Olympic Medals: The Story Behind the Glory

By Jennie Betchwars

Minneapolis/ Feb. 19, 2010/V-Local…The Olympics have come a long way since the ancient days, and as for the awards, well; let’s just say it’s not hard to improve upon an olive branch. With the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games in full swing, newly-crowned champions are admiring their prizes and fans the world over are keeping track of just how many medals their home country will garner. Behind the scenes, we dug a bit deeper to discover the story behind Olympic glory.

Ancient History
Imagine standing tall atop the Olympic podium, gazing out over the masses gathered at your feet and awaiting your prize. You’ve spent the best years of your life preparing – pushing your body to the breaking point and honing your talents for this climactic moment.

Your reward? An olive branch wreath unceremoniously placed atop your head. While a token shrubbery and an epic poem penned in one’s honor held plenty of esteem for the ancient Greeks, it hardly does justice to a position as esteemed as that of an Olympic champions, particularly in modern times. Even the word athlete, derived from the Greek word for “prize-seeker,” seems to merit something with a bit more flair.

The Modern Age
Enter the Olympic medals – an improvement, to be sure, but early competitors didn’t enjoy the same level of prestige of their modern-day counterparts. Back then, silver was the sole metal to make it into an Olympiad’s medal, and even that was only awarded to the lucky man who managed to claim the highest podium perch.

Gold was considered inferior at the time – a fact that would have the Gold Guys of today rolling over in their 24 karat-plated coffins – leaving silver medals and victory diplomas as the highest honors any wide-eyed athlete could hope to achieve.  The time came yet again to rethink the glory behind the Olympic Games. Thus, the trio of metallic trophies known as the gold, silver and bronze was born.

What’s in a Name?
Gold, silver and bronze sound self-explanatory, but not all that glitters is gold. Today’s gold medals are merely gold-plated medals, largely composed of sterling silver dipped in a thin layer – six grams, to be exact – of real gold. And third place finishers don’t fare much better. That shiny, penny-hued disc they’re sporting is actually crafted from copper, not bronze.

Athletes competing in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver have even less to look forward to. In the interest of being eco-friendly, the Royal Canadian Mint tossed a few hundred thousand tons of electronic waste into the mix. If you’re a Vancouver native, there’s a chance Lindsey Vonn, Shaun White and their ilk are sporting remnants of that old TV you tossed away a few months back.

While the removal of solid gold and the addition of e-waste knocks the lore of the Olympics down a few pegs, it far from erases their worth. The laws of supply and demand make these iconic discs worth a pretty penny, as evidenced when swimmer Otylia Jedrzejczak auctioned off her gold medallion and netted a cool $100,000 for the Polish charity of her choosing a few years back.

And with gold prices on the rise, the 2010 set may find themselves sorely tempted to dust off their trophy case and pass on their Olympic glory to the highest bidder – eBay, that is.

Tax Refund: What Should You Do With It?

By Lauren Elizondo

Minneapolis/Feb. 19, 2010/V-Local…It’s that time of year again: tax season. It’s hard not to get crabby with all the bill organization and filling out forms and mathematics. But after the number crunching is done – or you’ve visited H&R Block – you have one thing to look forward to receiving: you tax refund! Now, how are you going to spend it?

Start an emergency fund.
It’s always a good idea to have some extra cash put away for when the unexpected happens. You’re car breaks down; you’ve lost your rent check – it doesn’t have to be only for bad things. Maybe you just found out you’re expecting! Either way, having a backup stash makes life easier.

Pay down debt.
Student loans, credit cards, you name it. Let’s be honest; being in debt kind of sucks. The faster you can rid yourself of it, the less financial stress you’ll encounter. Also, if you are only paying minimum payments, chances are you’re probably only paying on the interest. Bigger payments make credit scores better!

Set aside for house/renting payments.
Even if your tax refund isn’t that big, you could always invest in your home by using it for your house or rent payments. Or, maybe you’ve already paid your bill for the month. How nice would it be not to have to worry about rent for next month?

Put toward a new car.
Driving a clunker? Time to upgrade. You could fix problems with your car or use the tax refund as a down payment on a new one. Sometimes dealers even have special sales and programs going on during tax season.

Donate.
Maybe you’ve wanted to donate to an organization or relief fund for sometime now, but haven’t had the means to do it. Now’s your chance. You don’t have to donate your entire refund – unless you want to. Maybe you could commit to donate a third of it, or maybe $100. Organizations and funds are always glad to get any amount of donation – everything counts.

The Sexiest Male Athletes Worldwide

by Lauren Elizondo

Minneapolis/Feb. 19, 2010/V-Local…While any athlete who’s made it to household name-status definitely has to be talented, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re also known for their good looks. Lucky for the following athletes, these guys not only possess the athletic brawn, but the beauty to get them recognized as more than just all-star athletes.

Cristiano Ronaldo
This 25-year-old footballer – soccer, not American football – from Portugal rises to the top of our list of sexy sports superstars. Living up to his tall, dark and handsome stereotype, Ronaldo earned international recognition on the Spanish club, Real Madrid, as the highest paid football player in the world.

