If I were an Olympic athlete (decidedly, I'm not) I'd be pissed

You've trained all your life to do one thing, say mixed doubles badminton. The Olympics roll around once every four years, giving you a chance to rise above the total anonymity of your sport. Longing for that one time in your entire athletic career to play in front of a stadium that includes people beyond your extended family. And some ass head shows up with a protest banner. It's not your frickin' fault that the IOC decided to put the games in Beijing. Let the athletes do their thing.

If I were an Olympic Athlete, I'd Comfort Myself With My Money

I'm gonna guess that the athletes are too busy training to pay this one much mind. You want to talk tragedy, let's talk about a gymanst who's only got a few good years to compete, and suffers an ankle twist. Or a soccer player tearing their ACL right before competition. Someone who gets to compete in the Olympics is probably living their dream, and I doubt they're feeling cheated by the political scandal. They're too busy sanding their javelins or perfecting their scissor dive. And frankly, once that medal is in their grasp, I don't think that "cheated" is the feeling that will take over.

The political issues in Beijing and Tibet are largely separate from the lives of the athletes right now. If I wanted to be known within the world of, say, tennis, this scandal wouldn't get in the way because the tennis world is still watching. I'd still get my name imprinted on special-issue tennis balls. And really, that's what it's all about.

Besides, if it does start to bug me, as an imaginary Olympic tennis pro, I can comfort myself with my massive name-on-balls profits.