tier of international sporting events. In the first tier, you've got your Summer and Winter Olympics, and the World Cup. Then in the second tier you've got your continental games like the Pan Am Games and a few types of Youth and University Games, the Gay Games (in Cleveland this year?) and so on.
The Commonwealth Games are pleasant enough; who doesn't like an excuse for international sports, especially if it's going to be less pushy than the Olympics. But then you stop and think about what it is: A pleasant sports event open to places that have nothing in common other than being colonized by the same country.
I can understand the existence of the Commonwealth: these countries do end up with some political and cultural commonalities. It's just hard to believe we celebrate this history. Well, we in Canada would; we love any excuse to revel in our British origins. But India? Didn't they go through a lot to get rid of British rule? Why don't we just invite the Americans while we're at it?
The Games are a great example of the weird way we look at Britain in the world today. There are plenty of countries that still have resentment and anger at them, and with good reason. And at the same time, the British have achieved a reputation for being calm and civilized. It's hard to imagine any other former empire having a sports event ("Former Subjects Of The Mongol Hordes Games.") So the British really know how to craft an imperial legacy - Americans, take note.
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