OLYMPIC$ 4 $ALE!

It's hard to believe that at one time the Olympics were all about the amateur. The storied integrity of the amateur athlete, living like a monk in order to train in obscurity for that one moment of glory that came every four years. It wasn't about the "professionals", who back in the day were thought to sully whatever sport they played. (Think the early days of golf and Bobby Jones, who chose to never turn pro!) Professionals were all about money and endorsements and all the other distractions that were believed to be anathema to the true amateur athlete, his spirit, his soul, and indeed the spirit and soul of the Olympics itself! So it was with this in mind that I offer you this... The swimmer Michael Phelps just became the greatest Olympian ever, winning 8 gold medals in a single Olympics, surpassing Mark Spitz. And just a day or so since the historic event there is already a DVD on the market all about Michael Phelps's 8 gold medals!(!!) The money-making machine is ever-alert, ever-opportunistic, like a cancer transforming everything to dollar signs.