During the run up to the London Olympics this summer authors across the SB Nation multiverse are reliving our favorite Olympic moments. As I've noted on more than one occasion, I view all of sports through red and black lenses. I choose my NFL and NBA allegiances based upon the number of former Bulldogs on a given squad and the centrality of those Bulldogs to a given team's success. So my favorite Olympic moment should come as no surprise. Find out what it is below the fold.
The reasons this was my favorite Olympic moment are many. There's the obvious fact that Herschel Walker is the greatest living Bulldog athlete, and arguably the greatest of all time (comparisons across decades are impossible, yada, yada, yada) .The argument could easily have been made during the late 80's that Herschel was the most impressive overall athlete in the world regardless of sport. Just as I have enjoyed Herschel's turn as a surprising MMA competitor, I also enjoyed seeing the eyes of the world turn toward him in 1992.
But perhaps most important, I derive immense satisfaction from the notion that a guy from Wrightsville, Georgia could be on the Olympic (or, in Herschel-ese "'Lympic") bobsled team, thus belying the notion that winter sports require years of training, or in some cases are even sports per se. I suspect that had Herschel wanted to he could have also excelled at curling, cross country skiing, or any number of other pursuits in Albertville. Why? Because those things aren't actually sports. They're just crap that people in northern latitudes do while dealing with the fact that their ancestors didn't have the good sense to emigrate to Fiji.
Herschel would also have been a world class firewood stacker, yak milker, Kjøttkaker maker, and general doer of stuff requiring intelligence, athleticism and dexterity. However his turn as a bobsled pusher reinforced his substantial reputation as the renaissance man of international athletics, a reputation which this south Georgian would like the world to be reminded of at every available opportunity. Mostly because it's true.
I didn't see the Miracle on Ice, because I was too busy doing whatever 3 year olds do during the Winter Olympics. I enjoyed watching the 1992 Dream Team curb stomp the world. But that was as anti-climactic as any Olympic victory ever. And I found Kerry Strug mildly annoying. I enjoyed Michael Phelps' domination of the 2008 games, but as a world-weary 20-something that moment just didn't have a lot of "magic" to it. It was just the best guy in the field performing at his best. Impressive, but not entirely unexpected. However watching the international press fawn over Herschel Walker never, ever gets old, and that's why the Goalline Stalker's turn as a winter Olympian is my favorite Olympic moment.
How about you? What are your favorite moments from the Olympics, whether summer or winter? Let us hear from you in the comments.
Celebrate the most compelling moments in Summer Games history with 'Memorable Moments' on Yahoo! Sports. Re-live moments such as Nadia Comaneci's perfect 10s in Montreal, Michael Phelps' record eight gold medals in Beijing, Carl Lewis' unforgettable four gold medals in Los Angeles, the spectacular success of the 1992 US Dream Team, Muhammad Ali in Rome and Atlanta, and any more!
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