Let the games begin...

The games of the 28th Olympiad are here! I don't know what it is about the Olympics, but I can literally watch any sport so long as you call it an Olympic event. Just to give you an idea of the depth of my devotion, I spent my afternoon watching syncronized platform diving, swimming, and men's gymnastics and then capped off my night with beach volleyball, indoor volleyball, badminton, judo, sailing, cycling, more swimming, basketball, and rowing. Yes, I have a sickness. Don't worry... 16 days from now, it'll all be over.

I think part of the allure is the fact that the games only come around once every 4 years. It makes it feel special. Kind of like a McRib sandwich -- it's really not all that amazing, but when you can only get it once in a blue moon, you gotta stock up on it's fake rib shaped goodness while you can get it. That's how the Olympics are to me. I mean, if they came around every year, I couldn't care less about Modern Pentathalon and Archery, but i'll be damned if I'm not awake at 4am to see coverage of these two sports live.

My current favorite is team handball. It's an odd mix of basketball, field hockey, and something my sister and I made up when we were 7. The rules of the game -- grab a ball about the size of one of those grocery store bouncy balls that they keep in those big wire holding tanks, run around a court, if you run more than three steps, bounce the ball once, then take three more steps, repeat ad naseum before throwing the ball into a big goal. That's about all there is to it. The whole time I'm watching it, I just can't believe that this is a real sport. And that only makes me love it more. I love the fact that these jokers will get the exact same gold medal around their necks for playing this ridiculous game that Michael Phelps will have around his.

The Opening Ceremony is also a very special part of the Olympic Games. Where else can you see Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson standing side by side with our table tennis and taekwondo hopefuls? And not only are they standing next to them, they are sans bodyguards and entourages. Could you imagine? An NBA player just being one of the guys? Just a face in the crowd? Not an Escalade in sight? Only in the Olympics, my friend. Only in the Olympics.