Like every Olympic Games since 1988, I will be watching very closely.
I had the thrill of a lifetime to attend the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, and I was all set to pack my bags this time to attend the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
See my brother Geoff Freeborn, who played professionally with the Calgary Vipers, has dual citizenship with my father being born in Great Britain. A baseball pitcher, he was on the British national team for seven years from 2001-2007.
When the city of London won the bid for the 2012 Olympic Games, the team was playing together at the 2005 European Baseball Championships in Prague, Czech Republic. When the team heard the news, they celebrated knowing their Olympic dream was a reality. Great Britain would have qualified for their first Olympic Games in baseball, being the host country.
Their celebration was short lived however. Days later the International Olympic Committee decided to eliminate baseball and softball from the 2012 Olympic Games, eliminating the Olympic dreams of many worldwide, including that of my brother.
So as I get up in the middle of the night to watch the 2012 Olympic Games in London, I’ll be watching the Olympic Games as intently as always, but this time the “what if” scenario will always be in my head.
Tags: 2012 olympic games, Baseball, calgary vipers, geoff freeborn
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