You don't have to know the decathlon from the pentathlon or Helsinki from Heidelberg, for that matter, to understand why Bryan Clay is pretty special this week.

Indeed, Clay's remarkable performance in winning the decathlon at the World Championships of Track and Field in Finland is only part of what makes him stand out right now. It is but a portion of what makes the 5-foot-11 Castle High graduate so tall on the world stage.

That Clay won by a whopping 211 points over Olympic goal medalist Roman Sebrle — the largest margin in 14 years — is nothing compared to the way he has distanced himself from another subject of the sports headlines you might have heard of this week, Philadelphia wide receiver Terrell Owens.

Nationally, the petulant T.O. has been the more talked-about story, but B.C. has easily been the most refreshing.

While Owens was earning a one-week "timeout" from the Eagles' training camp for reportedly cursing his coach, Andy Reid, and dissing offensive coordinator Brad Childress, Clay was profusely thanking all those who have helped him. "When you get this kind of support, you can't let people down," Clay told the Los Angeles Times.

That's Clay to the core all right even after his Olympic silver medal experience, self-made but definitely not self-centered.

Owens, meanwhile, had told the Eagles through agent Drew Rosenhaus that he would become a disruptive influence if they didn't tear up the $49 million, seven-year contract he signed just last year and fatten it.

Contrast that with Clay, who was overjoyed to receive the $60,000 decathlon prize, or probably about what Owens spends on valets in a year.

While we're told Owens refused to take part in a mandatory team autograph session earlier and blew off fans at training camp, Clay was a popular figure with those raincoat-huddled fans who braved the stormy conditions in Helsinki.

Of course, we probably shouldn't be surprised. The nature of the event is that the decathlon eventually separates those with exceptional focus and dedication from those without them. Given the close-knit fraternity of decathletes, me-first types rarely make it. With the limited rewards and limelight usually available in this country, those who undertake the decathlon and endure its demands have to be motivated more by passion than greed.

In awarding the decathlon gold medal at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, King Gustav V of Sweden bestowed upon Jim Thorpe the title of "the world's greatest athlete." It is an unofficial title that has been passed on to the reigning decathlon champion ever since.

This week, Clay has underlined that being a great athlete and solid sportsman need not be mutually exclusive.