What I'll Be Watching

The Olympics starts tonight, although in a non-competitive manner, and actually it started a few hours ago when the opening ceremony took place in China, or actually it started earlier this week when the soccer tournament began. Or whatever. I actually had a post ready about the fashion and beauty wisdom we can gleam from the games, but I thought this was more timely. We can talk about eyebrows and dresses anytime over the next two weeks. If I put this one off you may not get to read about my watching schedule until after I've already begun watching. Que horrible!

Without further rambling, here's the list of sports that will keep me glued to the TV over the course of the Olympics.

Men's 1,500 meter, Track and Field: Lopez Lomong watched the 2000 Olympics in a refugee camp in Kenya and was inspired to become an Olympic runner while watching sprinter Michael Johnson in those games. Eight years later, Lomong, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, now has become a naturalized US citizen and qualified for the 1,500, along with fellow immigrants-turned-citizens from Kenya and Mexico. I'm probably in the minority for where I live in thinking that having immigrants be all of the US representatives in this event is a great symbol of America itself. As a nation of immigrants and their descendants and with our whole American Dream myth, I can't think of a better outcome than having a US sweep of an event in which all three of our medalists are foreign-born citizens. I also liked the fact that the US Olympic team had enough balls to pick Lomong to be the flag bearer, a choice that I can't help but view as a subtle protest against China's support of the Sudanese government. Then there's my mild academic obsession with the Lost Boys to take into consideration.

Anything involving swimming: My interest in swimming comes from the four or five years in my youth when I was a competitive swimmer. I wasn't the dominant force in the water that my sister was (she was a perennial top three placer in the backstroke and and medaled in a few other events at the state level), but I was a passable competitor at the breaststroke, my favorite, and I was a better-than-decent distance swimmer. In every meet from about third grade until the seventh I entered the standard-lenght breaststroke and the longest possible freestyle (up to 100 yards). I never placed much higher than 6th or so out of about 20 or so breaststrokers during the regional meets, which means I wasn't bad, but I was in the middle of the pack. On the other hand, I always came in at least third in the 100-yard freestyle, probably because there were never more than three boys in my age-group competing in the event. This always gave me a free pass to the state meet because I was able to place within the cutoff by default. The good news is that I was actually able to beat some people at the state level so I have a couple 8th-place medals (the lowest place you could get and still win a medal). I always preferred the breaststroke though. It was the most natural for me and was the easiest to specialize in while I got over my intense childhood fear of having water in my face. I also occasionally competed in the backstroke, but I wasn't as good. I never could master the butterfly though. That's an incredibly difficult stroke to do well, and an incredibly tiring stroke. The guys competing and excelling in this style are incredible swimmers.

Fencing: This is sadly undercovered. Most of the action will take place with only web coverage. The medal rounds will be shown crammed into catch-all shows on the television networks where you'll sit through all sorts of odd combinations of sports just to get to the swordfighting. I've always liked the idea of fencing and it's kind of fun to watch. There was a fencing club founded at my alma mater during my last semester on campus. I really wish this had begun my freshmen year. I would have loved to have learned the sport. Then I could be just like Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker.

Marathon: I just want to see if anyone falls over dead from the particulate matter and ozone pollution by running that far in Beijing. Plus, if the American marathoners are wearing the respirators that the US Olympic team passed out, it'd be a little like watching a space marathon.

As for the rest, I'll watch plenty of track and field and many of the individual and team sports that usually don't get any US airtime (handball, anyone?). I'm not a huge fan of gymnastics, but I will watch some events because what the people do there is impressive, and the same goes for equestrian events, although I'm less impressed there by the riders than I am by the fact that horses are just beautiful animals. While I'll watch those two events, if ping pong or archery is on another station, I'm watching that instead.

There are a few events I'll avoid like the plague, however. Rhythmic gymnastics? You shouldn't need props in a sport unless you're hitting things with them. Synchronized swimming? Impressive skills, but I don't find any interest in dancing or watching people dance. Why would I find interest in watching them dance in the water? Yachting? This is should probably be filed under Sports that Are More Fun to Do than to Watch. Plus, I have difficulty separating the competitors from the yacht club stereotype. You want me train to compete in a yacht race? You had me at "you". You want me to watch the race from the shore or on TV? Sorry, I'd rather watch the trampoline competition (which is pretty damn cool, actually). Basketball and baseball? I honestly don't find a lot of interest in watching either sport, but if they weren't US television mainstays already I probably would, just like I may watch some soccer this year. Unfortunately for them (because I know they're pained that I'm not paying attention), those sports can be found for several months a year on almost every day of the week. Plus, the games take up way too much time and don't leave you with enough space in the schedule to watch the once-every-four-years sports on the other channels. I don't have the disdain for these two sports that I hold for rhythmic gymnastics and synchronized swimming, though. I can just watch them elsewhere and they take too long, so why bother now? I'll even skip most of the tennis coverage for the same reason and I love tennis.

After all, what good are the Olympics if not for shining a spotlight on athletes in sports the spotlight usually can't find?