The Philadelphia Phillies as Winter Olympics Events
By Mike Lacy
If you recall, back in November I compared various members of the Phillies to items on my Thanksgiving table. Since the Winter Olympics have begun this week, I wanted to do something similar and compare some of the Phillies to events in the Winter Olympics.
Luge – Ben Revere
Luge races feature a great deal of speed, but you always wonder if that speed is being harnessed in the correct manner. It seems like when watching the luge, you’ll get a good number of highlights, but you’ll also see the occasional bad route which results in a huge mess.
Ice Hockey – Darin Ruf
Have you ever noticed that people who are into ice hockey are usually REALLY into ice hockey. They’re convinced that it’s the best thing ever and would become America’s biggest sport if only given a fair opportunity. All the while, most of us just think of it as a fringe sport that we only occasionally care about.
Figure Skating – Chase Utley
Figure skating is the Winter Games’ marquee event. It’s considered to be the “sexiest” event and the one that draws in the most viewers. When the Winter Olympics want to garner some positive media attention, the figure skaters are usually the first ones they run out there.
Feb 6, 2014; Sochi, RUSSIA; Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov (RUS) perform in the figure skating team pairs short program during the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games at Iceberg Skating Palace. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Alpine Skiing – Kyle Kendrick
At times, alpine skiing can be graceful and fun to watch…and then you end up watching too much of it. Soon enough, you become convinced that there must be more exciting events out there.
Curling – Dom Brown
Even though curling has been around for a while now, most of us still aren’t entirely sure what it is. At times we’ve been quite entertained by the spectacle, but some of us are skeptical if it’s ever going to be quite worth watching.
Oct 29, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Team USA curler Jimmy Joseph demonstrates curling during the Road to Sochi 100 day count down in Times Square. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Bobsleigh – Roberto Hernandez
Wait, this event is called “bobsleigh” now? Wasn’t it always “bobsled?” Why would they change the name like that?
Ski Jump – Jonathan Papelbon
Older readers will remember the exploits of Great Britain’s Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards who became famous for his crashes in the 1988 Olympics. I think that’s what many of us think of when we think about ski jump. It can be thrilling to watch, but we’re always half convinced that we’re only moments away from complete disaster.
Snowboarding – Scott Freedman
Many traditionalists bemoan the fact that snowboarding is a part of the Winter Games. “What’s with these newfangled events that these kids are all talking about? Snowboarding? That has no place in MY Winter Games! My ideal Winter Games would consist only of traditional events like Skiing and bobsled.”
Like it or not, “modern” events like snowboarding events certainly appear to be here to stay. In fact, it seems like they’re even expanding and becoming a larger part of the focus.
Enjoy the Winter Olympics, folks!