The end of the first week of the Winter Olympics has drawn to a close.

Here in the Deep South the winter games have less meaning than to those who know and understand cold sports. Before the winter games several years ago, hardly anyone understood curling — an icy version of shuffleboard mixed with the Italian bocce.

Despite not understanding some of the sports, the Olympics are a time of national pride in our best athletes in those sports.

At one point in our history, during the Cold War, it appeared the games were as serious as the nuclear arms race.

Every time one of our athletes took to the field in the summer or the ice in the winter many chalked up the marks against the Soviet Union.

Now that the Berlin Wall has fallen, the intensity is not as great.

But national pride remains.

Every time the U.S. wins a gold our national anthem is played. That’s a source of pride to see our young athletes standing at the top of the podium, watch Old Glory raised to the highest heights and hear our nation’s anthem.

As of Friday the U.S. had won more gold medals than any other country in the games. Indeed, more total medals that any other country in the games.

So even if you don’t watch the games at least enjoy the fact that we still stand head and shoulders above the rest of the world.