Tuesday, February 4, 2014

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!! :)

23 comments:

  1. Curling--- the most coveted winter Olympic sport in my house. Thankfully, the Norwegians spice things up with some crazy uniforms, so there's at least something to laugh about. That and how insanely intense my husband gets over fractions of an inch... time for a good long nap in my opinion!

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  2. Curling is also a favorite in my house! I'm pretty sure it's because it's the one sport we could compete in if we tried lol

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  3. I honestly only watch for the skating in the winter and the gymnastics in the summer :)!

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  4. Curling makes 0 sense to me! I usually just watch the pairs figuring skating and snowboarding!

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  5. I am a huge fan of the Olympics! When I was little, I used to imagine I was a figure skater in the Games, despite the fact that a) there were no ice rinks anywhere near where I grew up and b) I had never actually worn a pair of ice skates. As far as the biathalon goes, I'm probably more likely to watch it than, say, the skiing marathon (I wouldn't watch people run for four-ish hours either, for what it's worth). At least the biathalon has a little target practice to spice things up!

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  6. I think you def. need to do a post on the analytics of Open ceremonies... you know important stuff like who has the best sob story and best & worst outfit choices...

    I have actually been on an Olympic bobsled in Lake Placid. We take the 5th graders there every winter and my first year teaching I went on the trip and got to bobsled, skate on the Olympic oval and see the ski jump...

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  7. Being a Canadian - Hockey is number one on my list! I follow that with Curling, skiing, skating - well, I guess I really do like most of the winter Olympics and perhaps it is the Olympics that the Canadians do so well in. I will never forget Jon Montgomery's gold medal at the last Olympics and his marching through the village with a pitcher of beer!

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  8. I need to get my hands on one of those schedules! I never know when anything comes on and then miss my favs!

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  9. I'm looking forward to the Olympics too!!! I actually like watching curling! It's so freaking weird that I've actually gotten into it!

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  10. I like the one where they ski down a huge hill then do flips! Obviously it's so important to me I don't even know what it's called. Ice skating and snow board tricks are favs, too.

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  11. I guess because we love shooting, I like the biathlon. Thinking about how hard skiing was the only time I tried it....and then being calm enough to shoot on target. I like it.

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  12. We love hockey, but that's because it's my busy winter sport. Honestly we cannot get enough of it! A ton of action, fast paced, many games to be played, and both men and women play. Super awesome!
    Winter Olympics are the best!!! Let the games begin!

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  13. I admit I didn't finish reading this post because I was too busy being confused about your statement that you guys started dating right before the '08 Olympics if you got married in '07... please explain!

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    1. HA!!! Ooooops!! Definitely meant to say '06 Games. Changing that now...

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  14. I LOVE the Winter Olympics but it's probably because Canadian rock in those Games. And HOCKEY HOCKEY HOCKEY!!! How can you forget about Hockey??? There was a study that showed during the gold medal game in Vancouver in 2010, there was practically no water usage during the actual game but during the intermissions, water usage was over the top. It was so fun!

    Sam asked me yesterday if I had ever been in the Olympics or if I knew anyone who was. He then proceeded to tell me he was going to be in them by skiing races (but going really slowly Mommy!), playing hockey and snowboarding. Olympic dreams live on, I guess!

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  15. Hockey. I cannot believe you forgot hockey! I love the Games, too! I love the American spirit it brings out in all of us.

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  16. I am just like you in that i used to basically not even care about the winter olympics but this year I'm oddly excited for them. Maybe it's because it seems like lately there is nothing good to watch and this is guaranteed entertainment for two weeks. Plus, I love cheering for the good old USA and watching people achieve their dreams.

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  17. I enjoy bobsledding as I sing things from Cool Runnings. Because that movies rocked my socks off as a kid. And let's be real, probably still would if I had a working VCR.

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  18. Oh goodness do I love the Olympics. I wrote a whole post about how watching the biathalon helped me to pass Anatomy and Physiology in college. You should totally watch skeleton. Luge but head down. Crazy sauce.

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  19. During the winter olympics at some point in elementary school, I tripped Allison down the bottom part of the stairs and when my mom asked me why, I said I wanted to see her do the luge...

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  20. This might be my favorite post EVER of yours. So entertaining in ever way and made me even more excited for this weekend! As far as sports, I think skeleton and luge are great, along with figure skating (pairs and singles!) and skiing/ski jumping (yay for women being allowed to participate this year!)

    I have had an obsession with the Olympics since 1996 when they were in Atlanta and the Magnificent Seven won the gold medal. I was 8 years old at the time. The following '98 Olympics, I began taping almost every minute on VHS, especially on church nights where I would miss most of the coverage. I wanted to see EVERYTHING! Yeah, I never really watched the tapes, but I'm pretty sure my family still has all of them, lol. Since then, I've loved both Summer and Winter Games and basically am in front of the TV from 7-11 pm Central Time for all ~16 days, taking it all in. My obsession has gotten a little out of hand, I think. I will have to go searching around my hat bins to find my Salt Lake City 2002 Games athlete beret that my friend and I purchased so we could be just like the Olympians...

    On another note: My only regret about our wedding date? It was right smack in the middle of the 2012 London games, so I basically missed most of it between wedding week and honeymoon...

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  21. Come on, you don't have indoor rinks in Georgia? I am big into ice skating (and yes, I have my own CUSTOM FITTED skates), but we go all year, inside! Ice skating is the best, and obviously the pairs skating is the highlight of the winter Olympics. I love that you have such a sweet story with Matt. Eric is pretty obsessed with watching the games (both summer and winter), which I actually find quite boring (besides the skating, obvi), but your enthusiasm is contagious. Maybe I'll give them more of a fair shot this year instead of rolling my eyes.

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  22. I love love love the Winter Olympics!!!!!!!!!!!!

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