Significance Of The Beijing Games

I get crazy junk messages all the time and enjoy reading them, but here is the spam of the week from a "Liz" (though probably some 200 kilo fat guy typing on his computer while sitting butt naked). Here it is:
Liz F. -[Beautiful Escorts] rw566Blackmon@waytoopersonal.net Of all the things you can think of, there is nothing I'll not do. If Im not what you like, there are so many of other girls to choose from. To find us you just have to type www.beentogether into your browser and add a .com to the end of it. Make sure you don't forget, I can do anything.
Haha I wonder if Liz can send me money? She did say "anything". No, I did not check Liz's web site! You do believe me?
We are having record heat in much of the U.S. It is so hot in New Orleans, even the night temperatures are brutal. It was 30C at 10:00 pm last night! The heat index (measured by averaging temperature and dew point) yesterday was 46C. The day time highs have been 38F every day the past week I wonder if it is as hot where "Liz" is? Haha....Never mind.
I read an article in Sports Illustrated magazine (the largest such publication in the U.S.) about the Beijing Olympic preparations and in particular about some of the Chinese athletes and their struggle to make money off their success. it seems the government is not letting go of control of most of them and few are profiting off their victories in international meets. Those Olympic starts from the 2004 games who have trued to market themselves have been kicked off the team for 2008 or intimidated back into the fold.
The magazine tried to interview many athletes for the story and only those who have been booted off the team and were out of favor would comment. It is interesting, given that with the Chinese government spending extravagantly on them the Games are sure to be the biggest and best of all time, new sport stars will be created and we shall see if capitalism wins out over the government control of the athletes.
Yao Ming and several other international stars have broken away from the traditional State organizations that select and train China's premier athletes. According to the article, many young children are now pulled out of those "sports camps" by parents who are shocked by the abuse of their kids and the lack of education they receive while being trained for future stardom on the fields. All of this makes me wonder if the dictatorship is crumbling a bit in China and that if the Olympic Games in 2008 might signal a broader lessening of control by the government on the everyday life of the Chinese citizen.
The games may be remembered for more than sport. they may also be China's coming out politically....well, at least the beginning of the idea of it. I would love be at the Olympics in Beijing. I think it will be both exciting sport but also a landmark point in history when China's government control over the people of China loosened more than it wanted to and will discover it can not take back the freedoms it has given.