Daily Craig: My Olympic effort

HOUSTON – In case you have dreamed what I once did, you can appreciate today's posting. If not, I am posting it in any case.

I decided in 1972 I would train to become an Olympian. In order to do so I had to give up my bad habit of not running if I didn't have to run. I was three years removed from the Marines and had decided running long distances only to end up some place I didn't want to go made no sense. I had also stopped wearing green, but couldn't break the habit of stepping off the curb with a left, right, left. In order to make the American squad I had to pick up a sport and a specialty.

I was living in Northern California at the time and a friend suggested I train in a sport no one else wanted to do, thus making my chances better to wear the red, white, and blue. I ruled out several sports including swimming and boxing since I didn't do either very well. I also ruled out basketball since I hadn't played it on a regular basis since my sophomore year in high school. Then it dawned on me. I would become a track and field guy specializing in a category hardly any one wanted to do. Or so I thought. Yes, I would compete in the steeplechase. You know, running and jumping and going through water hazards.

I got myself to the track at UC Berkeley to give it a try. They had a course laid out and the USOC had conducted some tryouts. It wasn't as fancy in those days. I ran the course in my mind and then set out to become the cover boy of S.I. Instead I almost made the cover of Red Cross journal. I was brutal.

I kissed it goodbye and went back to supporting our country the way I knew best. I took a TV job in Wyoming. U-S-A, U-S-A.