Lovin' the Olympics

I love the Olympics. Everything about them makes me seethe with national pride, and give thanks for the rights we have in out great country. But I'm willing to bet almost everyone in our nation thinks that. I, however, took a few things away from the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games to remind me why I love them so freakin' much.

This is why I love the Olympics: Einar Bjørndalen

You may be wondering right now, "Who is that handsome fellow?" and "Is that a gun he's holding? I thought we were talking about the epitome of world peace and civilized people, the Olympics." And no, this isn't your crazed, antler collecting, South Carolina residing uncle. That's Ole Einar Bjørndalen, one of the most decorated Winter Olympians of all time. His sport is the Biathlon, a crazy event in which participants do a grueling cross-country ski race, and then lie down in the snow and shoot silver dollar silver dollar sized targets. And for all of you Modern Warfare Two Modern Warfare Two players staring at your computer yelling, "What are you talking, about sniping is sooo easy," sorry, but no. Imagine sprinting about five miles, getting your heart racing and your adrenaline pumping, and then laying absolutely and completely still as you pray your shot doesn't hit another competitor (just kidding, no biathlete has ever been killed during a race, however, one was killed roller skiing this summer). Not so easy anymore, huh?

This is why I love the Olympics: Shaun White

Yea, no guessing who this one is. Shaun White showed everyone who was boss in this year's halfpipe competition. And, unless you've been living under a rock like Patrick Star, you know the story. Just in case you have though here's what happened: Each athlete was given two runs to achieve their best possible score. White executed his first run perfectly, and each athlete after him failed to better his score after even their second and final run. So White had a decision to make: Board down the middle of the pipe with victory already sealed, or show up the competition. The run was arguably the greatest in snowboarding history, culminating with the Double McTwist 1260, a trick so sick that I had to take full advantage of my DVR and rewind the video in order to see what the hell just happened. It just goes to show how awesome Americans are, and that yes, we'll rub it in your face and we don't care.

This is why I love the Olympics: Miller Time
No, I'm not trying to advertise beer to anyone, I'm simply showing you the words that became my mantra for two weeks. U.S. Hockey goalie Ryan Miller made all of the world's best hockey players look almost as silly as Alex Ovechkin made
Jaromir Jagr look. Miller truly made me a hockey fan, and it would be silly for the NHL to stop sending their players to represent their countries. And, although we one silver medals, it's really just a tie for gold. We beat Canada once, they beat us once. So there.

In two years, the Summer Games are in London, and I for one can't wait. Not because of sports comparable to figure skating, or ice dancing, or curling, but for the moments that make the games worthwhile. And for good measure, check this out

Awesome.