At long last, the 2012 Opening Ceremonies are here. Well, make that a few hours away. At least for US East Coast TV viewers. I am excited for the beginning of the Olympics for many reasons. First, I was not good at traditionally watched US Sports. I never played football, was terrible at basketball and was a coward at baseball. Seriously, and this is painful to admit even 30 years later. As soon as I learned that the guy throwing the ball could throw it at me, whether intentional or not, the ball always looked like it was coming right at me. My last season of baseball was a highlight reel of me ducking away from the ball only to hear the ump yell, "STRIKE!" I have complete respect for sports officials but the number of umps who missed strike calls by a mile that season was criminal. I mean, come on, the ball almost hit me. How can that be a strike?
Eventually, I moved on to other sports - swimming and track. Swimming and track only matter once every 4 years, during the Olympics. I love the Olympics because I can remember the days when making the Olympics was my dream. Well, its still my dream, but it is even more unrealistic now than it was 30 years ago. Plus, the Olympics is full of obscure sports that you can learn about. Winter is better for this, but you will have to wait 18 long months for my discussion of the wonderful array of obscure Winter Olympic Sports.
Second, the Olympics (OK, the Olympic ideal) is the epitome of sports at its best. Sure there is corruption and billions of dollars and scandals about selecting the host city and the Olympics bankrupted Greece and occassionally steroids and...wait, wasn't this positive? Oh, yeah, that all comes BEFORE the Opening Ceremonies. (Even Katrina Thanou and Kostas Kenteris missed their drug test and staged their motorcycle accident on the eve of the Olympics in 2004, not after the Opening Ceremonies.) The Opening Ceremonies are like wiping the slate clean. We now get 2 weeks of pure entertaining sports competition. No labor disputes, no demands for trades, only great stories and great performances. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. People doing things never thought possible and people failing to live up to expectations. Surprises out of nowhere and expectations met. I even enjoy the silly made for TV stories. You know, four years ago the Olympics even made me like Chris Collinsworth, and I really don't like Chris Collinsworth. Well, I used to not like him.
Third, the Olympics always inspires me to start exercising again. This year, it happened during the Olympic Swimming Trials. I got back in the water. I have been occassionally sidetracked by "Raft Night" at the pool, thunderstorms, swim meets and a strained wrist. But I have been in the water 3 or so times per week for a month. And today I plan to get in 2,000 meters before the Opening Ceremonies. I think watching the best in the world do something that I used to be at least better than average at reminds me that I would like to be better than I currently am and gets me motivated to start working at it again. (Read that sentence again, I swear it makes sense.) I know I will never be as good as I was at 20 and 21, but maybe I can at least be respectable. The irony is that I am conflicted between wanting to spend 24 hours a day watching on TV and being motivated to go out and do it myself. But, I find the time to do both. When the Olympics ends, the motivation goes away. I am considering swimming a Masters Meet at some point to keep motivation up, but that is also for another post.
Fourth, the Olympics are what got me started with this little project. I began by sending a few friends email updates about the Olympic Swimming Trials. A couple people suggested I start a Blog, so I did. Now I have almost double the number of readers. We will see where this goes after the Olympics, but London 2012 is where it started.
So here is my advice for the Olympics:
1. Tell your spouse/partner/FWB you will not be having sex for the next couple of weeks. There is simply no time with a billion hours of TV coverage. (On that note, after or during the Parade of Nations make sure you get some. It's your last chance until closing ceremonies.) This is all fine, there will be enough sex in the Olympic Village for the whole world during this time.
2. Learn to love the DVR and hate commercials. Develop a quick, strong thumb.
3. Set your phone's clock to display London time, so you know what time it is there.
4. Check the TV listings. But before you do this, take a deep breath, get a drink, and set aside about 9 hours. Determine what sports you are most interested in and focus on those sports. Unless you are CURRENTLY taking a Spanish class, try to ignore Telemundo. This may be the time to start getting yourself in shape for a return to glory in beach volleyball, but it is not the time to reinforce your high school Spanish Class. Focus first on the sports you (and your middle child) want to watch. Find out when they will be televised and set aside those times. Then move on to the secondary sports and repeat. Remember, the time for sleep is September. Now is the time for focus. And TV. And motivated exercise for a return to athletic glory. If all you are interested in is swimming, gymnastics, marquee track and field events, diving and US beach volleyball teams, you can get by watching NBC from 7:30-midnight every night. Otherwise, you need a plan. This is the way to make that plan.