Reggie Bush
Winner of the 2005 Heisman Trophy, Reginald Alfred Bush II has more than just award-winning football skills. Standing at a solid 6 ft., this New Orleans’ Saints player won over the heart – and hips – of  celebutante Kim Kardashian.  And if an Armenian starlet girlfriend wasn’t enough, Bush also made a cameo appearance in sexy musician Ciara’s Like a Boy music video.

Tom Brady
The 30-something New England Patriot quarterback makes women’s hearts pitter patter across the globe. Brady is known for dating beautiful women, and it’s no wonder with that model-esque mug of his. This famous football star is baby daddy to actress Bridget Moynahan and Gisele Bündchen.

Alex “A-Rod” Rodriguez
Rodriguez, or A-Rod, is one of the New York Yankees leading men in more ways than one. This third baseman of Dominican descent has been rumored to have had a relationship with Madonna, as well as Hollywood blond bombshells Kate Hudson and Cameron Diaz. While A-Rod is known to like the ladies, he’s also earned a reputation as one of the best baseball players of all time; his record-breaking 500 homeruns definitely backs it up!

David Beckham
Mr. Posh Spice rounds out our sexiest male athletes list. This English soccer star has been recognized on the field as a one of Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy players, as well  a player from the England national team. When he isn’t strutting his gams on the field, he’s showing off the rest of his bod in Armani underwear ads.

Top 5 Sexiest Female Athletes of 2010

by Jennie Betchwars

Minneapolis/Feb. 19, 2010/V-Local.com…Put aside those sultry Sports Illustrated swimsuit spreads for the moment. Forget the sibling rivalry over which Williams sister is hotter. And as for Anna Kournikova – you know, the Russian-born blonde who reportedly picked up a tennis racquet at some point in the last decade – well, Latin crooner Enrique Iglesias can have her.

While their athletic achievements may not rival the Jackie Joyner-Kersees of the world, these femme fatales have caused quite a stir with their toned bodies and blatant sex appeal. Keep a Gatorade handy; our Sexiest Female Athletes of 2010 list is a real scorcher.

Tanith Belbin
Ice dancing has been enjoying a surge in popularity as of late, and the saucy skater in our No. 1 spot deserves a fair share of the credit. Put it this way; even guest judge Scott Hamilton perks up at the sight of this buxom blonde taking the ice.

Despite a mildly risqué spread for Men’s Health magazine, Tanith Belbin has a rare star quality – or je ne sais quoi, as the French-speaking inhabitants of her native Canada would say – that’s seldom found in the age of Lindsey Lohan. Enviable body aside, kudos to Belbin for bringing renewed interest to a sport ridiculed by most of the male species for its enthusiastic use of sequins, glitter and tights – and that’s just the men’s program.

Lindsey Vonn
Lindsey Vonn made her Olympic debut nearly a decade ago, but it was an appearance on the 2010 cover of Sports Illustrated’s illustrious swimsuit issue that garnered this Midwest vixen true star status. How’s a blue-eyed, flaxen-haired beauty supposed to top such a feat? By coasting her way to an Olympic gold, of course.

For all her doe-eyed sex appeal, Vonn is a serious competitor on the downhill skiing scene. She’s made quite a splash at the Vancouver Olympics thus far, nabbing her first-ever Olympic gold earlier this week, and with a bruised shin to boot. In spite of her meteoric rise to glory, Vonn is the epitome of Minnesota nice. Then again, what would you expect from a girl that hails from the state’s capital city?

Ashley Force
Ashley Force is undoubtedly hot, both on and off the track.  And unlike her more famous counterpart, Danica Patrick, this seductress of funny car drag racing doesn’t take herself too seriously. When it comes time for that post-race reveal, Force deftly slips off her helmet, shakes out her expertly-coiffed hair and flashes a smile that makes even the geriatrics in the stands feel like hormone-crazed teens again.

For all her beauty queen charms, Force has the air of a girl who could chug a Bud with the best of them. Looks aside, Force’s athletic achievements are worthy of a nod. After all, making a splash in a sport notoriously dominated by the lesser sex is no easy feat, even if you had a little help from an obviously blessed gene pool.

Gretchen Bleiler
Even the ladies can’t protest our No. 4 pick; with her winning smile and infectious laugh, Gretchen Bleiler is easily one of the more approachable picks on our list. Ocean-blue eyes, sun-kissed locks and a golden glow even in the dead of winter – despite a modest Midwestern upbringing, this half pipe hottie has California surfer chic down to a science.

For all her West Coast styling, Bleiler is most at home at slightly higher altitudes. This Ohio native can conquer the slopes with the best of them and has the bling – including an Olympic silver medal and  golds  from the 2008 and 2010 X Games – to back it up.

Allison Stokke
The name of our No. 5 pick may not carry much weight beyond the University of California-Berkeley campus, but there’s a good chance any Google image search for “hot female athletes” will include a now-famous photo of this curvy co-ed. Despite her considerable track star talents, Stokke’s rise to the ranks of hottest female athletes was, by all accounts, an accident. In fact, her sole claim to fame is a candid photo – taken during a high school track meet – that somehow made its way to the web.

