I'm really tired of reading about graft and corruption in high places. People casting their votes based upon something other than the merits is something that really gets my goat. Whether it is someone trading votes - you vote for mine and I'll vote for yours; or voting against to get even for something that happened last year or taking bribes in return for a vote - those are all strikes at the heart of things as we were taught they were supposed to be. Nope, I'm not talking about Congress and Enron. I'm talking about big time "amateur" sports.

Senator Fritz Hollings (D-SC) was referring to Enron and politicians when he talked about Cash and Carry Government. He could have been talking about Salt Lake and the Cash and Carry Olympics. Salt Lake won the Olympics with an open pocketbook. It's not just about the judge's retail votes in the Pairs Figure Skating competition. Figure skating competition, World Federation Wrestling and the Academy Awards have identical connections to "sport". All are simply entertainment. You can measure sports in time, length, height or goals scored. You either like entertainment or you don't.

The Olympics - and especially the Winter Olympics - have become a glorified Star Search showcase for the next generation professional entertainers coming to an ice near you. Now there is nothing wrong with entertainment, I enjoy it as much as the guy next to me at the Stadium - just don't call it "sport".

Mr. Ming says, "You didn't mention the Westminster Dog Show. There was something wrong there too. That cute Shih Tzu was the best in group and anyone with half a brain knew it. She didn't even place in the group. There has to be something wrong there!"