Putting Olympic Athletics and Performances in Perspective

I've learned the names of a lot of American athletes in just a few days. I'm not talking the ones we Americans typically think of whether it be Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Ken Griffey Jr., Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez or Mike Modano.

I mean names like Reed Priddy and Shawn Johnson. Rebecca Soni and Peter Vanderkaay. Becca Ward and Garrett Weber-Gale. Howard Bach and Raj Bhavsar. Glenn Eller and Justin Spring.

Half of those names already have taken home a medal for the United States in this Olympics and possibly all of them will have their name in the Olympic history books by the time the Beijing Games are complete.

Does anyone know how much these athletes make? I doubt you do, but I'd guess most of them make less than the 25th man on a Major League Baseball roster. But, that middle reliever for the Yankees may throw 90 mph, but he won't have the chance to bring home a gold medal as an Olympic champion.

It's not easy to be a great athlete. Sure, it's easier when you earn a seven-figure salary and are on TV dozens of times a year getting interviewed after making five baskets in 17 minutes of playing time. It's also easier when the coach is paid by someone else, and part of your contract gives you access to the best health care and trainers around at no cost to you.

This is why, by in large, the Olympics is the greatest athletic event ever, and the best athletes in the world are Olympic champions.

I tried to count how many sports I've played in my life, either competitively in a league when I was a kid, in high school, college, or in a recreational league like YMCA or college intramurals. Depending on your definition I've played about a dozen.

I took swim lessons for 10 years, starting before I could talk. I played baseball and basketball all through elementary and junior high. I picked up bowling in 2nd grade and was good enough to throw a perfect game and be on the college team, as well as make 2 state finals in high school.

I lettered in cross-country, track and field, and tennis during high school. I took three years of karate in college and made it to blue belt. I've played in intramural leagues in college in football, volleyball and soccer.

I taught myself how to ski well enough that I can go down a black diamond in Colorado, and play golf well enough to shoot par on a 9-hole course without ever having a lesson in either. I never played hockey, but I think I could handle myself in a no-check league after teaching myself to skate and handle a puck. I can do a couple flips off a springboard, and can handle the angles on a racquetball court, too.

I consider myself a decent all-around athlete, and I'm sure many of the writers and readers here on Bleacher Report can claim many of the same athletic traits. However, there are others who think that the only real athletes are the ones who play American team professional sports, and that you're not a real athlete if you're dominant in something other than ___________ (football, hockey, baseball, basketball).

For those of you who are that ignorant and close minded, regardless of how athletic you THINK you are, I'd bet in most of these athletic events that only get showcased for 2 weeks every four years and you ridicule, you'd look stupid trying them.

I can dive and dig a volleyball from a hard kill like Reed Priddy and his US volleyball teammates. I'm 6'2" with a 6'6" wingspan and played volleyball in the military. I can do what they do. But, I realize they do it faster and more accurately with more consistency than I ever could.

I was in the pool tonight after my workout. I swam 50 meters (2 laps in a 25 meter pool) in just under 32 seconds, including the flip-turn. I have good form and I know that's a good time, especially since I only started up again 2 months ago after not doing it for 15 years. But, I realize, my technique needs to improve so I use less energy, don't disturb the water as much. However, the men's 50-meter world record time is about 22 seconds - I'll never be that fast. Michael Phelps does a 50-meter split of the butterfly faster than my 50m free split. He IS that good.

Gymnastics? I've never had the strongest upper body, and having an impingement of your right rotator cuff tendon will only make doing events like the rings or parallel bars painful. I haven't done a cartwheel since I was 6, but the US men who won the bronze tonight made it look real easy.

And there's only more to come. Lopez Lomong (you should read his story if you haven't already) is going to run the 400m for the US sometime in the next 10 days, probably in less than 45 seconds. Whoever wins the 100m dash will do it in under 10 seconds. At that pace - that's a mile in about 2 1/2 minutes, or a speed of about 26 mph. I never timed myself in either of those events before my knee issues. My best 400 hurdles time was about 64 seconds - pretty fast, but not in the league of these competitors.

It's all about perspective. I'm tired of reading about writers who don't think the Olympics are worth watching and all they say is that it's boring, or that the ones participating aren't "real athletes" like some overpaid American superstar who they idolize because he has a jumpshot and a Rolls-Royce.

I'd like to put those people to a challenge - try swimming 100m freestyle in less than the time Michael Phelps swims the 200m butterfly. 

Maybe try to add three feet to your best performance in the high jump - and see if that new number would get you an Olympic medal.

Try returning a 90mph serve on a tennis court. Then realize Rafael Nadal's is 40 mph faster.

Maybe try to spike a volleyball over a net with a perfect soft toss from your friend with a running start. Then try to do it with 3 blockers right in front of you, all of whom are at least 6 inches taller.

Try running the 400m sprint faster than the women do it with the hurdles.

Many people would know the name Jim Thorpe. True, he did play professional baseball and football. Even today he ranks among the greatest athletes in American history, and while his participation in American professional sports was a factor, that was only the icing on the cake.

For those who know their history, Jim Thorpe competed in the Summer Olympics in 1912 in Stockholm, Sweden. After capturing the gold medal in the decathlon, King Gustav told Thorpe that he was the greatest athlete in the world. Still - to this day 96 years later, that unofficial title of "World's Greatest Athlete" goes to the winner of the decathlon/heptathlon. It doesn't go to the man or woman who can dunk, throw a pass 60 yards, or hit a 500-foot homerun, but to the person who can run, jump, sprint, throw and vault better than anyone else.

I have a ton of respect for the Olympic athletes, probably more so from some of the countries who don't have the resources like the United States to assist and train their Olympic hopefuls. It's too bad a number of people here marginalize the perseverance, athleticism and determination of the Olympic athletes because of their selfish and ignorant attitude for sports that are different, nothing more.

For the many who do appreciate sport and athleticism in all of its forms, we can only say to the doubters "you don't know what you're missing".