More young men martyred on the football field

What the hell is it with all these football players dying? It makes me sick to see all these young guys being martyred on the field. It's the stuff of high school dramas.

I got me a hankering for some more anime.

Tragedy required tough questions

August 31, 2008

There are stories, and there are stories, and there are stories, and every now and then, there are stories like that of 15-year-old Max Gilpin.

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It's the kind of story that -- contrary to what some believe -- most journalists would prefer not to have to cover -- the death of someone so young, so full of hope, so full of potential.

It is also the kind of the story that demands tough questions, deliberation and honest answers.

Max died three days after experiencing breathing difficulties and collapsing at the end of football practice at Pleasure Ridge Park High School. The heat index had reached 94 degrees -- a point at which players are supposed to be allowed to drink as much water as they want. A second player also experienced breathing problems but has recovered.

This happened on Wednesday, Aug. 20, and by Friday, Aug. 22, an initial examination by the Jefferson County Public Schools had concluded that all precautions had been taken and there were no violations of district policy. On Aug. 23, Max Gilpin died.

Two stories published in The Courier-Journal since then have provoked the ire of some members of the PRP community who think the newspaper has been insensitive to the family and PRP community in general.

One story was an eyewitness account by four people who say they heard a coach deny some players' request for water. (None of them knew if Max was one of the boys, and a fifth eyewitness has come forward.) That story has prompted the school district to take a harder look at the circumstances around Max's death and triggered an investigation by the Louisville Police Department.

But some readers e-mailed us to say that story, which was published on the day of the funeral, should have been delayed out of respect for the family. The second story was about the funeral itself and, again, some thought it was insensitive to the family.

Make no mistake: We take everything we do here seriously, and these stories were no exception.

This case is a classic example of the delicate balancing act that news organizations across the country face every day in weighing the rights of the people we cover and the public's right to know.

In the case of the eyewitness account, there was never any thought of delaying the story. It was too important to hold, especially given the school district's quick rush to judgment on what had occurred. I can't think of any credible newspaper in the country that would not have promptly published a story of such importance. We would have been remiss not to do so.

You also should know that Max's mother, Michele Crockett, fully supported that story and others we have done. And, as for covering the funeral, she approved our request to cover it.

We clearly understand the sensibilities in cases such as this, and we try our best to be respectful.

But we also have an obligation to report the news. That's our job.

We make literally hundreds of decisions a day as we go about putting out the next day's newspaper -- what stories will go where on Page One, what's the most important story of the day, what stories will go in the Metro section, what reporter will cover a certain story, and on and on and on. Some decisions are easier than others. Decisions are always more difficult when they involve the loss of someone's loved one, especially someone as young as Max Gilpin.

While our stories may have been difficult for some to read, they have raised serious questions about Max's death. Had we not published the eyewitness accounts, would the Jefferson County school system be taking a deeper look? Would the police department be involved?

Probably not.

This story is too important to gloss over. Too many people have a stake in this one, including the hundreds of parents who have children in the Jefferson County school district.

Max Gilpin, a perfectly healthy young man by all accounts, died, and that shouldn't have happened.

That's why we are asking tough questions and looking for honest answers.

Bennie L. Ivory is vice president and executive editor of The Courier-Journal.


Boy, 16, killed after egging cars
Sunday, August 31, 2008 3:40 AM
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Georden Burton is comforted by Westland guidance counselor Christi Shore at the football game last night.

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ADAM ALEXANDERDispatch

Georden Burton is comforted by Westland guidance counselor Christi Shore at the football game last night.

Westland High School junior Garrett P. Burton, 16, was shot and killed near Hilliard-Rome Road.

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Westland High School junior Garrett P. Burton, 16, was shot and killed near Hilliard-Rome Road.

First, a moment of silence. Then the Westland High School band played the school's alma mater in memory of Garrett P. Burton at last night's football game.

The 16-year-old junior was shot and killed early yesterday, apparently in retaliation for throwing eggs at vehicles driving on Hilliard-Rome Road. Columbus police said Garrett died at the scene just before 3 a.m.

Garrett and at least one other boy were in the backyard of a house at 5402 Ripplemead Court when someone shot him in the head.

His grieving family came to the game last night to honor him. They hung a poster with his name, birthday, the day he was killed and a message from his mom, Patti.

They stood on the field with their arms around each other when those in the stadium stopped to remember Garrett.

"It was a dumb juvenile prank. Get your car washed, don't kill my kid," George Burton said about his son.

Burton, a Columbus police officer, didn't know details of the case or why his son was out so late, just that Garrett had been "out egging."

Garrett was killed in Ramiro Toribio's backyard, which backs up to Hilliard-Rome Road. A white plank fence and a line of trees buffer traffic noise. The area between the fence and the trees also could provide cover for teens to play pranks on passing motorists.

Toribio didn't hear the shot; police knocking at his door woke him up about 3 a.m.

"They said, 'Don't go outside; there's a dead person in your backyard,' " he said. He said Garrett's body was removed by the coroner's office about 8:30 a.m.

Toribio and his family have lived in the house since 2000. He said it's a quiet neighborhood.

His daughter, Laura, is a student at Westland and knew Garrett.

"She said he was a very likable kid," Toribio said. "For someone to kill a kid because of that is beyond belief."

News of Garrett's death spread quickly around this Far West Side community. Students sent text messages to each other and talked about the tragedy at the game.

Paige Turner, 15, said Garrett was in some of her classes. She was shocked when she heard that he'd been killed.

