Olympics OT

[slufanskip]

Anyone watching much of the Olympics. What stands out to you?

For me I've watched all the soccer except the women's game this morning which is Tivo'd and quite a bit of swimming. Obviously Phelps is incredible.

I was also impressed with Bolt in the 100 meters, except for his celebrating at the end. He could have lowered the world record by another 10th of a second had he not slowed up at the end.

The lady that won the marathon was also cool, she took off early and just dominated the field. when they showed her 5 minutes later she was still taking victory laps, must have been her 3rd or 4th. Hell, after I make a quick sprint to the fridge, I still only take 1 victory lap around the coffee table.

Any thoughts? We need something to talk about, country hasn't even posted today ... so we have no one to laugh at.

[Westy03]

Anyone watching much of the Olympics. What stands out to you?

For me I've watched all the soccer except the women's game this morning which is Tivo'd and quite a bit of swimming. Obviously Phelps is incredible.

I was also impressed with Bolt in the 100 meters, except for his celebrating at the end. He could have lowered the world record by another 10th of a second had he not slowed up at the end.

The lady that won the marathon was also cool, she took off early and just dominated the field. when they showed her 5 minutes later she was still taking victory laps, must have been her 3rd or 4th. Hell, after I make a quick sprint to the fridge, I still only take 1 victory lap around the coffee table.

Any thoughts? We need something to talk about, country hasn't even posted today ... so we have no one to laugh at.

Call me unpatriotic but I kind of want the mens basketball team to lose. The only players I like watching on that team are Chris Paul and Deron Williams. I think Lebron is the cockiest SOB in sports. THe team in general is was too arrogant and cocky. In fact I hope they get their asses handed to them.

[billiken_roy]

i have been trying to stay up and watch the ladies softball team. best kept secret of the olympics thus far as they are dominating to the point they deserve a heck of a lot more talk than they are getting. they get shown around 11 pm every night. the likes of jennie finch, monica abbott, cat ostermann, and jesicca mendoza doesnt deserve late night push back coverage. who's in charge of promotion at the olympics anyway?

[Box and Won]

The lady that won the marathon was also cool, she took off early and just dominated the field. when they showed her 5 minutes later she was still taking victory laps, must have been her 3rd or 4th. Hell, after I make a quick sprint to the fridge, I still only take 1 victory lap around the coffee table.

The marathon was awesome. I'm running a half marathon in a few weeks and if I am able to beat her time in the FULL marathon, I'll be quite pleased with myself!

Is it just me, or does Jamaica's sudden dominance in track seem a little fishy? When they swept the women's 100m last night, it made me a little skeptical.

[Box and Won]

And BTW, despite the fact that Alicia Sacramone tends to fold like a lawn chair under pressure, she has an outstanding rack. And according to Bernie, she's dating a Jr. Bill:

[Eric Hunt, a star football player at SLUH until his graduation in 2006, is dating U.S. Olympic gymnast Alicia Sacramone. Both are students at Brown University. Hunt plays cornerback and returns punts and kicks at Brown.

[Bishop]

Call me unpatriotic but I kind of want the mens basketball team to lose. The only players I like watching on that team are Chris Paul and Deron Williams. I think Lebron is the cockiest SOB in sports. THe team in general is was too arrogant and cocky. In fact I hope they get their asses handed to them.

agreed that Lebron is the cockiest man in sports but I can't cheer against the USA! Plus, there are more than enough nice guys on this team - paul and deron as mentioned before along with dwayne wade, howard, michael redd, tayshaun... they are all pretty solid characters. And just think about all of the obnoxious Jeremy Schapp stories we will have to hear about if they lose! I dont think I could take that.

Has anyone watched team handball yet? This is like lacrosse and hockey just with your hands. It looks like a game you would make up with your friends in the backyard as a little kid. I think it would be really fun if I understood even just one of the rules.

[NashvilleBilliken]

Call me unpatriotic but I kind of want the mens basketball team to lose. The only players I like watching on that team are Chris Paul and Deron Williams. I think Lebron is the cockiest SOB in sports. THe team in general is was too arrogant and cocky. In fact I hope they get their asses handed to them.

You're nuts! I'm loving the basketball games. Can't wait to go home and watch us destroy Germany (got it DVR'd). I'm not sensing the cockiness. Well, I do see a little bit out of LeBron. But what do you expect? Did you see the opening ceremonies? They couldn't even stand there without being asked by every athlete in the world for a picture. Then they are destroying everybody that they come in contact with. They are playing team basketball and outstanding defense (for the most part). They are dominating the sport....like America is supposed to do. I'm pretty surprised you want us to lose. That rubs me the wrong way.

Phelps is a monster. I'm just in awe every time I watch the kid swim. He's on a level we've never seen before.

As a former shot putter, I really enjoy track and field.

