Gold Medal or Team Championship??

With the Winter Olympics on the way it gives everyone the chance to show their country pride. I tend to enjoy the competition more than anything else, the hard work that everyone puts comes down to a 5 minute routine or a 1 minute race, it makes for an entertaining event. In terms of the Winter Olympics I prefer watching the hockey games, speed-skating, skiing and snowboarding events. I didn't include figure skating mostly because I personally don't enjoy sporting events coming down to someone scoring you on your performance. Someone is always going to be biased even if they are following a scoring format. I do watch on occasion because as someone who used to dance can enjoy the creativity and amount of work that skaters put in to their routine.  I obviously have a biased opinion with snowboarding because I am a fan of Shaun White but the half pipe is entertaining even though it's judged upon.

I posted this question on Facebook during the 2012 Summer Olympics " would you rather win a GOLD Medal at any Olympic event of your choice or a Major team Championship (NBA Finals, World Series Stanley Cup, Super Bowl, etc). Most of my friends voted for a team championship which I understood because I am a huge baseball fan and would love nothing more than to be hoisting the Commissioners Trophy as a New York Yankee. playing a grueling 162 game season and three rounds of playoff baseball. I have a huge appreciation for what athletes go through in any sport especially Michael Phelps, how much they train and sacrifice to compete in the Olympics or their given sport. I started swimming after his remarkable 2008 Summer Games performance. Swimming for an hour is tiring and this man swims for about 5 or more hours at a faster rate than I do. Eight events and getting a gold medal in each one, watching him get that eight medal on the relay was a moment I definitely won't forget. Honestly I'll put it in my top 5 sports moments that I watched live on television.

I personally would want to win a Gold Medal at a butterfly individual medley or a Men's 4 x 100 meter medley relay. I think the idea of winning an Olympic gold medal trumps winning a team sport. Not only do you win a medal for your country but you will considered the best athlete in your talent for the next four years. The Olympics and World Cup is so huge in terms of an event that it can not be hosted every year, it makes these events more prestigious than any annual MLB, NHL, NFL or NBA Championship title. it may come as selfish to be someone who wants to win an award that only celebrates yourself but it is the best way to prove who is the best athlete in that specific selection. MVP awards are always voted upon but that's is no way to prove if that specific athlete is the best athlete, it's only going by statistics throughout a given year. Even NBA players say winning a Gold Medal in the Summer Olympics is a little bit more special than winning an NBA title just for the fact that you're playing the best from the whole world not just the United States. Winning a championship means a lot to that individual no matter what stage it is in but I clearly think a gold medal has more prestige in my eyes.