A great story came out of the Olympics yesterday.  Unfortunately it hasn't gotten nearly the amount of play that Michelle Kwan's withdrawl or Bode Miller's failure to medal have.

U.S. speedskater Joey Cheek won gold in the 500m event.  While the win was impressive, it wasn't the biggest story.  At the post-race press conference, Cheek announced he would be donating the entire $25,000 bonus he would receive from the U.S. Olympic Committee to Right to Play, a non-profit organization founded by former speedskating champion Johan Olav Koss that seeks to help children throughout the world through sports.  Cheek specifically requested that the money go to sponsor work in the war-torn Darfur region of Sudan and called on corporate sponsors to match the gift. 

Cheek explained, "If I retired yesterday, I'd have gotten everything in the world from speedskating and from competing in the Olympics. So for me, to walk away today with the gold medal is just amazing. And the best way I can say thanks that I can think of is to try and help somebody else."

And with that Cheek personified what the Olympics are supposed to be about.

I have to admit that the NGS judges’ first assignment this week rubbed me the wrong way.  And I was surprised after reading the finalists’ submissions that no one else seemed to feel the same.  See, the notion of one team “deserving” to win a game in any sport, let alone the Super Bowl, strikes me as ridiculous.

The beauty of sports is that winner is decided on the field.  Two teams or competitors duke it out for an allotted period of time, and, in the end, one emerges victorious.  Each team is provided the same opportunity to prove itself – the same rules apply, hence the term, “level playing field.”

Sure some things might not be completely even – a key player may be injured, calls may get blown, etc. – but that’s the way life is.  We all have different levels of skill and ability and obstacles that we must overcome to succeed, and so do athletic teams. 

The team that “deserves” to win is the one that puts it together on the field in the course of competition.  Each game is a clean slate.  It doesn’t matter what you did last week, or the week before, or 10 games ago.  It doesn’t matter whose home town the game is played in or whose fans are rowdier.  What matters is how, at that precise moment, each team plays.  Worthiness is decided on the field. 

To paraphrase Kirsten Dunst in what is possibly my favorite guilty pleasure movie, you've got to bring it.  The person or team that does "deserves" to win, plain and simple.

All too often broadcasters, sports writers and pundits use the word “courage” to describe petty, everyday accomplishments such as stepping back in the box after a brush back or standing in the pocket knowing a blitz is coming.  True courage, when exhibited at a crucial moment, is transcendent.  It is impossible to escape its pull, even if at that very moment its significance is unclear.  In fact, sometimes it may not be appreciated until decades later.

Real courage enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain without fear.  The following 10 moments in sports history truly deserve to be called courageous.  In each instance, an athlete demonstrated the quality of character that stopped us in our tracks and made us take notice.  In some cases, the effects can still be felt today. 

10.  Super Mario overcomes Hodgkin’s to win the NHL scoring title:  During the 1992 season, Pittsburgh Penguins center Mario Lemieux was on a streak like none other.  Through the season’s first 40 games, he recorded 104 points.  But in the middle of the frenzy, Lemieux was sidelined; not by an on-ice opponent, but by a much more menacing foe:  Hodgkin’s disease.  In January of 1993, doctors removed a malignant lump from Lemieux’s neck and recommended radiation to eradicate the threat.  Lemieux took two months off to undergo treatment before returning to the ice on the day of his final radiation session to score a goal and an assist.  He then led the Penguins on a 17-game win streak while racking up 160 points in only 60 games to win the scoring title.

9.  Texas Western wins the 1966 NCAA men's final:  It seemed a forgone conclusion:  four-time NCAA champion Kentucky would again win the title.  But in the Midwest Region, Texas Western was making a run for the title.  Led by five African-American starters, Don Haskins’ Texas Western (now the University of Texas at El Paso) team, which had faced not only taunts but threats throughout its 28-1 season, defeated Adolph Rupp’s all-white Kentucky lineup 72-65.  It marked the first time an all-black team had played in the championship game and changed the complexion of NCAA basketball forever.  Soon after their win, other NCAA coaches began recruiting African-American players, leading to the integrated game we know today.

