I’m hooked on the Winter Olympics. Sunday night after midnight I’m watching the “B” finals of the 1500-meter short track ice-skating. Someone help me please.
Bob Costas’ Hair. It changes color every night. Seriously. My wife is a hairdresser. She picked up on this bit of weirdness during the last Summer Olympics. One night Bob’s hair is a chestnut color, the next night it’s black. Then it seems to be a little browner … what’s going on? Check it out and keep a tally.
Jim Lampley’s Hair. WOW. His hair is perfect.
Snowboarding. Gnarly dudes on snow. When they say they’re just “here” to have fun and catch big air, and don’t worry about winning, I believe them. As an event it’s kind of fun to watch but after a while there’s nothing that's unique about the different routines to make it interesting. No doubt these guys are athletic, but it's not much of a TV sport.
Curling. My wife: “What’s this?”
Me: “Curling.”
My wife: “That’s a sport?”
Me: “It is during the Winter Olympics.”
My wife: “There’s nothing athletic about this, is there?”
Me: “Uh…”
Luge. How can it be that a sport that requires hardly any perceivable movement on behalf of a supine participant be A) so dangerous B) so interesting and C) so great to watch? These crazy people are lying on their back with their head about 8 inches from the ice while careening down a solid ice, banked course at 90 miles per hour. I don't drive my car that fast. A slight turn of the foot or movement of one shoulder results in a small adjustment to the sled which can “save” the rider valuable hundredths of a second. The Skeleton Sliders do a similarly crazy thing, but head first.
Ski Jumping. This is the coolest of all events. Who came up with this idea? NBC had a wild camera – a chase cam – that followed along side the jumper from the start at the top of the ramp all the way down, through the jump and until the jumper landed. Being able to see this event from the side, at the speed that the jumper experienced while being able to watch the contour of the mountain behind the jumper, is one of the coolest things that I’ve ever seen.
Article comments
1 - Matthew T. Sussman
Curling is sure as heck athletic. You oughta try it sometime. Perhaps not as athletic as other sports, but don't knock it because it "looks easy."
2 - sal m
i'd never make fun of something that i don't understand...remember? i should have mentioned that i did watch the whole curling thing...
3 - Victor Lana
Costas looks like that guy in the old Fugitive TV show who used black hair polish on his hair. It's just a weird look!
4 - Hairynipples
I remember you from high school. You were kind of cute. I thought you liked to curl in the weight room? I am confused by your agression here.
5 - Matthew T. Sussman
Well, the playful jab was more of a combined effort from Sal and Mrs. Marinello. Still, it's cool to see people watching it.
6 - Hairynipples
Well, I am now a committed Curling junkie, fascinated by the athletic skill and scientific analysis combined into one great sport. Kind of like Team Shuffleboard at the American Legion. They should allow body checking and the occasional fight to break out.
7 - sal m
nips:
and you're forgettng beer...they hide it during the olympics, but it's there...oh, it's there...
8 - KB
What is up with Bob Costas' hair? It is like the horse in the Wizard of Oz -- every night it's a different color.