It’s not a virus. It’s an obsession. I have a bad case of Olympic fever.

When I was a kid, I used to watch basketball. (I was not a great shot) The Seattle Super Sonics were my favorite pro team. Come on, it was awesome. Then I grew older, stopped playing basketball and got interested in track and field. (I wasn't very fast.) But as the years grew on, my interest waned. Over the last 20 years though every two years I suffer from an acute case of Olympic fever. 

I guess you could say I'm obsessed. Both summer and Winter Olympics pretty much dominate my life when they're occurring and with the advent of the DVR (Video Recorder) even more so. This year I have 3 channels that I can get Olympic coverage from, and I'll be DVR’ing a lot from all three of those channels. By the time I'm done I will have at least four weeks of the Olympics to watch. (It's only a two-week event.) 

I started things off yesterday. (7/25) By watching the quarterfinals of rugby sevens. If you've never watched rugby sevens, it's really quiet a revelation. You have seven players on a side, to seven-minute halves and it goes by fast with lots of action. Don't ask me about the rules of the game (I don't care. It's just fun to watch.) 

I enjoy watching gymnastics because I just can't believe that a person can make their body do that stuff, it amazes me. Cycling is OK. (I don't ride a bike anymore.) But then we get to track and field and again, I'm totally obsessed. 

I might watch a little Olympic basketball but what I really want to see is the Women's Three on three competition. I'm looking forward to seeing Cashmere's own Haley Van Lith “kill it” on the court. First game USA versus Germany, Tuesday (7/30) at 8:30am (pacific time) 

According to usab.com,
‘Van Lith owns five USA Basketball gold medals in 3x3 and 5-on-5. She was a member of the quartet who won gold at the 2023 FIBA 3x3 Women’s World Cup. Also last year, she competed at the FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series stops in Montreal and Quebec and won the 3x3 U23 Nations League Americas conference. Van Lith’s other gold medals while representing USA Basketball include the 2021 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup, 2019 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup, 2018 Youth Olympic Games 3x3 and 2018 FIBA U17 Women’s World Cup.’ 

There is so much to watch and of course, some of it you wonder why it's in the Olympics in the first place. (Or at least I do.) But I'm still going to sample even the stuff that I don't care about, just to see if I will care about it after I see it. 

Olympic fever. Yes, I've got it bad. And the only cure is to firmly plant my butt on the couch with a good beverage and a snack and watch it all. 

Where To Watch 2024 Paris Olympics: Complete Schedule | NBC Insider
Olympics | NBC Insider | NBC Insider Official Site
Olympic Track & Field 2024: Where to Watch, Full Schedule | NBC Insider
USA Basketball 3x3 Women's Olympic Team - USA Basketball