And then there are the moments that take place far away from the podium:
Stevenson Savart, representing Haiti, bowing to acknowledge the cheers of the crowd as he crossed the finish line - in 64th place....
Sarah Schleper, finishing in last place in the giant slalom, and leaving right away to go watch her son Lasse Gaxiola compete in his own events.....
All those athletes from places you wouldn't think be interested in winter sports, but are really, truly happy to be there even if they know they aren't going to win......
Three images will endure in my memory from these games:
(1) The toothless smile of Jack Hughes
(2) The joyful exuberance of Alysa Liu
(3) The sheer exhaustion of cross country skiers collapsed at the finish line
All sports are about the money and the chase for money corrupts. Yet the Olympics remind us that athletic competition involves a person in a contest at which they may fail, and many do. The Olympic games are still a human stage and they remind us that the winners and losers are vulnerable. Even the champions are vulnerable.
I searched late last night and thankfully found the Olympic "Titans" montage NBC makes of the games - images put to the stirring music of Trevor Rabin's "Remember the Titans". Each of these montages from each of these games hits me in the heart. And so it is that on the day after the games have finished, I already miss them and am looking forward to 2028.
And they slowed down a closeup of Mikaela Shiffrin as she crossed the line, and I swear it looks like she says, "Dad"...
As stirring as was Alysa Liu's "That what I'm . . . talking about!" my wife and I laughed aloud at the moment after, when she came off the ice into the arms of her coaches with an incredulous, "Holy sh!t"
Of my favorite micro-moments from the Games, when Federica Brignone won the women's Super G, the skiers who tied for second gave her the "we're not worthy" that Wayne's World fans will remember -- and then they got up and they all hugged. Brignone was a great story anyway, two golds less than a year after a horrible crash. The Olympic camaraderie was lovely.
Jesus Joe, every time I think you can’t top yourself, you find another sublime way to connect us to the sublime with depth and humanity, and you did it again.
And then you see Connor Hellebuyck absolutely stand on his head for one of the all-time great goalie performances (Olympic and non-Olympic) to pretty much will the USA to the gold. His stick save on Toews in the third... just wow.
And then there are the moments that take place far away from the podium:
Stevenson Savart, representing Haiti, bowing to acknowledge the cheers of the crowd as he crossed the finish line - in 64th place....
Sarah Schleper, finishing in last place in the giant slalom, and leaving right away to go watch her son Lasse Gaxiola compete in his own events.....
All those athletes from places you wouldn't think be interested in winter sports, but are really, truly happy to be there even if they know they aren't going to win......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-GM3Px3b_w
Until they do......
I was not ready to cry this morning, Joe. Jeeez ... and thank you.
I still cannot believe that final hill from Klaebo. Unbelievable. Thanks, Joe for reminding us of the good in the games. They are still games.
I keep saying to myself..... Not worth the money. Then you post this........Too much self advertising... my next book... Wonderful piece
Three images will endure in my memory from these games:
(1) The toothless smile of Jack Hughes
(2) The joyful exuberance of Alysa Liu
(3) The sheer exhaustion of cross country skiers collapsed at the finish line
All sports are about the money and the chase for money corrupts. Yet the Olympics remind us that athletic competition involves a person in a contest at which they may fail, and many do. The Olympic games are still a human stage and they remind us that the winners and losers are vulnerable. Even the champions are vulnerable.
I searched late last night and thankfully found the Olympic "Titans" montage NBC makes of the games - images put to the stirring music of Trevor Rabin's "Remember the Titans". Each of these montages from each of these games hits me in the heart. And so it is that on the day after the games have finished, I already miss them and am looking forward to 2028.
I found it here, on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dq-ebvVdBlw?si=buky2pBtsnU4zMfy
And they slowed down a closeup of Mikaela Shiffrin as she crossed the line, and I swear it looks like she says, "Dad"...
As stirring as was Alysa Liu's "That what I'm . . . talking about!" my wife and I laughed aloud at the moment after, when she came off the ice into the arms of her coaches with an incredulous, "Holy sh!t"
Of my favorite micro-moments from the Games, when Federica Brignone won the women's Super G, the skiers who tied for second gave her the "we're not worthy" that Wayne's World fans will remember -- and then they got up and they all hugged. Brignone was a great story anyway, two golds less than a year after a horrible crash. The Olympic camaraderie was lovely.
Kash Patel with the Stolen Valor video pisses me off...
Jesus Joe, every time I think you can’t top yourself, you find another sublime way to connect us to the sublime with depth and humanity, and you did it again.
Yes! I would have read 100 more paragraphs of this!
And then you see Connor Hellebuyck absolutely stand on his head for one of the all-time great goalie performances (Olympic and non-Olympic) to pretty much will the USA to the gold. His stick save on Toews in the third... just wow.
Joe Posnanski: When he’s on, he’s Gold.
Good one