8.  Muhammad Ali lights the Olympic flame:  In 1996, the U.S. Olympic Organizing Committee viciously guarded the identity of the individual who would light the official cauldron to declare the Atlanta games open. That night spectators gasped, then applauded wildly to see former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali atop the stadium bearing the Olympic torch.  Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 12 years earlier and quietly withdrew from the public spotlight.  The man who floated like a butterfly and was never without a witty quote could no longer control his finely tuned muscles and found it difficult to speak.  But for that one night, he stepped back into the spotlight to remind the world that, though debilitated by disease, he was still the greatest and the consummate Olympic champion.

7.  Joe Louis defeats the darling of #### Germany:  On June 22, 1938 as Europe stood on the precipice of war, it took American Joe Louis less than three minutes to knock out German heavyweight Max Schmeling in a fight that resonated far beyond the New York ring where it took place.  Schmeling, a favorite athlete of Adolf ####’s, had defeated the previously unbeaten Louis just two years earlier in a 12 round fight.  As a rematch loomed, the world paused and held its collective breath, waiting to see whether the German would again triumph as #### propaganda promised or the “Brown Bomber” would deal the ####s a literal and figurative blow.  They didn’t have to wait long; Louis delivered a knockout punch in two minutes and four seconds, striking another blow against ####’s social theories and, many believe, laying the ground work for the American Civil Rights Movement.  At a time when boxing was the preeminent sport in America, Louis became a hero to whites and blacks.

6.  USA men’s basketball team refuses silver medals:  It was a game for the ages.  The 1972 U.S. men’s basketball team, undefeated in Olympic play, had easily skated through the qualifying rounds and medal competition, setting up a showdown with a formidable USSR team in the championship game.  At the half the USSR was up 26-21.  Mid-way through the second half American Dwight Jones and Soviet forward Dvorni Edeshko were ejected from the game after a tussle over a loose ball. Without their top player, the U.S. team battled back, coming within one point with just 40 seconds remaining on the game clock.  After a steal, guard Doug Collins sank two free throws to put the U.S. up 51-49 with three seconds remaining.  The Soviets then failed to score and the U.S. team celebrated.  The Soviets argued that they had called a time out, and time was added to the clock.  They again failed to score.  However, an official ordered another three seconds placed on the clock.  This time, the Soviets managed a layup.  The U.S. team was stunned.  It immediately filed a protest but no relief was given.  The Americans composed themselves and took a vote.  They unanimously decided to refuse the silver medal in protest and did not participate in the medal ceremony.  To this day, their medals sit in a bank vault in Munich.

5.  Track stars give black power salute:  American television audiences gasped in shock in October 1968 to see two African-American athletes, Tommy Smith and John Carlos, raise their fists on the Olympic medal stand in a gesture of black power.  In addition, they wore no shoes to protest the poverty facing most African-Americans and beads to protest lynching.  Smith and Carlos were demonstrating their support for the Olympic Project for Human Rights, an organization founded the year before with three demands:  that the heavyweight boxing title stripped from Muhammad Ali for his refusal to enter the Vietnam draft be restored; that Avery Brundage, whom they believed to be racist, step down as the head of the U.S. Olympic Committee; and that South Africa and Rhodesia be uninvited from the games for their government’s apartheid policies.  Both men were stripped of their medals and dismissed from the games for their actions.  However, the image they crafted on the medal stand lives on today.

4.  Magic Johnson announces he's HIV-positive:  On Nov. 7, 1991 Magic Johnson made the announcement that stunned the world.  The LA Laker superstar publicly revealed that he is HIV-positive.  Although the AIDS epidemic had been walking among us for nearly a decade, it was still thought of as a #### man’s and drug addict’s disease, not something that could strike down a heterosexual professional athlete at the height of his career.  Johnson, who had been revered by sports fans and his fellow players alike for years, understood the stigma and fear attached to the disease but decided that going public was the responsible thing to do, not only for the safety of those he may have come into contact with ,but to raise overall public awareness.  Old teammates and foes rushed to be tested, and some attempted to block him from playing again out of fear that the disease could be spread from incidental contact.  Nearing the end of his career, Johnson eventually decided to retire rather than sustain further controversy.  By publicly revealing his HIV status, Johnson gave a new face and brought fresh attention to a disease that had already started making inroads in the African-American community.  HIV/AIDS could no longer be thought of as a ####, white man’s disease, but one that could affect anyone, anywhere, at any time.

