My family is into the Olympics. No, seriously. And we can't help but note that countries that pay athletes for medals further push the games as driven by individuals instead of teams.
Did I happen to mention that my Papa won a silver medal playing for the U.S. hockey team in the 1952 Oslo Olympics?
Now you know.
My grandparents stopped by our house on their yearly spring trek to Palm Springs. While my Papa spoke to me in Italian at speeds I could only dream of, there was a debate going on at the Sepessy dinner table.
The consensus: some Olympic athletes are acting like prima donnas.
In fact, some athletes are ruining the appeal that placed the Olympics above all other sporting events.
Participating in the Olympic games is the greatest accomplishment for an athlete, an event in which the greatest come together for one common goal: to represent their country.
The sportsmanship of some athletes though, would say otherwise.
American freestyle skier Jeret Peterson was recently sent back to the United States after a party resulted in a fight with a friend.
Then there's the rivalry between U.S. speed skaters Shani Davis and Chad Hendrick. My mom will be quick to note that Hendrick is just a huge baby and that he should get over himself.
When a teammate beats you, congratulate him. It may not be your personal winning, but it's still a win for Team USA.
This boils down to the issue of paying Olympic winners.
For a gold medal, the United States Olympic Committee pays $25,000. Silver receives $15,000, while bronze gets $10,000.
France pays its athletes 40,000 euros (about $47,650) for a gold medal. The medal pay may not seem like a lot to those athletes with huge endorsements, but it still places a literal price on an achievement, when the accomplishment should be enough.
But some countries, such as Great Britain and Canada, currently do not pay their athletes for the top three finishes.
"We didn't dream of the cash value it comes with. We didn't wake up in the morning thinking about the dollars this medal could turn into. We were just thinking about the medal," said Great Britain athlete Jeffery Buttle, the men's figure skating bronze medal winner.
Canada's chief technical officer and head coach, Alex Gardiner, thinks similarly.
"As a coach I've never thought in these terms. The world is doing it, more people are becoming professionals ...and there's got to be some incentive. But sometimes passion is compromised by dollars," Gardiner stated.
Winner of both gold and silver medals, speed skater Joey Cheek proved that not all athletes substitute dollars for passion.
He donated $40,000 in medal pay to Right To Play, a non-profit organization helping fund children's sports programs in the Darfur region of Sudan.
Cheek isn't all that wealthy either. In his highest paying season, he raked in a little under $100,000.
"I don't know why more people don't do it. I feel so great right now, and so happy. I think, when I look back, I'm going to be prouder of this than I am of winning a gold medal," said Cheek.
It's nice to see someone sharing. Cheek learned well in kindergarten.
Out of all American athletes, only 211 were chosen to participate in the Turin Olympic games.
That's definitely an honor, not a privilege.
Celeste Sepessy is a journalism and Italian freshman. Reach the reporter at celeste.sepessy@asu.edu.
