IT'S AN UNDERSTATEMENT to say that Americans' international popularity isn't exactly at an all-time high. And the Winter Olympics did absolutely nothing to change that impression.
OK, maybe Lindsey Kildow and Joey Cheek did. Anyone with the courage to get back on skis after the frightening fall she took deserves admiration, regardless of race, creed or nationality. The fact that she didn't win a medal matters not in the least.
And Cheek truly did show the Olympic spirit by donating his $40,000 speedskating gold medal prize money to African famine relief. If ever two athletes personified what the Olympics should be about, it's Kildow and Cheek.
Otherwise, the U.S. spent an eminently forgettable fortnight demonstrating that the Olympics have become as much about ego and greed as about competition and sportsmanship. And the image of the Ugly Americans only got reinforced.
The U.S. should have known it was in for a bumpy ride when Michelle Kwan--one of the classiest athletes this country has ever produced--couldn't skate because of a nagging groin injury. As Bode Miller can attest, it was almost all downhill from there (just not fast enough).
With all the melodrama, it's easy to forget that the U.S. finished second behind Germany in the medal standings.
Just a couple of days after Cheek's magnanimous gesture, American speedskaters Shani Davis and Chad Hedrick began their public catfight.
If you've forgotten (or tried to), Davis skipped the team pursuit to pursue individual gold in the 1,000 meters. He succeeded--but also succeeded in ticking off Hedrick, who had his sights on winning five golds. Both skaters came across looking selfish and petty, and neither shied away from sniping at the other. (No truth to the rumor that both had Jeff Gilooly on speed dial.)
Then there was Lindsey Jacobellis, whose hot-dog move cost her the women's snowboard cross gold--and didn't seem to bother her. It was another example of style over substance. In a twisted sense, Jacobellis may have gained more credibility with the younger demographic by trying something daring--even if meant squandering her shot at gold.
Maybe it's an X Games thing, and we old fogeys just don't understand. (This one doesn't get how snowboarding even became an Olympic sport.)
There were plenty of other American disappointments, including both hockey teams.
It's usually inaccurate to say that anyone "settles" for silver or bronze. But in the case of the U.S. women's hockey team, a bronze qualified as a major disappointment.
At least the women got a medal. The men won exactly one game and were bounced in the quarterfinal round in a dismal showing.
There was figure skater Johnny Weir, who inexplicably missed his ride to the rink and finished fifth.
Finally, there was Miller, who ran his mouth incessantly before the Olympics, then didn't come close to winning a medal.
We'll never know how Miller's extracurricular activities in Turin (hitting the pubs, rolling his ankle playing basketball) affected his performance on the slopes. He claims there was no ill effect, but most of us stopped listening to him a while ago.
Still, Miller's failures gave his critics plenty of ammunition.
The big shame is that all the U.S. posturing and pouting overshadowed some remarkable performances by athletes of all nations (including some Americans). How many of you had the U.S. men winning a medal in curling?
It's partly the athletes' fault, partly the media's and partly the fault of sponsoring corporations. But it seems that the Olympic motto Citius, Altius, Fortius (swifter, higher, stronger) needs to be amended to add louder and more controversial.
Here's an optimistic (but underreported) story: A Norwegian official gave his ski pole to
Maybe there's hope after all.
To reach STEVE DeSHAZO:
Email: sdeshazo@freelancestar.com