The Dead Zone
There hasn't been a lot to write about lately as we're in the midst of the biggest sports dead zone of the year. The Super Bowl is over, Spring Training is still a few weeks away, pro basketball and hockey are in the middle of their seemingly endless regular seasons, and March Madness is still a month away. We've got the Winter Olympics this year (starting tonight!), but I honestly don't care all that much. (Same goes for the Summer Olympics.) It's not that I don't have national pride, it's that I simply can't get too jazzed up over a three-week vacation from real sports every four years.
Part of the reason I can get so caught up in professional team sports, (like NFL and MLB), is that I can follow the my favorite team year-round. I can check out the box scores, analyze the stats, and follow news items on team progress nearly every day. It's even easier when you live in the vicinity of the team that you follow. You can listen to sports radio or talk to co-workers and friends daily about the ongoings of your favorite team. It's more than a hobby, it's a lifestyle. The Olympics are, at best, a cute diversion. Don't get me wrong, I'll watch a few events, and I might even get some moderate enjoyment from them. Eight guys skiing down a mountain to determine who's fastest, well, that tugs at the very core of human competition. People have been staging such rudimentary personal tests of ability since the dawn of time. Even cavemen, provided they had skis.
But when it comes to how much personal enjoyment I gain from watching these events, downhill skiing just doesn't compare to my local professional teams. As hard as NBC and Bob Costas try, I simply don't have the personal investment in Olympic sports. And I never will. (Unless, of course, one of my kids becomes an Olympian.) I need the day-in, day-out rigamarole that comes with following the Chicago Cubs. I need stats. I'm simply not satisfied with a sport where there's only one number to shoot for. 33.7. That's how many seconds it took to ski down a mountain. That's great! Where's my BA, HR, 2B, 3B, RBI, OBP, SLG, OPS, WS, RCAA, VORP, BABIP, etc, etc, etc. And don't even get me started on the subjectively scored olympic events. This figure skater earned a 9.7 and that one earned a 9.6. Why? Well, the second skater's footwork on their crossover lunge was slightly inferior, that's why. Huh? Who cares.
And finally, I frankly don't believe that most Olympians are "the best athletes in the world." The best athletes in the world are playing big-time professional sports for large quantities of cash, thank you very much. If someone offered Michael Vick eighty million dollars to dedicate himself to becoming the world's fastest man, I imagine he'd go down in history as one of the best sprinters of all-time. Olympians are offered four years of rigorous training for a single event that lasts 15 seconds. And maybe a few hundred grand in endorsements if they manage to win the gold. You wake up with a blister on your toe on the morning of your race? Too bad. Your life was wasted. And it gets worse as the events become less marquee. You don't think if Brian Urlacher dedicated himself, he couldn't win a competition like the hammer throw? Ha! These guys not only have the raw tools such as speed and strength, but they have the talent and coordination to put them all together and excel at the highest levels of professional sports. Whether it's football, soccer, boxing, or whatever; the best athletes in the world are playing professional sports. (Notice I didn't say that ALL professional athletes are the best athletes in the world. Not when decided non-athletes like John Kruk or your average placekicker are earning a living.)
At this point, you may have gathered that I'm not a huge fan of the Olympics. How right you are. But I'm still going to watch the opening ceremony tonight and root like hell for the gool ol' US of A. USA! USA! USA! And in ten days I'll get on with the rest of my life, starting with Spring Training. See you then.