The Summer Olympics are Almost Here

The Summer Olympics are almost here. This year they are in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I am super excited for them.From the opening ceremony, with all its ridiculous pageantry, to the final medal count and everything in between I love the Olympics. A lot of people don't understand the appeal. So, let me try to explain some of the reasons I love this sporting spectacular.

I love getting caught up in the patriotism of the medal counts and rooting for the USA to beat Russia and China. Even with my 21st century progressive multicultural world view there is just something intoxicating about watching my countrymen try to take down athletes from countries with conflicting world views. Using sports to justify the superiority of a political and economic system is silly,  but it is oh so fun. Ashton Eaton's prowess at track and field is even more fun to watch because it fills me with national pride. Somehow knowing Vladimir Putin is suffering even just a little pain watching his athletes lose makes it even more fun.

I love rooting for athletes I have never heard of in sports I barely understand. Seeing a Uzbek beat an Iranian at Judo can capture my attention just as much as a Mariners game or a random non-Seahawks football game. Watching events for non mainstream sports is like getting a glimpse into a whole other world, a world where synchronized men's springboard diving is the biggest and most important sport. The competitors, coaches, and announcers have invested so much of their lives into these sports it is amazing. Their worlds and life experiences are so different than mine. Getting to experience just a little bit of that difference through watching them compete is great.

I love watching the speed and power on display at the track and in the pool. Running and swimming are sports in their most raw and basic form.These are the same events that the ancient civilizations competed in thousands of years ago. The rules and equipment are at a minimum. The key to victory is a mix of training, genetics, and luck. These people push the human body to the limit. The excitement is enthralling.

If you are someone that doesn't usually like the Olympics I urge you to give this year a try. Comcast offers an extensive On Demand catalog. You can pick and chose almost any event you want to see. NBC's nightly broadcasts have improved over the years. They are still heavily focused on Americans and they do bounce from event to event frequently. However they do a great job of telling interesting stories about the teams and athletes. They never let you miss an important moment. Plus Bob Costas is awesome.

The Olympics only happen every four years so when they do roll around I have to rearrange my schedule to make time. I don't want to miss a minute of it. The drama, novelty and excitement are worth every second I commit to them. I love the Olympics.

A Few Tidbits from Around the Web

Wow, it has been a while since I provide a bunch of links to some of my favorite sports related stuff around the web. Rather than keep you all waiting for all these hyper links here they are.

• The new Mariners commercials are here. My personal favorite is the Nellie's autoglass one.
• My favorite sports podcast is Hang Up and Listen from Slate. I love to listen while I am walking the dog. The guys do a great job proving smart people who aren't stats nerds can love sports.
• I have often wondered why NBA players get so much rest between games. I was ignorant about the physical toll on the body that basketball can have. This ESPN The Magazine article shed light on the grueling toll it takes on the body.
• On May 4th Nelson Cruz hit a monster of a home run against the Oakland Athletics. According to ESPN it only went 446 feet, but that number clearly doesn't do this home run justice.
• The Economist is not known for their sports writing. Their take on Leicester City's unimaginable EPL victory is probably one of the strangest you will read.