They're the alchemist's dream in reverse.
In a turnabout on the old pseudoscience that revolved around turning base medals into gold, the US Olympic Team has worked very hard to turn gold into tin.
These guys get paid more money for one year than the total of most of their opponents combined. And yet, they still refuse to inspire. They have not won convincingly in the Olympics, and at two losses, stand poised on the brink of elimination pending a game against Angola, hardly the sure thing it once seemed.
Sure, this second loss was Lithuania, I mean, hardly a lightweight. These guys were once the most appreciated Olympians by US fans that weren't from the US. That point, however, is hardly relevant in the face of a loss by a team completely uninspired and all but absent from the games. Honestly, at this point, I'd have preferred the pros all did a no-show and we would have sent our best collegiates. At least then, we would have a team with a desire to win.
But paychecks trump victories in the world of professional athletes, and these games simply don't pay enough for them to care.
I am sort of rooting against them in the game against Angola; I personally am eager for this torture to be through and for our attention to refocus on the many REAL champions who are there representing our country.
And you can bet your ass I won't be seen at any NBA games for a LONG time to come.
signing off,
Gideon MacLeish