Clay not forgotten
at home

By now, everyone in Hawaii knows the decathlon is a set of 10 track and field events designed to test speed, strength and endurance. Castle graduate Bryan Clay made sure of that yesterday with his Olympic silver.

Locally, he has achieved Jasmine Trias status -- that weird terrain of media "spoilers" and the bittersweet joy of nearly winning the big competition while grabbing the state's collective heart.

Nationally, though, in the 28 years since Bruce Jenner graced a cereal box, it seems the decathlon has lost its allure. Despite its rich history of stars like Rafer Johnson and Bob Mathias, it has become just another event to many.

The Dan and Dave hype-flop probably hurt more than it helped. But you would still think a discipline that is 10 times a normal event would command more attention. Maybe it doesn't because of what these guys who do everything don't do.

Decathletes don't talk trash. They give each other tips during competition.

Decathletes don't make big endorsement money. In their sport, that goes to the sprinters.

Decathletes don't get caught up in the BALCO scandal. Clay won't even take medicine for his asthma in fear of a positive drug test.

This is by far the biggest track and field accomplishment for an athlete who calls Hawaii home. Does that mean the islands instantly become a source of world-class "athletics" competitors?

Martin Hee will settle for enough kids to field a relay team. The man who coached Clay at Castle said he had five boys and girls on the Knights varsity teams last year.

"Track is dying here. Last year, the OIA East girls championships needed trials in only six of 16 events," Hee said. "Hopefully this will revive it in the whole state, and people will realize if you're an athlete from Hawaii you can do wonderful things."

Clay didn't wrap himself in the Hawaiian flag after last night's competition, as he did following his victory in the trials, saying it would be "inappropriate."

Anyone here seeing that as a slight to where he came from should think a little deeper. Our culture in the islands at its best is one of understated pride, one that Clay represents well.

Geography dictates that many of our state's biggest athletic moments occur far away. We only see them on TV delayed or at some crazy hour, or both.

The payoff in this case was hardly worth it, as NBC (and other media) consistently featured Tom Pappas' failure more than Clay's successes. The network backed the wrong horse from the beginning, and stubbornly refused to switch. Pappas' Greek ancestry dictated he be the story.

Quiet by nature, Pappas might have preferred less of the spotlight.

In the end, a guy named Roman is the winner in a Greek tragedy for Pappas, who hobbled off with a foot injury after falling out of medal contention.

"We were kind of wondering why they focused on Tom," said Hee, who watched the first-day coverage with Clay's parents and wife at a hotel in Waikiki. "It's like they forgot Bryan beat Tom in the Trials."

In 1912, the king of Sweden told Olympic decathlon champion Jim Thorpe, "You sir, are the world's greatest athlete."

Sports has changed a lot since. Today, Shaquille O'Neal or Tiger Woods might be the rightful one to reply, "Thanks, King."

Those of us in Hawaii would have simply liked for NBC to acknowledge sooner that Bryan Clay is America's greatest decathlete.