There is only one thing that will get me to watch the opening ceremonies for the Olympics ... and no, it's not the bizarre interpretive dancing that symbolizes a nation's history in 20 excruciating minutes.

It's the moment when the Olympic cauldron is lit.

Not only does it symbolize the start of the Olympics, but it also gives the host city a chance to try to outdo the previous host city by coming up with a more elaborate sequence of events in order to get the flame lit.

Here is a summary of all the Olympic flame lightings that I've seen on TV and a rating for each one based on a scale of one to five:

Lake Placid (1980 Winter) -- The first use of an elevator to haul the flame to the top of the cauldron... Continue Reading

CATEGORY: Olympics

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My summer break is almost over.

With area high school teams beginning practice this week, it won't be long before I start breaking out my coaches phone tree and start my preseason interviews.

While I look forward to having games to cover on a regular basis again, having a few weeks to work on feature stories like I do during the summer is a nice diversion. It gives me a chance to focus on a particular athlete or sport that I wouldn't otherwise get to because I'm swamped with reporting on the latest high school games.

On the other hand, it can get a bit harrowing when I don't know where my next feature subject is coming from. I usually like to know by the middle of the week what my main story for the following week is going to be... Continue Reading

CATEGORY: General Sports

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Everyone has their likes and dislikes, and until now I've never aired my list... Continue Reading

CATEGORY: General Sports

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