February is the slowest time of the year in the sports world. The NFL just ended, MLB is still yet to start (a sport which may have been just invented so there is something to do during the football offseason), the NBA is its usual non-competitive self since everybody already knows either the Lakers or Cavs are gonna win The Finals unless somehow the Celtics or Nuggets go nuts, and the NHL is on its Olympic break.
Thankfully however, it is indeed an Olympic year. Just like the World Cup, it gives me a reason to watch a sport I normally wouldn’t care about except for every four years. The Olympics showcase some of the greatest athletes in the world, at sports that are rarely glorified. I can’t imagine the endurance it takes to cross country ski 12.5 kilometers, and stopping four times along the way and being able to keep a steady hand while exhausted to hit five targets 160 ft away that are the size of a half dollar. The freestyle skiing events hurt my knees just by watching them. The downhill skiing events have participants flying down the mountain at speeds I could never imagine and the crashes are intense. All these athletes in the games, except maybe curling, have incredible strength and athleticism, most of which we only get to enjoy every four years.
I get into all the sports during the Olympics. I’ve even been caught watching Curling.
