Report: 82% of Grandmas Excited to See “That Card Game You Used To Play” on Olympic Coverage
A recent Nielsen report of Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games viewers shows a surprising statistic: many older women recognized Magic: The Gathering as something their grandchildren used to play.
When polled, female viewers over the age of 60 recognized the tabletop trading card game from when their grandchildren played it as kids (and may have continued well into adulthood). The game was popped into the public eye during Olympic coverage in no small part due to the fandom of Amber Glenn, Olympic figure skater and gold medalist. During the ceremony Glenn was seen opening packs of cards, and discussed the game in interviews to a level that shows more than a mere passing fascination. Because of these events, we here at Commander’s Herald have been dealing with familial fallout from this sudden coverage.
“Oh honey, you’ll never believe what I saw”, began one of many phone conversations between grandparents and our average staff member this past weekend. “I was watching the Olympics on CBS like I have for years, and one of the girls who won a skating medal was opening a pack of those magician cards you used to mess around with. Remember those, the packs of cardboard you’d beg your mother for? I couldn’t believe my eyes; I didn’t think they still made those silly little things!”
“I don’t mean to bother you honey, but do you remember those Pokemon cards you bought as a kid?” began a hand-written letter another staff member received along with a print-out of a YouTube screenshot. “I saw some lady on the Olympics talking about them, she seemed to really like them! Maybe you could talk to her, too, since you have a shared interest *wink wink*. You know your mother and I talk about how much nicer you’d be with a woman in your life, and she seems like a nice straight girl for you, you should call her!”
At press time, Commander’s Herald was able to confirm that Julien Kehon, the 2025 Yu-Gi-Oh World Champion, also received a message from one of his grandmas regarding Olympic coverage of “that little game you play”. Cheeks remain on high pinch alert.
