The 2010 Winter Olympics have kicked off and although it started on a tragic note, so far it has been very exciting. What I love about any Olympics is the feeling that you don’t need to know who is competing, you just want your fellow countryman to win. The athletes are still into it for the thrill of competition and they will give it their all at these games. It’s hard not to root for young athletes, especially the teenagers who are living in a dream.
Watching is easy too, when so much is on the line all you have to do is tune in and you will soon find yourself wrapped up in it and then suddenly the next day at work you’re an expert in whatever obscure sport you were watching. They only come around every two years and the athletes may not ever get a chance to compete at this level again. Watch and enjoy their pure joy when they win and feel for the athlete who just wasn’t quite there. But remember their name because if they came so close, yet so far, they will do their best to get there again in another four years for redemption. Great unscripted worldly drama.
Top 3
1. Winter Olympics – Snowboarding – Feb. 17 @ 7:15 pm
One person is the face of snowboarding for the entire world: Shaun ‘The Flying Tomato” White. Not only did Red Bull build him his own private half-pipe to practice on, he has his own video game and is the highest non-salaried athlete at the games. He won Gold last Olympics and hopes to repeat as the men’s champion. But because he is considered the face of the sport all the other competitors are gunning for him. Basically it’s everyone in the world versus Shaun. It will be a fun competition to watch in a sport that most adults are not familiar with but don’t worry, your kids will explain everything. Watch and see if Shaun can pull off the repeat and continue to dominate the world of snowboarding.
2. Winter Olympics – Skeleton – Feb. 19 – Women @ 4:55 pm, Men @ 7:50 pm
We have all seen and heard how dangerous the Luge is, but the Skeleton takes that sport to the next level. In luge, the athlete lays on his back and fly down the ice track. In skeleton, the athlete lays on their stomach and is going down head first. Watch just to see crazy people slide head first down an ice slide at speeds near 80 mph. The tragic death that occurred earlier this week will be weighing heavily on all athletes who use the track and I think the skeleton riders will feel it even more. From the anxiety while waiting for their start until the relief of finishing, the athletes will be nervous and we will get to see just how much that affects them.
3. NBA - Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers – Feb. 18 @ 10:30 pm
The only reason this game isn’t number one is because the Olympics is going on. This game features the two most successful and biggest rivalry in the NBA. The Lakers and Celtics have been bitter rivals for decades now and they don’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. When Kobe Bryant and his Lakers go up against Kevin Garnett and his Celtics, the intensity and competition will never get higher. The Lakers are still angry about their loss in the Finals two years ago to the Celtics and they will certainly use that as motivation. The Celtics were unable to even make it to the Finals last year and will be looking to show that they are just as much the team (if not better) than they were last time they met the Lakers in the Finals. Can’t miss NBA TV, plus it’s preceded by Lebron vs. Carmelo. Awesome.
Quick Picks
- Click on this Medal Tracker to follow all the countries medal counts and see which will come out on top in this Olympics.
- For a Complete List of all Olympic events and their scheduled start times