Men and women the world over can thank their deity of choice that it did; with her exotic good looks and a body reminiscent of a Greek goddess, Stokke is easily the best thing to happen to pole vaulting since, well…forever.

Highest Paid Pro Athletes of 2009

by Craig Tacheny, Special to V-Local

No. 1: Tiger Woods – Pro Golfer
$127 million in salary/winnings and endorsements

Wow. This one’s not even close. Woods made twice as much as the No. 2 entry on the list. His marital miscalculations will cost him endorsement cash in the future, but the sponsors will come running back when he starts winning majors again. And he will. Let’s just say he won’t have trouble paying to replace the rear window of his Escalade.

No. 2: Phil Mickelson – Pro Golfer
$62 million in salary/winnings and endorsements

Poor Phil, always playing second fiddle to Tiger; even his wife’s not quite as good looking as Tiger’s. I doubt he’s losing much sleep over it, though. He’s got $62 million and two Green Jackets of his own. Plus, he spends considerably less time on TMZ than Tiger these days.

No. 3: LeBron James – Forward, Cleveland Caveliers
$40.4 million in salary and endorsements

Night in and night out King James earns every penny of that $40 million, and guess what: he’s due for a raise. He’ll be a free agent after the 2010 season and depending on where he ends up (Knicks? Bulls? Clippers?), he could be looking at $30 million per or more. And if he ends up in a major media market like L.A. or New York, The Best Player in the NBA could be on his way to the top of this list. But regardless of how much he gets paid, will he ever be truly happy without an NBA title on his resume?

No. 4: Floyd Mayweather, Jr. – Pro Boxer
$40.2 million in salary/winnings and endorsements

Who says professional boxing is dead? Mayweather checks in just short of LeBron thanks to those pay-per-view shares and the payoff from the Ricky Hatton fight. He also raked in an easy $20 million for his try at professional wrestling.

No. 5: Kobe Bryant – Guard, Los Angeles Lakers
$35.5 million in salary and endorsements

Kobe Bryant may be considered villain when he visits opponents’ arenas, but he’s a hero in at least two places: Staples Center and the bank. He pocketed $35 million last year and although his quest to win as many rings as Michael Jordan might be all the motivation he needs, something tells me he’s not going to refuse the paychecks in the future.

No. 6: Shaquille O’Neal – Center, Cleveland Caveliers
$35 million in salary and endorsements

Seriously? Shaq made $35 million last year? I don’t think anyone can really explain this one. It’s been what, three years since he was a regular player and a difference maker? He always said he wanted to go into law enforcement when he was done with basketball; maybe it’s time he finally went through with it and stopped fleecing the Caveliers for the $20 million he’s due from them this season.

No. 7: Alex Rodriguez – Third Baseman, New York Yankees
$35 million in salary and endorsements

A-Rod’s mammoth contract with the Yankees could be worth up to $275 million through 2017. You may think the $33 million he’ll make from the Yankees is a bit much, but the man guarantees you 30 home runs and a .960 OPS every year. There aren’t many players not named Pujols who give you that. Plus, it’s not like the Yankees are ever strapped for cash. When you can afford to pay for players of this caliber (see: first-ballot hall of famer), why wouldn’t you?

No. 8: Kevin Garnett – Forward, Boston Celtics
$31 million in salary and endorsements

As a Minnesota guy I’ll always have a soft spot for KG. I was happy as heck for him when he won his (much deserved) title with Boston in 2008. He made $31 million last year and yeah, it was too much for what the Celtics got out of him (16 ppg, 8 rpg, 2 apg) but you won’t find another player in the league who gives the effort KG does. He’s never going to be the KG of old, but consider the money he’s making now recompense for the years of losing and incompetence here in Minnesota.

No. 9: Peyton Manning – Quarterback, Indianapolis Colts
$30.5 million in salary and endorsements

He’s one of the few people who knows what it means to be the best in the world at something – sorry, Tom Brady – and he’s paid quite reasonably for it. Manning dominates on the football field by calling audibles at the line, but his improv work on Saturday Night Live wasn’t bad, either. He blew it in this year’s Super Bowl but rest assured, a quarterback as good as Manning will have a chance at a few more Lombardi Trophies – and pay days.

No. 10: Derek Jeter – Shortstop, New York Yankees
$30 million in salary and endorsements

Full disclosure: I’ve had a man-crush on Jeter since 1996, but I promise it’s his skills on the field I’m attracted to, not his eight-figure salary. But that’s impressive, too, I guess. Jeter won his fifth World Series last November and he’s still churning out 200-hit seasons in his mid-thirties. He’s got one more pay day before he gets to Cooperstown – he’ll be a free agent after this season – and although he’s no longer a top-tier shortstop, he’ll probably end up with a lucrative “legacy contract” from the Yankees that will thank him for his years of greatness and keep him tied to the team well after his playing days are through.