The Best Olympic Sports to Watch on TV and Why

It's kind of hard to believe that it has been four years since the Summer Olympics took place in London, but here we are, ready for the Rio Games to kickoff in a few short weeks.

If you're a sports fan, you love the Olympics, as it gives the world's best athletes a chance to shine and represent their country, giving all they have in order to become a medalist and etch their names in history.

And since we can't all head to Brazil to take the Games in live, the best way to cheer on the world is by watching on TV, with these events being the most entertaining to post up on the couch and feel the drama from.

Golf

Returning to the Olympics for the first time since the 1904 Games, everyone's favorite weekend activity isn't being too well-received by PGA golfers who have/are participating for their country.

With big-name players like Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth dropping out for various reasons—mainly the whole Zika scare—will anyone really care about who's playing and what the scores actually end up being?

I will because it's golf, and there's nothing better to do than to waste a Sunday on the couch watching the best players in the world try to get a little ball into a hole in the ground.

Wrestling

Us millennials basically grew up watching the WWE, NWO, WCW or all three, but the Olympic version of wrestling is a little less theatrical and a lot more brute toughness.

While the events at the aforementioned companies are more for pure entertainment and showmanship, Olympic wrestlers are throwbacks, resembling the wrestlers from centuries ago who would lift boulders to train.

Some of the best upsets in Olympic history came in this event, so make sure to tune into the live action and see why it's arguably the best sport to watch every four years.

Water Polo

There's more than meets the eye during a water polo match, as, yep, the athletes are actually treading water as they try to stay afloat in a freaking pool.

Using a ton of energy where the players need to be in tip-top shape, the sport is one that mixes elements of handball and soccer—but it's in a pool—making the matches both unique and high intensity.

If you've never watched water polo, do it this year and get hooked.

Handball

As I mentioned in the previous example with water polo, handball is essentially the exact same sport, but played outside of the water—which, personally speaking, is my type of sport since, you know, I won't drown.

The beautiful thing about watching handball is that most Americans probably won't know or even recognize a single player, with the sport itself enough to entertain viewers who are more unfamiliar with it.

Take the intensity of playoff hockey and add the whole "representing one's country" element, and it's easy to see why handball is an awesome sport to watch on TV.

Beach Volleyball

Indoor volleyball is cool and all, but beach volleyball is where it's at, as players have the added difficulty of jumping off of sand and diving on a surface that's a little bit more forgiving.

Much like the arena version, beach volleyball has become one of the best events to watch at the Olympics—especially with the rich history that the U.S. has had winning medals, thanks to the tandem of Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor.

With Walsh Jennings qualifying with April Ross in 2016 after May-Treanor's retirement, she'll have a chance to capture her fourth-straight Olympic gold medal in the event. That alone should be enough to watch the sport.

Track Cycling

It's not your Friday night derby girls kind of thing, but track cycling at the Olympics is still as intense, with riders just inches from each other as they circle the track at about 20 miles per hour.

Considering they're doing all this around a sloped track that, you know, isn't exactly the best thing to land on if a rider does go down in a crash, it makes things a little more nerve-wracking.

The crowd is typically small in the arena, too, allowing the viewer to feel the pressure of every turn because of the gasps from the fans.

Diving

Have you ever stood on top of a 10-meter platform at a pool before? If not, I can personally tell you that it's some scary stuff, as one moves toward the edge and looks 33 feet down to the unforgiving water.

Now imagine a person actually leaping off of it and doing flips, twists and turns; makes it a little more exciting, right?

That, along with the amazing athleticism, is what makes diving one of the best sports to watch on TV. Anytime a person can do something the majority of the population can't, it makes for great entertainment.

Gymnastics

Thanks to the U.S. women's gymnastics squad in 1996 and most recently in 2012, Americans have felt what it's like to be gold medalists, as some of the best Olympic moments have come via this event.

Whether it was Kerri Strug in those '96 Games on American soil or Gabby Douglas introducing herself to the world, gymnastics always seems to be one of those sports people just can't help but watch.

Some of that may come from the various rounds in both team and individual events, but, much like the aforementioned diving, because these athletes are freakishly athletic and can do things the majority of people can't, it's exciting to watch.

Track & Field

Who would have ever thought that events that last as short as 10 seconds or less could be so damn entertaining? That's what track & field provides, though, as a simple hundredth of a second can be the difference between placing and seeing dreams shattered.

From long-distance events like the 10,000-meter race to short-distance events like the 100-meter sprint, track provides some incredible moments that continue to give viewers reason to tune in.

And with names like Usain Bolt hunting gold medals again and looking to only further his legacy, what's not to like about this year's events?

Swimming

Unless you either grew up swimming, there's a good chance what these athletes are doing in the pool is mind-blowing—how a person can essentially do a dead sprint in water using his or her entire body just boggles my mind.

But that's why these select few are Olympians and not just taking their time swimming laps during adult swim at the community center.

Even before American Michael Phelps increased the sport's popularity thanks to his two previous Olympic performances that saw him set the world record for both gold and total medals, swimming was always a fan-favorite of TV viewers.

Once again, the 2016 Games should give plenty of moments that will have TV audiences screaming at their TVs with each stroke.