Barry Tompkins: The then and now of the Winter Games

Have you been watching the Winter Olympics? Yeah, me too.

But, not very much.

My reason is that — by its nature — it is an event best pre-packaged into a prime time entertainment show that is extremely entertaining if you care only about the smiling American faces on the podium.

It’s good television — it’s just not a sports event. The ultimate moment is surely coming after the last commercial break and before the cloying interview that ends the show. Despite the fact that...