Over the last few Winter Olympics, I have really started to follow Curling. I think the aspects of the game that really draw me to it are that you don’t have to be a crazy gifted athlete to compete and it’s a thinking-man’s game. I could never do this:
Shaun White in the Halfpipe
But the athletic barrier to get into curling is much lower. You don’t need years of physical training. Curling is all about subtle strategy, accuracy and precision. It’s a chess match on the ice. And being a cute Russian doesn’t hurt your chances either:
Ludmila Privivkova, Russian Curler
That’s why I also really like Bocce. I learned it at the Abruzzi Club in Ohio, watching the old Italian men drink wine and somehow manage to argue (even with the tape measure) as to who’s closer to the pallino. I will be lobbying Jacques Rogge to include Bocce in the Summer Olympics. How could this not be ratings gold?
Italian men playing Bocce in San Giorgio a Cremano, Naples, Italy
What Me Hearties R Sayin’