Olympics

Today marks the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.  I found myself thinking about the games as I was listening to a news report on the radio this morning.  I asked myself, what is there to look forward to in the Summer Olympics?  What sport makes me want to turn on the tube and watch?

The short answer to that question is... well... nothing.  Really.  I have no interest in any of the Summer Olympic events.  The Winter Olympics include the best international ice hockey tournament in the known universe, so that brings me into the games.  The Summer games though... nothing.

The following is a list of events in this year's games that comes from wikipedia's 2012 Summer Olympics page:

    Aquatics
        Diving (8)
        Swimming (34)
        Synchronized swimming (2)
        Water polo (2)
    Archery (4)
    Athletics (47)
    Badminton (5)
    Basketball (2)
    Boxing (13)
    Canoeing
        Sprint (12)
        Slalom (4)
    Cycling
        BMX (2)
        Mountain biking (2)
        Road (4)
        Track (10)
    Equestrian
        Dressage (2)
        Eventing (2)
        Jumping (2)
    Fencing (10)
    Field hockey (2)
    Football (2)
    Gymnastics
        Artistic (14)
        Rhythmic (2)
        Trampoline (2)
    Handball (2)
    Judo (14)
    Modern pentathlon (2)
    Rowing (14)
    Sailing (10)
    Shooting (15)
    Table tennis (4)
    Taekwondo (8)
    Tennis (5)
    Triathlon (2)
    Volleyball
        Volleyball (2)
        Beach volleyball (2)
    Weightlifting (15)
    Wrestling
        Freestyle (11)
        Greco-Roman (7)

Some of the events are mildly interesting, but not enough to make me get up and turn on the television.  Swimming and boating races are kinda cool.  All of the track and field events, including the decathlon, are included in the list under Athletics.  The decathlon can be interesting to watch, but really only if there is an American contending (I am a total homer when it come to the Olympics), and the events are spread out so much that I lose what little interest I have.

There are a few events that I might have some interest in, but they will never get the television coverage needed for me to be able to just pop on the tube and see it.  Archery.  I happen to really like archery, but it's probably not going to get any air time.  If I want to follow it I'll probably have to go to youtube or something.  Fencing is another one, although I haven't a clue as to how the rules work.  Fencing may in fact be the summer version of curling.

I am ambivalent about most of the events, but some I just have absolute zero interest in.  Shooting.  Wow.  Guns are an Olympic sport.  Yippee.  Basketball.  I used to be a casual basketball fan.  I remember the first dream team well.  That was 1000 years ago though.  After all this time the idea of professionals on the Olympic team is just boring.  How many games has team USA lost in international competition since Larry Bird wore the red, white, and blue?  One?  I know there was at least one loss because it was a national embarrassment.  Have their been others?  I don't know.  I don't care.

The Olympics are a great, historic event.  Well worth the efforts that each host city expends in order to make the games happen.  Any time the world can come together peacefully and make something hugely impressive happen, it makes me proud to be human.  From a personal, sports fan point of view though... if I want to watch an athletic contest over the next two weeks, it's more likely than not going to be a Red Sox game.  Even though the Red Sox royally suck this year.  Team USA is my team in a broad sense.  The Boston Red Sox are my team in a very real, very personal sense.

Go Red Sox.

Go USA! USA! USA!