Needs more biathlon

Some Olympic thoughts from the opening weekend…

1) Like everyone else I must comment on the Georgian luger tragedy. Now I must state that I am someone with a pretty decent knowledge of luge. I watch it every Olympics and have even stopped and watched when I came across it in non-Olympic years. Can’t call myself an expert or anything but any event that I played in the Epyx Winter Games is one that holds a special place in my heart. Here is what I feel on it. A) I have never seen a slider launched from the track like that. I’ve never seen anyone even leave the track. B) That said, the logic of having exposed steel poles just feet from a track where people are going 90+ mph has to be questioned. C) I could have done without every network showing the full footage, including the guy hitting the post and dying instantly, over and over again. D) In the end, the track was too fast and the racer too inexperienced. Inexperience shouldn’t result in death though.

2) Obviously that put a damper on the Opening Ceremonies. For the most part I found them to be rather good, though the Devil Went Down to Georgia musical number seemed very out of place. Also, as much as I love k.d. lang singing Halleiluia (and I’ve seen her perform it in concert and it just sends chills down your spine) it is a very strange song to hear in a sporting contest. It is about relationships and breakups and doesn’t really fit in. Finally, the cauldron screw up has to be one of the most awkward endings since the Seoul Olympics where the doves that were released to symbolize peace went and sat in the cauldron and stayed there even when it was lit. (I’m not making this up.)

3) I have no idea how moguls skiers have any knees at all. You watch them through the middle section and you just feel like wincing as their ACLs are torn to shreds. Still, I wish there was an easier way to understand the scoring. The speed portion is easy. The style points for turns and aerials are an absolute mystery. This is one of those things about some events that drive me batty. Even ski jumping has style points and that event should simply be see who jumps the farthest.

4) I ended up watching cross country skiing this afternoon, which I have to admit is not the most exciting event in the world. The only fun part is that it is tradition that ever skier collapses when they cross the finish line. No other sport has this. Marathoners take a victory lap after they finish. Skiers collapse into a heap.

5) I’m already sick of NBCs coverage. First of all, they have been rather harsh on the athletes with no medal chances (I think they called one one of the worst in the world.) Then, even though the Olympic events are essentially taking place in LA from a time zone perspective I still can’t watch them live and find out who won hours before I can see it. Drives me insane.

The five random CDs for the week:
1) Bruce Robison “Bruce Robison”
2) The Tragically Hip “Phantom Power”
3) Waco Brothers “Cowboy in Flames”
4) Various Artists “Exposed Roots: The Best of Alt Country”
5) Emmylou Harris “Stumble Into Grace”