why i am a bad american...

the olympics have arrived...and watching the games this weekend (or the annoying tape delay and waiting for nbc to quit showing nascar qualifying...that's right, not even a race...qualifying...so i can watch some highlights) i realized that i am not a very good american these days, here is why...

i don't give two shits about michelle kwan...was anybody else appalled by the amount of coverage nbc gave to an athlete who dropped out? don't get me wrong, i have the utmost respect for her for stepping aside and giving the kid a chance...the kid that was stranded in new york because our ioc didn't have the foresight to have the alternate handy even despite knowing kwan was hurt...but that warrants a mention...if there is a story at all, tell me about the kid who got a call telling her to get her ass to italy. if you are going to give me sappy athlete stories...at least tell me about someone who will compete so i can have a rooting interest...

i smiled when apolo faltered...maybe it is the over-hype, maybe it is the bullshit way he won last time...maybe it's because i don't get the sport...or maybe it is just that ugly-ass-creature he has on his chin...but i was rooting against him...and he didn't even make the finals...the best part is he was trying to show off, trying to unnecessarily pass the guy in front of him when he was in position to advance. karma's a bitch...

i hate figure skating...it is up there with rythmic gymnastics as the most boring sport in the world to watch...(another reason i really don't care about michelle kwan not competing). here is how i look at it...i was a gymnast, i can appreciate what gymnasts do...and i get bored out of my mind watching gymnastics most of the time. figure skating is even less exciting...why does this country love it? or does everyone just watch it to see who falls and who cries? i can maybe understand that...

i really hope that bode miller was out drinking the night before the downhill...in fact, i would be willing to bet if he was, he didn't medal because he didn't have enough to drink. i am amused that people are saying he didn't live up to the hype now...never mind that the downhill is an event decided by fractions of a second after a two minute race...

and i'll admit it...i was rooting for the french guy to win the downhill...that run was incredible...at the end of the day...written off by everyone in attendance...barely coming back from a big crash in time to make the olympics...and he puts together one of the most dominating performances a downhill race has ever seen...nobody was going to catch him that day...so congrats to the frenchman, antione deneriaz...

our boy didn't get a medal in the luge...but the italians got a repeat on their home track...and did you see how matter of fact the guy was about it? those are the stories that nbc should focus on...not michelle kwan quitting...

i spent some time trying to come to terms with snowboarding halfpipe being an olympic event...and it was difficult...it just didn't seem right, still. but then i finally understood...these guys were out there because they love to fuck around in a halfpipe, they were out there because the sport is a fun, they were out there because the x-games is already over...and to top it off the flying tomato was in tears when he saw his mom and dad after his last run...i finally get it, oddly enough, snowboarding halfpipe might just be one of the most olympic of the olympic events...

and finally...i am rooting for the norwegians in the medal count...

on a side note, during a commercial break last night there was an add for an agency to eliminate or reduce your credit card debt. i forget the name of the company, but it's spokesman was a bad choice...his name (and i am not making this up)...todd crook. you'd think a guy trying to rope people into high risk loans that may end up costing them their cars and homes would have the foresight to go by a name that wasn't crook. i thought it was a joke...

this town simply cannot compete, so i'm packing my bullets and silverstones and heading east to a brownstone up three flights of stairs...