A Call For Action
So how many of you are watching the Winter Olympics? Come on... raise your hands. Anyone? Watching the Olympics? On TV? Snow? Ice? Hoopla? Anyone?
That's what I thought.
The problem with the Winter Olympics is that no one cares about them. Reviews of NBC's coverage have been dismal. Unless you're really into the sport nearly everyone is unknown. And we won't even go down the elitist road.
But I have an idea to spice up the Winter Games. Just keep an open mind as I go through this. Most of the events in the Winter Olympics are timed, right? It's all about how long it takes to go from point A to point B. Downhill skiiing... bobsled... luge... skeleton... you get the idea. But how do they run the event? One-person-at-a-time. We're all agreed every luger looks pretty much the same. Man from the future lies on his back, he slides down an ice chute, he points his toe, he's a great athlete. There's no discernable performance difference between first and last place.
Boring!
Here's what I propose... we take a page out of all those Summer Olympics events that are timed.
We have heats.
Eight lugers, eight skiiers, eight bobsledders, whatever, line up at the start line, we give them the gun, they all go, top three move on. What could be simpler? Sprinters in the Summer Olympics don't go one-at-a-time. They'd all look pretty much the same, too. Marathon runners don't go one-at-a-time. Those little boats with the rowers don't go one-at-a-time. Why? Because that would be boring.
Look at the most exciting Winter Olympic event: speed skating. And why is it exciting? Because they have heats. Groups of guys out there skating around the track, muscling each other, crashing into things, that's exciting. Individually they would be... boring. Look at NASCAR drivers. They don't take turns. They're all out there together bumping into each other. You mean to tell me that bobsledders aren't as tough as NASCAR drivers? I don't think so.
Groups, exciting; singles, boring. What could be simpler? I should start a petition.
If I knew who to call, I'd have a laurel wreath sent 'round.
K-
We've had the Olympics on every night since they started (never mind what that says about us). I agree with a lot of what you say, but I still really love the whole idea of the games -- the world coming together for the competition.
Short track speedskating is chaotic and thrilling (did you check out the men's relay last night?); the long-track kind is a wonderfully pure discipline that, except for the sprint races, is pretty boring to watch. Which I guess pretty much bears out your point. On the other hand, remember the professional alpine ski racing league? Side-by-side slaloms, etc.? It was stupid. Downhill: There's a racer-against-the-clock event that works. I still get goosebumps remembering Franz Klammer's 1976 downhill
Have not watched any of it. I sometimes see the Out-Of-Focus highlights on Letterman but that's the extent of my involvement. Don't care much about the Summer games, either. Love sports but the Olympics are not about that any more. Too much at stake for all of the athletes and sponsors. It's all showmanship, judgement, and "happily ever after" now. When they were in it for the joy of the competition, I loved it.
Men's pairs, anyone? [snort]
Well, I do like just about any kind of gymnastics and figure skating. The thrill comes when they fall down.
Kem, I think your idea is spot on. What a rush it would be to have six bobsleds going at it, a la bumper cars.
Buzz sent me.
We are actually watching the Olympics - at least part of them. But we are lucky enough to have Picture in Picture on our tv screen. That way we can tune in on just the stuff we like.
Carol