The 2008 Olympics

I’ll be the first to say that I really don’t care about sports at all. I was never into them growing up and the rest of my family feels pretty much the same way. That is the number one reason why people who know me were surprised at my evening devotion to the Olympics. As I was watching I began to think of the reason as to why the Olympics are my exception to sports viewing. One of the main reasons is that it truly is a global event where other countries participate in a common goal. That point really hit home during the opening ceremony (more on that in a minute). It really just gives you some perspective on how many people share the earth with us and how different their backgrounds are.

Another reason is that the Olympics were the only time that we ever watched sports growing up and I have good memories of all of us gathering around the couch in the evenings and cheering our fellow country men and women on. I still remember watching the Olympic Torch being carried through our neck of the woods before the Georgia Games in 1996. During the 2000 Sydney Olympics I remember watching it at my grandparents’ house and it was just a whole lot of fun. My grandma would always bring us chocolate ice cream at around 10 o’clock and she’d say “It’s never too late for ice cream”. And indeed it wasn’t.

So sitting down and watching the Olympics this year really brought back a lot of those good old memories. This year’s Olympics haven’t been a letdown either. The opening ceremony alone was unlike anything I’ve ever seen and I can’t even imagine what it would have been like to be sitting in the actual stadium. You’d almost have to come up with a new superlative to describe it because words like, incredible, amazing, astounding and groundbreaking just don’t do it. I was left with the same sense of wonder and awe during the closing ceremony.

Just the individual stories this year were awesome, the whole Michael Phelps thing and the deal with the men’s indoor volleyball coach. It really makes the games all that more compelling.

I think Volleyball, Gymnastics, BMX Racing and Mountain Biking were some of my favorite things to watch this year. But even watching swimming was interesting this year due to Mr. Phelps.

All in all I really look forward to the next Olympics that is going to be hosted by London in 2012, and I probably won’t watch any other sports until then.

-Dane