The Real Reason for Sport

Some people consider Olympics the pinnacle of sport, showcasing the finest athletes from around the globe. I'm not sure... I guess it depends on what you think sports are supposed to represent.

I've been watching the Olympics (in so much as I can stay in a bubble in advance of NBC's primetime hatchet-job of the days events) and I'm tiring of all the solo athletes in pursuit of greatness. They all seem so self-involved. One example is Craig Hedrick, the US darling of these games, explaining why he was able to pull out a silver in today's 10,000 meter speedskating final:

"My heart is bigger than anybody else out there,'' Hedrick said. "If another skater had felt like I did today, he wouldn't have been on the podium. That's just me refusing to lose.''

Cool Craig... why don't you go share a root beer float with Shani Davis?

I'm not doubting that there are great storylines coming out of the Olympics, but the majority are not what makes sports so compelling for me. It should be about the development of team, the unselfish pursuit of a dream and the realization of your true potential.

That's why this story almost brought me to tears.

"Jason McElwain, a 17-year-old senior who is autistic and usually sits on the bench in a white shirt and black tie, proceeded to hit six 3-point shots, finished with 20 points and was carried off the court on his teammates' shoulders."