Every two years, we have a Summer or Winter Olympics. Every time, wherever it is held, they try to do it bigger and better. And I try to figure out what’s going on. I’m talking about the opening and closing ceremonies. Even with the commentators explaining it, I’m lost. And to make matters worse they were speaking and singing in Italian. Mama Mia!
I taped the whole thing. I ended up with over 200 shows taped. But that’s the way to go. I could speed through all the commercials and comments by Snoop Dog. I also speeded it up when all the nations marched in. I make no apology for speeding through Albania, Andora and Armenia. I’ll stop the list there, but I didn’t stop fast forwarding.
And crazy sports. I won’t have any trouble waiting four years to see a snowboarder slide down a rail. And the judges scored them high for how long they could stay on the rail. I would have scored them high for how fast they could get off the rail. Then there are the aerial ski jumpers who fly high in the air twisting and flipping. It is something to behold. Then the commentator says, “Wow, that was a 1260 double cork.” But no one explains what a 1260 double cork is. I know a double cork is twice as much as a single cork, but I don’t know what a cork is.
Curling. Fascinating. It is definitely a beer drinking sport, but you have to stay sober enough to sweep! It has its own language in that each team starts with eight rocks and they play 10 ends. It is also important which team has the hammer. The only way to watch curling is to fast forward through the first six rocks and then watch the last two. You can also fast forward through the endless debates on what to do with the next rock. I enjoyed watching curling, but, again, I’m willing to wait four years for the next match. You know how difficult it is to find a gift for the person who has everything. Give that person a curling rock.
There were so many Olympic activities that they were on NBC, CNBC and USA Network. While watching USA Network, I saw a host/reporter who sounded familiar. While she was interviewing different athletes, they would show closeups of the athletes, but not her. I was sure I knew her, but I couldn’t think of her name. She had been the NBC local sports reporter on Channel 4. I was pretty sure her name started with a Z. I went to Google for a list of reporters and commentators at the Olympics. It was a massive list. I went to the Zs. No luck. I did find OJ Simpson. That must have been before the white Ford Bronco ride. Finally, I found her. Lindsey Czarniak. See why I thought Z. She was so good on local TV, and I am not surprised she is doing well on a bigger stage. I felt like I had renewed an acquaintance with an old friend.
The thing that makes the Olympics so great is when someone from your country does something so spectacular that the whole world acknowledges it. Like Alysa Liu, after retiring at age 16, coming back and giving the performance of her life to win the gold medal in women’s skating. And the women’s hockey team tying up the gold-medal game in the last two minutes and winning in overtime. Yes, of course, the men’s hockey team beating a much superior Canadian team in overtime. And when the winning goal scorer, Jack Hughes, smiled through his moments earlier cracked teeth and said, “I’m so proud to be an American,” and “I love the USA.” I just said, “Amen.”