These strange facts are pure gold.

Davidson College Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics Allison Smith examines the "distant echoes" of the original Olympic Games and how they compare to the modern global competition. The discussion explores the evolution of the games from a sacred religious sanctuary at Olympia to today's "moving circus" of international host cities.

There is actually a very close relationship between religion and sports. I have written two books about sports and faith: “Holy Goals for Body and Soul: Eight Steps to Connect Sports with God and Faith” and “Running for a Higher Purpose: Eight Steps to Spiritual and Physical Fitness.”

The Milan-Cortina Olympics begin this week, and it's shaping up to be a very exciting two weeks of sports. If you're curious about learning more about Olympic history, or if you simply have the Olympic bug and want to consume everything you possibly can about the Games,