The Wall St Journal has an article today called "Don't Deny the joy of Usain Bolt":
http://online.wsj.com...7581693449634590.html
For those not willing to read the whole thing, it says in part:
"Still, the most satisfying part of Bolt—even more than his brilliant runs—is how much he demolishes the myth that the world wants humble athletes. This is the belief that superstars are supposed to always carry themselves as paragons of modesty, never calling the spotlight to themselves, never crossing some bright, imaginary line that exists dividing the attention-deserving from the attention-seeking.
This is also known as The Boring Line.
The Boring Line is a big deal in sports. It's a frothy topic on talk radio after every silly scoring celebration or overly demonstrative occasion on a field or a court. Violations of The Boring Line are good for manufactured outrage and highlight shows, and they make social media go crazy.
But the Boring Line is tedious. I have been hearing about how excessive celebrations are ruining sports as long as I have been watching sports. So have you. It made little sense then and makes less sense now. It's not ruining anything. You like this stuff or you don't; a fancy end-zone dance is definitely not everyone's favorite thing, and I'm sure it's pushed some fans away from the game. But these are the kind of people who hate pizza and scream at dogs.
What's great about Bolt is that he crashes over this line and nobody cares. He's just too good. The finger pointing, the shhhhh, the push-ups, the bow and arrow, the underappreciated somersault he did after the 100 last Sunday—he does all the things you're allegedly not supposed to do.
Doesn't matter. Earth loves Bolt.
It helps that Bolt loves Earth, too,and does everything with a wink.
He possesses a light, showman's touch, and even when post-win celebrations are choreographed, they're clever. His signature bow and arrow thunder has a touch of whimsy—an exaggerated sense of the moment, not to mention a nod to his last name. It's so clear Bolt feeds off the theater of it all, the joy he provokes, converting the cauldron of flashbulbs inside Olympic Stadium into energy."