Prepare yourself for a rant of mass proportions containing material I'm sure you care nothing about....

First off, I'm kind of an Olympics freak... I get pretty into them. I do have a dream for gold myself you know but considering the fact that I have failed to partake in any sports... (or any other physical activity worth mentioning for that matter)... since high school, I have found living vicariously through others works wonders. Who wouldn't want to be in the Olympics!? I mean how friggin RAD would that be?? Tamee and I have been debating pairs luge. We could do it right!? Right. Anyways, my mom use to be a figure skater and I grew up watching the sport and though I myself couldn't make so much as a fall look graceful, I love watching it to this day. Which brings us to Michelle Kwan. This is my GIRL right here!!!.... so I'm pissed.... (and when I say pissed I mean depressed but in an attempt to hide my true feelings I act angry).... about her injury and withdrawl from what would have been her last chance at Olympic gold.

Let's take it back a bit shall we? We all remember the Nancy Kerrigan / Tanya Harding melodrama in '94. How could we forget?? But does anybody remember Michelle??  I do. She skated her little heart out during the US trials and earned her spot, but Nancy petitioned her way onto the Olympic team and got her seat in history instead of Kwan. Now don't get me wrong, Kerrigan probably would have beat Kwan had Joey not knocked her ass out... (knees in this case)... but when it came to the finals Nancy's attitude just plain sucked. Let's face it, Oksana Baiul had her beat all around and Kerrigan refused to even stand on the podium during the medal ceremony. I'll take a silver medal any day and I'm sure Michelle would have too... graciously.

Moving on... eight years ago in Nagano, Kwan was the favorite but settled for silver as Tara Lipinski won that fight, and then four years ago in Salt Lake glory was taken yet again by a fellow team mate, Sarah Hughes. Placing twice in the Olympics is quite the achievement as is but at the end of the Salt Lake games I got a little misty when Michelle... while crying... did her farewell program to a tear jerking rendition of "Fields of Gold".... one that she would never walk through.... I'm feeling va-klempt.... talk amongst yourselves.....

Now I'm sure anyone would say that having five world championships... first being at age 15 thank you very much... and nine US titles would be enough, but when you've been chasing a dream for a gold medal THAT long it would only make sense to try one last time, so she did. Unfortunately sometimes the mind says yes while the body says "Oh HELL no". Injury kept her from competing in the trials but in all fairness... (just like Nancy pants got too).. they accepted her petition to be placed on the team. With her stating that she would be at her best when the time came, she was Turino bound.

Sometimes the cards are just not in our favor I suppose, and they most certainly our not in Michelle's. One practice and a pulled groin muscle later my girl is down for the count. She officially withdrew yesterday. Even more so than before, I have respect for Kwan. No she didn't (fully) earn her spot on the team and had she skated during trials there was a possibility of being beat by some of the youngsters pawing at the same dream, but the fact that she is there at the Olympics for Christ sake knowing full well the stakes of what her decision is.... the fact that she knows she could not win gold due to her physical status.... and wants someone else to have a descent shot... that just says the world to me about her. And her replacement?? The one who is being handed this opportunity.... Emily Hughes, younger sister of Sarah Hughes.. the dream snatcher from four years ago. How heart wrenching is that shit!?!? To know that the one coming to take your place is related to someone who four years earlier came out of nowhere and snagged what now you will never have.  UGH!!! My chances for (vicarious) gold have been chattered again before I (she) even stepped onto the ice. How depressing.

To top it all off... and add more misery to my pain... my favorite pairs team, Jamie Sale and David Pelletier....the Canadians surrounding that judge controversy in Salt Lake.... aren't even competing!!!! Up with hope, DOWN WITH DOPE!!!!  <----- do you see that!?!? I'm so upset right now I threw that in there and it doesn't even make any sense. Whatever.  Within the last few weeks I went from being a 12 (go Hawks..please don't sue me), to a 2 (3 in the case of the pairs), to a 0. My emotions are seriously being toyed with and I don't like it. There is no one to cheer for, nobody to give me reason to scream at the television like a maniac as I so enjoy, and there is nothing I can do about it. All I get to do this year is learn the new judging system... which in reality will only make me think of my dear Kanooks.

I'm bummed. Oh well. 
Maybe I'll start building that luge track in the backyard...