On the Olympics: correct me if I'm wrong, but from a historical
perspective it seems to me that the reason we even began to
countenance professionals in the Olympics was that the US perceived
the state-sponsored programs of the Communist bloc to be a mockery of
amateur standing.
 
Given that this situation is fast on the way to extinction (last time
I checked, Muscovites and Berliners were more concerned about the
price of bread than their gymnast's floor exercise scores), why not
take advantage of the current (relative) ideological sanity and
reimpose strict rules of amateur standing. You get paid - you don't
go.
 
 
 
> Just what North Canton needed!  A reputation of being known as the
home of the first Olympian (hammer-thrower Jud Logan) to test
positive for drugs in 16 years.
 
It could be worse. My hometown (Huntington, NY)'s most famous recent
product was the captain of the Exxon Valdez!