as i sit here and marvel at the tremendous feats of the olympic basketball, swim and gymnastics teams in beijing (particularly those of michael phelps) over the past few evenings, i can’t help but wonder if this is a level of accomplishment that i ever could have or ever will achieve.
growing up, it seems like i spent a lot of time trying to find my niche. i played several seasons of soccer when i was 8 and 9 years old. i scored some goals and had a lot of after-game capri suns and snickers bars… but soccer wasn’t really my thing. (david beckham, who?)
then i spent a couple of seasons competing as part of the local swim team…
… i have several ribbons and trophies to remind me of my efforts, but i ultimately decided to leave that glory to the michael phelps’ of the world. (what in the world… am i singing in this pic????).
1986 brought along with it my big track & field debut…
it was in the 5th grade that i cruised past the competition to land first place in the 50 yard dash. call me carl lewis because I was the man!
however, a year later my hopes were dashed when i only managed to snag second place in the same event. it was pretty much all downhill from there. it was a very dark time and blogging about it even now is an emotional experience. 
.
then in the 7th grade i was bit by the basketball bug. i spent hours playing nintendo’s double dribble with my friends, and i was sure this was going to be it. but alas… nope.
i think that’s pretty much when i decided that the wide world of sports wasn’t really for me…
…until now.
i recently learned that since 1992, badminton has actually been an olympic sport. really? badminton??? who knew?!?!
this was quite a revelation to me. now that badminton is in the mix, the way i figure, it’s only a matter of time before other events of a more traditionally recreational nature are added.
i’m not saying we’ll ever see olympic horseshoes, or croquet… but the minute there is an olympic event for yard darts or tetherball, i am all over it! olympic freeze tag. and red rover? please! it would be a wrap! just try and tell me the ratings wouldn’t go through the roof… “red rover, red rover, send nicolai right over!” i could very possibly walk away with the gold even yet! the dream is still alive!
** dig my blog? Subscribe in a reader or get email updates! 
**
I was thinking the same thing. Having played basketball and volleyball in HS, I too had hopes of olympic gold. Alas, that wasn’t my lot…
Then again, I was watching synchronized diving, and all of a sudden I want to jump off the high dive, twist through the air, and enter the water without a splash! And I think I’m going to work on that…if not for anything else, it’s some good exercise, I’m sure…
And badminton…I didn’t even know…I was watching it like “really???” I even think I made phone call or 2 just to make sure I was watching the olympics. I’m with you on the red rover thing…
first off…i am loving the Bob Griese-esque glasses in the basketball pic, my eldest brother used to sport them too=)
secondly, i am pulling for petanque to be an olympic sport. i picked it up when i lived in france and i used to kick those old frenchie’s derrieres all the time. that would be so sweet to represent the u.s.a….i’d be like the next lance armstrong, only different=)
Your picture of you looking like a young Larry Bird in those GQ glasses is well with my soul.
Ahhhhhhahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!! Sir…the basketball picture sent me into a laughing frenzy!!!!!! LOVE IT! You are hilarious!!