Ben: Judging by the ratings the Olympics are getting, most sports fans were not watching NBC last night.

This isn't true. The ratings are down compared to previous Olympics, but there are still a lot of people watching. Over the weekend NBC averaged about a 13 rating. In prime time it was closer to 15. I don't know about last night's Villanova-UConn game, but college basketball day games on CBS and ABC over the weekend got roughly a 2. ESPN sends out a press release when it gets a 2 rating. Unless I'm mistaken, it's never had a rating as high as 6.

lpydmbl: How can you do an "up by his bootstraps" style profile of someone [Chinese figure skating coach] in that position without noting the totalitarianist regime that finances the program? ... Why does NBC feel the need to sugarcoat this program as something it is emphatically not: an inspirational story of a former figure skater hoping to improve his country's fortunes in his sport?

I'm guessing it's because NBC has to do business with China in two years. You make an excellent point.

Anon: Does anyone know of a web site doing a "Separated at Birth" feature on snowboarder Shaun White and comedian Carrot Top?

I think, if you get past the color of his hair, he's a dead ringer for Carly Simon.

Or: A little research is a dangerous thing!

Brian: My suspicions were confirmed. The rules only allow for a time-out and a restart from the point of interruption if there is a problem with the music playback, the athlete's clothes or the skating equipment. There is no rule at all that allowed the Zhangs to take a breather.

Good work, Brian, but you should have kept reading. What you site is Rule 351.1 (not sure if that's the proper way to render that, but it's No. 1 under Rule 351). Rule 351.2 states:

"2. If, in the opinion of the Referee, medical attention is required, the Referee must stop the performance and allow the competitor to continue immediately from the point of interruption or, if that is not possible, allow a period of up to two (2) minutes before the continuation."

Canada's National Post newspaper suggested that more than two minutes passed. I don't know about that. But there is a provision for restart after injury.

Sorry, jenby, I should have refreshed the page before posting my letter.

Ahem. What she said.

sspencer58: Also, Warroad is the home of the US Hockey Hall of Fame.

It's in the phone booth at Rex's Bar.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Ben: King- I wonder how a curling advocate like yourself can argue the strength of an event based solely on the ratings?

I didn't. I just said your statement that most fans were watching other sports wasn't true.

DZ: King- Why the Curling bashing?

Someone's already come to my defense on this one, but honestly, I just can't figure out what could have led you to say this. I like almost none of the sports in the Winter Olympics, with curling being a shining exception, and I don't see how I could be more clear about any of that.

Anon: Hey King, look what you can get on eBay!!! Yep the curling hat!

I saw that, but it's a baby hat.

House elf: Whining about missing Dick Button as commentator is ridiculous. He does this at least twice a year.

No, he doesn't do this at least twice a year. I wrote that he does other events. "This" is the Olympics. I wrote that he's been missed around the Olympics.

If you truly cared about figure skating you would know that. But you've basically said you don't consider skating a sport so I don't get why you're bothing with it now.

I do know that -- which would explain why I wrote it. And I make no secret of the fact that I truly don't care about figure skating. And I also don't consider it a sport. What I care about is the Olympics. That's why I'm bothering with it now. OK?

In that way I'm in the vast majority. For every person watching the Olympic figure skating because they truly care about figure skating, there's some large number of people watching it because they care about the Olympics. I'm not sure what that number is. I'd have to look up the ratings of non-Olympic figure skating vs. Olympic figure skating. Don't feel like doing that. I'd guess it's something like 10 for every one.

People: I'm not kidding about how much I like curling.