3.  Jesse Owens wins gold in Berlin:  The year was 1936.  Adolf ####’s #### party had consolidated power in Germany.  Civil war had erupted in Spain.  Mussolini had entered Ethiopia, and Europe was beginning to fear the growing military power of Germany.  Believing fully in his Aryan “master race” theory, #### saw the 1936 Olympics as an opportunity to prove the superiority of white Europeans.  He viciously chastised the United States for letting Jesse Owens, an African-American, and “non-humans” represent it in the Track & Field competition and openly rooted for his downfall.  In a stadium festooned with swastikas, Owens, the son of sharecroppers and descendent of slaves, competed and disproved ####’s racial theories, winning gold medals in the 100 meter dash, the 200 meter dash, the long jump and the 4x100 relay and becoming a hero to the German public along the way.

2.  Pat Tillman foregoes a multimillion dollar contract and the NFL to enlist in the U.S. Army:  Pat Tillman had what many American men can only dream of – good looks, an adoring wife, unbelievable athletic ability and a $3.6 million contract to play in the NFL.  But the Arizona Cardinals safety gave up his career to become an Army Ranger after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, DC.  Tillman, whose brother enlisted at the same time, refused all interviews about his decision, preferring to let his actions speak for themselves.  He was killed in Afghanistan, an apparent victim of friendly fire, on April 22, 2004.

1.  Jackie Robinson breaks baseball's color line:  By putting on a uniform and stepping onto the field in 1947, Jackie Robinson struck a blow to segregationists across the United States.  Baseball, that most-American of pastimes, had until that moment existed with one foot in two separate worlds; whites had the Major League and blacks had the Negro League, just as whites had their restaurants and schools and blacks had theirs.  But in joining the Brooklyn Dodgers that year, Robinson made those worlds collide.  Americans could no longer pretend that the existence of two separate worlds was anything but a political construct, not the natural law as some would have them believe.  Robinson proved that African-Americans could not only play with whites, but compete with them.  Many other African-Americans had tried to break the color barrier and had suffered greatly for their efforts.  Robinson knew what awaited him – the hostility from fans, from opposing players and even his own teammates – but took up the burden anyway.  He wasn’t the best player in the Negro League but he had speed, and as his .311 lifetime batting average attests, a good and consistent swing.  More than that, he had the patience, drive and character to be the torchbearer for future generations of African-American athletes.

I realize my bio is a bit short and really doesn’t say much about me or why I entered this contest.  That’s largely because I thought only my friends would read it and have been writing mostly to entertain them and myself with really no hope of moving on in the contest.  But low and behold, some of you out there found me and I guess you liked what you read and here I am.  Talk about pressure. 

I really can’t believe I made the finals, especially after reading the other finalists’ blogs.  I’m honored to be in their company and happy to be representing for the ladies.  So in the spirit of getting to know each other better …

I’m 27 years old and live in the Northern Virginia suburbs of DC.  I’m originally from Memphis – from which I got an appreciation of pork BBQ, a love for college hoops, and my sass – but was raised in Baltimore.  I currently work in strategic communications, which basically means I’m the second-most hated thing in DC next to a lobbyist – a spin doctor.  But I work for a not-for-profit group so I can live with myself and sleep at night.  I have an admitted weakness for hockey players; that’s why I married one.  Apparently missing teeth is not such an issue for me, and if my dear husband were no longer, you’d find me in Philly stalking Peter Forsberg.  More than I already am.  My dream job would be doing profile pieces and interviews for a pre-game show or sports-magazine/Web site.  I love the human drama inherent in sports, and I know my talent lies more in storytelling than reporting.  Of course, there is a fine line between drama and sappiness.  The world doesn’t need another Bud Collins.

