THE VANCOUVER OLYMPICS ONLY ENDED ON SUNDAY, THEREFORE IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO WRITE ABOUT THEM.

In fact, it might be one of the reasons why I had the urge to start this blog in the first place. I thought I'd express my position on NBC and their broadcast of the games because it seems to be such a fiery topic as of late. I'll start with a disclaimer -- if you're a hardcore sports fan, like the kind that watches ESPN on a regular basis, you might not enjoy this entry. I want to make the statement that not only are the Olympics themselves incredible, but so is the way in which NBC presents them.

Here is where I'm coming from in writing this entry. I am a movie person with a penchant for writing screenplays. From a very early age, I have relished connecting with people via hearing about their struggles. I love being able to follow those that I connect with to either success or failure, to victory or defeat. Why do I keep watching the Olympic games? For the same reason that you (whether consciously or not) keep watching the Olympic games. We watch because we whole-heartedly identify with the athletes. We relate to them as we relate to movie or TV characters, but here's the thing, they are real people... and theirs are real stories being played-out right before our eyes. Through our identification with these athletes, their struggles become our struggles. When they put on our country's uniform (whether we're from Denmark, Iran or Kazakhstan), we only identify with them more... We are them. They are us... and all the countries come together and we all cheer and fight and win! Maybe I've swallowed a bit too much VISA punch, but I don't think so.

Some people do not appreciate the way NBC broadcasts and promotes the Olympics. They hate the way the network controls their emotions and keeps them glued to the TV -- especially during primetime. I feel sorry for those people because they are sure missing out on some topnotch catharsis. I personally appreciate it when NBC tells me what the athletes are competing for.

As horrible and tragic as the circumstances may be, I'm receptive when they tell me that Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette's mother passed away only 2 days before her short program. I WANT TO KNOW that skiier Bode Miller grew-up with no electricity or indoor plumbing in New Hampshire. During the Beijing summer games, the sentimental blurbs about how Lopez Lomong went from being a "Lost Boy of Sudan" to bearing the American flag in the opening ceremonies forced my heart into my throat. When I know these things, I have somebody to root for... a reason to watch. Not only do I understand the network's "tactic," I embrace it. From my little living room, I send good vibes out to all the athletes who compete because I know what they're fighting for.

It goes without saying that the above video and the said manipulation of emotions are exactly why I tune into the Olympics every two years - because I'm a story person and I love to be moved and inspired by anything true. I like to think that we as human beings are resilient and have the power to really rise above and reach our fullest potential.

When I hear that Dan Jansen's sister passed away 6 hours before his race, or that Keri Strug is forcing herself to do a vault with a busted leg, or that Jamaica's never had a bobsled team before... I'm absolutely transfixed. To see these people become champions makes me feel like a champion. It makes me feel as though I can do anything that I set my mind to. THE NEW YORK TIMES quotes Nastia Liukin as saying of her gold medal gymnastics performance in '08, "I wasn't thinking about whether I could make it, but how I could make it." Words like these are incredibly encouraging for someone like myself, who's having a little trouble getting centered and finding an attainable goal... and it's exactly why I continue to tune in -- to be exhilarated and to be moved.

When I'm feeling blue, I'll sometimes watch the following clip on youtube and think about how Michelle Kwan won every single prize a skater could possibly win, except the one she desired most - a gold medal at the Olympic games. However, even after choking at Salt Lake and coming away with the bronze, she got up and started skating again, proving that it's not the outcome, but the process that really matters.



Ciao for now.