But To Take Part  

(Original Source)

During the Olympic opening ceremonies last Friday, I exchanged email commentary with my friend Abs.

"Now - remind me again," I asked her, "Why is Ryan Seacrest at the Olympics?"  Bob Costas, Rowdy Gaines, Elfi Schlegel, Tim Daggett, Mary Carillo - these are the familiar faces (and voices) I've come to expect on Olympic broadcasts.  Why had Ryan Seacrest - neither a sportscaster nor a sportsman - suddenly joined their ranks?

"Because he's unstoppable," replied Abs.

Yes.  He is unstoppable.

I like to imagine that no one invited him to London, but neither could anyone stop him from showing up.

He's got a suit and he knows how to wear it; got a mic and he knows how to wield it; got a Crest Whitestrip and he's not wasting it sitting at home.

Ryan Seacrest: Paving His Own Olympic Path to Glory

(An inspirational miniseries coming to NBC this fall, when they will inevitably need something to replace that horrible-looking veterinarian sitcom.)

With Hearts A'Glow

(source of this spiral)

The end of the Olympics feels akin to the day after Christmas, doesn't it?  The anticipation and the drama and the excitement are now over.  The medal-winners put away their shiny toys and go back to work (whether that be selling cereal or stocking shelves at the Home Depot).  Bob Costas, like Santa Claus, disappears from our lives and flies off to wherever it is he resides between games.  And the rest of us are forced to get off the couch, start returning phone calls, and find other plans for our evenings. 

Sigh.  Before we move on, let's take one final look back...

Ice 'Capades

Only a few more days remain of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.  Are you sad?  I'm kinda sad.  What will we do & what will we talk about once they're over?  I'll have to take up knitting (again), or read up on health care reform, or finally get around to writing my Christmas cards, or find some other sort of activity to fill my time until the drama begins anew on July 27, 2012. (London!)

But as long as the torch still glows in Canada...let's discuss!

In Short: The Short

Snowy Boston, 12/31/09

The title of this post may be something of a misnomer: my comments on last night's Olympic figure skating event are anything but brief. I managed to fill several pages with my thoughts on the men's short programs; in fact, the lengthy diatribe below is actually the pared down version of the original manifesto.

I realize that my commentary is unsolicited, and I'm guessing that you probably don't care as deeply (nor as dorkily) as I do about this event, so please do not feel any compunction if you choose not to read this entire post.  I actually encourage you to spend your time doing something more worthwhile than reading this post, such as watching these heart-warming (and completely realistic) scenes from The Cutting Edge.

However, if you'd like to know what I think...

Carrying the Torch*


Have you ever had an idea for something that you thought would be kinda funny, but then it turned out slightly creepy?

* * *

On a completely unrelated note, I made a collage of tiny Bob Costas heads.

Only ten days until the Olympics. Are you ready to capture the dream?


*Refering of course both to the Olympic torch and the constant flame of admiration I carry for Mr. Costas in my heart.

Shivers

Things are about to get sporty around here.

We're nearly two weeks away from the start of the 2010 Winter Olympics. And as you've probably figured out by now, I love me some Olympics.

To kick things off - let's talk about skating! (There are few things I like to discuss as much as skating. And since there aren't many others out there who also like to talk about skating, I often end up discussing it with myself. That's an unfortunately true story.)

The national figure skating championships concluded this past weekend in Spokane, WA. The results determined the team of skaters who will journey to Vancouver next month to represent the U.S.

My friend (and former roommate) Abbey-Denise invited me over on Sunday to watch the televised broadcast of the event.

A little background: The U.S. men's competition has been dominated in recent years by the Johnny Weir-Evan Lysacek rivalry. I'm sure you've read all the articles about it.

You haven't? Well, here's what you need to know: the galloping peacock parody in Blades of Glory was based on one of Weir's actual costumes (his was a swan). In contrast to Weir's artistry and feathers, Lysacek has positioned himself as the more serious sportsman, focusing on the technical (and point-garnering) aspects of the sport. There is no love lost between these two skaters, and they make no effort to hide that.

I've been a big fan of Lysacek since his 2005 season. While Weir is admittedly talented, he is inconsistent. Lysacek is more focused, more athletic, and (in my opinion) more charming. Heading in to the national championships, I expected to find myself cheering for Lysacek once again.

But when Abbey-Denise and I tuned in on Sunday, the Evan Lysacek we saw was covered in feathers (?!) and looking just a tad gangly and frenetic. He flubbed a few jumps and failed to impress.

And that's when Jeremy Abbott skated in and stole my heart.

I had somehow missed his win at last year's national championships. (In my defense, I was living in Brooklyn at the time. I missed a lot out there.) But this year, when Jeremy took the ice and skated two spectacular programs, I took notice.

I also took notes. Here is a rough transcription of our viewing of Jeremy's long program:

(Source)

[Jeremy takes the ice and begins a smooth opening footwork sequence]

Me: Look at his edge-work! The way he feels the ice! You know? There are just no wasted movements!!

Abbey-Denise: Yeah, I guess.

[Jeremy lands his opening quad jump]

Me: [enthusiastic clapping] Nice! His transitions are so purposeful.

[Jeremy lands a triple-triple combination; the music swells in intensity]

Me: I don’t know, there’s just something about him…something that reminds me of Kurt Browning.

Abbey-Denise: Oh, yeah?

Me: Yes, he has such grace and artistry, but there’s also such power. His skating is smart. Just like Kurt.

[Music softens.]

Me: You see!? There’s a vision, a passion in Jeremy’s eyes. He wears his heart on his sleeve.

Abbey-Denise: Do you want another drink?

Me: Wow. Wow. Wow. He has great arm movement and positioning. And extension. And his direction changes…wow. WOW.

[Jeremy nails his last jump of the program]

Scott Hamilton (on the TV): Game over!

Me: [kneeling on couch; hands clasped together; eyes tearing] Abbey, he's AMAZING!

[Music swells again, as Jeremy enters his last footwork pass]

Scott Hamilton (on the TV): That was a beat down, is what that was!

[Jeremy begins his final, flawless spin]

Scott Hamilton (on the TV): How do you defend your national title? You kick everybody’s back-side, that’s how! You are looking at your U.S. champion!

Me: [weeping silently]

Sandra Bezic (on the TV): That performance gave me shivers.


Me, too, Sandra. Me, too. And bravo, Jeremy. Bravo.

We'll see you in Vancouver.

A little bit o' nothing

I love The Office. Love love love. I especially loved it tonight when The Office went on location to New York City. My favorite line: "New York - it's like Scranton on acid." (Michael Scott/Steve Carell)

It's funny 'cause it's true.

Less than 24 hours till the Olympics! Get psyched people!