The most ridiculous thing I’ve heard since I got here?

A guy from the U.S. archery federation — on the day that the U.S. Olympic Committee was backing away from the hint of a suggestion of a notion that the air here is filthy — saying the atmosphere really isn’t that bad.

This on a day that the sun was a pale rumor up in the leaden skies.

Assistant coach Dan Rabska announced, “I’m from Los Angeles, so this is no big deal. … I think (bad air in Beijing) has been over-emphasized.”

Well, I’m from L.A., too, with 30 years in the smog-choked Inland Empire, and I haven’t seen one day in my life in SoCal that compares to my first two days here.

In SoCal, I have never seen the sun nearly disappear because the air is so bad. In SoCal, I have never been unable to see a building 500 yards away because the air is so gray.

OK, we get it: The USOC has decided it isn’t smoggy. Just isn’t there. It’s a pretend game we’re all going to play. Or at least everyone on Team USA is playing. Just to make the Chinese happy.

Smoggy Sun