Tag: Winter Olympics

Olympics

Daily writing prompt
What Olympic sports do you enjoy watching the most?
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What is it about the Olympic Games that makes uninteresting sporting events so riveting that I can’t look away? Track and field events, figure skating, curling, and the queen mother of WTF athletic competitions, biathlon (the one with target shooting crossed with cross country skiing). Take uninteresting sporting competitions, wrap them in the Olympic flag and BAM, I can’t stop watching. Is it hypnosis? Is it some weird brain washing thing? Is it a form of nationalistic propaganda that our brains are hard wired to respond to?

Maybe… or it just might be fun.

There is one Olympic event that I follow pretty religiously. It’s not figure skating, though there was a time in the past where I had a family connection to that sport based on my cousin having dated a super famous US competitor. It’s not soccer either, though it might be in the future as I have a family connection that may or may not be involved with the Olympic development program and may at some point in the distant future end up playing goal for the USA. No, you can probably guess if you read through past posts on this blog. It’s hockey.

Hockey was always the best part of the Winter Olympics, but when the NHL players were allowed to participate, suddenly the Olympic Ice Hockey tournament became the ultimate international competition, featuring literally the best hockey players on Earth. Sure it took a couple of Olympics for the whole thing to start living up to it’s potential, but once it did. Damn, were those games ever fun. Best hockey tournament ever.

Generate an image of a male jedi knight playing ice hockey for team usa with a light saber…

Curling

I just asked the wordpress.com A.I. Assistant this question: Why is curling a thing?

Curling has a rich history dating back to the 16th century in Scotland, where it originated as a popular pastime during the long winter months. The sport involves players sliding stones on a sheet of ice towards a target area, while teammates use brooms to sweep the ice in front of the stone to control its speed and direction. Over time, curling has evolved into a highly strategic and competitive sport, with a dedicated global following. Its appeal lies in the skillful combination of precision, strategy, teamwork, and the unique dynamic of the game being played on ice. Additionally, the social aspects of the sport, including camaraderie and sportsmanship, contribute to its enduring popularity.

This whole post is an inside joke kinda thing, but apparently there are people who play the sport of Curling in Georgia… a place that doesn’t have ice. Who knew? Atlanta has twice had an NHL team. The first one booked it out of town and ended up in Calgary, where there is a lot of ice. The other booked it out of town and ended up in Winnipeg, where there is also a lot of ice.

So yeah… curling… in Georgia. Who knew?

This isn’t meant to bad mouth Curling. During every Winter Olympics, whenever I stumble across Curling I find myself completely fascinated with it, even though I have zero knowledge of anything that’s happening. It’s kinda weird and almost creepy. Still, come February 2026, when we have the next Winter Olympics, you can bet your bottom (Canadian) dollar that I’ll find myself glued to the TV.

Speaking of the NHL, the Bruins got spanked by the Blues last night. It made me sad. I need the Bruins to go on a nice win streak. Granted, I’d rather they play crappy for a while now than have them do it in the playoffs like they did last year.

No Olympics for Us

I was really looking forward to the NHL sending players back to the Olympics this year but I really should have known better. It’s no use getting our hopes up about anything anymore. Here in Covid-land it’s all gone to shit and we’re just going to tread water in said shit for the rest of our days.

One year ago today I wrote this:

“Now we just have three work days, and a Christmas Eve to go before our first and hopefully last ever Covid-19 Christmas. Here’s hoping the little bastard goes down in history as a unique little blip on the universe. HoHoHo.”

Nope. It was most definitely not a unique little blip on the universe. It was a solid kick, square in the balls. Fuck you, universe.

Fuck. You.

Okay, so that got more dramatic than a handful of hockey games deserves, but on the scale of life, the universe, and everything… yeah, fuck you.

Outbreak on Ice

The NHL shut down the Calgary Flames for Covid the other day. Today the Bruins, after playing Calgary a few days ago, had two players, including Brad Marchand, go into the Covid protocol. Then later the league postponed the Carolina vs Minnesota game for, you guessed it, Covid.

The debate is raging over whether or not the NHL is going to participate in the Olympics. How are they going to keep everyone safe in the viral incubator known as the Olympic village if they can’t keep everyone safe during normal operations?

They are talking about keeping everyone home. You know, I was really hoping for some NHL/Olympic hockey this year. It’s going to suck if they back out.

The depleted Bruins are playing Vegas tonight. Here’s hoping no one else gets sick. Covid is a prick.

ADDENDUM: Vegas is kicking the shit out of the Bruins. We are down 3-0 after one. Crap.