Korey Dropkin

As we watch these Winter Olympics, we start thinking: could we compete in these sports? Alpine skiing: not if we want to stay alive. Ice dancing: hard pass. Curling: maybe?

We're not here to downplay the athleticism of curlers (all that sweeping power requires hours of training), but let's just say that it seems that the barrier of entry to this sport (it's a sport, right?) is a tad lower. Unless you count the Minnesota factor.

To be an American Olympic curler, you pretty much have to be from Minnesota. In the last three Olympics, all US teams hailed from the North Star State. This includes the pair that just won the first ever mixed doubles medal for the US: silver for Cory Thiessen (Duluth, Minnesota) and Korey Dropkin (Southborough, Massachusetts... Wait, what? Oh, he's been living in Minnesota for a long time.) Korey is the first ever Jew to win a curling medal! (That exclamation point is overselling it.) Korey is the first ever Jew to win a curling medal.

Alas, even though moving to Minnesota clearly helped Korey in his quest for Olympic glory, it's a definite non-starter for us. Instead, we're going to ponder other winter sports...

Luge: not if we want to stay alive. Ski jumping: there is a pattern here!