In the absence of an al-Qaida skeleton team or a nefarious crew of 'Axis of Evil' athletes, the 2006 Torino Olympic Games will probably not include any political-athletic upsets akin to the 1980 'Miracle on Ice.' In the aftermath of the highly-competitive Cold War, the age of political-athletic competition seems to have stalled.
The Sept. 11 attacks briefly renewed a sense of nationalism in the United States, but not enough for some American gold medalists to learn the national anthem. The United States has made six appearances at the pinnacle of the award podium this winter, and some athletes appear to mouth 'banana, banana' as the national anthem plays.
With 'I didn't expect to get gold' as an shoddy excuse, perhaps athletes should consider adding 'learn national anthem lyrics' to their Olympic training regimens.
