Lightning Bolt

If you had a chance to see Usain Bolt of Jamaica win the gold medal in the 100m and the 200m sprint events, then I'm certain that you would agree that his performance was amazing. I'm not an expert when it comes to sprinting, but I can safely say that Bolt was clearly much faster than any of his closest competitors. In fact, during the qualifying events, Bolt was actually jogging while other sprinters appeared to be struggling. So, it's pretty clear that Bolt is the fastest sprinter in the world and deserves to be given credit for his achievements.

Even so, the International Olympics Committee was not amazed, nor were they amused, by Bolt's post-race behavior. The president of the IOC, Jacque Rogge said, "That's not the way we perceive being a champion," making reference to some of the gestures Bolt made following his victories as well as Bolt's behavior toward other athletes after the race. Granted, Bolt's behavior was showy and somewhat immature; he definitely could've been more respectful toward the other sprinters by at least offering a handshake; and he didn't win as quietly and as gracefully as the IOC expects of Olympic-class athletes--but that doesn't alter the fact that Usain Bolt is the best sprinter in the world. In fact, he's the best sprinter in the history of the modern Olympics, and now his name is being mentioned alongside such legendary athletes as Carl Lewis and Jesse Owens.

I understand that certain celebrations are viewed as unsophisticated amidst the backdrop of such a high-class venue as the Olympics, but Usain Bolt pounding his chest and dancing around draped in the Jamaican flag are actually far-removed from the over-the-top antics performed by NFL wide receivers on an almost-weekly basis. NFL WRs make a bigger deal of scoring 6 points--- via Sharpie markers, cell phones, hall of fame jackets, etc.---than Usain Bolt made of breaking two world records, breaking two Olympic records, and winning two Olympic gold medals. So, if anything, Bolt's celebration was quite subdued considering the extent of his accomplishments.

Considering Bolt's size and speed, I can't help but wonder if any NFL teams have given serious consideration to offering him a contract for the 2008 season. Oddly enough, I'm not the only one who's thought of this. Check out the following article: "Could Olympic Sprinter Bolt to the NFL?"

(ORIGINALLY POSTED at Controlled Chaos: NFL)