“Good Sportsmanship” IS the Olympics

I am a fan of the Olympics. Winter or Summer, Special or Para, for me the Olympics are a snapshot for the best in humankind. It is a time of coming together participating in a sport that is a passion in the individual’s life. He/She has committed themselves to excellence and worked very hard for that moment to give back to the world the excitement that makes them do what they are gifted to do.

Because of my view of the Olympics, when someone like Yevgeny Plushenko, 2006 Olympic Gold medalist and 2010 Silver medalist, takes the public platform that he has been given by the virtue of his achievements and talent and insults the man who beat him for the Gold Medal, I am angry! I want to slip into ‘mom mode’ and take him out to the woodshed! Shame on him that he would bring shame on the himself and the very sport that he professes to be holding to a forward-thinking, high standard! To claim that the winner, Evan Lysacek, “is not a champion” is ridiculous. Consider the thousands of male skaters in the world and here these 74 make it to the Olympic level. Every man that competed is a champion.

Go to your room, Yevgeny Plushenko, sulk and lick your wounds. Conduct yourself like the champion that you are!

Congratulations to Evan Lysacek, 2010 Men’s Gold Medal Figure Skater!