Summer of Sports

I don't know too many people who are bigger sports fanatics than me. It's weird, I know, my being a Chinese female and all. Part of it is that I grew up with sports: my mum did gymnastics all through high school, university and grad school, I dabbled in volleyball, track and field, and shooting (not at humans) in high school, and played on the varsity tennis team in university. At IBM and Oracle, I did softball, ultimate Frisbee, volleyball, beach volleyball, and tennis. Nowadays, I stick to individual sports such as tennis, golf, and snowboarding. There is nothing special here. Loads of women, maybe even Chinese women, participate in sports, some more involved than me. However, I personally know none who loves to watch sports as much as I do. If not for live sports, I wouldn't own a TV. Baseball, tennis, basketball, golf, soccer, Formula One, hockey, football, downhill skiing, cycling, track and field, cricket, ... You name it (just don't bring up figure skating). Come Olympics time, Winter or Summer, I'm glued to the TV.

So this summer is a bonanza for a sport junkie like me. Since May, we've had Roland Garros (French Open tennis where Nadal won, again), the NBA finals, and the US Open of golf (where Tiger won, again). Currently, the European soccer championship is about to culminate in an exciting final between Germany and Spain. It was a sad day when my beloved Team Oranje lost inexplicably in the quarter-finals; they've been my team since my undergrad days. But, I'm afraid they do that every time: looking so good only to falter when it counts.

Coming up, Wimbledon is about to kick into a higher gear. Tour de France starts in early July -- if they have any riders left. My Blue Jays will continue to torment me with their lacklustre offence. And in August, of course, the biggest event of them all, the Olympics. In recent years, the trend in Olympics coverage drives me up the wall. I don't give a hoot about how some poor sod, overcoming unimaginable hardship, wins gold. Just show me the action, please! Alas, NBC or CBC -- it really doesn't matter which North American network it is -- is bent on appealing to casual fans who haven't a clue about steeple chases or luge runs. Now, I'm not a snob. Once upon a time, I was clueless too. However, I was lucky enough to be watching Chinese TV where the commentators explained things: the techniques involved in running a curve on the track, what to watch in a gymnastics or diving competition, how the different styles of high jump compare, not stories about so-and-so not having shoes as a child, or such-and-such dated everybody on her skating team. If you want mush, please tune to Desperate Housewives or The Young and the Restless. Sports is for people who only care about results!

Phew! Now I feel better. Anyway, last but not least, this time, we actually have an Olympian in the family -- the extended family anyway. My step-brother's wife (my step-sister-in-law?) is on the Canadian Olympics team. She's the reigning World Champion in her discipline, has already qualified for the Olympics, and has a great chance of making it onto the podium. Go Karen!!