2014 Winter Olympics Recap

Got a question today on whether the staff at CleggThis would consider the 2014 Winter Olympics an utter failure for the United States team.  The staff would answer with a definite yes and a definite no.  Let's just get right into it.


Fail - Opening Ceremonies

All opening ceremonies are failures.  They mean nothing, they say nothing.  And let's be honest, unless you are dropping your every two year dose of acid, then they are basically a waste of time.

Win - X Games Integration

It has been a long time coming, but we are basically at the point of full on X Games integration.  The only other event that could be added would be Big Air, but that is basically a one jump version of slopestyle, so don't expect Big Air to happen anytime soon.   If you look at what has come over from X Games and the America medal count, they encompass 11 medals, so 40% of the overall medal count for the USA.  Not bad.

Fail - Speed Skating

What do the US Speed Skating team and my 1st period high school english class attendance record have in common?  They are full of excuses.  The team put the goose egg of an Olympic performance squarely on the shoulders of Under Armor's new speed suits.  Shani Davis highest place with controversial suits = 8th.  Place after switching back to old suit = 11th.  Let's call a spade a spade, you guys suck.  

Win - People Who Like to Watch Figure Skating 

I don't have the exact figures, but I am pretty sure figure skating constituted at least 75% of the prime time coverage, most likely because it brings in the most ratings.  And the IOC and NBC know it, by introducing the bogus team competition which more or less just doubled the coverage this sport gets.  As far as the US faired in this, I think they won a bronze in the team competition, so add one to the medal count.  

Fail - Hockey

The women's team lost a 2013 Bruins-esque gold medal game in the last moments, complete with a puck off the iron on an open net.  They played a great game and were at least competing for a gold medal, which can't be said about the men's team.  As far as the men's team goes, I could care less they lost the bronze medal game.  In fact, I applaud them for it.  I know there isn't another way to award the bronze, but no other sport do you keep playing in your sport where you can't possibly win a gold.  How do you get hyped up for that?  

Win - Hockey Moments

The TJ Oshie shoot out goal was probably the best moment of the entire Olympics.  Nothing even came close.  Facebook and Twitter feeds log jammed with comments and status updates.  

Fail - Shaun White

I will be the first to admit I am a Shaun White fan.  Not a whole lot of people have been as dominate in their respective sport as this guy.  But he really fell from grace in Sochi.  First, he pulled out of the X Games to concentrate on the Olympics, where he was competing in slopestyle and halfpipe.  Then, he gets to Sochi and drops out of the slopestyle to concentrate on halfpipe.  Then, he goes out and fails to medal in the halfpipe.  The ultimate example of the saying "don't count you chickens until they are hatched."  

Win - Kelly Clark

Kelly Clark won Olympic gold back in the inaugural snowboard halfpipe competition in 2002 at Salt Lake City.   Since then she has medaled in 2 more Olympics (including this year) as well as the last 4 X Games halfpipe golds.  Kelly Clark just looking age in the face and saying I'll just triple cork 1080 in your face.  Honestly, I don't know what that means either.  

Win - US Ski Team Technical Events

The US Ski team doesn't have a history of doing well in the technical ski events (Slalom and Giant Slalom) but this year the US has two who basically dominated their respective fields and walked away with gold.  Congrats to Ted Ligety and Mikaela Shiffrin.  

Overall, I think the US trip to Sochi wasn't an utter failure.  If you were concentrating on hockey and the absence of a medal for the men's team, yeah, I can see that.  Also, there wasn't a whole lot of magical comeback moments of glory.  But all in all, 27 medals, second place in the medal count, I think you can go head and file the 2014 Winter Olympic Team in the win column.