DFL is a blog (that began during the 2004 Athens games and now continues with Torino) which reports on and celebrates last-place finishes at the Olympics. It may sound like some kind of joke, but it most definitely is not. In Jonathan's own words:
...[W]hy do this, except to be a global prick?
Okay, that's part of it. But it's also to celebrate participation -- which gets too much short shrift at the Games, except with novelty acts like Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards and the Jamaican bobsled team at the 1988 Calgary Games -- instead of complete and utter triumph. Triumph is sexy, but participation is brave. And therein lies a tale.
I'm no athlete myself. In junior high, though -- before Osgood-Schlatter Disease put an end to my nascent track career -- I tried my hand at distance running. I entered my school's track meet and ran the 1,500 metres -- and trailed badly. In fact, I was lapped before the finish. One of my fellow students was laughing at me. But my gym teacher, hearing him, went up to him and said, "I don't see you running out there." And the kid, whose identity I never found out (I heard the story afterword from my teacher), began to cheer.
Remember that about the last-place finishers at these Olympics. They finished last, but at least they're there. And we're not.
It may seem an odd concept, but plenty of people appreciated it at the Athens games. At that time, internet interest meant that Jonathan's little blog project received considerable international media attention. So much so, that at its height in 2004, the DFL site received over 50,000 hits in a single day. Which, given that it was something he basically started for a lark, is absolutely amazing. So I'm watching the site more closely this time around. And of course, I think you should too. ;-)
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