News Flash: Bode Miller fails to finish the Men’s Slalom, completing an Olympics in which the defending World Cup champ failed to medal in any of the 5 events he entered.

Teddy’s Take: Now Bode can go back to doing what he loves best….skiing for the love of it. Contrary to what most of America and a lot of readers of this blog think, Miller could care less about being the poster boy for the U.S. ski team.

I know NBC desperately wanted Miller to shine at these games, hyping him mercilessly so they could have a prime time draw for their taped coverage. The general public, knowing little about Miller or skiing, seemed to buy it hook, line and sinker. As event after event went by without Bode medaling, or sometimes even finishing, the public outcry against his performance and anti-establishment attitude grew.

Too bad nobody stopped to ask Miller if he wanted the limelight. You have to know this Franconia Notch native and the sport he competes in to understand. Let me take the skiing aspect first. Do people really understand how slim the margin between victory and defeat is in a ski race? Fractions of a second separate first from last. A bump on the slope, an icy patch, or a turn taken a foot wider than optimum is all it takes to knock someone off the medal stand, or worse, off the course. In Saturday’s slalom race alone, 9 of the 29 competitors failed to finish. Throw in Miller’s recent knee problems, and his struggles in Torino shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.

As for what Bode is really about, I’ll borrow the following paragraph from ESPN.com, written by Miller’s former teammate, Carrie Sheinberg:

“Miller thrilled us with his rebellious approach to skiing. He risked winning. And in the process, he pushed his sport beyond any level imaginable. He would come into a turn straighter and faster than anyone before him, only to see if he could pull it off. Sometimes, with shockingly athletic recovery, he did. Sometimes he didn't. Still, it seemed that, for him, the outcome was the same: There was no outcome. It was never about the finish, it was about everything in between. He said as much in countless interviews before the Torino Games even began -- what he loved was the potential in a pristine race course, what he kept seeking was chances to realize that potential.�

I’ve never met the man. I’ve read a lot about him and even talked with people who spent lots of time on the slopes with him. The above words from Sheinberg are eerily similar to all I’ve heard. To be honest, he sounds like a guy I’d love to hang out and throw back a couple of cold ones with.

So don’t waste too much time being disappointed with Bode Miller’s performance…..I won’t. I’m sure he won’t either.

That’s my take……what’s yours?