By Rory McClannahan
Mountain View Telegraph
I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately, and I blame Michael Phelps.
Phelps obviously hasn't been hanging around my house banging on the window all night as I try to sleep.
No, he and his compatriots with the men's and women's gymnastics teams, the rest of the swimming team and, heck, even the women's beach volleyball team have been keeping me up at night as I've been watching them compete in the Olympic games.
The track and field competition starts today, too, so it will be a whole other group of athletes keeping me awake.
Don't these people realize I've got to work tomorrow?
I admit it, I've got a monkey on my back. A giant summer Olympic monkey. It's almost as bad as jonesing for a smoke. I say almost as bad because it only comes around every four years. Honestly, how many of us watch swimming when we see it on television? Not many, otherwise there would be a show on called "Swimming with the Stars," and thankfully there isn't.
But when the summer Olympics come on, I'm there, glued to the television. And for several weeks, I become an expert in all kinds of sports. For instance, did you know the Chinese are a world power in synchronized diving? Or that the American men's gymnastics team did well to get a bronze medal in the team competition after Morgan and Paul Hamm dropped out of the Olympics due to injury. Or that Michael Phelps will swim 17 races during these Games of the XXIX Olympiad. (That's how you're really supposed to say it; just ask Bob Costas.)
What I like best about the Olympics is that it's a display of the best athletic talent in the world at this time. Take Phelps, for instance. He will most likely break Mark Spitz's record of winning seven gold medals during a single Olympic games. Spitz did that in 1972. You may not like Phelps or aren't into the nationalism unabashedly on display during the Olympics; but you got to admit that it will be amazing if he does break that record.
The Olympics also are good for introducing us to the finer points of sports that we always thought belonged in the backyard, like badminton and beach volleyball. Over the years, the Olympics have had some events that have not stood the test of time. New events are given a test run at most Olympic games. This year, we'll get to see bicycle motocross as an event.
Some purists may think that such an event has no place in the Olympics, but just remember that tug of war used to be an Olympic event.
Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing more of our elementary school playground sports at the Olympics. I think the Americans would kick butt at dodge ball, but that we would probably be beat by the French in tag.
Or maybe the International Olympic Committee should add some of our more popular barroom games to the slate. Could you imagine the competition in tabletop shuffleboard? (I know from experience that the Germans would take the gold in this.)
Having always wanted to compete in the Olympics but never wanting to put forth the effort at any of the sports, I'm hoping a diving event is added for guys like me all over the world. I would certainly be in contention for a medal in the cannonball.
Regardless of what games are featured at the Olympic Games, one thing will remain constant — my lack of sleep. If they put the Olympics on television, I'll watch them. Contact Rory McClannahan at 823-7102 or online at editor@mvtelegraph.com.
E-mail Story
Print Friendly
...go to bookmarks