[Guest BillikenReport]

i have been trying to stay up and watch the ladies softball team. best kept secret of the olympics thus far as they are dominating to the point they deserve a heck of a lot more talk than they are getting. they get shown around 11 pm every night. the likes of jennie finch, monica abbott, cat ostermann, and jesicca mendoza doesnt deserve late night push back coverage. who's in charge of promotion at the olympics anyway?

I hope softball gets brought back for the next Olympics. I can't believe some of the "sports" they have, but softball is on the verge of losing its status as an Olympic sport.

[Westy03]

They are playing team basketball and outstanding defense (for the most part). They are dominating the sport....like America is supposed to do. I'm pretty surprised you want us to lose. That rubs me the wrong way.

Phelps is a monster. I'm just in awe every time I watch the kid swim. He's on a level we've never seen before.

As a former shot putter, I really enjoy track and field.

The 3 games I watched granted they did play excellent defense but it looked more like the And 1 mixtape tour. They need to take a look at Michael Phelps, he new he was going to dominate and is very humble about it. Maybe its just Lebron that gets on my nerves, which brings me to another topic about him wanting to be the first billion dollar athlete. Has he heard of Tiger Woods? In 12 seasons on the tour Tiger has accumulated around 800 million. Win a title then talk, Lebron!

[Box and Won]

You're nuts! I'm loving the basketball games. Can't wait to go home and watch us destroy Germany (got it DVR'd). I'm not sensing the cockiness. Well, I do see a little bit out of LeBron. But what do you expect? Did you see the opening ceremonies? They couldn't even stand there without being asked by every athlete in the world for a picture. Then they are destroying everybody that they come in contact with. They are playing team basketball and outstanding defense (for the most part). They are dominating the sport....like America is supposed to do. I'm pretty surprised you want us to lose. That rubs me the wrong way.

With the exception of Carmelo Anthony, I really like this year's squad.

[billiken_roy]

I hope softball gets brought back for the next Olympics. I can't believe some of the "sports" they have, but softball is on the verge of losing its status as an Olympic sport.

the only thing i can think of is we are too dominant. the games have been like watching college girls and grade schoolers at times. some of the pitches USA hits to the wall are in locations that shouldnt be touched. and conversely, abbott, ostermann and finch are just dominating to the point they make most batters look foolish when they are in the circle delivering. my guess is no one wants to play us. whereas in basketball we have slipped enough the last few years that the other nations had false expectations likely.

[honeybadger]

If you are not watching the handball you are really missing out. By far the best sport in the games.

[moytoy12]

With the exception of Carmelo Anthony, I really like this year's squad.

Agreed, carmelo is the opposite of what the Olympics are supposed to represent (he's not alone there though).

And Box, cracking under pressure or not, Sacramone could be on as many Olympic teams as she wants as far as i'm concerned.

Also agree re: the Jamaicans. Bolt's been running the 100M for less than a year and absolutely crushes the competition like that? Umm, sure, he's clean.

I followed the men's soccer team. A great game against the Dutch spoiled late and then a silly red card early against Nigeria and they were sent packing. A lot of hope there though. I really enjoyed watching some of the younger players.

As a general comment, I hope more cracks in the Chinese hosting of the games reveal themselves. It's at once both fascinating and irritating to watch the Chinese government in action.

[Postcard]

Call me unpatriotic but I kind of want the mens basketball team to lose. The only players I like watching on that team are Chris Paul and Deron Williams. I think Lebron is the cockiest SOB in sports. THe team in general is was too arrogant and cocky. In fact I hope they get their asses handed to them.

How are they being too arrogant and too cocky? Would you prefer they just lay the ball up instead of dunking it? You're so far off on this it's not even funny. Stop being such a hater.

[NH]

And BTW, despite the fact that Alicia Sacramone tends to fold like a lawn chair under pressure, she has an outstanding rack. And according to Bernie, she's dating a Jr. Bill:

SLUH once again setting the standard

[Westy03]

How are they being too arrogant and too cocky? Would you prefer they just lay the ball up instead of dunking it? You're so far off on this it's not even funny. Stop being such a hater.

I guess im a "hater". I hate them because they dunk, you are right

[Postcard]

I guess im a "hater". I hate them because they dunk, you are right

Why do you hate them? They're winning by like 30+ points a game every time. Should they apologize for being better than their competition? You would dog them if they lost for not caring and now that they're crushing you hate as well.

Please explain what you're problem is with them so we have a better idea of what you're talking about.

[Westy03]

Why do you hate them? They're winning by like 30+ points a game every time. Should they apologize for being better than their competition? You would dog them if they lost for not caring and now that they're crushing you hate as well.

Please explain what you're problem is with them so we have a better idea of what you're talking about.

I guess its not really the team its more Lebron then anything. He thinks he is owed everything and he hasnt won a title yet, I think his head is bigger then Barry Bonds. Lebron is all about money.

