Yet the appeal of the Games transcends their flaws. No number of corporate endorsements and no amount of sponsorship money can change that. Even if professionals now participate, the Games continue to thrive because even over a TV signal, the will to compete comes through. The Games are resilient, the Olympic spirit unsinkable, because the Games produce heroes, and it is in the nature of heroism to vanquish all opponents. When a Jim Thorpe or a Wilma Rudolph or a Mark Spitz or a Nadia Comaneci wins an event, he or she has not only defeated an opponent but has also put out of mind the criticism of the Games.
Unlikely heroes emerge.
Our aspirations and hopes become hitched for a few days or hours to a person whose face we have never seen before and whose name we have never heard. Let's not forget that the Games are derived from a Greek religious festival. The ancient Games also featured displays of poetry, music, sculpture. The point was that there was always something for the eyes to feast on. Today's Olympics have the same carnival-like atmosphere.