Olympics lesson: OK, so you can only watch so much, but if you do ...

Believe it or not, the Olympics in Vancouver are only about half over.

In other words, there is still a lot more watching to do -- if you can stand it.

So, if you cannot take another minute of the chorus of idiocy that has become Washington, D.C., and you really don't care who the next American Idol is going to be, the Olympics offer a few more days of interesting lessons about life, success and international relations.

First off, take heart -- people are crazy and are bad sports everywhere. In a country where we sometimes cannot believe how stupid, selfish and arrogant our professional athletes can be, we can take heart that there are some Olympic athletes from other countries with similar tendencies. Just watch the free skate program that Evgeny Pleshenko -- and his country's leader -- thought was a gold medal performance.

Second, remember, there is nothing wrong with standing up and cheering for your country. There is no better way to remember why it is so great to be an American than to watch one of our tough, young athletes weep as he or she watches this nation's flag ascend a flagpole at a medals ceremony. Yep, we should be openly and loudly proud of that banner -- and anyone who brings it honor.

Third, just when you thought there was no reason to think that anyone in the next generation has a lick of sense, you meet some of these young Olympians. Most of them are not in Vancouver to find fame and fortune -- although a few of them will. They are there to compete -- and in some cases, have sacrificed much to go home with nothing more than the honor of competing in their country's name once every four years. There are so many with stories of courage, determination, loss and triumph, that there are plenty of reasons to feel like there just might be a second Greatest Generation out there waiting in the wings.

And last but not least, take note, there are very, very few politicians slinking around the Olympics this year. And if one should appear, that's a good time to head to the fridge for a snack, and still not miss a minute of the real action.

Go Team USA!

Published in Editorials on February 20, 2010 10:55 PM