Inspiration of Champions

Sure, sure, an Olympic gold medal is nice . . . but what most athletes really dream about is something even more glorious:

Their picture on a Wheaties box.

So while we offer warmest congratulations to Simi Valley native Angela Ruggiero, 18, and her teammates for winning the first-ever Olympic gold in women’s hockey, it saddens us to know that Ruggiero and four others will be missing from the group portrait on Wheaties boxes scheduled to hit store shelves this week.

The five will not be pictured because they have college eligibility, and NCAA rules prohibit college athletes from allowing their photos or names to be used for financial gain.

We suppose we should be pleased that someone, somewhere still has a problem with people cashing in on fame, whether that fame is earned through hard work and passionate performance (as in this case) or through some fluke of good or bad fortune. Even though Ruggiero’s teammates won’t be paid for posing, we agree with the NCAA that college athletes should wait until they turn pro before skating onto the slippery ice of endorsement deals.

Angela, Ventura County loves you anyway. We love the way you steal that puck and make the other team’s players go snap-crackle-pop. (Oops. Cancel that.)

Let’s just say that girls and boys, women and men, all over Ventura County can run, jump, skate, swim and play a little stronger this week knowing that someone a lot like them worked hard, believed in herself, listened to her coaches and made her Olympic dreams come true.

That kind of inspiration is the real breakfast of champions.