ATLANTA -- Big men don't cry, but this big man did. He stepped onto the medal stand, and when the anthem played, he wept. These were not tears of joy, mind you. Not one of those Olympic moments where the hero breaks down in a flood of patriotism.No. The big man, a Greco-Roman wrestler, was on the podium for silver medalists, and it was a few inches too low to keep his heart from breaking."That was the saddest moment of my life," said Matt Ghaffari, "having to stand there and listen to the Russian anthem being played, watching the Russian flag being raised.
ATLANTA -- What does it mean to have a rival? That you hate him? That you envy her? That you study everything he does? That you look the other way and hope that she is studying you?The big pool at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center was all about rivalries Thursday night, two in particular, one between two men, the other between two women. Within their emotions was the whole spectrum of human competition, splashing quickly into the water.
ATLANTA -- It's true, I admit, I've done my share of knocking badminton at the Summer Games. Like millions of others, I couldn't understand how something you play after roasting marshmallows could qualify as an Olympic sport. Birdies? Shuttlecocks? The jokes were almost too easy, and I took every one.
Mitch Albom writes about running an orphanage in impoverished Port-au-Prince, Haiti, his kids, their hardships, laughs and challenges, and the life lessons he’s learned there every day.
