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Stars fade fast

Only two days in and some significant glitter is already gone from the U.S. lineup.

By JOHN ROMANO
Published February 13, 2006

SESTRIERE, Italy - Well, that was fast.

You went to bed one night excited about the possibilities of this Olympics, and by the time you woke up the next morning, the glamor had faded.

There is no more Michelle Kwan. There is a little less Bode Miller and Apolo Ohno to go around. If Katie Couric burps, I'm afraid they'll call the whole thing off.

One weekend in and already we appear to be a few stars and a ton of paparazzi shy of a red carpet event. We have depth but no diva. We still have hope for Miller and Ohno, but this month's cover boys have some new smudges.

Not that there aren't riches still to be had. The snowboarders are having a blast, and we almost won a first luge medal. There's plenty of speed skating ahead, and Sasha Cohen may yet turn into America's next sweetheart.

But is it too much to ask for a little glitter in our coffee? Maybe some flash mixed between Nordic combined parties and biathlon office pools?

Come on, would you prefer your World Series hero to be Reggie Jackson or Edgar Renteria? Do you like Joe Montana in your Super Bowl or Mark Rypien?

There will always be room for the little guys in the Olympics, but there has to be some star power, too. Otherwise, it's American Idol in mittens.

It's not enough to be near the top of the charts in medal count. You also have to be off the charts in Madison Avenue appeal.

That's where the Games were hurt this weekend. That's where some of the luster was taken off medals of every sheen.

It began with the overnight announcement that Kwan was withdrawing from the Olympics due to a groin injury. The news was not shocking, but it was disappointing. Whether you agreed with Kwan's back door arrival in Turin, you have to admit that hers was a story capable of captivating.

Win, and she would be the story of the Games. Lose, and you could argue whether she belonged at all. Instead, she had to walk away, and in doing, she took a healthy chunk of casual interest with her.

"I think the best thing for me is to go home and get better," Kwan said. "I don't want to be a distraction here."

At nearly the same moment Kwan was fielding questions at her farewell news conference, Miller and Daron Rahlves were literally going downhill.

The downhill was supposed to be Rahlves' event. These were supposed to be Miller's Olympics. If one didn't win the downhill Sunday, the other would. If someone else pulled a remarkable run out of nowhere, then Miller and Rahlves could fight over the silver.

Instead, Miller placed fifth. Rahlves was 10th.

"It was shocking," U.S. coach Phil McNichol said. "I just wish it was shocking in the other direction."

For both skiers, it was over when they hit the finish line. Miller had to go 1:49.88 just to be in contention for the bronze. He went 1:49.93 for fourth, and eventually he was bumped to fifth. Rahlves wasn't even that close, falling nearly a second off the leading pace.

"I absolutely skied the way I wanted to," Miller said. "When I looked at the board and saw (it) had gotten me fourth place, obviously there was a moment of disappointment. But that goes away for me right away."

Miller could afford to be magnanimous, to a point. He still has four more Alpine skiing events, including the combined on Tuesday.

What he didn't say is he will also have an increasing amount of pressure. As much as Miller likes to say he is more concerned with skiing well than stepping up on podiums, he has put himself in a position where anything less than a gold or multiple medals will be a major disappointment.

That's what happens when, in your recent past, you had one of the greatest seasons in Alpine that an American has ever had. That's what happens when you shoot your mouth off without restraint or regret. And that's certainly what happens when you accept millions from sponsors eager to capitalize on your success.

Miller's American rebel act will work only if he's also an American hero. And it doesn't matter how optimistically he talks of near-misses.

"I came out and executed," Miller said. "So this is a confidence-builder, moreso than I think you guys recognize. I feel good. I feel ready."

These Olympics are far from doomed. That goes for Miller and for Ohno and for NBC. There is still plenty of opportunities for them to recover. There is a chance Cohen comes off more passionate than stoic and wins gold. There is a chance Chad Hedrick could soon be chasing Eric Heiden.

And there are numerous chances for others to emerge as overnight sensations, the way speed skater Derek Parra did four years ago in Salt Lake City.

It's just a shame to see three of our best storylines start off this way, betrayed by an aging body, a disappointing Bode and a name that says it all.

Ohno.

[Last modified February 13, 2006, 00:45:19]