^{See the rest of NBC.com's wrestling slideshow}.

Perhaps you find yourself caught in the middle of a slow stretch of Olympics coverage, in between the speed of Usain Bolt and the spectacular endurance of Michael Phelps. The only thing on is something obscure: fencing, horses, judo, etc. You have to watch.

Let's be clear on one thing: The last time I attempted to play badminton was in the backyard of the Tell household down the street about 10 years ago. It didn't go well then, and it probably wouldn't go well now. But one thing I was able to do was hit the shuttlecock over the net, maintain a decent rally, and play with some semblance of dignity.

Four years ago, I sat in my room in Los Angeles and contemplated the boatloads of work I had to organize before 7:30 the next morning. It was 2:00 am. Desperate for something to help me stay awake, I flicked on my small, remote-less television and commenced watching live coverage of the Beijing Olympics. What a joy -- the ability to watch live, world-class athletic events at an ungodly hour of the morning, when I was actually determined to stay conscious for at least another two hours.

Perhaps you find yourself caught in the middle of a slow stretch of Olympics coverage, in between the speed of Usain Bolt and the spectacular endurance of Michael Phelps. The only thing on is something obscure: fencing, horses, judo, etc. You have to watch. But what, exactly, should spectators be looking for? The Phoenix is here to help.

Perhaps you find yourself caught in the middle of a slow stretch of Olympics coverage, in between the speed of Usain Bolt and the spectacular endurance of Michael Phelps. The only thing on is something obscure: fencing, horses, judo, etc. You have to watch. But what, exactly, should spectators be looking for? The Phoenix is here to help.

So, we're all still pretty enthralled from the Olympics kickoff. But imagine you are caught in the middle of a slow Olympics afternoon, in between the speed of Usain Bolt and the spectacular endurance of Michael Phelps. The only thing on is something obscure: fencing, horses, judo, etc. You have to watch.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) delivered a stunning blow to Chicago this afternoon in Copenhagen, Denmark, when, in voting to determine which of four world-class cities would get to host the 2016 Olympic Games, Chicago -- one of the inside favorites to win -- was knocked out in the first round.

Let Madrid, Rio, or Tokyo have the 2016 Olympic Games. Mr. President, if you love Chicago, you will ask the IOC to spend that summer anywhere but your adopted hometown.

As we predicted last week, yesterday President Obama flip-flopped on traveling to Copenhagen to lobby the Olympic committee. According to the NY Times: