Monday, February 20, 2006

Watching the Winter Olympics...

This weekend was the first chance I had to really get into the Olympics and I enjoyed almost all of it. For the most part I prefer the sports that don't have judges, but are based solely on the clock or the finish line.

I have new appreciation for the biathlon. I kind of thought that this was a really odd pairing of sports, skiing and shooting. I'm reminded of a joke Norm Macdonald made about combining the 100 yard dash with fishing. But I get it now, and I wonder how good I'd be at something that requires such calm and focus like marksmanship, in the middle of a very difficult race. My guess is not so good. I also think it's funny to see people skiing with guns on their back.

And the coolest winter sport, in my opinion, is short track speed skating. It just seems so fast and chaotic. I guess the only problem I have with it is really about how Apolo Ohno is the only person they ever talk about. I'm sure he's a fine person and all, and I respect the fact that he gave up a rock and roll lifestyle to go live in the dorms at the Olympic Training Center to focus on his training, but there' s too much Apolo.

And the regular speed skating is cool too. And the 1500m race tomorrow should be pretty good, two of the Americans are the favorites. Chad Hedrick (from Houston) is the world record holder and Shani Davis is the former world record holder. Unfortunately NBC seems to be focusing on the fact that they're mad at each other, and it's getting kind of silly. And I was reading about Joey Cheek, who won gold in the 500m and silver in the 1000m, because he donated all his bonus money form the USOC to children in African refugee camps, and I learned from the NBC website, that he enjoys "building and shooting potato guns." It just seemed interesting.

Anywho.
Keith out.

1 comment:

David said...

They just like saying 'Apolo' because it sounds cool, like the name of a greek god