Olympic things that rule me

[jlh]

I LOVE the Winter Games. I am genuinely interested in almost all the sports—hockey, luge/skeleton/bobsled, alpine skiing, speed skating, figure skating, cross country skiing, ski jumping, curling, snowboarding. I'm not so much about that whole, jump in the air and twist around sort of skiing or snowboarding, but that's about it. Everything else, I'm up for, and I've been gorging on the stuff. I think you might have had to grow up in the snow to care, but I did, and so I unapologetically do. Here's what's ruled me so far:

• Finally figuring out the rules of curling.
  
• The US and Canadian women's hockey teams, and how much airtime they both got—really, as much as the men, as all the round robin games were shown during the day. Once again, yay Title IX!
  
• All the fellow Mainers in the games, including snowcross gold medalist Seth Wescott.
  
• Olympic Ice, a completely silly show on USA every night that focusses just on figure skating. I've fallen in love with Jaime Salé and David Pelletier; they're so funny and so clear and precise in their descriptions of what makes for a good or bad performance. I can see them having great careers as commentators or coaches.
  
• Tim Gunn commenting on the ice skating costumes on NBC's Olympics website. So smart to get the Bravo types in on the act, particularly as Bravo isn't carrying any actual Olympics.
  
• I like Johnny Weir. A lot. He'll get there; he's young yet. And at least he's interesting.
  
• One thing not ruling me: some of the commentators. Shut up already with your judgments about the female athletes. The alpine skiing guys were so obnoxious the other day that I can't even stand to listen to them and haven't watched any more alpine skiing as a result. As for the Lindsey Jacobellis matter, Scott Simon of National Public Radio says it better than I ever could.
  
• Dick Button. He's such a fabulous old queen isn't he? First of all, give him his due: he was named American Skater of the Century for a reason. Second, he never holds anything back—sure, he can be harsh, but he's exacting. And third? The man just referenced Maria Callas and Judy Garland in the same sentence while talking about figure skating. 'nuff said.
  
• Ice Dancing is my favorite by far and wow, it's been really dramatic this year, eh? Belbin and Agosto have been performing so beautifully; such a change to see a truly tip-top American pair.
  
• Cross country skiing drama. The guy from Norway falls and his teammates hold up the field so he can catch up! The Italians totally rock the relay! Biathlon!

What a lovely tribute to Curt Gowdy at the end of tonight's Olympic broadcast. Costas can be ridiculous and full of himself but the man does have a sense of history.

Comments

[adjudicated.livejournal.com]

I have nothing to offer except a curling smiley:

(http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008_ZNfox000)

It's a CURLING. SMILEY. I just love the little broom!

[zorb]

That is so cute!

[adjudicated.livejournal.com]

Isn't it funny? I got it from Smiley Central which, yes, I actually installed *facepalm*

[moony]

WHAT are the rules of Curling!?

[nmalfoy.livejournal.com]

Good question... I wonder, too. Looks like all they do is throw polished granite rocks around and scrub furiously with their brooms. It looks like shuffleboard on ice as played by really obsessive housekeepers.

[sisterpandora.livejournal.com]

I learnt all I know about curling from Men with Brooms (http://imdb.com/title/tt0263734/). ;)

I must look up this Tim Gunn commentary!

Someone mentioned ice dance at work today and it made me think of you. They were talking about if this is its first year in the olympics or if it had always been apart of the games (at least recently)? The answers were mixed.

Have nothing even vaguely sporty in my icons, so I'll use my PR icon instead.

[locumtenens.livejournal.com]

I *love* ice dancing! It's like a soap opera on skates!

[praetorianguard.livejournal.com]

YAY, for I am not the only one who has been glued to the television watching ever conceivable moment. Though I'm strangely uninterested in any skiing that involves jumping. But whee ice dancing and bobsled and luge and any sort of alpine skiing and any sort of nordic skiing and so forth ad infinitum.

[darth-kittius.livejournal.com]

Everyone thinks I'm insane because I love the winter olympics so much more than the summer olympics. Seriously, I'm going to be so sad when they end. When else can you get this much coverage of these sports? I mean, they're getting a bit better at having women's hockey on tv... but for everything else I feel the coverage is getting worse. I can't ever find NHL coverage, no curling (I suppose that would be asking a bit much), and little skiing. One more week!

For those who were asking about curling rules, the sport explainer and glossary on http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/sports/curling/ are quite helpful.