Dear Bode:
I'm sorry.
The other night after you won the Bronze Medal for Alpine Skiing Men's Super-G some reporter badgered you with questions about your brother who recently died. It was awful. She basically harassed you into crying and after you broke down the camera stayed on you. The whole nation watched you crouching on the ground balling your eyes out.
But it's not the reporter's fault. She was only doing what her boss asked her to do. It's not her boss' fault either. She's only doing what the Network asked her to do. See, a couple of months ago someone like me who watches on average 7-10 hours of Winter Olympic Coverage sat in a Focus Group and told someone that I'd increase the number of hours I watch to 10-15 if there were more stories about the people.
I guess seeing you compete on the highest world stage and push yourself to your physical limits wasn't amazing enough for me. I had to have a "human" element as well. I wanted to know whether or not your dead brother had anything to do with your spectacular run.
I realize now that was an asshole move of me. That I have brothers as well. And if someone would have stuck a camera inches from my face after probably my last time competing in the Olympics, and asked me if I did it for my brother who had passed less than a year ago, well... let's just say you handled it much better than I would.
So in closing, I just wanted to reiterate that I'm sorry that my sports viewing habits dictates the need to have a human element. In the future I'll try to be just impressed with your athletic achievements. (They are rather impressive by the way.)
Oh... and honestly I'm sincerely sorry about your brother. May he rest in peace.
Wal Ozello is the author of Assignment 1989: The Time Travel Wars and is the lead singer of the Columbus hairband Armada. He's a resident of Upper Arlington, Ohio and a frequent customer at Colin's Coffee.