Five things one regular guy likes about women's volleyball

Posted Tuesday, Jul. 31, 2012 0 comments  Print Reprints
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I’ve always been a huge summer Olympics fan, and my favorite games was ’76 in Montreal, where Sugar Ray Leonard became a boxing star, gymnast Nadia Comaneci was a perfect 10 and Bruce Jenner won the decathalon. I watched the entire thing on a 13-inch black and white TV, but at least it was live and not tape-delay!

I love tennis, track and field and gymnastics, but my real favorite is women’s volleyball. Here’s why:

1. It is a real gas to see these women fly around the court with such abandon. They totally give up their bodies to dig some of the balls off of the floor before they bounce.

2. The teamwork, anticipation and coordination they use to set up spikes is amazing. Even when the ball looks like it’s flying into the stands, they somehow volley it right above the net for a spiker to do their thing. I was watching the USA vs. Brazil match Monday and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers was in the audience. Everyone is awed by the things he does on court, but TV showed that even he found the women’s game jaw-dropping!

3. I can’t even imagine how these women do the running, jumping serve. I would whiff three times out of four or hit it out of the gym if I tried.

4. This is one sport where I really prefer to watch the women over the men.* Not golf, not tennis, not bowling, not softball, not swimming. It’s a more entertaining, exciting show.

5. I love it when one of them really hammers a spike. BOOM goes the dynamite! When I played in college intramurals, we loved it when somebody got “six-packed.” That’s when the spiker slams a ball right into an opponent’s unprotected face and his teammates would buy him a six-pack as a reward. Team USA does it so often they never have to buy their own beer.

* Actually, beach volleyball is another Olympic sport where I prefer to watch the women over the men. The reasons are: 1) The outfits. 2) The uniforms. 3) Their attire. 4) The garb they wear. 5) Their costumes. I believe that just about covers it.

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