Eight is considered a lucky number in China. It may be a good omen that the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing will start at 8 p.m. on the eighth day of the eighth month in the eighth year of this century.

It’s certain that the Games will produce historic events, both athletically and politically.

About 11,000 athletes from 205 countries will compete in 31 sports for 303 medals. The United States has one of the largest delegations – 530 athletes and 328 coaches and others.

This may be the largest and most closely scrutinized event in history. Every grand performance and gaffe will receive unprecedented exposure.

Nearly 20,000 accredited journalists (two for every athlete) will be digging for every imaginable story about the competitions, the athletes, China, the food, and any political angle they can find or create. Stories putting the U.S. in a poor light will be especially prized.

We are certain to see heroic feats of athleticism and new world records. What is less certain is how many exemplary or embarrassing examples of sportsmanship and journalistic professionalism we will see.

U.S. athletes will be under a tremendous amount of pressure, not simply to compete well but to represent their country honorably. Keep in mind that most Olympians are quite young and, except for a few high-profile athletes in high-profile sports, they have little experience with intense and potentially hostile media attention.

I was privileged to be part of an unprecedented effort by the U.S. Olympic Committee to instill in our athletes Olympic ideals and the sense that they are our nation’s most visible ambassadors with an obligation and opportunity to “make U.S. proud.” I think they will.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.