REFLECTIVE MOMENTS Bug of Olympics bites again despite time zones
Watching this year’s Winter Olympics has been a challenge of timing — figuring out the time differences between here and South Korea and determining which TV schedule has the least timing mistakes.
When one doesn’t have one of those modern tape-forlater (PVR or DVR) machines, it is necessary to be at the top of one’s time zone game, and in the early stages, this household missed all the podiums.
But we managed to tune in on time to watch the commercials that fill the spots between actual sports competitions. And just as the networks replayed competitive events, so also they replayed over and over the commercials urging viewers to buy gasoline and hamburgers at certain locations and soft drinks of a specific brand. Call it the commercials of the Olympics and make it another sport. I have my favourite to win gold but don’t want to make a public prediction, knowing my capacity for backing some losing oppor- For Moose Jaw Express tunities.
My favourite sports are, of course, curling and hockey, but the beauty of figure skating and the horrific excitement of the ski slopes and ice runs for those tiny sleds cannot help but get the heart beating just a bit faster. Those athletes and their courageous abilities convince me to stick to the remote-control game where the only danger to life and limb is failing to find the correct channel in time to watch more than the final end or the last period.
Some people of my acquaintance have nothing to do with the Olympics, saying they don’t like sports, don’t want to give credence to athletes who dope to win and are annoyed that regular programming is bumped in favour of two weeks of nothing but medal chases, medals, they say, that only gather dust in trophy cabinets. Nor do they approve of the money spent on Olympics sports, money they say should be used for more worthy pursuits. They have their view and that’s their right and privilege but don’t make fun of those of us who do enjoy the Games.
As this year’s Olympics began, I wasn’t sure I could conjure up enough excitement to rise early and stay up late, but there’s a bug involved in the Olympics and as the competitions moved through those first hours, I could feel the bug burrowing in and then it bit and it seems it won’t be cured until the final medals are presented later this week.
The most exciting of all the Olympics I’ve watched so far were held in Vancouver, when it seemed, the whole country was there in person and in spirit, to cheer every Canadian competitor, plus the amazing accomplishments of athletes from other countries. Just the other day I came across my Canadian Olympics mittens that sold like hotcakes covered with maple syrup.
That year it was also a no-brainer to be able to find the times of our favourite sports — subtracting a couple of hours to get us in the correct time zone. Thus, we were able to watch Canada win hockey gold (men and women) and curling gold for the Kevin Martin men’s team, plus the figure skating medal performances — we definitely suffered the Olympics bug that year. And ditto for Sochi four years later. This year it was a difficult choice on Valentine’s Day — go out for dinner, or order in pizza so we could watch some curling, hockey and death defying plunges down snowy hills.
Dinner out-won the gold.
Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net