by the Night Writer
LZ Granderson has a great article on ESPN.com today about the members of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) that is competing in shooting in the Olympics.
Glenn Eller is a lanky, baby-faced 20-something from Katy, Texas, a cushy suburb outside of Houston.
He is friendly, quick to laugh and has an odd affinity for Oreos topped with Cheez Whiz.
He’s single.
He’s looking.
And when he leaves Beijing after competing in the Olympics, he’s going back to Georgia and his day job: teaching other baby-faced 20-somethings how to shoot and, if necessary, kill people.
Walton “Glenn” Eller III — that is, Army Spc. Eller — is a marksman trainer in Fort Benning, Ga. And he’s one of six members of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) that is competing in shooting in the Olympics.
It’s not among the sexiest events to watch, so you probably won’t catch him on the tube. But just because shooting doesn’t make for good TV doesn’t mean it’s lacking in drama.
Not when you consider that our nation is at war.
And members of our military are competing against military personnel from countries we have strained relationships with.
And we’re competing in a country with the kind of human rights record that forced the Olympic torch to be hidden from protesters.
So while the latest incarnation of the Dream Team has garnered the most attention, the 14 Olympic athletes in the U.S. military — six of whom are in the USAMU — likely feel the most tension.
Then there’s this uncomfortable truth: During times of war, a lot of people die. It’s up to military trainers, like Eller and fellow Olympians Maj. Michael Anti and Staff Sgt. Libby Callahan, to help make sure the American casualty numbers stay low.
Not to take anything away from Michael Phelps — whose surgeon-like focus has received a lot of ink recently — but the word “focus” takes on a whole new meaning when you’re not only representing your country but also juggling life and death to protect that country.
I suppose some might question whether shooting is an appropriate sport in games that are supposed to support peace and brotherhood, forgetting that events such as the javelin, pentathalon and decathalon are rooted in demonstrating military prowess. The article is an interesting take on a sport that probably won’t receive a lot of attention. It’s worth a read.
Update:
Glenn Eller sets Olympic shooting record in winning gold medal.
and there is also fencing,wrestling,judo,boxing…
back in 96, i used to know the guy who held the world title in shooting. (his wife trained my daughter to ride horses).
he missed the olympic team by one shot, or he would have been the odds on favorite for the gold. (the guy who beat him was not of his caliber, but had a really good shoot in the qualifiers, and the USA was only sending one).
he was explaining that in all these olympic events, there are about 10 who are at the top of the feild every time, and then another 10-20, who routinely/always place tween 10 and 20.
its always a tight grouping at the top, with the same 1/2 dozen who are always in the top 1/2 dozen, with the same 3-4 vying to place 1-2-3.
basically, the top is always just changing places, while the near-top are hoping to someday be next when somebody retires.