If this doesn't get you, your heart is made of concrete...

You're going to hear a lot about Lopez Lomong tomorrow night. That is if you're watching the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics and not getting baked and standing in line for Pineapple Express (isn't there room in life for both?). This is the inspiring tear jerker Olympic story to end all inspiring tear jerker Olympic stories (don't worry - they're not really going to end - they're never going to end). Lopez was born in the Sudan and kidnapped at the age of 6 by rebels intent on turning him into a child soldier. Tomorrow night he will enter National Stadium in Beijing carrying the flag for Team U.S.A. He was chosen unanimously by the captains of the participating U.S. teams to lead our Olympians onto the field.


A competitor in the 1500m race, Lomong is a prominent member of Team Darfur, "an international coalition of athletes committed to raising awareness of the crisis in the region." Team Darfur was co-founded by U.S. Olympic speedskating gold medalist Joey Cheek, whose Chinese visa was revoked yesterday. On the same day the USOC threw Cheek under the bus, the U.S. Olympians, themselves, made it clear that even though they weren't willing to give up their dreams and years of hard work because the IOC chose a country terribly guilty of human rights violations, they are aware of those violations and do not approve of them. They made their statement in the most elegant, gracious way possible - by awarding the highest honor they could to their teammate who deserved it the most. I, for one, think I can wait 'til Saturday to see Pineapple Express.