Torino Olympics Opened for Business
February 11, 2006 |
The world’s greatest winter athletes have all descended upon Torino, Italy for the 20th Winter Olympic Games. This means that for the next two weeks or so I’ll be pretty much glued to the television… well more so than I usually am.When it comes to Olympic events, I enjoy the ones that have to do with speed. In the Summer Olympics this means anything on the track. But when it comes to the Winter Games, it means so much more. There is downhill skiing, the ski jump, trick skiing, trick snowboarding, speed skating, bobsledding, and of course, the luge. There are of course the weirder sports like curling and the thing where the guys ski from place to place shooting things in the process (how is that a sport?).
Yeah, I love the Olympics and everything they stand for. For two weeks the entire world — the Virgin Islands even have an Olympic team — comes together in the spirit of competition. China and Taiwan, Israel and Iran, Lebanon and the Netherlands — everyone puts away their differences and competes for the pride of their nation, so that they can stand atop the medal stand listening to their national anthem as the whole world recognizes them as a true champion.
Here is to unity, to peace, and to the Olympics.
For a look back at my opinion on comments made before the 2004 Summer Games, check out Let Patriotism Rock.