February 18, 2010

Scott Hamilton is Practically My Neighbor (and Other Comments on the Olympics)

I am an Olympics junkie. If I could do nothing for two weeks but watch the Olympics, I would. Summer, Winter, it really doesn't matter to me. I like the sport of it all. I like the idea of the world coming together to compete in a friendly way. I like to watch the medal count. But, I follow the Olympics in my own quirky way. Because, let's face it, that's how I roll.


In no particular order, some of my thoughts on the Olympics at the half-way point:

I love to watch figure skating. If that makes me a typical girl, so be it. It is freaking amazing. I also love Scott Hamilton. He won his gold medal the year I was born. I'm pretty sure this gives us some kind of cosmic connection. (And I just found out he lives about 30 miles down the road. Cue stalker music.) However, listening to Scott Hamilton commentate on Olympic figure skating gives me anxious fits. He "OH!s" and "YIKES!s" and "AAARGGHH!s" and takes 5 minutes off my life with every single competitor.

Snowboarders are the only Olympians who fall, shrug their shoulders and say with their whole hearts, "It was awesome just being here and riding with these people." Where is this shockingly healthy perspective on a ::cough cough:: GAME coming from? Will the Chinese women & their 10 hour training days ruin it? I'm going with no. The best part of snowboarding, especially the half pipe, is that the person having the most fun, wins.

I don't understand the relationship between Lindsay Vonn (Alpine Skier) and her husband. I don't have to because the only reason I know who she is at all is that I'm watching her ski. Please, Bob Costas, stop confusing me with their coaching/marriage relationship. It's taxing and I'm trying to enjoy this.

I cannot, for the life of me, stop singing the Cool Runnings song. "Jamaica we have a bobsled team" over and over and over again. I either need; 1) a cure for this affliction or 2) to learn the rest of the words. They don't even have a bobsled team this year!

It's nnnnot righttttt that it has been warmer in VANCOUVER than here in Nashville this week. Not. Right. They want the snow and cold. I'm all too happy to give it up. Hey, Jack Frost, could you do something about this little problem? I feel that Canada would not be a comfortable place for me to live.

In review: Scott Hamilton gives me the nervous shakes but I still love him, Snowboarders are (insert surfer-lingo positive descriptor here), Lindsey Vonn is a fast skier, Jamaica only has 1 athlete at these Olympic games and he's a cross-skier, and I'm cold, dammit.

GO TEAM U.S.A.!

Oh yeah, and I've GOT to get my hands on one of those USA knit hats. I kind of love them. They can keep the weird puffy jackets though.

(photo credit: Ralph Lauren)

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