Flags

Most of the time, people think of a flag as something to pledge allegiance to in Elementary School, or that thing that flutters above every car dealership.

But when the Olympics come around, flags take on a much greater meaning.

They aren't just a way to label which athletes come from where—although they certainly help in that respect. They're something the athlete drapes themselves in after winning, and they are triumphantly displayed as winners receive their medals. They're displayed on the screen as the athlete competes, as a way of showing that the country the person represents is almost more important than the name of the athlete.

As Larry Bird says,

"When I was a kid, my dad was big on the Olympics," said Bird. He'd turn it on – we only got about two stations – and my dad would hear the national anthem and he'd turn to us and say, 'The United States won gold.' He didn't care whether it was track and field or gymnastics or whatever. He just cared that the United States won.

So when we stood on that platform in Barcelona to get our gold medals, that was the most exciting thing for me. I was thinking back to my dad and remembering that when he heard that anthem he was happy. And I was happy, too." (Dream Team)

The Olympics are a time of unabashed patriotism…without the issue of differing politics or ideologies. It's a time when you can just be proud of your country. And that's just kind of awesome.