And he dated Anna Kournikova

You hear from so many Americans who either can't or can barely contain their dislike of this country that it needs to be remembered how many are willing to do almost anything to get to this, the greatest country in the world. A telling example is hockey superstar Sergei Fedorov, who defected from Soviet tyranny in a real-life cloak-and-dagger operation in 1990. You have to love hearing this:

"I sacrificed a lot, like my connection with my family," Fedorov said. "But I had been on my own since 13 playing hockey and living in different cities. And I wanted something better. I'm just lucky America exists and the NHL exists."

If only more Americans realized how lucky they are that America exists. You can bet that most of the countless millions who owe their freedom to US military and political maneuvering over the last century damned well realize it.