We turn from the Super Bowl to other sports, such as the Sochi Olympics, which open today amid terrorism threats, euthanizing stray dogs and construction delays: “OK, so my hotel doesn’t have a lobby yet,” tweeted Mark MacKinnon of Toronto’s Globe and Mail. Next week pitchers and catchers report to spring training – and speaking of catchers, it turns out that Chris Christie, who aspired to become the heftiest president since William Howard Taft until a bothersome traffic jam in Fort Lee snarled his plans, played one in high school. Christie’s athleticism initially surfaced as the New Jersey governor was  distancing himself from his old friend, David Wildstein, whom he’d appointed to the Port Authority: “We didn’t travel in the same circles in high school. You know, I was the class president and an athlete. I don’t know what David was doing during that period of time.”

There is a touching backstory to Christie’s baseball career. Just before his senior year a better catcher transferred to his school. The Christie family considered suing to prevent him from playing, but ultimately decided not to, and Chris, a captain, buried his disappointment and cheered his team to the state championship from the bench.

My Republican friends insist that Christie manned up after Bridgegate, taking responsibility for the incident and firing those responsible. I read a different tale – of the aphrodisiac of power transforming a boy trying to throw out runners at second base into an ambitious politician throwing his friends under the bus.