**Olympics Obsessed?

Love the Olympics? Have pride in a certain athlete, sport, or ceremony? Bite your nails? Turn off the tube? How do YOU react during the Olympic Games? Check out our latest guest blog, and show her some comment love! -Nomz and Sazaran

I admit it… I’m hooked. Every two years I’m glued to the television for news and updates. No, no, I’m not talking about the election cycles – I’m talking about the Olympics. Okay, I’m a self-confessed sports junkie and the Olympics fill a huge void even if it’s just for a quick two-week span. As I’m writing this, I have two browser windows open watching my bids on Vancouver 2010 gear – yes, a little obsessed…

The summer games are within my comfort zone – I can or have played some of those sports, some within “fun” part of life, others on a more competitive level. And who doesn’t enjoy watching games in the sunshine? The winter games, on the other hand, are way out of my comprehension of why would you do that to your body… I’m not a cold weather type of person and I like challenges, but I just can’t fathom the challenge of hurtling my body down a 90-foot drop bouncing up and down an icy mountain on two thin planks strapped to my feet. I just watch in awe…

It was a much different feeling watching the games during the Cold War era. Then it was a matter of “right versus might,” the western world against the eastern block. Watching an American athlete compete was with a hopeful and forgiving eye while athletes from the block nations had hyper-critical eyes looking for any bobble or miss cue. It didn’t always make for a relaxing evening of TV watching – yes, we could only watch in the evenings or on the weekends and not the nearly 24/7 coverage we have now.

The lump in my throat from watching the young lady from Canada skate in honor of her mother still has not gone away. I could feel an entire nation wraps its collective arms around her while she skated with an inner strength and grace. I don’t think I could have accomplished what she did….

Then there is the FANantical part of me that will watch some of the competition just because it’s on. I mean, can anyone explain curling to me? Yes, I’ve watched but I’m not really sure what I’m watching. The nearest I can figure is that it’s the ice version of bocce ball but really big, heavy stones are thrown rather than the wooden bocce balls.

And I so enjoy the medal ceremonies. Watching the flags rising up with the national anthem playing, I can’t help but get a little emotional – the eyes get a little watery, the chest swells a little. Okay, a little too over the top for some of you? It’s not a bad thing feeling a little patriotic at these times. Can you sing along to the Star Spangle Banner and remember all of the lines after “Oh say can you see…”? See… there’s that little lump in your throat swelling along with a bit of pride. As Martha would say “… it’s a good thing.”

-Maliaana