Another thing that really gets me is the way they play defense. In this tournament they have played incredible defense which is great but where the hell is that in the 82 game regular season. Their halfcourt offense(except vs Spain) was brutal to watch. They generate steals from thier defense and just out run and jump the opposition which is fine and is obviously working but if a team can slow down the game they will be in trouble. I would like to see more fundamental basketball. The traveling Lebron and Howard do is mindboggling.

[willie]

I guess its not really the team its more Lebron then anything. He thinks he is owed everything and he hasnt won a title yet, I think his head is bigger then Barry Bonds. Lebron is all about money.

Another thing that really gets me is the way they play defense. In this tournament they have played incredible defense which is great but where the hell is that in the 82 game regular season. Their halfcourt offense(except vs Spain) was brutal to watch. They generate steals from thier defense and just out run and jump the opposition which is fine and is obviously working but if a team can slow down the game they will be in trouble. I would like to see more fundamental basketball. The traveling Lebron and Howard do is mindboggling.

Oh come on. How can you diss Lebron. He's the best defense attourney in the State of Ohio.

[Pistol]

I guess im a "hater". I hate them because they dunk, you are right

Dooz like you gotta stop snitchin'.

I'd agree that Carmelo Anthony should not have been on this roster because of his me-first play, suspensions, and a few off-court issues. I'd also argue that Jason Kidd has his gold medal and is past his prime, and that the new wave of NBA point guards, Chris Paul and Deron Williams, are already on the roster and therefore make his inclusion unnecessary. In place of Kidd and Anthony, I would have liked to see either two more pure shooters to go along with Redd or one more shooter and a center (too bad Stoudemire pulled his name out late). Ray Allen would have been my first choice but my understanding was those guys either didn't want to do it or were given a rest. Even Chauncey Billups or Kyle Korver, both of whom were near the top of the league in 3P%, would have been helpful in keeping opposing defenses honest.

Even though we're blowing everybody out right now, we've seen in years past that poor shooting can come back to haunt Team USA, and that a team of the best slashers in the NBA isn't necessarily the best team possible.

[Westy03]

Oh come on. How can you diss Lebron. He's the best defense attourney in the State of Ohio.

touche

[Postcard]

I guess its not really the team its more Lebron then anything. He thinks he is owed everything and he hasnt won a title yet, I think his head is bigger then Barry Bonds. Lebron is all about money.

Another thing that really gets me is the way they play defense. In this tournament they have played incredible defense which is great but where the hell is that in the 82 game regular season. Their halfcourt offense(except vs Spain) was brutal to watch. They generate steals from thier defense and just out run and jump the opposition which is fine and is obviously working but if a team can slow down the game they will be in trouble. I would like to see more fundamental basketball. The traveling Lebron and Howard do is mindboggling.

Seriously, are you like 90? "Back in my day sonny, we passed the ball 12 times before we even thought about shooting." So you're acknowledging that this all star team has played great defense but you're wondering why all NBA teams don't play like this in the regular season? WTF? And until they call traveling on Lebron or Howard I would advise them to take as many steps as they want. You're one of those guys who think the only way to play bball is to copy the Princeton style. I bet you have a problem with the forward pass in football as well.

So all i can gather from your statements is you hate them becaue their half court offense is brutal(your words). Is that about right?

[Westy03]

Seriously, are you like 90? "Back in my day sonny, we passed the ball 12 times before we even thought about shooting." So you're acknowledging that this all star team has played great defense but you're wondering why all NBA teams don't play like this in the regular season? WTF? And until they call traveling on Lebron or Howard I would advise them to take as many steps as they want. You're one of those guys who think the only way to play bball is to copy the Princeton style. I bet you have a problem with the forward pass in football as well.

So all i can gather from your statements is you hate them becaue their half court offense is brutal(your words). Is that about right?

im 26

[Westy03]

Seriously, are you like 90? "Back in my day sonny, we passed the ball 12 times before we even thought about shooting." So you're acknowledging that this all star team has played great defense but you're wondering why all NBA teams don't play like this in the regular season? WTF? And until they call traveling on Lebron or Howard I would advise them to take as many steps as they want. You're one of those guys who think the only way to play bball is to copy the Princeton style. I bet you have a problem with the forward pass in football as well.

So all i can gather from your statements is you hate them becaue their half court offense is brutal(your words). Is that about right?

I hate Lebron and Carmelo. I guess I have to apologize for liking fundamental basketball, sorry. I would like to say I love watching Kobe and Deron Williams, thats the type of basketball I like to watch. Again, im sorry Mr. Internet Toughguy

[Cowboy]

And BTW, despite the fact that Alicia Sacramone tends to fold like a lawn chair under pressure, she has an outstanding rack. And according to Bernie, she's dating a Jr. Bill:

again Box, you are on target with your analysis

saw the interview with Collinsworth, she looked great

I am guessing she could use $1mil - go get her Playboy