Today is always a sad day. It is the last day of football. As much fun as watching the Super Bowl is, I always feel a little bit sad at the end knowing that it will be many long months before I get to watch football again. Sure, there is the draft and free agency, but it just isn’t the same as watching games. Even worse, I really don’t watch much basketball, though I will follow some college ball right before the NCAA tournament so I can at least try to make informed decisions on my March Madness bracket. If it wasn’t for hockey, it would be a couple of months of sports boredom until the Masters comes for golf in April and baseball starts.
But not this year!! No, this year, for three weeks, comes one of my favorite things ever: the Winter Olympics! I love the Olympics. I’m the kind of guy who will wake up at 2 am to watch curling (FYI: I’m fascinated by curling. Rapt by it. I’m not sure why, but it is so awesome). I do enjoy the Summer Olympics, but the Winter Olympics is my favorite. Other than cross cross-country skiing and biathlon, I enjoy every other sport. Even figure skating.
Time for a tangent: I don’t really enjoy figure skating per se. However, due to my mother and sisters, I was subjected to many hours of figure skating in my youth. Because of that, I find myself checking out the finals, but only because it is the Olympics, otherwise I would never, ever watch it unless I was at gun point.
The Winter Olympics are so cool. How can you not love bobsled and luge? Those people are nuts. There is nothing more thrilling than watching a skier coming down the mountain trying to win the gold medal. I also enjoy the extreme sports like snowboarding and freestyle skiing because they just do amazing stuff. Speed skating is always thrilling.
But the crown jewel is Olympic hockey, both Men’s and Women’s. The games are really amazing, the passion unbelievable. If I can’t watch Team USA games, we will DVR them and watch them later, even if we know the score. I spent the past two months stalking USA hockey gear to wear during games and finally got stuff yesterday. I can’t wait.
Of course, national pride is part of why I love the Olympics, but mostly I love it because it is thrilling sports. It is what I love best about sports: people pouring all of their passion and ability into a chance to win a medal. There are great triumphs and shattering heartbreaks. There is great drama and inspiring moments. I can’t wait.
So join me at 2:00 am on February 10th for world champion Canada versus Germany in Men’s Curling and then for the USA women against Switzerland in Curling at 4 am. Shoot. USA women against Switzerland in hockey at the same time. What to watch? Both, of course. Sports heaven.