I have to say, I enjoy reading blog entries like this (as well as Stinson’s drivel) as much as the other articles, so thanks. I’m as much a nord-tard as anyone. I write down my own race predictions and brag to co workers (who never seem to understand) when my predicted dark horse makes the podium. I yell at the computer screen even when the only thing I am watching is live split times because fromsport.com is blocked at work. But I also like reading witty remarks that have nothing to do with skiing (despite some of the comments I have read in the forums). So keep it up.

As for Al Trautwig’s statement that “each sporting event has its own ‘moment of truth,’ I think that idea is misleading if not usually nonsense. It’s one of those after-the-fact journalist’s explanations to sell newspapers and TV air time. A result is the accumulation of a lot of steps in competition, a lot of actions and decisions, any (or many) of which that weren’t there would likely have led to a different outcome. There are certainly individuals who are able to perform better than others at crunch time, but there is no crunch time for them without a lot of “moments” before then, even if those are never given the title of “truth.” Coaches regularly remind journalists of that fact, and journalists who think they know better ignore it.

Yes, Trautwig loves to create the dramatic, continually searching in his running commentary for something to stick. In particular, he’s been reaching into the bag of ethnic sterotypes and factually ignorant historical allusions since Nagano, when he was first given the cross-country ski gig. Whistler was no exception, with his repeated “Big Red Army” and other Scandinavian this and that historical references that wouldn’t make it past a kindergarden teacher. Fortunately, this time Chad Salmela was around to correct him off most of the time.

As a kid on holiday in France, I enlisted the camping Pétanque tournament. It’s much like curling with fist sized steel balls and a little wouden pingpong sized ball to aim at. It’s the French national game. Men of all ages play it under the Tour Eiffel.
I came, I saw, I conquered. Totally rocked the camping tournament, making my French parter -of-45-years-experience look like a beginner. I striked out, I zigzagged long rollers to kiss the wooden target, and only got second due to having had to play against stronger teams during rounds than the eventual winners (by points). Unfortunately, this sport never made it to Summer Olympics. A few years later, I met an “older” girl of 15 from my home country Holland on another camping, tought her the game, and soon enough, no french geezer team would play against us. The local fit looking 30-something couple also had to go made diner after just two games. I think my nation has excellent genes for aiming games. Look how we totally rule the darts scene. Ok, we still let the Brits act as sparring partners.

I don’t get the deal about Curling. And I wonder, if it’s even a sport, if enough countries actually play it. It would be great to have an XC team’s “spares” to be a curling team that gets their medals that way. Norway really ought to look into it. Surpising they don’t all compete for Qatar yet.