I don’t really like most sports. Sure, I’ll fill out a bracket for March Madness, but I rarely base my picks on anything more than how cool their mascot is or how fun their name is to say. I’ll watch the Super Bowl, but mostly for the commercials and the food. I’ll keep track of how my favorite baseball team is doing, but I won’t actually watch more than 5 minutes of the game.
And then there are the Olympics. I watch every event I can, from the Opening Ceremonies to the Closing Ceremonies. I’ll rush home from work and glue myself to the TV, eagerly awaiting the medal races, the medal rounds and the medal matches. I’ll get (ridiculously) choked up at the P&G “Thanks, Mom” commercials, and I’ll even watch the little documentaries NBC shows on the stars.
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I’m an Olympics nut – and my two weeks of sports fandom are here! I already have the schedule bookmarked on my computer – and I’ll be DVRing any events I have to miss.
Here are 5 reasons you should join me for Rio 2016.
1. You can cheer on hometown favorites - from your country and from the other countries!
“USA! USA! USA!” From the red, white, and blue on a swimsuit, or the star-spangled leotard, or the flag on a runner’s chest, we know when an athlete’s from the United States. We love when our national anthem plays and an American receives the golden fruit of their hard work.
Those accomplishments are just as valuable when they come from non-Americans. I especially love watching athletes from the host country celebrate on an international stage. They won – and at home!
Of course the competition can also turn into a show of personal or national ego. But the best moments aren’t those puffed-up displays or doped-up performances.
It’s when a country with a long, long medal drought finally wins. It’s when an athlete overcomes tragedy or injury to become even stronger than before. It’s when hours and hours of practice at last turn into victory.
2. You can always discover something new.
Fencing. Equestrian events. Rowing. Table tennis. You probably don’t watch these sports very often, or at all! But to some countries – and to some people – these are the biggest events of the last four years.
Flip on the TV. You might just discover a secret love for rugby, water polo, or boxing. There are 41 sports in the Summer Olympics. Which one will become your favorite?
3. You can trace world history through Olympic history.
Because of the Olympics’ international nature, they’ve often intertwined with current events.
In 1936, Berlin hosted the Summer Olympics, and the world gained its first look at Hitler’s Germany. Many German-Jewish athletes were barred from competing; other Jewish contenders would later face the horrors of he concentration camps.
These Games, however, are mainly associated with one name: Jesse Owens. The American track & field star won four gold medals, disregarding the host nation’s racial propaganda.
Today, the Rio Olympics cannot be separated from Brazil’s economic and political difficulties. The chance of contracting the Zika virus deters some athletes from competing, and some venues have not yet been completed.
And, for the first time, a refugee team will be competing in Rio. Popole Misenga, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, will be participating in judo, and Syria’s Rami Anys and Yusra Madini will be swimming.
The Olympics are a time for us to think about our world – the troubles we’ve faced, and the troubles of the years to come.
4. You can always expect surprises.
After years and years of watching certain sports, you start to learn the lingo. Even after just watching the U.S. swimming trials, you might recognize the future medal-contenders. If you watched the gymnastic trials, you probably know that Simone Biles will be hard to beat.
But, even then, you have no idea who will be wearing gold, silver and bronze on the medal stand. Someone could trip. Someone could be injured, or someone could achieve an amazing comeback.
You can predict the outcomes – but you can’t guarantee them. And that’s all part of the fun.
5. You can look forward to over 2 weeks of variety and excitement.
The Rio 2016 Games open on August 5, and they close on August 21. That’s over 2 weeks of games, matches, races, and other competitions! In that short amount of time, you can watch celebrations of culture in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, cheer on your favorite athletes, and even discover something new.
And that’s not even counting the Paralympic Games, which will be September 7-18. That’s another 2 weeks!
I’m going to go watch some gymnastics and swimming! Oh, and maybe catch the tail end of a beach volleyball match. Don’t worry – I’ve already saved a seat for you.
