When approximately 2,900 athletes gather for the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games inside Italy’s San Siro Stadium on Friday, two representatives, a coach, and a judge will take the Olympic Oath on behalf of all those competing. Written by Pierre de Coubertin, president and founder of the International Olympic Committee, and recited by athletes beginning in 1920, the tradition was first proposed in 1906. With all the money and madness engulfing sports these days – from out-of-control Little League parents to college coaches making more than university presidents to doping and point shaving scandals, we tend to assume sports of yesterday were better than sports of today. Maybe not, at least according to Pierre, who wrote to Charles Simon, a French sports administrator and historian. Coubertin warned that sports’ “wonderful spirit of chivalry” was on the ropes. He said it was on the decline and its commercialization was on the incline. Sound familiar? One of Pierre de Coubertin’s suggestions was to have every athlete take an oath to compete with honor, integrity and fairness. It took 14 years to happen, but by the 1920 Games in Antwerp, Belgium, his proposal was enacted. This was the wording: “We swear that we will take part in the Olympic Games in loyal competition, respecting the regulations which govern them and desirous of participating in them in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the honor of our country and the glory of sport.” Four years later, the phrase, “true spirit of sportsmanship” was changed to “a chivalrous spirit.” Stemming from the French “chevalerie,” meaning “horseman” or “knight,” the term “chivalry” emerged in the 10th and 11th centuries as a code of behavior to combat the crass and boorish behavior of the day. Its addition to the Olympic oath was a wise and insightful change. Having a “chivalrous spirit” is more than good sportsmanship and just following rules. It embodies honor, character and integrity. Coubertin didn’t just want honest athletes but also heroic ones competing on the world stage. The Olympic oath has evolved over the years, sometimes out of necessity and sometimes to satisfy the politically correct. Anti-doping language was added a few decades ago. Lines concerning so-called inclusion were added during these last few years. Oath taking goes back centuries or even longer, but they’ve always only been as reliable as those taking them. To the English cynic, the late writer Samuel Butler, “Oaths are but words, and words are but wind.” Although raised in a devout Catholic family, Coubertin acknowledged the Olympics were a pluralistic endeavor and didn’t have the athletes take an oath to God, but rather to the ideals and glory of sport. This type of pragmatism might be necessary, but oaths lose teeth when they’re not made before God. We all take oaths of various kinds. There are marriage and ordination vows, as well as civic and legal oaths, such as promising, “To tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” Elected officials pledge “To uphold the Constitution and faithfully execute duties…” Physicians take the “Hippocratic Oath” – a pledge of ethical standards dating back over 2,400 years. It should be noted doctors historically pledged to never “give a deadly drug to anybody” and “not give to a woman an abortive remedy.” Instead, doctors promised, “In purity and holiness” to “guard my life and my art.” Who wouldn’t want to have a doctor in their life who held to those convictions? Life is imperfect, but preventable and predictable miseries come when promises that are made are broken. Infidelity is a painful betrayal with devastating and cascading consequences involving not only the wife and husband, but also their children, as well as extended family. The late novelist Pat Conroy was right: “Each divorce is the death of a small civilization.” Most people associate political betrayals with sins of commission, but sins of omission (like failing to protect our Southern Border) are probably even more dangerous and deadly. Just talk with the parents of Laken Riley, Kayla Hamilton, Jocelyn Nungaray, and Rachel Morin – all young women murdered by people here illegally. Pierre de Coubertin is remembered as an “unbridled optimist” for his belief that if the Olympics could unite the world through sport, maybe that same world might unite beyond athletics, too. For our own part, as the Olympians take their oath, we need to take and keep ours. In life, our promises made must be our promises kept. Paul J. Batura is a local writer and founder of the 4:8 Media Network. He can be reached via email [email protected] or on X @PaulBatura. ...read more read less