I Cheer For...

 

This month many of the greatest athletes in the world are gathering in Vancouver for the Winter Olympic Games – a groovy little event held quadrennially (yep, looked that up) since 1924.

For my money you can’t beat the Winter Games.  Where I have trouble getting excited about or even watching the Summer Games, plop some downhill skiing, hockey, bobsled or snowboarding on the TV and I will watch.  Oh yes I will most certainly watch.

I don’t cheer solely for athletes from my home country though.  More often than not I find myself rooting for someone based on another factor, such as…

Athletes with little or no expectations – during the final in men’s figure skating one of the skaters fell during his routine.  It was no big deal, according to the announcers, he wasn’t expected to challenge for a medal and, in fact, had never landed the move he was trying.  Basically he knew the chances of him falling were pretty close to 100% but he went out there and tried anyway – with an arena full of people and tens of millions more around the world watching on TV.  It’s one thing to go out and compete if you know you’re one of the best, if you know you can do what’s necessary to win.  The chance for glory far offsets the chance of failure.  But if you go out there and put it all on the line knowing you have little more than a snowball’s chance in hell?  That, my friends, is simply awesome.

Athletes flying solo – my favorite part of the Opening Ceremonies is the parade of athletes entering the venue – particularly the countries that send just a handful of competitors.  Some, like Senegal or Tajikistan, sent only one.  Can you imagine?  Traveling to a foreign country – probably for the first time – where, with the possible exception of a coach, no one speaks your language?  Experiencing the whirlwind that is the Olympics virtually alone?  Countries like the US (215), Russia (177), and Germany (153) send small armies, giving their team a gigantic support system and comfort zone.  Slalom skier Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong from Ghana on the other hand?  My hat’s off to him and those like him.

Athletes from the host country – this is pretty self-explanatory.  A crowd full of extactic, proud, flag-waving people is nice to see.

The underdogs – the oldest, the youngest, those coming back from serious injury, those from countries devastated by war or natural disaster or overcoming some other insurmountable disadvantage just to be there.  Personally I couldn’t care less if they came from Russia, Iran, Iceland, etc.  I hope they do well.

Medal counts?  I couldn’t care less.  People are people.  Just the fact that so many people from so many countries can share the stage for even a little while without the ugliness of politics getting in the way is simply magical and reason to celebrate.

If only all the world’s problems could be solved with a nice game of curling.

2010 President's Day Survey Results - Now in 1D!

Question: Which president are you dressing up as this year?

Results (reason, if given, in parens):

3 Arthur (one respondant liked the nickname, 'The Dude President')
3 Van Buren (one respondant always wanted a street that prostitutes frequent named after him)
2 Lincoln (one respondant was having a bad day and wished someone would just shoot her)
1 Taft (respondant felt his ample physique was a good match)
1 Polk (respondant added, 'Hey Phil')
1 Jefferson (respondant likes women with dark skin)
1 Fillmore (respondant added, 'That's what she said')
1 Clinton (respondant wanted an increase in sexual frequency & variety)
1 Nixon
1 Reagan
1 Truman
1 Taylor, Zachary

1 Columbus (respondant is a proud graduate of Arizona State University)
1 Uncle Sam
1 'Hot Intern'
1 Presidential Pardon (costume would be a suit of Get Out of Jail Free cards)


Study conducted from the porch at Chuy's Restaurant while basking in the sun and enjoying numerous pitchers of Dos Equis Amber Ale.