Column: Yes, the Olympics are political, including ridiculous rules on swim caps

The 1908 Summer Olympics in London were fascinating for a variety of nonsports reasons, starting with the fact the Games weren't supposed to be in London in the first place. But the 1906 eruption of Mt. Vesuvius forced the move away from Rome. The United States finished second in total medals, but the bigger story may have been the flag protest led by Irish American athletes rumored to be angry that Britain would not allow Ireland to field its own team.