The Unhappy Games

The Summer Olympics opened in Munich on this day in 1972. The Munich slogan translated to "The Happy Games." Of course, they turned out to be anything but, although they were host to some remarkable events - Mark Spitz and his seven gold medals, Olga Korbut becoming the first gymnastics darling of the television age, Lasse Viren dusting Steve Prefontaine in the 5,000 and then going on to win the 10,000 as well, the U.S./U.S.S.R. basketball controversy that rages on to this day.

But those are all footnotes really. The Munich Olympics live forever in our minds only for the fact of the Munich Massacre, an act of ruthless terrorism that presaged so many that would follow.