The Meaning Of These Games: U.S. Makes Us Proud With Unforeseen Glory

I must confess gushing over excitement the U.S. Olympic stars engendered is captivating and honorable. The well-deserving praise is seen globally, bracing the particular U.S. stars that represented our nation with dignity, zealous of competing on such a prestigious platform. Wasn’t Canada supposed to own the podium, vowing to win the most gold?

What a surprise seeing the Americans conquer the unforeseen in a monumental sequence of conquests, becoming a replica on a day the U.S. amassed a total of six medals. In the homeland of Canada, the United States were on a mission and imprinted a wonderful journey tormenting the Canadians.

It’s frustrating and disappointing after spending $117 million the last five years to upgrade the medal count, having pride in trusting that owning the world-class games was logic. Therefore, the neighbors residing on the south of the border aren’t a mirage, but an incredible theme of the 2010 Winter Games.

In the last two weeks, the United States have defied logic, pulverizing the Canadians and rising on the podium to accept medals amid a ceremony when the well-deserving flag and country’s national anthem is heard. From gold, to silver, to bronze, the Americans have inherited superb applause pleasing a sporting nation with true passion of embracing the charming images of sports.

Badly needed were American icons, to strengthen the notion of the Winter Games. And because of the sterling performance of Lindsey Vonn, Shaun White, Bode Miller, Apolo Ohno, Shani Davis, Evan Lysacek, and the men’s hockey team’s latest version of the Miracle on Ice, the U.S. has popularized and uplifted an ailing every-four-year event.

For the longest, no one cared of the Winter Games, but was more interested in counting down to the Summer Games, where in recent memory the Americans are more solid. The masses were careless and clueless of our cultures talent, unsure whether we could entice a massive audience. Since our athletes consist of a strong-range of star power, we are fascinated with their performance earning the nod over all countries competing.

Our nation has excelled all temptations, taking control with its impressive adrenaline as the world persists in watching the world’s greatest athletes compete. There hasn’t been much to celebrate since the 1932 Games at Lake Placid, when the U.S. garnered the most medals at the Winter Games. But as sports continue to expand globally, the U.S. retains the leverage. The games are coming to a closure gradually, in which a close race with Germany is probably the only country putting fear in the hearts of average Americans.

The U.S. had us fooled. Believe in America after proving to an entire continent of its invaluable sporting icons, winning seven gold medals, nine silver, 10 bronze, and 26 totaled. With five days remaining the U.S. is on pace to surmount pass a total of 34 medals, a record the U.S. endured at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. Of late, the Olympics stirred up a minor controversy, regarding the medal count. For a long time, the games have expressed political discussions, a conspiracy tattering the meaning of the Olympics.

To all the prejudice and skeptics out to destroy the games, the U.S. constituted an inspirational tale uplifting from the darken crisis of letdowns and hideous stains that left faulty memories. The entire nation is proud of our athletes, capping supremacy and regenerating a magnificent brand name in foreign territory. The average citizen will remember the games as the most triumphant moment in American history.

Of all the star power, the U.S. made us proud erasing all the poor images. We never cared or spent ample time watching the Winter Games, simply for the failures athletes had illustrated in the prior games, especially in the Turin Games where the stars were limited and reduced. There were a multitude of fallen stars and icons we tried believing in, groomed to compete at such a high level, but their lackluster performance and disastrous meltdowns inhibited gratification.

Television ratings are at an all-time high, intrigued to watch the never-before-seen tricks of White, who defied gravity by performing ridiculous flips on a snowboard. Around the nation, children are accustomed to witnessing him polish in the Winter X Games, an action-packed scene catching children’s curiosity and influencing them to attempt a daring challenge on snowboards. Praise the U.S. Olympic Committee, too. All eyes were set on these games, in which investing $58 million over four years was worth it.

By producing large profit, it turns out, the committee earns more bang for its buck whenever athletes inherits a medal. Even the channel, NBC is earning huge bang for its buck, turning on more viewers by virtue of the Americans’ triumph. The millions of athletes were underestimated, based on the prior history. Sure enough, everyone had forgotten that Vonn is the greatest U.S. women’s Alpine skier, everyone had ignored Seth Wescott in the snowboard cross event, and everyone had doubt in the U.S. hockey team.

Maybe the cohesive team was ignored because of its unpopularity within the sport. Given that the sport originated in Canada, most athletes are groomed to dominate in a cultural sport that symbolizes the brand of the country. The Canadians had the nod, but the U.S. exemplified that the sport is played and viewed from a global standpoint and stunned the Canadians in a 5-3 win. But there was no one more impressive than Lysacek, the U.S. men’s figuring skater. He performed with much artistry, balance and elegance, to unexpectedly obtain the unforeseen purging afterthoughts that has undermined men’s figuring skating. He won gold, slicing over Russia’s former gold-medalist Evgeni Plushenko.

While the Canadians point fingers, the Russian’s stare in despair, the American’s are celebrating and proud of capturing medals. Getting beat at home, where the British Columbia residences were coveted of Team Canada protecting its homeland, the Canadians still have a shot at redemption after surviving in a play-in game Tuesday night against Germany. However, they may find themselves eliminated with a loss against Russia tonight. Whether we are interested or not, most will probably watch to await the newborn rivalry of Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. Otherwise there’s nothing to see.

Oh, I almost forgot. There’s much to see.

