Athlete Profile: Bode Miller

It has been a long and tumultuous 16 seasons as a professional skier for Bode Miller. The oft-controversial Miller has appeared in 4 previous Olympics and is planning on skiing for the USA at the Sochi Olympics this winter. The 2014 Sochi Olympics marks Miller's 5th and supposedly his last, marking the end of a career for arguably the USA's most accomplished skier. Miller's journey to his 5th Olympics has been full of highs and lows, notably his exit from the US ski team in 2008, his return in 2009 and his remarkable 3 medals (one bronze, one silver and one gold) in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Despite his controversy, the 36 year old Miller has been one of, if not the most, accomplished skier for the US ski team. The "Sports Network" article states,"no American athlete has meant more for his sport right now than Bode Miller."

"The State." Team USA Flag Bearer: The Case for Bode Miller. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.

Russia's Support of Bashar al-Assad

The 4th of 6 reasons to boycott the 2014 Sochi Olympics is Russia's continuing support of Bashar al-Assad's regime.  Joshua Keating's article states that "10 percent of Russia's global arms sales go to Syria, with current contracts worth about $1.5 billion dollars" (Keating). In addition, Russia and China's repeated blocking of sanctions against Syria highlight the other element to Russia's support of Syria, The United States. CNN's Holly Yan reports that the driving force behind Russia's support of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria is to prevent the United States from gaining influence on the area. The combination of Russia's intent to box out America, coupled with the "$1.5 billion dollars" in annual arms sales to Syria and the blocking of sanctions against Syria should give the United States something to think about when it comes to their participation in the Sochi games.

Syria's bashar al-Assad shaking the hard of Russia's Vladimir Putin

Yan, Holly, Mariano Castillo, Catherine E. Shoichet, Ben Brumfield, and Joe Sterling. "Syria Allies: Why Russia, Iran and China Are Standing by the Regime." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 27 Jan. 2014.