Curling

I spend a substantial amount of my time at work with a tv in sight. Lately it has stayed tuned on to the Olympics; I've loved it. But one thing that may be the most remarkable about these games however, is just how much coverage curling has gotten. Curling? Yes, curling. During the late morning to early afternoonrom CNBC is covering curling on a daily basis. No other sport - not hockey, not skiing, not snowboarding - has gotten the consistent coverage that curling has recieved.

At first, upon watching the players curl their stones down the ice, sweepers vigorously preceding it, derogatory thoughts of, "this is stupid" and "what a goofy sport!" kept recurring in my mind. But since it was the only Olympic sport on, it stayed on the tv and consequently stayed in my view. And guess what? After awhile I started to actually enjoy the game. Surprisingly, it involves a substantial amount of team strategy and skill.  For example, depending on how the sweepers sweep, the stone can actually curl around other stones, traveling in a non-linear path.

But what makes it truly entertaining is that the network has microphoned the players. This little stunt is what has really made me a fan. Who would have known how much yelling goes on in curling? It's fantastic! It is a riot hearing them yell instructions at each other and get so worked up over it. Hearing the curlers yell definitely places the spectator into a different perspective, one in which the sport becomes active and engaging.

So the lesson learned: never judge a book by its cover. But if judgement has been passed, just make sure there is not significant yelling involved, otherwise you'll feel stupid and goofy for it.