And here it is, 2 hours later and I'm taking a break from fiction to eat a miniature snickers bar and watch some more. The biathalon is on, showcasing the improbable combination of cross country skiing and rifle marksmanship. Yes, skiing and shooting, as they say.

I don't know if I believe them, but the announcers just said this sport is hugely popular in Europe; that it's the #1 wintertime sport on TV. I guess that's possible, I mean they like soccer in the summer/fall, and things like tennis and gymnastics and such are sort of year round, but why not hockey, or downhill skiing, or ice skating?

Maybe the shooting makes this one more manly, and the fact that it's not death-defying 1000 mile an hour downhill skiing, or jumping over knee-eating moguls makes it more accessible, since you don't have to be a perfect athlete to compete?

Or maybe the TV announcers are lying. It wouldn't be the first time.

 

"Or using her looks and high breasts to live off a series of rich boyfriends"

Sugardaddies is the term you're looking for.

 

Yes they're lying. The most televised sports here (Holland) are soccer and hockey, and the only place you'd ever see a biathlon outside the olympics is on eurosport, an international 24/7 sports channel.

iumzx.

 

They're playing the stuff at 5 in the morning instead of pre-empting soap operas? Blargh.

Ignoring the "mythical inspirational Olympic Hero" + US bias trend (I suspect most countries have at least some broacast bias...), in terms of coverage-style during my lifetime, I liked the 1984 and before, the best. At least it felt live, even if it wasn't, because they showed a lot more than highlights, broadcasting nearly all day, including many of the no-hope-of-a-medal competitors, non-US or not. The videotapes I recorded of those Olympics are night vs day compared to how they do things now.

I guess it's not profitable enough in the US to play them all day like that anymore etc. Too much viewer competition from having 300 channels and too many short-attention spans.

So far this Winter Olmpics I've been mostly amused by how the announcers during the snowboarding try so hard to sound "hip"....

 

I think the biathlon is most popular in Germany..

However, I kind of like your surprise about the sports that we take for granted and you ahve never heard of. Now you understand how we read your NFL reports ;)