And the debate rages on.
No, it’s not Kobe versus Lebron … give me Kobe.
No, it’s not UCLA versus USC … USC is winning right now. Sorry.
And no, it’s not Nikki Caldwell versus Michael Cooper … Caldwell settled that debate four days ago.
It’s the Winter Olympics versus the Summer Olympics; which is better?
It has always been my perception that the Summer Olympics were better hands down, and that it was just common knowledge. Boy, was my world rocked when a large collection of my Daily Bruin colleagues chose the slopes over the pool.
I then proceeded to ask an assortment of acquaintances outside of my workplace and also found that many of them prefer the Winter version over the Summer, most of this majority being girls.
“Winter has figure skating and I like to look at the girls’ outfits.”
Typical girl comment.
But seriously, I’m offended. I’m having a tough time fathoming how people can possibly prefer Winter over Summer, the main reason being that half of the Winter “sports” aren’t really sports.
I mean have you seen some of these events? Curling? Since when is curling worthy of being an Olympic sport?
The biathlon? Have you seen the biathlon? Let me give you a quick synopsis of the “sport:” the participant is required to ski cross-country while shooting targets with a rifle.
That’s it. And that is not a sport. As a matter of fact, that should be illegal. Shooting a gun while on skis? A ski-by? Nice try Winter Olympics, but no.
Probably the oddest sport that takes place in the Summer Olympics is either handball or the canoe slalom, both of which aren’t necessarily odd, but just less common in the US. But depending on the country, both of these sports are very popular. For example, former NBA MVP Dirk Nowitzki was originally a star handball player in Germany before he picked up a basketball.
But skiing and rifle shooting originated in the Norwegian military.
Google it.
Another reason why the Summer Olympics are far better is because there are only 15 events in Winter as opposed to the 26 that will take place in the London 2012. That’s eleven extra events, which provides more opportunities for hundreds of other athletes to compete for their countries and accomplish their dreams of competing in the Olympics.
The Summer Olympics also cater to the US, incorporating sports such as basketball, boxing, soccer, gymnastics, tennis and volleyball, all of which are popular in the States. But at the same time, Summer also affords the opportunity to enjoy lesser-known sports, such as archery, synchronized swimming, fencing, equestrian and judo.
I maybe have a grasp on four of the sports in the Winter Olympics. And that’s a big maybe.
The Winter Olympics are also prone to inclement weather and its negative effect on the schedule. The women’s downhill skiing event in this year’s Winter Olympics has already been postponed three separate times because of the weather.
And let’s not mention issues of safety in the Winter Olympics. The first time I watched the luge, which was about a week ago, I could not believe how fast the participants were going. I literally thought they were showing the competition in fast-forward, that’s how fast they were going.
Are there any events in the Summer Olympics that risk the lives of the competitors? Maybe equestrian, which involves riding a horse, and maybe wrestling, because of its physical nature.
But downhill skiing? The ski-jump? Snowboarding? These are dangerous sports that require perfection. One mistake doesn’t equal just a mistake. Athletes are seriously risking their safety in these sports. And we’ve already seen the tragic nature of making a mistake once during these Olympics.
And lastly, on a happier note, the Summer Olympics have been very kind to UCLA athletes.
Just two years ago, 33 UCLA athletes, former or current, participated in the Beijing Olympics, as well as six UCLA coaches. And in 2004, 57 UCLA athletes competed in the Athens Olympics, bringing home 19 medals. UCLA also boasts one of the most famous Olympic track athletes in history, Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
There’s a strong possibility that because the Winter Olympics are happening now, people are infatuated with them, so much that they say Winter is better than Summer. It’s the classic case of being caught up in the moment.
But for all you fair-weather Olympic fans, keep shoveling your snow: I’ll see you in 2012.
E-mail Watson at bwatson@media.ucla.edu.