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.
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.
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."
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?
It feels like every time I watched gymnastics so far the announcers have been questioning the judging and scoring systems.
I understand that comes with the territory in subjective sports, but gymnastics went through the whole process of changing its scoring system to help avoid those problems.
Gymnastics judges better watch their backs.
Last night, the women's gymnastics event finals got ugly. After a nearly flawless uneven bar routine, American Nastia Liukin scored a 16.725. Chinese gymnast He Kexin also performed a great routine and scored a 16.725. Confusion ensued.
In the photo above, the fingers of Milorad Cavic (bottom lane) can be seen just inches from the wall, and yet it was Michael Phelps (top lane) who won this race.
For anyone that saw it, Michael Phelps was second in the 100 meter butterfly.
Until the finish that is.
Somehow, the greatest swimmer in Olympic history managed to touch out - or in this case out-touch - Milorad Cavic of Serbia.
How did he do it?
None of us watching at the Daily Record/Sunday News office know. He was trailing throughout the race. Cavic's fingers were two inches from the wall. Phelps' hands were behind his shoulders.
We all figured, he came in second.
We figured wrong.
So, the saga continues and there is no way anyone should bet against Phelps breaking Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals in one Olympic games when he takes the pool during Saturday night's 400 meter relay.
This is the most amazing thing I have seen in years..
Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson took the gold and silver medal last night, but in the opposite order most of the analysts expected.
Chad Johnson said he could swim faster than Michael Phelps in this video. He may be right.
"The problem with Michael Phelps is there's no competition where he is," Johnson said while on ESPN's Pardon the Interruption. "If he came where I'm from, int he inner-city, I was a three-time Charles Hadley pool champ. Don't laugh, it's not funny. Some of the best people in the world are the people who are not able to make it to that level. Where I'm from, Liberty City, I know a couple people who could beat Michael Phelps right now. Seriously, I'm telling you, and I'm one of them."
The absurdity of the suggestion that Johnson could just jump in a pool tomorrow and outperform the man who has already won five gold medals this year is self-evident. And clearly, Johnson was having a little bit of fun with his challenge. But whether he realizes it or not, he makes sense with a greater point.
The elite athletes around the world end up competing in sports other than swimming. In most countries, they spend their time playing soccer. In the United States, if only to help gain themselves a free college education, most kids turn to football, basketball and, to a lesser extent, baseball. If a top athlete like Chad Johnson had committed himself to swimming since his pre-teen years, I think he would have had a decent chance at swimming at Phelps' level.
So much for a surprising berth in the quarterfinals.
The United States' strong start in group play was nullified by a red card issued to Michael Orozco in the early minutes of this morning's game against Nigeria. (There is some serious questioning by the stats people whether the card was issued in the third or fourth minute.)
But either way, the United States had to play with 10 men for the bulk of the game.
Despite an exciting four minutes in stoppage time where the United States had some chances to tie the game, Nigeria wins 2-1 and advances to the quarterfinals.
The Netherlands beat Japan in the other game in Group B, so this ends the United States road in the Olympics.
Check back later for a final wrap up and thoughts about Team USA's showing in the Olympics.
Bad news for Team USA. Michael Orozco just drew a red card in the fourth minute for throwing an elbow.
They will now play the reminder of the 90 minutes a man down.
That's not what the United States was looking to do if the team wants any hope of advancing to the finals.
Good morning York, we're here with another insanely early U.S. men's soccer game.
It's about to get under way.
If you've been following along, you know how important this game against Nigeria is.
Check back often for updates.
A perfect 16ish?
Gymnastics are a must-watch for me during the summer Olympics, but the time difference is killing me. I was able to catch part of men's team finals Monday night, but had to hit the hay before the competition was over.
That's pretty much what the guys on the U.S. soccer team tell us in this video.
There's no embed link so you've got to go straight to the site to watch it. It's called "Mo checks in from China."
If you want another great U.S. soccer video check out the guys modeling the outfits Team USA wore in the opening ceremonies. Video called "MNT at the Opening Ceremonies."
Apologies for the delayed recap from yesterday's men's soccer game. I was away this weekend and didn't have access to a computer anywhere near the TV where I was watching the game.
If you didn't catch the action live you missed a great, but disappointing game.
Team USA led 2-1 with about 20 seconds remaining in stoppage time when the Netherlands earned a free kick off a Stuart Holden yellow card right outside the box and pushed the ball under the wall past diving goalie Brad Guzan to tie the game.
The men's 4 X 100 relay swim has to go down as the greatest Summer Olympic event I have ever seen.
While nothing will ever touch the 1980 Miracle on Ice hockey team that stunned the world, watching live as Jason Lezak come from a near-body length behind to beat a French team that gallantly (and foolishly) said it would "smash the Americans" will stick with me until my cluttered mind can hold no more.
The world record breaking swim also gave Michael Phelps a shot to surpass Mark Spitz's seven gold medals in one year, set in 1972.
I was 10-years-old when during those famed Munich Games, which showed me at an early age triumph and tragedy, but I can't remember the last time I yelled at my television during the Olympics.
This was simply incredible.
Because of one lesser-known sport, the U.S. went from zero to three medals.
United States gold-medal winner Mariel Zagunis is flanked by silver medal winner Sada Jacobson, left, and bronze medal winner Becca Ward, right, on the podium after the women's individual saber at the Fencing Hall of the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing today.
Zagunis took the gold with a 15-8 victory over Jacobson in the finals.
Regardless of the sport, three red, white and blue flags being raised should always be an inspiring sight, espcially for those yet to compete.
This was China's chance to show what it could do with the world watching. What the world saw was a lavishly excessive display that brings up questions as to whether the $40 billion (by conservative estimates) invested in the Opening Ceremonies was put to good use.
The Washington Post's Thomas Boswell rightly scolds the Chinese government for investing so much money in the spectacle, asserting: "No democracy can or should invest the money and manpower that went into this city-wide fireworks-spewing deification of national pride, athletic aspiration and Communist Party self-congratulation. Public money could never be justified for such an insanely exhilarating night. Only a People's Republic could squander so lavishly."
Boswell goes on to talk about how the ceremonies also served as a propaganda tool for the Chinese government -- a chance to fool the Chinese people into thinking their suffering and oppression is all part of the plan.
"All this, of course, celebrated the Olympics. But it was just as much spectacle to convince 1.3 billion people that they were living out a glorious collective destiny, a march into a perfectible future that justified any current hardship or lack of basic liberties."
It remains a shame that China was even given the opportunity to host these Games -- we really shouldn't have expected any more or less from that government.
Denverpost.com blogger John Meyer writes: "I gather a lot of what you are reading, hearing and seeing about Beijing relates to the appalling air quality. And there's no doubt it's disgusting to look at. I've been here five days now, and every day it's the same, a thick haze that turns buildings a quarter of a mile away into ghostly shapes. I went to Tianenmen Square today, and buildings only 100 meters away seemed to have a milky film over them. But is it unhealthy? Maybe not. ..."
Read the rest of what Meyer has to say here.
And check out the Post's extensive Olympics coverage here.
