If I had a say in this, there’d be only two countries taking part in Winter Olympics 2018 – the United States versus Russia. We don’t need the rest.

Like it was when we beat them in hockey, 1980.

As you can see, there are too many countries around the world…too many, absolutely, around Pyeonchang, which is in South Korea.

Was that really the best choice? Never mind. That’s another topic. But I must say this – my Uncle Marv did return (wounded) from the war there; but 33,652 other Americans did not.

It’s called “The Forgotten War.” I’ll bet it is not forgotten by families of the more than 7,000 servicemen who remain unaccounted to this day.

The Israelis, on the other hand, never asked Americans or any other people to fight and die for the Jewish State, yet have no chance to host the Olympics for reasons no need to mention.

Except to note that the same types who run the Olympic Selection Committee, also run the United Nations General Assembly. Okay?

Plenty of reasons to mention the Munich Olympics of 1972 where 11 Israeli Olympians were slaughtered by the PLO…but let’s not go there at a time when we are celebrating what is laughingly called Fellowship.

Did I set a gloomy tone? Damn. I didn’t mean to…

Maybe I’m in this mood because I was hoping that these Olympics would offer a distraction from all the headaches we have today. So much darkness. The idea is to forget.

No such luck…and I think other Americans are with me on this; that these Games are boring.

The NBC ratings are dismal. About 19 million of us are watching. The Weather Channel does better.

I think I know the reason. Deep down, unless you are a universalist (meaning Liberal), who gives a damn when there’s a hockey shoot-out between Slovakia and Slovenia?

My apologies if you have ties to either of those two places. But most of us don’t. So most of us don’t care – and so we turn to a channel where there is no ice.

Or the problem may be this, that each time I tune in, ready to cheer and get excited, instead the janitors come out and begin mopping up for the next event.

Or is that Curling? If so, someone needs to tell me how that works.  

I assume there are Curling Leagues as we have Bowling Leagues…so why not Bowling as an event? There I bet we’d do all right.


US troops fought and died in South Korea, but the Israelis have never asked anyone else to fight for them. They have also never been asked to host the Olympics.
As it is, our athletes are not doing too well, even though we showed up with the largest contingent.

Wait a minute. I just checked. We are not doing so bad. We’re in fifth. Norway is tops, followed by Germany, Netherlands and Canada.

So why is it that each time I click on, it’s some skinny kid from Belarus twirling around the ice with oohs and ahhs from the commentators.

While our own underfed skater keeps falling all over the ice. Happened to me this morning in the driveway without years of training and practice.

Or for hours I fall asleep as some other foreigner zooms up and down the slopes (snowboarding?)

Still others trudge up and down snowy mountains for miles in excruciating pain; just for a medal. That should be a question – just for a medal?

Most of time that’s Norway. So like I said, who gives a damn.

Fact is, real Americans root for the home team. That’s probably how it is elsewhere as well – each to his own.

Universal Fellowship is terrific as an ideal. But most of us don’t live there.

The only thing that counts is finishing on top – number one. Next to that…well there is nothing next to that.

New York-based bestselling American novelist Jack Engelhard writes regularly for Arutz Sheva.

Just released is his augmented HOLLYWOOD EDITION of “News Anchor Sweetheart.” Engelhard wrote the international book-to-movie bestseller “Indecent Proposal” and the inside-journalism thriller “The Bathsheba Deadline.” He is the recipient of the Ben Hecht Award for Literary Excellence. Website: www.jackengelhard.com