25 August 2008

Red Rover, Red Rover, we call Norway over!

The Olympics are over. I can’t say I’m not glad. I was getting a little tired of watching swimming and gymnastics every single night. I’m sure I saw other sports, but that’s all I really remember. And over all, you know, we didn't do that badly. We ranked in the Top 20 for whatever category you want to use (No. of Gold, Total Medals, Spunk & Vigor, etc.).

I don’t think you could say we dominated in any field, though. We kind of just got a medal here, a medal there. We were most successful in rowing, and apparently we do better with a Coxswain than we do without. It makes sense, to me – a person with no knowledge of rowing – that having someone to steer would just make things easier, you know?

And we got two silvers in Trampoline, which is, like, assisted jumping. How is that a sport? How are half the Olympic sports even sports? I know Equestrian competitors have to be fit (or so I’m told), but really, the horse does all the freaking work. And dirt bikes? How long until stock car racing is an Olympic sport? I’m surprised Golf isn’t (or maybe it is, and I didn’t notice). And handball! That’s a medal sport now. Where are the Olympic tether ball courts? I would kick ass at Olympic Red Rover. Oh! Olympic Red Light Green Light or Mother May I! Olympic Capture the Flag! At my cabin we play an awesome game called “Sink the Corner” where a gang of us (it works best with more than 4 people) stand on the corner of a floating wooden raft. The corner slowly sinks as the raft goes vertical in the water, and the person who doesn’t fall off wins. That would be an awesome Olympic sport (think of the potential for injuries!). I’ll bring it up at the next meeting of the International Sink the Corner Commission.

Let’s see, before my rant on the loose definition of “sport,” I was talking about our medal haul. I think it’s somehow fitting that we got more Silver medals than anything else. Most counties see a Silver medal as a “Not Gold” medal. I think we see it as a “Not Bronze or 4th Place” medal, and really, it’s that happy outlook that makes us who we are.

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