ABOUT THE 2018 ROCKWOOD OLYMPIC WATCH
WHAT IS THIS?
Madness. This is madness.
Or obsession. However you'd like to put it. For those of you who haven't been here before, welcome! Here's what's going to happen. I'm going to watch all of NBC's prime time Olympic coverage and break it down into three delightful categories:
1. Events
2. Advertising
3. Meaningless fluff
Who decides which is which? Our crack team of media experts. That would be me. Why me? Becuase I'm doing all the writing and I paid for the site. In much the same way that NBC decides what gets aired on their network, I get to decide what's fluff and what isn't.
But a better question might be why am I doing this?
Well, if you've read any of the previous Olympic Watches you know that I love the Olympics and always have. Ever since I was a wee boy I've gotten a charge out of watching sporting events that I never would have watched otherwise just because they had five pretty rings somewhere in the background. No, it doesn't make any sense, but it's still true.
But along the way, something interfered with my mindless pleasure. The Olympics started to focus less on these obscure events (sliding a rock across the ice... really?) and more on the stories behind the athletes ("...Aart Olefson always knew how to use a broom, but could it get him to the Olympics..."). Or so I thought. But did I really know? There was only one way to find out, and that was to keep track.
So I did. And now, some 18 years later, I've built up quite a resume of crazy tabulations. I may never have the fame and fortune of Bill Gates, but I've got detailed knowledge of how often NBC has given me a sob story about random figure skaters over the last decade. Yes, I've wasted my life.
But as long as I'm frittering away my high-earning years, join me, won't you? It should be somewhat entertaining and who knows? There may even be that one moment during the Games when you see something so amazing that you, too, will vow to watch all 10 zillion hours of Olympic TV coverage with me.
There's a spot right here on the couch. I'll keep it warm for you. Swifter! Higher! Stronger! Let's go!