Are You Going To Watch The Winter Olympics?

Well, as the Sochi Winter Olympic Games are set to kick-off Thursday night on NBC. Not the Opening Ceremony; that’s Friday night. But a couple of events take place Thursday-- namely men’s and women’s slopestyle snowboarding and freestyle skiing, and team figure skating.

I’m actually kind of excited to watch the Olympics again. I almost identify more with the Winter Olympic games than the Summer Games. I think it’s because I’ve actually done some of the winter events—I’ve laced up the ice skates, I’ve been downhill and cross-country skiing, and who here in Minnesota hasn’t grabbed a sled and headed down a snowy hill in the middle of winter?

The technology being used to televise the Games is continuing to evolve, as well—from ultra slow motion effects that seem to catch each individual flake of snow on a downhill ski, to personal cameras mounted on the athletes, designed to give us at home a glimpse of the event from their point of view.

And I always enjoy the set NBC builds to host the Winter Games—complete with the crackling fireplace roaring behind  Bob Costas. The only thing missing is Mary Carillo bringing you a cup of hot cocoa.

The Olympic Games also always provide a nice national diversion—remember two summers ago when everybody was talking about gymnast Mikala Maroney and the “not impressed” face she made during the medal ceremony?  And, goodness knows, during this long and cold winter, we can use any diversion we can get—especially one that celebrates winter. So, let the games begin, I say. I’ll be watching.