As I said at the very beginning, there's no way I'd be able to keep up and post as much as I did during the summer Olympics. There's just not enough free time for me do it right now. The only reason I really have time at the moment is because I'm on a work trip and am currently lounging in a hotel room in the city in which The Fugitive was filmed.
This of course does not mean I haven't been watching almost every moment of the games possible. I've watched the primetime coverage every evening and thanks to the recent "blizzard" in N.C., I've had almost three full days to watch during the day. Along with the television that sits in my office when I am at work.
So many great things have happened so far and I'll never have time to write about it all, so I'll just leave you with some thoughts and great moments.
- I smile every time I see an interview with Sage Kotsenburg (the American who won the snowboard slope style event). He talks exactly like you expect most snowboarders to and is so honest in all his interviews. He's just very likable.
- The figure skating team event will need some tweaking over its first few cycles in the games, but overall I think it's a neat addition. While it will probably be dominated by the same few countries most the time, it's cool to see a lot of skaters with the opportunity to earn medals. Up to 10 skaters from each country can earn a medal. I think that's great considering there are so many amazing skaters that never get to stand on the podium at the Olympics.
- The men's figure skating short program was the craziest thing I've ever seen in all my years of watching the sport. I've been pretty consistent with watching it over the years, not just during the Olympics, and I've never seen anything like that sequence of events. Plushenko withdraws and then Abbott's skate. I mean, wow. I've kind of cheered against Plushenko for awhile. Probably because he's really good and not an American. But that was really heartbreaking to watch. You could tell how much pain he was in and how devestated he was. Then Abbott has yet another fall on the quad, he melts so often under pressure, but manages to get up after that hard fall and skates flawless...once he catches up with the music. So kudos to him for not giving up, figuring out where he was in the music and for pretty much nailing the rest of his routine.
- What is with the American speed skaters?! They can't blame it all on the new skating suits. It's not like Under Armor just threw these at them and told them to put it on. It was a collaborative endeavor on these suits and the U.S. needs to suck it up and just start skating better!
- What is with the American skiers?! Other than Julia Mancuso's bronze in the super-combined, the U.S. has struggled mightily in the alpine events. Like the skaters, at a certain point you have to stop blaming the elements and just ski. Other people are winning, no reason the U.S. shouldn't.
- Stop all the hating on the fact that this is the "winter" Olympics! I do not see one better than the other. All these athletes work hard to get were they are and I find it a little disappointing when people say that these games don't count. There are 230 amazing athletes representing our country right now. Many of them have sacrificed and worked harder than I ever will. What does it matter what season of the year it is? Get over your bias and support them!
- It's the little moments that make the Olympics. Like the Russian cross country skier who broke his ski and could hardly even continue because it was nearly impossible. He never gave up. Kept limping along the best he could. Then a coach from the Canadian ski team came out and gave him a new ski so he could finish. Turns out the wife of that Canadian coach was a skier in one of the team events in Torino. Her pole broke, which is almost just as bad in a cross country race, and a Norwegian coach ran out and gave her a new pole. Canada finished second and Norway finished fourth. He found a way to pay it forward, eight years later. Incredible.
- I miss Bob. I like Matt and Meredith very much. But it's just not the Olympics without Bob Costas! Get well soon!
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