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.!!!