Loading ...A Cool Moments Six-Pack of Thoughts
In the week after the Super Bowl, I expected a letdown in the sports world. After such a riveting contest to finish the season of our favorite sport, I wondered if anything else would be able to step into the void and make us say, “Wow!” Turns out my fears were unfounded, as there were plenty of cool moments from a variety of sports.
- One good Super Bowl deserves another. Known as the Super Bowl of racing, the Daytona 500 was thrilling right down to the finish (except for the pothole delay of over two hours). The changes NASCAR made to the cars and the rules made for exciting racing that kept going and going. Fittingly, Jamie McMurray broke down in the winner’s circle after holding off Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the track that broke down.
- Go Danica, Go Go Danica. While her looks will help her popularity off the track, her driving skill will be what keeps her on the track. Despite feeling uncomfortable most of the race, Danica Patrick impressed in her NASCAR debut, avoiding one major crash early on before getting caught up in another halfway through the Nationwide race.
- The games went on. Though marred by the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili during his practice run earlier that day, the Winter Olympics opened in Vancouver Friday night. The parade of nations became a focal point, as his teammates who chose to stay and compete were greeted with a standing ovation by the crowd. In sports, where each day seems to bring more reasons for cynicism, it was a moving reminder about the original spirit of the games.
- Canada finally gets to celebrate at home. Despite hosting the summer games in Montreal in 1976 and the winter games in Calgary 1988, the host nation’s athletes had failed to win gold in front of their home fans. In fact, Canada was the only country in Olympic history with that dubious distinction. But that all ended when Alexandre Bilodeau took the top spot in the men’s moguls, giving our neighbor to the north a chance to celebrate.
- It wasn’t even a real game. Over 108,000 fans crammed into Cowboys Stadium to watch the NBA All-Star Game. Clearly, people in Texas don’t know football season has ended.
- This time he even played a final round. Last year, Dustin Johnson won at Pebble Beach when rain washed away the end of the tournament. This year, he repeated as champ in tougher fashion, making four on the famous 18th hole to edge David Duval and J.B. Holmes by a stroke. He obviously saved his best for last, as the birdie was his only one of the day!
-Jake Stevens
THERE IT IS!
I understand that jumps were only 25% of the score, but both the American and the Canadian had more technical jumps on both, and were scored lower than anyone else in the top 5.
is it just me? The winter games are not on the top lists of what people want to watch. So, I’ve come to the conclusion that the games have to ‘stir up the soup’ to persuade folks to watch. Be it a crazy dressed Japanese snowboarder to the pregnant curling woman. What the heck is next?