Published as the lead letter in USA TODAY - February 25, 2002

The Winter Olympic Games are over and it is little more than two years before the Summer Games are to be held in Athens. Let's stop and consider what has happened to the Games over time.

Since the establishment of the Games, many non-Olympic events have been added, distorting the idea of the Olympics beyond recognition. Such events now far outnumber the original track and field competitions. Overall, the Games have become a commercialized nightmare.

The relentless drive to include every sport, and some non-sporting events such as bridge, in Olympic competition, calls for reviving the original concept of the Olympics. The time and place to do it is the 2004 Olympics in Greece, the birthplace of the Olympics and democracy.

Daniel B. Jeffs, founder
The Direct Democracy Center