These are the beliefs I hold sacred:

• I believe in a QB named Joe, a receiver named Rocket, and a back called the Bus.
• I believe Peter Angelos is the worst thing to ever happen to the Orioles.
• I believe Gretzky really was the greatest.
• I believe Bobby Bowden is the anti-Christ, and his sons are his evil minions.
• I believe lacrosse is one of the greatest sports on earth, but I won’t bore the 99.9% of you who’ve never seen a face-off with talking about it.
• I believe football was meant to be played outdoors, regardless of the weather, and not in a dome.
• I believe Nike is the evil empire.
• I believe the ground can’t cause a fumble.  If you can’t hold on to the ball, you can’t hold on to the ball.
• I believe Mike Krzyzewski is the best coach in Division I basketball history.
• I believe the guy yelling the loudest at the game actually knows the least about it.
• I believe in going into mourning the day after the college football season ends.
• I believe if you’re going to drink beer, make it one that actually tastes like beer and not yellow-tinted water.
• I believe throwing like a girl is a compliment..
• I believe the hook shot is a thing of beauty and Kareem was Michelangelo.
• I believe Indy’s failure to win the Big One is not on Peyton Manning’s head but Bob Irsay’s.  He cursed the team when he snuck out of Baltimore in the dead of night like the weasel that he was.
• I believe all you really need in life is someone you love and who loves you in return, great friends, family you can count on, and the love of a hound dog.

What would Johnny Damon do?

Apparently leave the team that made him a star and the city that embraced him for a lousy $4 million dollars over and above what the Sox offered him.  Nice.  It sucks to lose a favorite player, especially one that has had a profound impact on the viability of the team.  And it sucks to lose them even more to a division rival.  But the Yankees?!?!?!?!?   That's just the ultimate insult.

Good luck in the Big Apple Johhny.  I hope the NY fans and press chew you up and spit you out just like A-Rod.

The Nationals arrived in D.C. last year with all of the hoopla befitting a conquering hero returning from war.  The city and its baseball-starved fans practically threw Major League Baseball a ticker-tape parade, promised to build a shiny new riverfront stadium and promptly bought the trailer serving as a temporary team store out of merchandise.

But before MLB officials could start counting their cash, the D.C. City Council had to get involved.  Soon after MLB announced the team’s relocation deal, the Council was trying to backpedal on its promises.  Choruses of “Why put the stadium there?” and “What’s wrong with the old RFK site?” were reaching a frenzy.  Demonstrating amazing patience and fortitude, Mayor Anthony Williams stuck to his guns, the Council agreed to the plan originally proposed – to requisition a large tract of land in an old industrial corner of Southwest – and all seemed right last Christmas.  D.C. fans celebrated the by buying more caps and t-shirts and flags and MLB set a timeline for naming a new owner.

Fast forward to this Christmas and I’ve got a wicked case of déjà vu.  Construction on the new stadium hasn’t begun yet.  In fact, a design hasn’t even been finalized.  Forget that, a SITE hasn’t been determined.  The City Council is back to its hemming and hawing over the stadium’s location and ever-increasing price tag.  The owner-less and leader-less team (but that’s a whole other post) has no permanent home in site and I’d wager San Juan is looking pretty good right now to MLB officials.

MLB has a right to be frustrated.  But did they honestly expect anything less when dealing with the D.C. City Council?  This inefficient, short-sited group can’t look beyond their own power struggles to see the opportunity (and revenue) they are jeopardizing.  Mayor Williams’ plan called for much more than a high-tech, high-gloss stadium on the Potomac waterfront.  It called for housing and retail to be built as well.  See Williams has revitalized this once decaying grande dame of a city.  He knows that one draw can turn an entire neighborhood around, as the MCI Center’s impact on the once forgotten Penn Quarter district has demonstrated.  He knows that sports fans (largely from the affluent Virginia and Maryland suburbs) not only want to come to a great park and spend their money, they want restaurants and bars where they can drop their cash.  See, DC benefits not just from the tax money it makes on the stadium, but the tax money it makes on all of the businesses that will go up around it.  But the D.C. Council is either too short-sighted or just too engrossed in their petty power struggles to get it.  They are doing everything in their power to try save money – moving the stadium, scaling back the design, you name it.  But if a brand-new stadium with all the bells and whistles, multi-image jumbotrons, and micro-beer stands fans have come to expect is not built, fans will take their money and their tax revenue elsewhere.  Specifically, 35 miles up I-95 to Camden Yards, to the delight of Peter Angelos.  And in ten years we’ll all be wondering if the baseball team is on the verge of skipping town.  Again.