by Abel Horwitz
Daily Lobo
When I was approached with the idea of writing an article in which I would argue why I enjoy the Winter Olympics, I was taken aback.
"You mean," I thought to myself, "there are people out there who actually don't like the Olympics?"
But the more I thought about it, the more I came to the conclusion that there have to be people out there who generally enjoy sports, yet don't find pleasure in the Winter Olympics. This is understandable, since the Olympics are so different from the sports we Americans enjoy. Without long seasons to follow teams or superstar athletes who cross into other entertainment mediums - I still maintain that Shaq-Fu: Da Return is the greatest rap album ever - I can see why there would be people underwhelmed with the Olympics.
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But I believe these people are missing the point of the Olympic games. Admittedly, I can't say I'm a fan of every event the Winter Olympics hold - curling is slow, and figure skating just doesn't do it for me - but seeing athletes at their prime participating in an event that comes around once every four years? Well, that's just magic.
Look at the Olympics like champagne. You only pull it out for special occasions, and you savor every sip, delighting in the rarity of it all.
There's an emotion to the Winter Olympics that comes from the fact that they happen once every four years. Most of the athletes who compete at the Olympics are not under the microscope that today's superstar athletes are. These are people with a tremendous talent and a tremendous drive, but they are in no way celebrities.
Because of that, the Olympics have a strong human element to them. There are the superstars like Shaun White and Apolo Anton Ohno, but for every one of them, there are hundreds of unknowns from all around the world who compete for the sake of competition. These are people who have lives outside of sports arenas and actually have a shot at winning.
Beyond that, though, the Olympics are about far more than the sports. The Olympics represent the global community uniting under competition. It's a chance for nations to come together and show a competitive side without violence or death. In the opening ceremony this year, North Korea and South Korea walked side by side during the march of the athletes. In what other sporting event can you show such a powerful moment? It's like the final fight in "Rocky IV." But, you know, real.
And finally, the Olympics have a prestige to them that can transform the cities in which they're held from unknown areas into greatness. I've been to Torino, Italy, many times in my life. It is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen - a magnificent slice of Italian culture that not many people are aware of.
But now, with the eyes of the world on this city, it has a chance to shine. People will now know the name Torino. Can you imagine how proud the citizens of Italy must be to be able to show off their country? Torino is getting the respect it deserves.
The strength of the Olympics lies not in the sports that are played, but in the glory of the event. I can understand how people prefer sports that dominate American culture, but there's no sporting event that comes close to the power of the Winter Olympics.
It is the glory of pure competition in a way that nothing else can even compare to.
