The Olympics Are The Planet's Best Celebration.

I am old enough to have seen the transition from all amateurs (mostly) to all corporate. Overall, I think it is a very positive thing for the millions of athletes who fail to fulfill their dream of going to the Olympics. They win because they did dream and did try. I was a competitive swimmer growing up. From around 8-9 years old, I knew when my Olympic window was, what years and where. I did not get there. But, even paying attention, training, competing, keeping myself relatively healthy (trust me I was no monk in H.S. and after)was a good thing to go through and has been a good balance in my life. Also, for many people around the world, it is really a time to see the scope of the world we live in. The flags, foreign faces, costumes all are educational. Yeah, we should know all that stuff, but we don't. I guarantee that 99+++% of the people who watch an Opening Ceremony or any significant amount of competition learn something new and extraordinary about sport, people and places. Look at all the hope, joy and love on the young faces of the thousands of athletes who will not win gold, not get million$$$. It is the privilege of their lives just to be there. I revere the Olympic Games. They are not perfect, but they are the best thing we have in terms the celebration of the potential of humans.