This guy’s one of the reasons that people bug me. Bode Miller, one of the top prospects for medals at the Winter Olympics, was a complete flame-out. But “Hey,” he says, “I got to party and socialize at an Olympic level.” Geesh… and Nike is paying this guy how much to promote their brand? I hope they have an opt-out clause in their contract, because Bode’s brand is a loser.
Contrast Bode in all of his self-important glory with Jason McElwain, a 17-year-old high school senior who got to play in the final four minutes of his last home basketball game. Jason gets in the game, misses his first shot by six feet, misses his next attempt (a layup), and then goes on to make six three-pointers in a row, setting a new school record. (It would have been seven, but his foot was on the line.) He finished with 20 points in four minutes.
The thing about Jason, though, is that he normally serves as the team manager. He’s also 5-foot-6; not exactly towering. He’s also autistic. Jason’s love for basketball, his enthusiasm for life, and his spirit carried the day; then his team carried him off the floor. Now *this* is a kid that rocked.