Dave: Natalie...
Elliot: Are you sick?
Kim: She's not sick.
Natalie: Oh, I believe I'm coming down with something.
Dave: Don't encourage her.
Will: Picture's up on 4.
Natalie: Will, give me your hand!
Will: I just ate a sticky bun.
Natale: Okay, then don't give me your hand, you'll just have to trust me, I am burning up.
Dave: Natalie...
Natalie: Olympic fever, baby! Catch it!
Dave: Oh god.
Chris: I thought there was something really wrong with her.
Elliot: Well, you be the judge.
I love the Olympics. I love everything about the Olympics. I love that the NBC family of networks is going to have something like 3,600 hours of Olympic coverage this year (and that’s a whole lot of Bob Costas, but I can live with it). I love that there are sports on television every night. Yeah, they’re sports that I normally don’t care about (though I’ll watch the world championships in track and swimming if they’re on) and some of them aren’t even “sports” by my own definition (that’s another post); doesn’t matter. The fact that I don’t normally watch them is why I enjoy them so much when I do. For four years, these sports get zero media coverage and then for two weeks, they get pushed into the limelight. I love that in those two weeks, a nobody from a fringe sport can become a national icon.
The cliché about sports is that every time out, you’ve got a chance to see something no one’s ever seen before, a chance to see history. And that’s been true so far at the Olympic Trials. I jumped out of my chair when Tyson Gay ran the 100 meters in 9.68 seconds. Sure it was wind-aided, but its still the fastest a human has ever been clocked in the 100. With Gay going up against Bolt (WR holder at 9.72 seconds) and Powell (former WR holder) from Jamaica, the 100 looks to be shaping up once again as the premier track event.
And if you want to see history, check out the swimming trials. A world record has a chance to fall every night. I was skeptical at first of what advantage the Speedo LZR suits actually give to the swimmers; I’m not anymore. That shit’s crazy; it could probably turn me in to a competitive swimmer (assuming I could even get into one, which isn’t likely). And for an already great swimmer, like Michael Phelps or Katie Hoff? Makes them unbeatable. I think both Phelps and Hoff will have a record gold medal haul in Beijing. Of course, thanks to my track record on this blog, perhaps I’ve just jinxed. Guess I’ll have to tune in a see.
4 comments:
Seriously... I blame you for what happened to Gay. You need to stop mentioning the success of athletes on here.
I bet you were thinking about posting something on Federer, weren't you?
I jinxed Federer a month ago after he lost the French Open (see blog post on June 9, 2008 "Yeah, But He Never Won The French Open"), but that was back before I knew the blog might be jinxed. And as of right now, I'm convinced it is (although, that's not going to stop me from making potentially jinxing posts). I also have to test the range and scope of the jinx; does it extend beyond the realm of sports? If I mention the potential success of an upcoming movie, does it mean it will tank? Will a surefire TV pilot I give props to be the first show canceled? Only one way to find out.
You have to look at this on the positive side. You may now have the power to distinctly influence sporting events.
the olympics suck.
Post a Comment