5. Check this Blog every day. I will be giving fantastic analysis and amazing anecdotes. Maybe. I will at least give my observations in between watching the games, trying to become the first Olympic swimmer to debut at the age of 44 (take THAT Dara Torres! - never mind that it won't happen), raising three children, having a job and fending off the Wife, who will be challenging #1 after seeing Ryan Lochte for several days. Come to think of it, #1 may be tough for me after seeing Ryan Lochte for several days. I can't promise daily updates, but that is the plan.
6. Watch with your kids. Even organizations that typically say turn off the TV are saying turn it on and watch with your kids.
7. Finally, in all seriousness, enjoy. Enjoy the spectacle, the stories, the triumphs, the failures, and most of all, the effort. The competition is what sports should be about. The best in the world giving their best effort. Appreciate the effort, win or lose.
Local Sports Update - Divisionals tomorrow. Results and season summary to follow. Follow up on yesterday's sad news: Curl-Burke Swim Club has terminated the name "Curl-Burke Swim Club", effective immediately. The brand is tainted.
What to Look Forward To/Today's Olympic Story Line:
Today I am combining these two sections and giving a number of things to watch for in this year's Olympics. Throughout the Olympics, I will divide these each day, and give one story line, and many things to watch for:
1. Lochte/Phelps Showdown - With apologies to anyone else in the Olympics, this is the biggest story. Phelps will be seeking 7 medals, Lochte 6. They will share two of these (800 Free Relay and 400 Free Relay) and compete head to head for 2 (200 IM and 400 IM). Phelps is already the greatest Olympian ever. He has more gold medals than anyone in history, he will break the record for most medals of any color by the fourth day of competition, and he has a chance to accomplish for the THIRD time (at least 7 medals in one Olympics), something only 7 other people have accomplished once. Lochte will look to vault up the list of most gold medals won, potentially putting himself in the top 10 of all time. (More likely top 20.) We are watching two of the greatest swimmers ever.
2. US Gymnastics - The women (girls) have a chance at 1-2 in the all around and team gold. Men also have a chance at team gold. This could be the greatest performance by a US gymnastics team in the Olympics ever, and will almost definitely be the best performance in a non-boycotted Olympics.
3. Allison Felix - Can she win the 200? Will the 100 controversy affect her in any way? How will Jenebah Tarmoh perform in the 4x100 relay? And will Tarmoh be in the finals of the relay, or just the prelims?
4. Beach Volleyball - Will Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor get a third straight gold? Can Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers defend their gold from 2008? Will the women cover up? Will the men take more off?
5. Women's socccer - The US looks for a 3rd straight gold and redemption from last year's World Cup. Alex Morgan just looks good. Although I would like the white jerseys so I can see her pink sports bra through the uniform.
6. USA Track and Field - Can the US recover from a dismal 2008 performance? Will Ashton Eaton break the Decathlon World Record again? Will Jamaica sweep the men's 100 meters?
7. Women's Crew - Mary Whipple is the coxswain for the Women's Eight Crew team. She is a feisty little sparkplug, who coxed the women to a gold medal in 2008. If you get a chance to watch anything about rowing, Mary is worth your time.
8. My pick for obscure summer sport of 2012.
9. Promises of My Predictions.
10. Missy Franklin could have the greatest single Olympics for a female swimmer in history. She is only 17, so this may be the beginning of the greatest Olympic swimming career for a female swimmer ever. Her performance at Olympic Trials was extraordinary. I expect nothing less in London.
11. Who will light the torch? Find out tonight. Even money is on Roger Bannister, but he never won an Olympic medal. Will the British choose an Olympic Champion? Or a greater historic figure?
Predictions:
1. Eldest will break through with at least one best time in the Divisional Meet tomorrow.
2. Lochte wins the first swimming gold medal by defeating Phelps in the 400 IM.
3. Elizabeth Biesel does Saunderstown, RI proud by winning gold in the Women's 400 IM.
4. The US Women win silver in the 400 Free Relay.
5. Mark Cavendish becomes the pride of Great Britain by winning the Men's Road Cycling Race.
6. The US wins the medal count. But China passes us in 2016.
7. None of you will take my #1 advice for watching the Olympics. (Go check it again, above.)
Enjoy the Games. More to come tomorrow. (I hope, very busy day.)
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