Question to those outside the US... does your Olympic coverage consist of 90% feel good stories, 10% sports? I get excited for the Olympics every 2 years and then NBC absolutely ruins it.

Maybe the rest of the world doesn't care about the Olympics?

One big story in the US is speedskater Shani Davis. He has basically shunned the US team for his career but moreso the past 4 years. He doesn't train with the team, he isn't financed by the US team (in fact a lot of his financing comes from Dutch businesses) and doesn't skate with the team in relay events. The thing is though, it's working. So I don't know how to feel about it. I don't like that he's turning away from his country in an event that is all about country, but maybe there is a reason he's doing it.

I will faithfully watch two sports this Olympics - hockey and curling. Maybe some snowboarding/skicross will sneak its way onto my TV, but that's it. NBC can keep their human interest stories. I just want to see amazing athletes. The winter games just don't have a "greatest of all time" athlete to draw me in like Phelps or Bolt (great last name). (Maybe there are, but I'm not exactly interested in biathlon, for example). I suppose I'll root for Shani Davis - not everybody works well in a team, especially in an individual sport. I don't blame him for taking the best personal path to a gold medal - I just hope he doesn't get arrogant if he finds himself on the podium.

Sven Kramer baby.

Shani Davis' accomplishments are just as good, and he doesn't come close to touching Eric Heiden.

He's exactly the kind of athlete that doesn't make me want to watch the games - the predictable favorite from a powerhouse team doing exactly what he's supposed to, which is win gold by being slightly better than the rest of the field. It just doesn't make for very good drama.

When I mentioned Bolt and Phelps as athletes who I would go out of my way to watch, it's because they are established names who completely obliterated notions of what was thought possible in their respective sports. Once-in-a-lifetime athletes don't come around very often, but it would be nice to have at least one this time around. (Sidney Crosby maybe? Though it pains me to admit that as a Flyers fan).

I don't think I've ever seen live winter olympics coverage on Irish TV. That might have something to do with the fact that we have no snow and usually have about two competitors. Although back in 2002 a guy called Clifton Hugh Lancelot de Verdon, 6th baron of Wrottesley finished 4th for us in the skeleton.
I'm noy sure if anyone even knew what the Skeleton competition was up until then and I didn't make that name up.

Shaun White is the greatest snowboarder of all time. if you watched the competition, nobody else even compared to his final run that he didn't even have to do but did anyway just for kicks.

I love watching the Olympics! It is different watching in Australia. There is an option to pay for all-live coverage which I haven't taken up, but there are events shown on normal TV as well. I'm a big fan of ski jumping, luge and skiing, and I've really enjoyed it. The Aussie coverage is definitely better than the American coverage. The only drawback is that because Australia isn't known for its winter sport prowess, whenever an Aussie medals, their winning run and medal ceremony are shown over and over and over...

I'm really loving the ski cross, it's insane.

I vaguely remember that guy, and without that name I would not have remembered him at all, so there you go. As much as you have to be crazy to do almost any Olympic event, skeleton is in a different league. There are a good # of events though where you wonder how many people have died trying. 50 would be proud.

Man, figure skating sure sucks these days, huh? There used to be a time where I could at least respect it even though I didn't really enjoy watching, but that sport has become a whole lot of awful.