Well the 2006 Winter Olympics have come to a close. And while I didn't watch the closing ceremony, or most of the opening ceremony, or most of the games for that matter, I still gotta say that I really enjoyed what I saw for the most part.

Speed skating was probably the most exciting and interesting thing I got to see. Had a good backstory too. In 2002, this Korean guy won this speed skating event and then later got disqualified on a controversial interference call, giving the gold to the American guy Apollo Anton Ono. So Ono became an international superstar and also the most hated man in South Korea for 4 years. So about a week ago they had their big rematch. And it was a really good, really close race that went back and forth, but in the end it was that Korean guy and another Korean guy taking the gold and silver, with Ono taking the Bronze. There was another race this past weekend though with a lot of the same people, this time with Ono taking the gold. And then there was that insane looking speed skating relay, in which Korea just barely beat Canada for the gold and America coming from behind at the end and edging out Italy for the Bronze.

We saw Shani Davis turn his back on the US team and drop out of a team speed skating event to spend more time on his solo training, and becoming the first African-American to win an individual gold medal in the process. So he's an asshole, but one we should be proud of, I guess.

We saw some stupid bitch in a snowboard race event way out in front with the gold medal won, and then she decided to show off and do a stunt at the last minute. So she did her stupid little trick, fell, and ended up with the silver instead of the gold. That's what you get for showboating. It's a race. A RACE. Not a stunt competition. All you have to do is move towards the finish line. Again, stupid, stupid bitch. Afterwards, she was pretty nonchalant about it and fails to see anything wrong about what she did. And America wonders why the rest of the world hates us.

Bode Miller, who was hyped to win several medals, who scored big-time endorsement deals before the games, who was featured in countless ads for JoinBode.com, went 0-for-5, including a 5th place finish, a 6th place finsh, and failing to finish at all in 3 events. Ouch. Sucks for Nike, but Bode's a millionaire and didn't even have to do anything for it.

My boys from Norway had a good showing early on, but then just kinda stopped winning medals, ending up in 6th place in the overall medal count. Oh well. Still a good showing. Gotta say my favorite moment of the Olympics was seeing this crazy fan with the Norwegian flag and a viking helmet during one of the ski jump events.

What else happened...Sweden won the gold medal in hockey and my roommate subsequently made his own Swedish hockey jersey...I think Carrot Top was in a few events...and Sasha Cohen, known to most of the world as Ali G, won some ice skating medals or something.

Next time around it'd be good to see NBC have more Olympics coverage. There's always the primetime stuff, but whenever I actually had time to watch (the middle of the day), there was never anything on. Or if something was on, it was usually something like women's hockey or curling.

Next up in international sports competitions, the World Baseball Classic!