Winter Olympics

I love the Olympics. No, I mean it; I really love the Olympics. I don't have a DVR, but if I did, it would be full of every Olympics event it could record. My love of the Olympics is really a combination of three distinct reasons: it gives me a chance to watch sporting event I would otherwise probably never watch, my love of ancient Greek mythology, and what the games themselves represent.

I'll admit, I'm not a huge sports fan like many other guys. Sure, I'll watch baseball games whenever I can, but if you read my blog entry a week ago, you know that I only watch one football game a year: the Super Bowl. I'll also occasionally watch soccer, I rarely watch basketball, I never watch hockey, and if it's any other sport, forget it. However, when the Olympics are on - Summer or Winter - I watch everything I can. I don't care if it's Mens or Womens, individual or team events, or even if that event is popular or an event I've never even heard of, if it's on, I watch. The reason for this is easy; I can watch any professional sporting event and know I'll see some amazing athletes, but the Olympics have the best athletes in the world. So, when I see someone take the gold medal stand, it's not just a win; it means that person/team is the pinnacle of that event. In sense, a pinnacle of human perfection. To me, that is truly awe-inspiring.

Of course, let's not forget who started the Olympics: the ancient Greeks. We owe many things to the ancient Greeks, but one of the greatest contributions, in my opinion, are the Olympics, Started as a tribute to the Greek god Zeus, the Olympics were THE sporting event in all of the world, and I love the fact that they still are.

So, what exactly is the purpose of the Olympics? Well, if you ask me, I'll tell you that it's a global event celebrating the physical potential of mankind. It is a time when nations can put their differences aside, and athletes can compete in the purest form of athletic competitions, free from any form of political, corporate or financial agenda. The Olympics are a showcase of what a lifetime of dedication and training can accomplish. The Olympics are something greater than the individual nations or athletes competing; they are human history. Of course, all this is a very idealistic view of the Olympics, and I'm sure you can all make a great argument as to why it is what I say it is, but I choose to view the Olympics as what they were intended to be.

As I watch the Winter Olympics over the next two weeks, I look forward to seeing magic happen. I look forward to seeing defending champions win gold again; seeing underdogs come from nowhere to defeat said champions. I look forward to seeing athletes from small countries, with no real chance of medaling, compete for the pure joy of competing and being a part of the Olympics; to cross that finish line and say, "I finished". That, right there, is why I love the Olympics.