Do the Olympics still matter to Americans? Or do we need a Cold War enemy to make the events mean more than just being faster and stronger? Have we become so inundated with year-round athletics that the Olympics seem no more important than the World Championships? Are there not one or two athletes that the nation can adopt, like Dan and Dave, Carl Lewis, or the original Dream Team? Or is there another reason so few seem to attend and even watch the Olympics?

I don’t know the true reason or reasons, but I felt that same apathy and disinterest—until I started watching. When I saw the American softball team beat Canada with the mercy rule, I got excited. And I don’t care much for softball. When I saw some skinny, 19-year-old kid from Turkey set an Olympic and Junior World record in weight-lifting, I couldn’t wait to see the next event.

The joy and heartache Olympic athletes undergo is contagious. And I’m glad I’ve started watching. I’ll never see the Men’s 50M Rifle winner after the games conclude. The Women’s Water Polo team will never be on TV again. But right now, while the Olympics are on, I enjoy seeing athletes who, for the most part, aren’t overpaid or coddled. People who truly have a passion for what they doing and strive to be the best, no matter the circumstances.

So, maybe the ad I’ve seen during The Games is true. When people say athletes shouldn’t be role models, maybe they’re talking about the wrong athletes.