America's Lonely Sport

"Badminton is huge in Asia, largely ignored in US." {{{gasp, NO!}} --- It's true. The link.
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First of all, doggone it, I was SURE it was "badmitten" not "badminton," that sounds pretty dorky, no wonder there's prejudice. Look at these pictures, how can you possibly think it's a dorky sport?

But since the Olympics, badminton's got us pumped! OK, not since the Olympics, actually it's since Joel and Ross dug our set out from the pool box and blew the dust off it and asked, "How d'ya play this??" Like it was a game from my nana's closet they'd never observed before.
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The W/S Codgers's team of Ross Smith and Tom Sliker took on the indubitable doubles team of Ethan Busbee and Jon Holsenback. Another case of age and treachery trump youth and skill.

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When Ross was up to serve, I wished I had me one of them fancy made-for-TV radar guns so I could yell the speed of his serves to our fascinated spectators.











Just as Alan Paul said in his article, I think it applies here:

"The players' huge vertical leaps and power of their spikes are indeed fairly shocking to those used to summer camp or backyard picnic badminton."

(well..... if he didn't have the birdie at his feet)

As with the Bejing Olympic Badminton teams, we, too, were, as the article states,
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"playing in front of a crowd that was both rabidly partisan and intensely engaged."