Performing Monkey

Paints a portrait of the athlete as vapid, one-dimensional performing monkey, and very convincing it is. These young people are conditioned to want to achieve excellence in what is arguably a very narrow, limiting and worthless(?) endeavour. He can fall fast down a hill but other than that doesn't know his ass from 3rd base and has largely nothing to say but "I don't know". Are we really doing the right thing promoting things like the Olympics, encouraging young people to strive for goals which may ultimately be meaningless?