We’re still watching the U.S. make our nation proud. Believing in red, white, and blue seems surreal, but it’s happening before our very eyes.

Avoid Beer and Bartenders: However, It's Miller (and Redemption) Time

Frankly, this wasn’t a moment of immortality or elation, but a redemption story for an embattled U.S. skier Bode Miller. He arrives later, perhaps, than when he was supposed to breakthrough as the world's greatest skier, enduring much of the attention with his pure supremacy as advertised.

Instead, in what quickly became misery, Miller failed to secure a medal at the Turin Games, strung out on alcohol beverages.

Considering that he was fond of partying at nearly all the local bars in Turin, he never had a focal point of recovering to reach incremental aspiration in the crucial games.

It was, however, a huge disappointment refusing to take pride of the exalted honors as an Olympian.

It was, however, a disgrace becoming an official embarrassment to the talented U.S. ski team, with enough mastery to travel home elated of winning the ultimate prize.

To me, the ultimate prize isn’t silver or bronze, but gold, a noble prize all Olympians dream about.

It seems, finally, Miller has mellowed into a responsible and perceptive U.S. star. Reaching an understanding on what an appearance in the Winter Games is about, he isn’t enabling an infamous intoxication to affect his performance level, but implements insight of what it takes to be considered an elite athlete at the Winter Games.

Had he not realized the significance of avoiding bartenders and beer to disencumber disadvantages, Miller wouldn’t be facing good fortune, but probably would have self-destructed in mire seconds. Guess it’s fine to admit he’s back striving for redemption and answering to critics whom believed he was a bigger fool and partier mocked of frivolity.

Where he earned his biggest reward and exaltation, Miller is a different athlete with a much serious attitude. Suddenly, he’s more than an apathetic athlete out there to have a good time, while partying and suffering headaches the next morning caused severe hangovers. There was no resemblance of the famous failures that burned his reputation four years ago, erecting disastrous shame and was an insult to America pride.


The optimist once again believes in retaliation, excited of his positive repercussions when he ended a horrid drought finishing empty of a medal. So when he broke a personal streak that has hunted him the last four years, Miller took bronze in the Olympic downhill Monday, while Didier Defago of Switzerland won gold and stopped the bleeding of a two-decade drought.

That’s tremendous felicity for the Swiss, but the greater tale is Miller rebounding of all the lapses taunting a colorful career in downhill skiing.

From the overacting of spending long nights in the bars to additional preparation, he relinquished all weaknesses and devoted more ample time in reaching a quest. Sometimes it takes disappointing outings, returning to regular form, and skiing at a premium, in which a wake up call at Turin confirmed the values of competing in the world’s greatest games.

And that’s what it took for Miller to realize he was washing away a dream, as years are numbered.

As he continues aging, winning a gold medal (or any for that matter) is a priceless opportunity. The vibes of him competing at a high level, presumably, for the first time in an every-four-year event is uplifting and precious, after battling with adversity for foolish judgment while spending leisure time away from the snowy mountains.

But at Whistler Mountain, among the beautiful and refreshing sites of the British Columbia where the rain has fallen immensely, Miller was impressive and put a smile on faces.

Among those disgruntled supporters, he disappointed them, saddened them as most disbelieved and disapproved of his tawdry drinking habits. Four years ago, no one shook off obnoxious remarks when he said during an interview it’s not easy “to ski when you’re wasted.” That led to a sincere apology, after he spoke to United States Ski and Snowboard Association President and CEO Bill Marolt.

At that point, it provoked further controversy when team donors and corporate sponsors phoned the USSA with fuming calls regarding the everlasting chaos. Ridiculed for such an absurd explanation following his failures at Turin, he was blamed for the awful meltdown and lost all credibility.

As if the sarcastic comment wasn’t inane, he had mistaken it for a joke while most were filled with anger. Later on, the populace treated the insensitive responses with strong bitterness.

Of course, his derelict morals weren’t only a hassle to skiing in general, but the representation he brought when he arrived to Turin. Often, his outspokenness created trouble, or when calling drug rules too strict of “a joke”, a wicked attitude that never settled too well with citizens.

Under much tension to redeem himself of arrogance and rudeness, Miller skiing under the influence diminished long ago. All of which we live in a forgiven country, perhaps, unlike some countries in the world. In what might be the final quest of Miller’s skiing career, he could depart the Winter Games on top and erase all the nonsense.


Although much of Miller’s childish mind games are unimportant during the wonderful scenes of the Olympics, he represents America and might conquer hope for a country long awaiting greatness. The results are that he’s older and well-experienced, attentive of capturing gold, and unselfish of citizens eager to glance at pride.

How convenient when he used to be uncaring of winning and bringing joy to the states. That goes to show you, things change within four years.

It certainly has for Bode.

Let’s witness the similarities of the 2002 Winter Games at Salt Lake City, where he won two silver medals before turning allegedly into an alcoholic, succumbing an athletic sequence and had a zest relaxing in bars sipping on liquor to suffocate his performance level.

The news headlines centered around the disobedient Miller, a ruckus stealing front page news. Consider that he faltered to win a medal at the ’07 and ’09 World Championships, shambles that almost forced him to deliberate as to whether he’d retire or compete in what could be his final run in the Olympics.

And suddenly, he’s redeeming a shabby reputation, and perished all the criticism after having the best performance during his Olympian regime.

If he was under the influence, he isn’t now.