At this point in the Olympics, I have become a fan of many sports I never thought I would watch: water polo, team handball, fencing (well, maybe I'm just a fan of those cool, light-up helmets...).  But weightlifting?  Normally I'm not so into overweight men in spandex.

Enter the MSNBC's weightlifting commentators, my favorite being the one with the hick accent that is a little bit difficult to take seriously on a major news broadcasting channel.  The best part by far, however, are the analogies that these announcers come up with.  Americans do not know how much a kilo is, and even when we are told that a specific barbell weighs 550 pounds, none of us have ever (or would ever) attempt to lift a number like that.  But when I am told that a weight is the same as a "lawn/gardening tractor" or the equivalent of "the women's gymnastics team hanging from a bar," I suddenly have vivid analogies to help me understand the sport of weightlifting.  Thanks MSNBC!