The Pride of Latvia?
Now that the 06 Winter Olympics are over, there is something I've always wondered about...
How many U.S. Olympians from these '06 Olympics can you name? Perhaps you can name a few. How many '04 Olympians can you name? Probably not many. Unless they were already a big name athelete (Pro Basketball, Tennis, Hockey or even Soccer), you likely won't remember who they were. There are a few exceptions: Mary Lou Retton or Greg Louganis.
Now, picture someone from a tiny country. For today's discussion, we're using Latvia, a country less than 1% of the size of the U.S. (approx 2.2 million citizens - just a little bigger than Houston) I guy from Latvia by the name Martins Rubenis won the Bronze medal in the mens singles luge.
Being the only guy from the small country to win anything, it must be a huge honor. Right now, I would think he has got to be the Pride of Latvia. For the millions who were watching the Olympics at the time he made his bronze medal run in the luge, most people had just heard the name Latvia for the first time in a long time, if ever. That's got to count for something. It's probably like the guy from Podunk who catches the 78 pound Catfish.
I picture Mr. Rubenis getting his share of Latvian TV Endorsements, being on all the news and talk shows, and eventually running for government office.*
(*which depends on the form of government that Latvia has. I don't know offhand, and I am too lazy to look it up.)
How many U.S. Olympians from these '06 Olympics can you name? Perhaps you can name a few. How many '04 Olympians can you name? Probably not many. Unless they were already a big name athelete (Pro Basketball, Tennis, Hockey or even Soccer), you likely won't remember who they were. There are a few exceptions: Mary Lou Retton or Greg Louganis.
Now, picture someone from a tiny country. For today's discussion, we're using Latvia, a country less than 1% of the size of the U.S. (approx 2.2 million citizens - just a little bigger than Houston) I guy from Latvia by the name Martins Rubenis won the Bronze medal in the mens singles luge.
Being the only guy from the small country to win anything, it must be a huge honor. Right now, I would think he has got to be the Pride of Latvia. For the millions who were watching the Olympics at the time he made his bronze medal run in the luge, most people had just heard the name Latvia for the first time in a long time, if ever. That's got to count for something. It's probably like the guy from Podunk who catches the 78 pound Catfish.
I picture Mr. Rubenis getting his share of Latvian TV Endorsements, being on all the news and talk shows, and eventually running for government office.*
(*which depends on the form of government that Latvia has. I don't know offhand, and I am too lazy to look it up.)
posted by BrentKMoore | 1:35 AM
2 Comments:
Speaking of Podunk, I checked, and Microsoft Streets & Trips lists 6 towns named Podunk in the US. Granted, Ohio apparently had the wisdom to rename theirs "South Amherst." The really weird thing is that they are all contained in a narrow band of the country, between the 41 and 43 degree north latitudes. Evidently, the Podunk clan didn't venture too far from home.
If you were to visit them all, yout 1167 mile journey (shortest route) would take you on a scenic tour near four of the Great Lakes ending up in Cape Cod. Start with the two in Michigan, then off to "South Amherst," Ohio. Stop in western New York, and then southern Vermont to arrive in southern Connecticut, which might as well be northern Connecticut.
Hey Paul, Thanks for the kind com...Hey, you're spamming my blog! Stop it!
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