Now that I've had my Olympic Warm Up with my Bobsledding post, I thought I'd go ahead and jump right into the Winter Olympics.

I've been reading that the Olympics has been having a very subpar year when it comes to ratings. The Olympics is one of those things that you have to make it a point to watch, or else you probably won't tune into much of it. It's one of those monolithic blocks of television that if you don't make it a point to watch, it's sheer size and complexity will keep most people away.

I also have a theory that people are staying away from the Winter Olympics because of contact sensory overload. If you're stuck in Hurricane swept Louisiana, the last thing you want to watch is a movie adaptation of Noah and the Ark. If you're stuck in the North East, or another place that regularly gets pelted by feet of snow, I'd imagine one of the last things you want to watch is a contest set on and around snow and ice. No, you'd rather watch something like "Lost," with it's tropical locales, or you might opt out to watch "Desperate Housewives," with it's 75 degrees and sunny everyday sensibilities.

That, and Winter Olympics have a hard time selling its sports and stars to a population raised on video games, NFL Football, and Britney Spears.

That's a shame because I've actually found the Olympics to be quite enjoyable. I still have debates in my head on whether or not what I'm watching is really a sport, but it's been fun nonetheless.

There's just something about an athlete competing for their country that is really inspiring. I would think competing for your country would be one of the proudest moments of your life. I'd imagine that winning a gold, silver, or bronze medal would be about as close to a perfect feeling as a body can have. In many cases, these people have been training in their athletic event since they were a young child. They've poured in blood, sweat, and tears necessary to make it in their sport. And now they're bringing honor to their countries via the medals they have around their chest.

Being an Olympian is a pretty rare thing. I can't think of anyone who looks negatively on an Olympian. Being an Olympian is pretty high up on whatever kind of life totem pole you can think of. It'd be right below being an astronaut, but not below much else. Wherever that person goes in life, they'll always be an Olympian.

That being said, one thing the Winter Olympics has missed out on is showing the inspiring medal award ceremonies. The highlights of any Olympics, for me anyways, is seeing an athlete from a country standing on top of the podium as their country's national anthem is playing. I just love the looks people get in their eyes and face as they stand there. You can tell that this is the pinnacle of their sporting lives. And I don't think NBC has done a good job at showing the medal ceremonies. I've seen a couple here and there, but nowhere near as much as the Summer Olympics tend to show.

Oh well. It's been fun watching it. Despite my being ambivalent at the onset of the Olympics, I've been successfully hooked by the thrill of it all.

matt out