International Olympic Committee OKs Blogs. Mostly.

Remember Tommie Smith and John Carlos, black-gloved fists raised defiantly in the '68 Olympics? Not likely to see that kind of protest at this year's games, at least online. After banning blogging in the '04 Olympics, the IOC recently issued a series of restrictive guidelines allowing athletes to keep web logs during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, provided posts were "dignified and in good taste."

Athletes have long demanded they be allowed to keep blogs during the Games, but the IOC has been worried that blogs containing pictures or videos of the games could jeopardize broadcasting contracts that are worth billions of dollars.

In the ruling, the IOC said blogs "should take the form of a diary or journal" and could not contain interviews with other competitors. Athletes are also prohibited from posting audio clips or videos of "any Olympic events, including sporting action, opening, closing and medal ceremonies or other activities which occur within any zone which requires an Olympic identity and accreditation card."

Though designed to protect lucrative media deals, the IOC's ruling was one more check on free expression at the Beijing Games, which many worry could become a politically explosive referendum on China's human rights record. In January, Belgium's Olympic Committee issued a ruling prohibiting its athletes from raising human rights or political issues. Britain's Olympic committee inserted a controversial clause into its athletes' contracts forbidding them from making political comments about China. And Steven Spielberg recently resigned his position as artistic adviser at the Beijing Olympics to protest China’s Darfur policy.

All in all, it's all shaping up to be one of the most dramatic Olympics since Harding and her band of goons knee-capped Kerrigan back in '98. Ultimately, perhaps the most greatest contest won't be between athletes, but China and human-rights advocates pushing for greater reform.
--Damon Tabor