I don't know anything about team handball, but it sure was thrilling

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I had my first official Olympics moment Saturday when I sat in on a women's team handball match last night. It's a sport I know nothing about. But I was completely riveted by a game between Norway and France that went down to the final buzzer. To me, the allure of the Olympics is stumbling upon sports like this.

Here's how I ended up at the Copper Box for team handball.

My colleague Tripp Mickle and I were in the media room at Olympic Park deciding which event to hit. We both shied away from swimming, preferring an event about which we knew little. We heard the Americans were going for gold in archery, but that event was at Lord's Cricket Ground. Too far. I was intrigued by fencing, but that venue also was too far from the media center.

We settled on team handball, which was in Olympic Park. The Copper Box was packed and loud. Great Britain's team was playing in its first Olympics and lost to Montenegro. We stayed for the next game — defending champion Norway against France — and are glad we did. France upset the Norwegians 24-23 in what was literally a thrilling game, even if I didn't understand the rules.