Winter Olympics

It's been almost a week now, so I guess it's time for me to talk about the Winter Olympics. Here's a few things I've noticed:

Figure skating troubles

You skated well Evan Lysacek, and I admire you for giving it everything you had. But sorry, my friend, gold should have gone to Russia's Evegeni Plushanko.

Plushanko clearly skated a much more difficult and dynamic program. His motions were more complex and exciting. He landed a quad-triple toe-loop combination successfully. Defeat may have been understandable had Plushanko fallen during the routine, but he did not.

Granted, Lysacek did everything perfectly while Plushanko had an iffy landing or two, but Lysacek's routine was simple enough that a junior skater probably could have done nearly the same. Plushanko's routine was clearly tougher. Shouldn't that mean gold? As Yahoo! Sports' Elvis Stojko said, "In what other sports do you have to hold back in order to win?"

Most Americans are angered by Plushanko's claim that he should have won gold. They shouldn't be. He was right. But of course, what does that matter? Plushanko is Russian and Lysacek is American, so most of America will support Lysacek, with some exceptions. Here's a question I'd like to ask Lysaceks's supporters:

How many of you actually watched the routine?

The rest of us, meanwhile, are beginning to realize more than ever that something is wrong. The judges have been under criticism for a while, and Plushanko's defeat should maximize that.

U.S. hockey- They have a chance!

I'm going to cover hockey now, a sport that still allows you to push the envelope.

And, for a change, the U.S. is in the running. The men are 2-0, though that may not last with a game against Canada coming up next. Still, you have to like their chances this year. They've got solid goaltending and are full of energy.

The offense has a key component. When I say that it falls on the shoulders of Zach Parise to get those pucks in the net and lead this group of snipers, I'm making an understatement. The guy has been great all year, and now is the time for him to step up. Of course, he will need help. That will be taken care of if he does his job.

As far as the women go, I don't see much to be concerned about. A 14-0 thumping of Russia followed by a 6-0 victory over Finland tells me that they don't have much to worry about. Go U.S.A.!!!

Franzen's return spoiled- For now

Throughout the season the Red Wings have struggled due to many injuries, but the return of Johan Franzen just might mark a turning point. The Wings fell in overtime, 4-3, but one can't help but feel that better days are ahead.

Franzen is not the most valuable player on the Red Wings, but his consistency and his extra fuel in the playoffs have always helped this team out. Perhaps the strangest thing about this season for the Red Wings has been their lack of scoring. Franzen can help there. Not only will he put plenty of pucks in the net, but his return also ought to take the pressure off of our struggling Euro Twins- Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.

I'm quite surprised to see how many fans have already counted out the Red Wings this year. They have competed this whole time, spending most of the season hovering between the 8 and 9 spots in the Western Conference. Franzen, along with the other returning stars, ought to provide the extra push that they need. Should the Red Wings make the playoffs, they will probably scare a lot of teams.

I'm being serious. The nice blessed surprise of Jimmy Howard has the Red Wings covered in goal. The defensemen are, if anything, better than ever, what with the addition of Jonathan Ericsson. The Red Wings have not allowed many goals this year, and I don't expect that to change.

As for offense, well, ironically that's where the Wings have been struggling this year. They have scored very few goals, especially compared to their recent previous seasons. Well, once Patrick Eaves gets healthy, they should actually be fine. There is no Hossa, Hudler, or Samuelsson, but there is now Eaves, Todd Bertuzzi, Darren Helm, Justin Abdelkader, and Drew Miller. Dan Cleary is healthy, and I have a feeling that Valteri Flippula is ready to start making an impact; that is, an even bigger one than last year.

The Red Wings main challenge will be making the playoffs this year. Once they get in (which I think they will), they should be fine.

Super Bowl Forecast

Let's go with the Colts.