My Top 5 Winter Olympic Events

Though Sochi may not be ready, the Winter Olympics are set to get underway on Thursday.

On Friday, the torch will be lit, and dozens of events will take center stage - ensorcelling the world until the flames are extinguished and they fade back into obscurity.

Of those events, which are the best?  Which will you be the most excited to watch?  Here's my top-5:

5. Ski/Snowboard Cross: For the life of me, I can't understand why cross doesn't get more love.  Without a doubt, it is one of the more exciting, fun to watch events of the winter Olympics.  Four skiers or snowboarders hurtling down a course together - clutching, grabbing and pushing their way from top to bottom.  Accidents will happen. Excitement will ensue.

4. Downhill Skiing: I don't know why we think nailing our feet to a few planks of wood and careening down an ice course at Greg Maddux fastball speed is a good idea, but it is.  Is crippling injury a wrong flinch of a ski away?  Yes.  Is it wildly exciting to watch the world's best skiers toe the line between said crippling injury and flawless, gold medal winning run?  Absolutely.

3. Short Track Speed Skating: *See Ski/Snowboard Cross* *Insert "around comically small track" for "from top to bottom"*

2. Figure Skating: What?  Yeah, you read that correctly.  Figure skating.  Because I love drama.  And that's what figure skating is.  Pure, simple drama.  It's bases loaded, 2-outs, down by one.  It's 45-yard field goal with time expiring.  It's a pull-up jumper at the buzzer.  Will she fall?  Will she stick the landing?  A gold medal is riding on the outcome, and that's all that matters. Get past the macho nonsense.

1. Curling: Admittedly, I can't tell you why I have this number one.  I don't know why I love it.  It's not as exciting, or dramatic, or dangerous as the other four on this list.  But there's no doubt to me that curling is number one.  Because while I'll spend two nights watching figure skating, or check out the other three, I'll sit through hours and hours of curling.  Italy-Croatia?  I'm in.  I shouldn't be, but I am.

For more of my rankings, go to NoTicketSports.com