Sochi 2014: The most forgettable Winter Olympics ever?

Perhaps some of you noticed that I didn’t blog during the 2014 Winter Olympics. No, my computer wasn’t broken. Nor was I tucked away somewhere without electricity. I just didn’t have anything to say. And that’s not a common occurrence when it comes to the Olympics.

I love the Olympics. It’s the most exciting thing that happens in my life every two years. Some might wonder if this is because I have an uneventful life. No! It’s because I love the Olympic Games that much. That much.

Even I wasn’t the only one yawning.

One can imagine, then, how disappointed I am over these Winter Olympics. Okay, I’ll admit I was never particularly excited about Sochi as the host city. But I put my feelings aside and tried to throw myself into these Olympics as I normally do. I took vacation days to stay at home and watch. I even woke at 2:00 am (or earlier) to watch events live.

But for the most part, the competition was dull. The venues were architecturally sound, but not worthy of awe. And when it’s February but the average temperature at a Winter Olympics is 57 degrees Farenheit, something is off.

Throughout the two weeks I kept trying to find that excitement. But aside from the pairs competition, ladies ski jumping and the cross-country skiing, there was no sparkle. No athletes with whom I really fell in love. No captivating stories.

The only consistency in Sochi was NBC’s continued terrible coverage. It’s something the network has mastered. While it offered more live streaming online, it plastered results all over its website. And rather than forcing me to watch on my laptop, it could have made more use of the other channels it owns. Quite often as I watched live Olympic coverage online, USA Network was showing re-runs of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and CNBC was airing infomercials.

Screenshots from my TV of Lipinski and Weir. Oh, Johnny!

The one bright spot in these games was NBC Sports’ choice of analysts for figure skating. While Tara Lipinski showed poise and articulated herself, her colleague Johnny Weir brought much-needed fun and sparkle. I predicted Lipinski would be in Sochi, and I’m glad NBC decided to also bring Weir to Sochi.

I felt bad for those who weren’t able to watch skating during the day. They were stuck with Scott Hamilton and Sandra Bezic for evening analysis.

Yes, it breaks my heart that these Olympics weren’t memorable. But like any Olympian, I’m going to persevere and set my sights on the future. I hope that Rio brings its A-game to the table in 2016.

And to Pyeongchang, let me say this: I can’t handle another dud of a Winter Olympics. I expect the next Winter Olympics to be phenomenal. If you need any advice, e-mail me. I’ve got some great ideas.

Faster, Higher, Stronger.