By that I meant America as a whole, not Olympians (or rather, not just Olympians). My athletic aspirations ended with Duck Duck Goose. 
And I gotta admit that without the crushing emotional commitment of beating the Evil Empire, the Olympiad is just plain easier to watch. The jingoism is still there, of course, but notice how the focus is on individualsā¦Michael Phelps, Alicia Sacramone, Katie Hoff, LeBron James, the Rocky-esque menās gymnastic teamā¦not ideologies.
Still not a big fan by any means, but at least I can sit through a whole night without worrying about my stomach turning inside out. Thatās definitely an improvement.