What a sad day it was when our female USA Olympic cyclists, adorned with air masks, arrived in Beijing only to be quickly silenced about their opposition to the atrocious air quality issue that haunted the games.  Ok, the visual might have been a little daunting, but when you think about it, the situation was begging for someone to step up and take a stand. You know the elephant in the room syndrome!

The whole incident was brushed under the table as an "oops, we didn't mean anything by it, folks!"  Is what they voiced through their actions so strong that it penetrated the frail political embrace that the Olympic committee has in China?  What a shame to disallow the cyclists from protesting what they believe is an Olympian’s basic right to have the cleanest air possible in order to perform at the optimal levels for which they have trained their entire lives!

You would think that's their right, right?  Not only were their actions brushed off as idiosyncratic, but the cyclists were asked to water down the motive for their actions and apologize.  Something just doesn’t seem right here. What’s wrong with what they did? Athletes need clean air to breathe so why didn’t the Olympic committee advocate for the rights of the Olympians?  Why is there a disconnect?

I am dying to hear the cyclist's real story, aren't you? I am constantly reminded of how proud I am to be an American.  Thank God we have athletes who take advantage of their right to be heard.  Sometimes actions speak louder than words, so let’s all listen.
Go USA!