Hockey in Italy? Whoo.

For whatever reason you wish to blame it on, I just can't quite watch much of the winter Olympics. I love Team USA and (if they are in any events, I don't know) Team Japan, but I'm not a cold-weather person, and I honestly find no allure to the extreme winter events such as skiing, speed-skating, and snowboarding. It reminds me too much of the X-Games, which I consider more of a spectacle than a sport. Show me the highlights on SportsCenter and I might watch.

However, there is one exception.
Hockey.

Olympic hockey is getting me fired up. Because of how the NHL is set up, the best players we Americans see regularly are from all over the world, so we devout hockey fans will actually know multiple players from countries other than the USA. The competition is going to be fierce, and honestly I'm expecting a decent amount of parity when the games open Wednesday.

However, I've been following the USA women's team, and I've been pleasantly surprised. Opening up not only unbeaten but un scored-upon (6-0 over Switzerland and 5-0 over Germany)...this team is for real, and very easy to get behind. Not only that, but I was reminded of the stereotype of women's hockey players being far from effeminate, seen as macho manly-women. Looking at some bios, candids, and the like, I've found that also isn't true. Actually, many of the USA women are quite attractive young ladies, in addition to being great athletes and excellent representatives of our great country.
Canada seems solid, and at this point I can't pick a favorite, but anything short of silver or gold will be a disappointment and meltdown for the ladies of Team USA.

In other news, everything is lined up for my summer baseball "training" with Warrior summer ball...Belmont hosts Marshall in baseball at Greer Friday, over the weekend Middle gets things going hosting IPFW, and the following Monday, Riverdale baseball gets its preseason started hosting Shelbyville. It might be bitterly cold, but baseball is right around the corner.

Peace Out....U-S-A!