The Collegian
Friday, March 29, 2024

This just in: The Olympics are here

The Winter Olympics start tomorrow and the excitement-o-meter is stuck on low.

For many American sports fans, the Olympic Games, especially the Winter Olympics, register as an afterthought behind the country's four major sports leagues.

The salaries and budgets of pro sports make them almost untouchable products for owners and networks to market. And yes, some Olympic sports are a little less exciting to watch than the NFL playoffs, but for those who appreciate sport and competition in its truest form, even curling can be stimulating.

And so, because ESPN and its family of networks haven't had their usual moxie when it comes to the Winter Games, I thought I'd give you a few reasons to tune in to what may be the world's greatest sporting event.

First off, I'll be a loyal North American and call Vancouver a great host site. But many of the ski events will actually be held in Whistler, British Columbia. I've been there once, and if it looks as good on TV as it does in person, viewers are going to get a treat.

More importantly, the 15 winter sports are sure to provide riveting drama, with athletes waging small-scale wars on the ice and world-class performances that will make legends on the mountain. Here are some that you won't want to miss:

Olympic hockey provides NHL fans with a look at some former stars and pseudo-all-star teams. This year, some have said it could be the greatest hockey tournament ever played.

The Canadian team figures to be the favorite, and winning the gold on its home ice would be extra special for a country that's a hockey heaven. Then there's Russia - another perennial hockey power. The Russians are led by the most exciting player on ice, Alex Ovechkin.

Add to that names like Evgeni Malkin, Pavel Datsyuk and Ilya Kovalchuk, and hockey fans everywhere need to remove their jaws from the floor. If these two meet in the Gold Medal game, it may be the most star-studded, meaningful game in hockey history.

If hockey's not your thing, you're missing out, but the mountain sports are bound to produce breathtaking aerial acrobatics.

Snowboarding is new to the Olympics, but it's chock-full of American athletes. Lovable ginger Shaun White won gold during the 2006 Winter Games and all signs point to a repeat, but he won't get the gold unless he does something spectacular. Translation: Watch him snowboard.

In skiing, American Lindsay Vonn conjures up memories of the greatest name in downhill. Picabo Street was the last American to get the type of hype Vonn has gotten, and after winning three-straight World Cup races last month in Austria, Vonn just may be able to make skiing relevant in the U.S. of A.

Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter

On the men's side, Bode Miller may be more famous for his missteps away from the powder than his accomplishments on it, but he'll be racing in all five alpine skiing events hoping to change that reputation.

My personal favorite events - bobsledding, luge and skeleton - are lacking in big names but not in entertainment factor. Anybody who has seen "Cool Runnings" knows what I mean, and anyone who hasn't shouldn't be allowed to watch bobsledding anyway.

But when it comes down to it, why not watch the Olympics? For some countries - ones that are driven less by money and advertising and more by pride and patriotism - the Games are the international Super Bowl. Just because we have our own doesn't mean we can't enjoy the rest of the world's, too.

The New Orleans Saints and New York Yankees claim to be world champions, but really they are just the champions of their own leagues. The real world champions are the athletes who compete for their countries against athletes from anywhere in the world and come out on top.

Every two years, there's only one place on Earth where true world champions are crowned. This year, it's Vancouver.

Contact staff writer Reilly Moore at reilly.moore@richmond.edu

Support independent student media

You can make a tax-deductible donation by clicking the button below, which takes you to our secure PayPal account. The page is set up to receive contributions in whatever amount you designate. We look forward to using the money we raise to further our mission of providing honest and accurate information to students, faculty, staff, alumni and others in the general public.

Donate Now