[Hot Tabasco]

Turn pro, and see how much money and respect you get when you don't win anything but have a good time partying. I don't get the attitude that this guy who joined this team voluntarily is some kind of a rebel just because he parties and doesn't listen to The Authorities or whatever. Don't you enter a sporting event to win?

Alpine skiers have been pros now for many years. I would say a conservative estimate would put the top 20 contenders in the millionaire $$$ status now.

Miller didn't "join the team", he merely was included due to his onslope performances while at the same time being sponsored by who knows how many companies. He and the rest of the alpine ski team have no one to report to other than their sponsors. There is no loyalty to their assigned coaches, no loyalty to the USA, no loyalty to the thousands of teenage kids who idolize them.

Miller and this ski team epitomize the ultimate degradation of olympic alpine sports in the United States due to the uncontrolled but necessary inpact of corporate sponsorship required to keep it going.

The European countries are no different in that regard. Fortunately for them, the skiers being sponsored are hungry and from a very early age are taught that if you want to be a winner, you gotta work for it............

[Darkwolf377]

Thanks for the insight. I just can't figure out the angle on supporting this guy's behavior--ok, so it's not written in a contract that he has to behave in a certain way, but man, don't you have any pride about representing your country? Only his corporation, I guess.