2/11/2006: Bode's in
Along with Michelle Kwan, the other pre-Games big name is Bode Miller, the 28-year-old downhill skier who made headlines a few weeks ago when he told "60 Minutes" that he's sometimes been hungover for competitions, and that "it's tough to ski when you're wasted." Big whup.
I don't know why that caused such a commotion. It was a few seconds out of a ten minute piece, and the guy still wins more often than many. And anyway, aren't most sporting events sponsored by beer? American media double standards strike again. Bode put it best, saying he figures it's because people need a focus, something to talk about, since that prevents people from having to think about themselves and most people don't like to do that.
I like this guy.
He's outspoken, brash, and says what he wants to say instead of what people want to hear from him. He did eventually apologize for the "60 Minutes" comments, saying that it had reflected badly on his teammates and trainers, and that his family was getting a lot of flak from it. He didn't retract what he'd said though, and why should he? Is he - or anyone - supposed to pretend that a lot of skiers and snowboarders don't party after spending a day on the slopes?
Bode's like the typical anti-hero in the movies that audiences love. He's even been compared to Robert Redford's character in 1969's Downhill Racer. But for some reason, we seem to want our outspoken heroes to stay on the screen and not show up in real life.
Well, Bode showed up today and flew down an icy Torino mountain at 70 mph or so, qualifying for the men's downhill finals along with teammates Daron Rahlves, Scott Macartney and Steven Nyman. Bode and most of the racers put their brakes on before crossing the finish line so they wouldn't finish too fast and could land a middle spot in the starting order. Rahlves is the favorite and I'm sure he and others from all countries are nice enough guys, but I'm rooting for Bode. We need more anti-heroes.
