I agree with you completely here. But you also have to look at the human spirit which always wants to compete and push themselves to be better, faster... whatever, have more than his neighbor... greed, etc.... Even though what wins out is immoral to the core, guess which side will win every time... the side with the money. Its the same thing with everything else done in the world. From the over paid execs and athletes, to the billions wasted on fancy buildings just to impress the Jones's, to the millions on a mansion for a few and those that freeze and starve to death under a bridge, to the every thing that is so out of balance in the world today. It all comes down to greed and the greedy will always win as long as Satan is in charge on th earth.

Gee, bud.....testy much?

The post I was responded to pretty much treated athletes as a stereotype and condemned all apparently with the belief that you knew and understood all human nature, the backrounds of allathletes, and their motivations. I merely pointed out that perhaps, just perhaps, they want to earn a living and have a family like most Americans.

Oddly, you continue to take exception and appear to disagree as you see yourself as the arbiter of all things athletic. Of course, you're wrong in your all-inclusive stereotype which you exhibited in both the original post and this one, AND you double down by anecdotally using the case of three (count them, three!) athletes to condemn them all.

THAT'S WTF I'm talking about......how about you?

Mike, I have to take the fifth when it comes to Rhode. My favorite event to watch during the Olympics is Netflix but I'd be surprised if the networks even covered the skeet shoot. However, it brings up another pet peeve of mine and that is athletes going back for 5-6 games. They should be allowed to attend one game and they're done. Four years later bring in new faces. I also think that they should have built permanent sites years ago instead of going around the globe and spending umpteen millions constructing facilities that are left to rot as soon as the games leave.

Yeah, so much for that great swimming team we will have in the future. The drunken idiots can't even behave themselves in another country when they are ambassadors for us. They think they are still on their college campuses where they are protected to the core and can do whatever they please. The day, colleges start demanding responsible behavior from their athletes is the day this immature behavior may stop. The way they act on and off of campuses is is beyond criminal and the think they can do it anywhere. I'm glad the Brazilian police caught them at their stunt of destruction. Now watch the US government protect them; when they should face the law where they committed their crimes and pay the dues. No wonder Phelps wants to retire and not come back. He has a child and wants to be a father, not end up in jail with these immature spoiled brats.