usa! usa! usa!

We’re halfway through the Olympics, and Emily and I are running hot with Olympic fever.

We’ve gasped as 27-pound gymnasts jump 19 feet in the air. We’ve marveled at Michael Phelps’ ability not to flash his privates to the world (seriously, those pants ride low). And we’ve tried our best to understand Bela Karolyi’s in-studio commentary.

I’m not afraid to admit that I love the Olympics. And for those of you who are of the opinion that that makes me “one of those posers who loves a sport for two weeks every four years”, I suggest you read this article by KC Star columnist, Joe Posnanski. He makes a great point, and bases it around a quote by Jim McKay that pretty much sums up my thoughts: “The sports themselves don’t matter. No, it’s the competition that captivates us.” It’s the tension…the drama…and to be honest, the fact that it does only come around once every four years is what makes it work so well. People dedicate their lives for years to get to this one point. For lack of a better cliche, it’s all on the line.

Also, for every 10 schmaltzy stories about what the athletes have gone through to get here, there’s one or two that are genuinely touching. Like the story of Lin Hao – the little boy walking alongside Yao Ming during the opening ceremonies, carrying the Chinese flag. The short of the story is this:

On May 12th, 2008, a massive earthquake measuring 7.9 on the richter scale hit the Sichuan province in China, killing over 70,000 people. When the earthquake struck, the entire building collapsed on 9-year-old Lin Hao and his classmates. But before Lin escaped the rubble, he went back into the pile of rubble and was able to save two of his classmates. When asked why he risked his life to save others, he said, “I was the hall monitor, it was my job to look after my classmates.”

Call me a sap, but these are the “little” stories that get a national stage at the Olympics. And it’s just one more reason why I can’t stop watching.