Monday, August 18, 2008

Beijing Olympics watchers lose sleep over games


Are those Olympic rings ... under your eyes?



Do you find yourself engrossed by coverage of mixed-doubles badminton, team sabre or lightweight double scull rowing in the middle of the night?

Have you mastered a balance beam dismount off the side of your couch or attempted the butterfly stroke in your bathtub?



Call it Olympic fanaticism, bleary-eyed passion or simply China fever. As you stumble through work this week, know you're not the only one living in a time zone 13 hours ahead of your own.
Round-the-clock coverage and live late-night viewings have turned Dallas residents into workplace zombies, from Taiwanese fans secretly rooting for swimming superman Michael Phelps to North Texas athletes transfixed by Nastia Liukin's acrobatics.


Beyond the usual feats of mouth-gaping athleticism, the 2008 Beijing Olympics have produced a unique blend of political volleys, cultural pride and sleeplessness that accompanies today's 24-7 access.
"Do I believe my 15-year-old daughter should be up until 4 in the morning with a Red Bull watching swimming a week before school starts?" said Fort Worth resident Tricia Alley. "Absolutely. It's history."
She's less excited about her husband's obsession with the U.S. women's beach volleyball competitors.


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