If you can get around the commercialism that Rami points out-yes the competitors see it as something so special that they give up so much of their lives to train and face the heartbreak of not making the team. I've been to two Olympics. The first was the 84 Summer games in L.A. The next was the 88 Winter games in Calgary. I'm more of a winter fan and truly enjoyed Calgary games. Met so many people including coaches and athletes from all around the world that I will never forget the experience. Calgary is a really strange but neat city. In the winter you can be walking in below freezing cold and in 30 minutes with the Chinook winds coming you could be walking in shorts and sandals. And at night listening to the wind howling through the tall buildings in this "little big city" can be spooky. One of the Superman movies was made there. Anyway I love the Olympics and Costas notwithstanding the accuracy of Rami's points.