Game Time!

It's almost Olympics time!!!!! Are you ready??

You may recall this from previous Olympic years, but I'm a pretty huge fan of the Games (not to be confused with the Hunger Games, which I'm also a huge fan of) in general. Summer Games used to be my way way way favorite, but I'll admit that in the past 8-12 years (haha such a weird range, but it's an every-four-years event, so...) the Winter Games have been creeping up higher in the rankings for me. 

I think the main reasons that I used to not care as much for the Winter Games are threefold:

1) I can't relate to them. Living in Georgia my whole life means I have NO personal experience with anything even sorta like the stuff that goes on in the Winter Games (or anything having to do with snow, as we learned last week). I don't know anyone who snow skis seriously or owns their own ice skates. And seeing all that white on TV just kind of hurts my eyes. 

2) They take place during the winter. Which means that for most of my life, I was in school. I just couldn't spend all day long enjoying the competitions and the chase for gold medals...I was in school. Summer Olympics definitely had the advantage there. I lived Summer Olympics when they were on. Winter Games were just an afterthought if I finished my homework early enough.

3) I don't understand most of the sports. This is highly related to #1 for sure. Actually, it's probably exactly the same...but I wanted to have three points. But there's only so long that I can stare at a screen and pretend to care about something I don't understand (please see also: basketball, soccer, political talk shows). 

But like I said-- things have changed. Now I find myself anticipating the upcoming Games with nearly as much enthusiasm as I did the '12 Summer Games! What changed? 

Two things.

1) Matt and I started dating RIGHT before the '06 Winter Olympics. This meant that our very first few weeks of being 'us' were spent watching the Winter Olympics until late at night. Sharing a couch. Wondering if he'd hold my hand. Catching glimpses of him looking at me when he didn't think I was looking...ahhhhhh. All to the tune of people skiing, luging, skating, bobsledding, and whatever else Winter Olympians do...and suddenly, Winter Olympics were my most favorite thing on earth. I watched every single possible hour of the Games that year and it gave me a handy and socially-acceptable excuse to sit in front of the TV with my new boyfriend. And now I feel this warm and fuzzy sense of nostalgia for the Winter Games. Summer Games, you might be more relate-able, but you did nothing for my love life...Winter Games? High five.

2) The Wii Fit.  

Source

Laugh if you must, but this point cannot be reiterated strongly enough: The average Southern U.S. resident will never ever ever have the opportunity to personally experience the vast majority of sports represented in the Winter Games. So when the Wii Fit came out and suddenly I could virtually experience what it was like to ski jump, slalom ski, and snowboard? It was AWESOME! And all in the comfort of my living room. So now...now I have a better understanding of what the athletes are doing in those sports. And because I got a few high scores on the Wii, I'm also basically qualified to armchair quarterback the athletes and critique their techniques and offer advice. Thank you, Nintendo, for adding yet another thing to my ever-growing list of Things I'm An Expert About.

So I'm really looking forward to the next few weeks. February is a long and dreary month-- it's fabulous to have something to look forward to. 

Melissa over at Stirrup Queens was kind enough to consolidate all of the confusing TV schedules and make an easy-to-understand TV coverage schedule. I've got mine printed and am going to start highlighting my must-see events and rearranging my schedule so that I'm ready. I've even considered dusting off the Wii Fit and getting in a few practice rounds of ski jumping and slaloming so that I remember what all to be criticizing the Olympians about.

For the record, I most look forward to watching figure skating (DUH) (and pairs is better than singles, obviously), ski jumping, freestyle skiing, and snowboarding. My least favorite sports are all the boring ones: cross country skiing, biathlon (are you KIDDING me, how is this even a thing?), and curling. Most of the other sports fall somewhere in between. Speed skating is the most stressful sport to me...I just think they're all going to knock each other over and then blade all of their fingers off (sorry if that makes you puke)...it really ties my stomach up in knots. 

Any favorite sports I'm missing out on? Anyone want to present a compelling argument in favor of the biathlon not being the dumbest 'sport' in history?? Have at it!! :)