The Times Dispatch Blogs

Random thoughts on the Olympics:

It’s funny how during the Olympics, we get excited about sports that we couldn’t care less about at any other time. Like swimming, for example. Does anyone watch swimming any other time? I don’t. But it has always been one of my favorite events of the summer games.

I never knew badminton could be so exciting, especially doubles competition. More high schools should play badminton. The equipment is probably fairly inexpensive and it can be played indoors or outdoors.

Table tennis can also be amazing to watch. Table tennis players have got to have the best hand-eye coordination and quickest reactions of any athletes.

Is there a more boring event to watch than rowing? This is not to be confused with kayaking, which can be pretty entertaining.

There are several events that I never would have considered as Olympic events. Like trap shooting and skeet shooting, bouncing on a trampoline and walking.

The judging in boxing is even screwier than it is in gymnastics. There’s always been an element of shadiness when it came to judging Olympic boxing. Until they can come up with a better system, boxing should be dropped from the Olympics and replaced with Mixed Martial Arts. Very few MMA contests go the distance, so judging is rarely an issue. Most bouts end with a tapout or when one competitor is not able to defend himself. All you need is a competent referee.

This appears to be the best USA basketball team we’ve had in years. More often than not in recent years, the United States has been a disappointment in international hoops competition. This year should be different, though. I’ll be surprised if any team stays within 20 points of Kobe & Company.
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