Game on in Sochi

I have used this site to showcase many things, but not many sports. I cover basketball and football. That’s it. You know this to be true.

So when I got an opportunity to cover the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, I had a lot of thoughts to process.

Sure, it’s the WINTER OLYMPICS. They only come around once every four years. But … Russia? Sochi? Where the hell is Sochi? Biathlon? What the hell is a biathlon? February??? School?

Fast forward a bit. I’m here. The concerns about the games are numerous. Perhaps, a bit overblown.

Security concerns? It’s the world. I’m from Philadelphia, and living in Los Angeles. You pray that you can live every day. Switching up countries doesn’t change that.

Accommodations concerns? Well, I got lucky on that one, I guess. #SochiProblems dominated the web for a few days. Funny stuff. My water, shower, electricity, bed, bathroom door, lights, and locks are all fine. Not that I’m in my room much.

No, I get to work with the United States Olympic Committee. In five days, I’ve written previews for snowboarding, biathlon, and luge. I’ve doubled up my snowboarding fun by writing features on the snowboard slopestyle events. Bob Costas said that those events were Jackass-type events. Perhaps he was joking. But watching Sage Kotsenburg and Jamie Anderson do gold-medal work on the slopestyle? Easily the highlight of my first week here.

Presser with gold medalist #holycrail #Sochi2014 @sagekotsenburg pic.twitter.com/bzbxkpCE9u

— Law Murray (@1maddskillz) February 8, 2014

Your new Olympic champion, Jamie Anderson #Sochi2014 pic.twitter.com/NBmyMh76wt — Law Murray (@1maddskillz) February 9, 2014

My interview with Anderson after she won gold: 

I also got to go to the Opening Ceremony on Friday night. I had no clue what to expect. I don’t know that much about Russia, and I’ve never watched an Opening Ceremony from any of the Olympic Games. It is one of those events that, on the surface, seems like a can’t-miss event every year. Yet I miss it. Every year. Except this one!

The Black Sea from Fisht Olympic Stadium #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/SvazNFKjzr — Law Murray (@1maddskillz) February 7, 2014

Some shots from Fisht Olympic #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/mTYNChEErX — Law Murray (@1maddskillz) February 7, 2014

#OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/SuJVjElqGv — Law Murray (@1maddskillz) February 7, 2014

My medal is lighting up pic.twitter.com/SdiMesG9jf — Law Murray (@1maddskillz) February 7, 2014

Russian Daft Punk #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/ReMCn3dotF — Law Murray (@1maddskillz) February 7, 2014

#SochiProblems is extending to #OpeningCeremony … techs working on cables, clock ticking pic.twitter.com/udge83oXiD — Law Murray (@1maddskillz) February 7, 2014

This is unfortunate #SochiFail pic.twitter.com/a8ZxmT8UXb — Law Murray (@1maddskillz) February 7, 2014

Who needs Rosetta Stone when you have #Sochi2014 #OpeningCeremony … finally learning this alphabet pic.twitter.com/MOdQhUIGVp — Law Murray (@1maddskillz) February 7, 2014

These mascots are HUGE #Sochi2014 #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/qyIj95b69u — Law Murray (@1maddskillz) February 7, 2014

The Federation. It just got real in here #openingceremony pic.twitter.com/cmwdhcrg2g — Law Murray (@1maddskillz) February 7, 2014

I even got a chance to attend part of the figure skating team event. Listening to the crowd rise up for Yulia Lipnitskaya was intense, and I wasn’t surprised when Russia ended up with gold.

Bouquets. Bouquets, everywhere. The crowd is loud for Russia’s Yulia Lipnitskaya, judges reward her the lead pic.twitter.com/kjvJueOqPF

— Law Murray (@1maddskillz) February 8, 2014

In all, this has been an eventful week. That was expected. What may not have been expected is just how great the experience has been so far. It’s only going to get deeper from here.

The Olympic Flame pic.twitter.com/GAfid1YV5b

— Law Murray (@1maddskillz) February 8, 2014