If anyone cares, here are some of my Olympic thoughts after the 2008 Games.

The games were exciting, although I must admit, I watched a lot less after the swimming -- and Michael Phelps - was completed.

Speaking of Phelps - wow. Eight gold medals, six world records. Despite those who understandably feel that there was too much coverage of Phelps, what the 23-year-old did was something we may never see again.

Some people who consider themselves experts believe the man that has won three gold medals this Olympics could be a force in the NFL.

He obviously has incredible speed and is only 21-years-old. If he can learn how to catch a football, he could be a serious weapon for an NFL team, especially one that has a QB with a strong arm.

This isn't the first time a star sprinter has been considered for a spot in the NFL. Bob Hayes has had the most success transitioning to football, winning a Super Bowl and earning multiple Pro Bowl selections. Jim Hines was drafted a round higher than Hayes, but didn't work out nearly as well.

So does Bolt have the goods to make it in the NFL?

Feeling bummed about all of the struggles the United States has had in track and field this Olympics? Just watch this video above featuring highlights of John Belushi making this country proud with his efforts in the decathlon more than three decades ago.

In actual Olympic news, American Bryan Clay lived up to the legacy set by Belushi and took gold in the 2008 decathlon. It must be the donuts.

Watching another medal chance slip through their fingers

I heard rumors of what happened to the U.S. track team at Beijing's Bird's Nest Wednesday, but I had to see for myself Thursday night.
It was like watching back-to-back high-speed trainwrecks.

This just in from Associated Press:

Olympic superstar Michael Phelps will write a book telling the story behind his historic eight gold medal swims just in time for the holiday season, Free Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, announced today.

Chinese gymnast He Kexin, center, is seen with teammates at a news conference at the Samsung Pavilion at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in Beijing, Friday, Aug. 22, 2008. Coach Lu Shanzhen told The Associated Press they gave the FIG new documents on Thursday to try to remove any doubts about He Kexin's age, including an old passport, residency card and her current ID card. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

The International Olympics Committee requested that the International Federation of Gymnastics look into the ages of the Chinese gymnasts who are alleged to be too young to compete.

The IOC, however, refused to call this a full investigation, but said it is merely seeking "clarification."

He's an international superstar still basking in the glow of the spotlight several days after wrapping up his historic run to eight gold medals in a single Olympics.

But will Michael Phelps have the staying power to remain an American darling for the forseeable future?

Not even the most ardent sports fan pays much attention to swimming outside of the Olympics, but Phelps has been remarkable enough for people to remember his accomplishments. He has the chance to score lucrative endorsement deals and generate more interest in swimming across the country. It will only happen if the public continues to embrace him.

The Best Week Ever blog compiled some photos that make Phelps seem a little less than appealing. There are shades of Kevin Federline. A bit of a Ryan Seacrest vibe going on.

Some believe Tommy Kono became the United States' best lifter in the 1950s.

York Barbell weightlifter Tommy Kono won two Olympic golds and one silver.

Some experts believe he's the best American lifter ever.

Who was Tommy Kono?

See:York Town Square post - Tommy Kono: 'He's the greatest weightlifter -- and I'm talking worldwide'

These pictures pretty much sum it up.

If you missed it, or just want to re-live it, NBC's got the highlights here.

Dwight Schrute thinks the decathlon is for wimps.

The fictional character in the brilliant comedy The Office is known for his intensity and lack of traditional social skills. In this NBC promo he campaigns for the inclusion of the centathlon (100 events) in the next Olympic games. Some of Dwight's suggested events include back jump, animal mimicry, boat repair, cabinet making and haircutting.

As awesome as Dwight's centathlon might actually be, it's probably not feasible within the two-week period the Olympics are held. But what about 25 events? That might actually be interesting -- especially if they go beyond track and field. If the biathlon in the Winter Games features both rifle shooting and cross country skiing, why can't we combine swimming, weightlifting and boxing with running, jumping and throwing?

Either way, I'm hoping murder checkers is added to the Olympics as a medal sport on its own merits.

I've been coming into work this week with bags under my eyes thanks to the fact that all the exciting Olympic action happens after 10 p.m.

Tuesday night's broadcast of the women's gymnastics balance beam finals wasn't even live, but I still sacrificed beauty sleep to watch it after the men's diving and women's track events.

Shawn Johnson finally got her gold medal. She stuck her routine and was awareded with the highest score on the apparatus seen during the 2008 Olympics -- a 16.225. Her smile could have lit up the arena by itself.

Her teammate Nastia Liukin also performed beautifully and earned a silver medal, her fifth of the Beijing games. Overall, it was a nice ending after all the the gymnastics drama that went down recently.

I guess I can just catch up on my sleep next week.

There are really no words for this.

Usain Bolt broke his second world record by winning Wednesday's 200 final.

Jamaica's Usain Bolt continued his gold-medal romp Wednesday morning with yet another world record - this time in the 200 meters.

He becomes the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to sweep the 100 and 200 events.

Bolt's 19.30 eclipsed the old record of 19.32 seconds set by Michael Johnson in Atlanta in 1996.

Bob Hoffman, second from right in this photo from York Barbell, and his company spawned numerous Olympic wrestlers.

Bob Hoffman had died and York Barbell was no longer producing Olympic-caliber lifters.

But the company made a contribution to the international scene in the early 1990s. See 20 questions and answers to prove your York County smarts for the answer.

South Dakota native Becky Hammon (above) will take the court along with several others talented American basketball players on Thursday when the U.S. plays Russia in the semifinals. The difference about Hammon is she will be wearing a Russian uniform.

Despite finishing second in the WNBA MVP voting last season, Hammon was not invited to try out for the U.S. national team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She responded by signing a lucrative contract with a Russian professional team that included the possibility of playing in the Olympic games.

United States coach Anne Donovan responded by extending a belated invitation for Hammon to try out for the American team. Still stinging from the initial snub, Hammon elected to play for a Russian team that had more interest in her. Donovan then called Hammon "not a patriotic person" in an interview with ESPN.

The situation received some attention in the national media in late June, but was forgotten soon enough. Now that Hammon will actually be playing against America with gold medal hopes on the line, it's worth revisiting the question: Did Hammon do anything wrong by electing to play for Russia?