The 2009 WinkRight Olympics

For those of you that know Jeff, you are aware of his extreme competitive nature. So it should come as no surprise that his best friends are competitive as well. Jeff and one of his oldest friends, Bob Winkler, became so competitive against each other over the years that they actually developed an annual contest to test their skill levels in a variety of sports. They aptly named their competition the WinkRight Olympics (Wink for Bob Winkler and Right for Courtright) and look forward each year to determining who will reign supreme.

Make no mistake, however; this is no ordinary competition. First of all, the guys spend countless hours each year selecting the events and determining how points will be awarded for each. The events chosen are usually comprised of 3 "hard" events (physically challenging) and 3 "easy" events. This year, it was basketball, biking, and physical training exercises for the hard events and Frisbee golf, darts, and bowling for the easy events. But it's not like they just play the best 2 of 3 games and call it a day. No, the elaborate scoring system is almost laughable -- ask them to explain it and your eyes will likely glaze over after the details go on and on (and on...). Supposedly it's designed to prevent each competitor from giving up; there's always a chance for a comeback. I couldn't describe it even if I tried. So I won't.

I can't decide what Jeff and Bob enjoy more: the actual competition, or the constant ribbing they give each other before, during, and after each event. They get so involved in their annual match-up that they have to write the most lengthy rules and guidelines to keep things fair. For example, in their physical training event this year there were numerous violations in form. Yes, I said form. For most people, a sit-up is a sit-up and a pull-up is a pull-up. Not to these two. Jeff couldn't stop barking about Bob's poor hand placement during his sit-ups, and Bob was quick to point out how Jeff's chin might have given him an unfair advantage in the pull-ups. Say what?!

In order to commemorate the Olympics competition each year, the guys started a somewhat comical tradition where they will purchase t-shirts to honor the Winner and Loser. Not surprisingly, the Loser t-shirts have a tendency of getting lost over the years while the Winner t-shirts will show up at random times throughout the competition. Bob shared with me how Jeff once changed into his 2004 Winner shirt right before the match point during one of their tennis games the following year, just to provide a little intimidation at a crucial moment.

Another tradition to accompany the competition is the all too important handwritten summary of each event at its conclusion. The winner of each event is responsible for documenting the highlights of that event, including any play-by-play and commentary deemed fitting. Here is an excerpt of what Jeff wrote about the basketball event: "Jeff made nine 3-pointers in a row in 3rd game. Bob booted ball across court once game 3 complete. Olympics were slipping through his fingers." Yes, it's one last opportunity for them to stick it to the other and ensure that their version of competition history is preserved for the future.

All joking aside, I think it's so neat that these two have remained such close friends despite all the time and distance that separates them. And the memories they make year after year with each new Olympic competition are truly priceless.

Jeff and Bob

Jeff wanted to make sure the Winner/Loser t-shirts were displayed prominently in order to provide ample incentive.

Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2009 WinkRight Olympics Winner and Loser.