"It's really sad because he's really nice and he's never mean," she said.

Garrett tried out for the Westland football team last year but decided "it wasn't in him," his dad said. Garrett's older brother, Georden, was a linebacker on the Westland team until he graduated this year.

People described Garrett as quiet, very polite and helpful. He worked at Kroger and loved to golf, bowl and play basketball.

Another Columbus teen was killed in connection with an egging incident in 2006. Danny Crawford, 14, was shot and killed on the Hilltop after a group of boys he was with threw an egg at a car. No one has been charged in his death.

Anyone with information about Garrett's death is asked to call Columbus homicide detectives at 614-645-4730. His death was the 65th Columbus homicide this year.

Dispatch reporter Kathy Lynn Gray contributed to this story.

shoholik@dispatch.com


At R.J. Reynolds High, the deaths reverberate

Saturday, August 30
(updated 3:00 am)

WINSTON-SALEM — The words still ring through the years, from the last time death visited Reynolds football, and they still sting.

“Then the locals punted out, and on the eve of what was to be the most brilliant victory in the history of the school came the most horrible catastrophe that fate could send; for it was in this play that Leo Caldwell, our star halfback, in making a tackle, lost his life.”

The words were written in 1923 in the first Black and Gold annual after the school opened 85 years ago. A plaque outside the gymnasium honors the fallen student, and a scholarship in Caldwell’s name has been awarded each year since his death.

A large banner hung from the railroad bridge below the historic campus Friday afternoon. "Home Football Game — RJR.” Another hung from the giant windows of the school. “We will never forget.” By its side, another. “Remember Matt Gfeller — 57.”

Death returned to Reynolds football 85 years after the tragic death of the 1923 team’s star halfback. Gfeller, a sophomore linebacker, Eagle Scout and artist, died from an injury sustained in last Friday’s game against Page. A week later, on the same football field, the Demons played again.

“I wasn’t sure we would be able to do this,” athletics director Jim Spivey said before Reynolds’ 37-16 loss. “The players wanted to play.”

And so they played.

Friday was a normal school day at Reynolds. There were no announcements, no instructions about the counselors on the school grounds or about the special ceremonies planned before the game against rival East. Most everyone knew about them, anyway. It had been a long, tough week at Reynolds, and most everyone agreed that it was time to begin the slow and painful process of moving on.

They buried their 15-year-old classmate Wednesday. Gfeller died Sunday morning from a brain injury suffered in a freak accident during the game against Page.

The football team decided earlier Wednesday that it needed to go to the stadium as a group, stand on the 30-yard line where the accident occurred and allow the players to have their own service for their teammate.

Friday night, as parents and alumni and teachers and administrators stood in silence, the players walked into Deaton-Thompson Stadium again, this time along with the East Forsyth players, all of whom wore the No. 57 on patches and helmet stickers. In fact, several schools in the area have decided to wear the number for the rest of the season.

Since the Reynolds team could only practice sparingly this week, East decided to do the same.

The teams were nervous Friday night, even scared. A moment of silence was held in the uncomfortable minutes before the playing of the national anthem, and then a football game was played on the hallowed ground where a player was fatally injured seven days earlier.

Reynolds is one of the oldest high schools in North Carolina, a school originally named Winston-Salem High School, a school that has produced state football champions and All-America collegians and NFL players dating back years and years. The brick-and-mortar outer walls are built with classic lines, narrow hallways wind around courtyards and catacombs stretch underground filled with artifacts from the Roaring ’20s.

Reynolds is a proud old school, and its community is tight, a black-and-gold line stretching 85 years.

That community came together this week in memorials and services for Gfeller, a kid who often told his friends, “I won’t let you down.” Almost to a person, they wore a T-shirt Friday with that quote on the front and the number 57 on the back.

He was a kid who touched people, a talented actor and a son and a brother who loved football more than anything else. His dream, the family said, had always been to wear the black and gold, to play football for his school.

A foundation was set up 85 years ago to provide scholarships in the name of Leo Caldwell, the star halfback who fell in the great victory over Charlotte in the first year of the new school building. All these years later, the school and the city that grew around it continue to honor his memory.

Matt Gfeller died after playing the only game he would ever play for R.J. Reynolds. A community of friends came to honor his memory Friday night, each of them pledging to remember him forever, as is tradition, beneath the pines of Reynolds High.

Ed Hardin, RJR class of ’74, can be reached at 373-7069


Okaloosa schools to review death of Niceville football player

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NICEVILLE

The Okaloosa County School District will conduct a review of the death of sophomore football player Taylor Haugen.

The review is not an indication of fault, but merely a procedural effort.

"We want to determine the sequence of events that happened between the time the players hit each other to the time he was under the care of emergency medical treatment," Okaloosa County Superintendent of Schools Alexis Tibbetts said Sunday. "He was wearing the right equipment, and the ambulance was there within five minutes. I'm not sure what we could have done differently.

"It was a tragic accident," Tibbetts added.

Jerry Sansom, the school district's director of athletics, will conduct the review.

Niceville football coach John Hicks said he received a call from the Florida High School Athletic Association with well-wishes and that he will speak with the organization's representatives this week to discuss paperwork to be completed regarding the incident.

Haugen suffered an injury to his mid-section after colliding with two Fort Walton Beach players Friday night in the junior varsity portion of a Kickoff Classic game at Steve Riggs Stadium. He left the field under his own power before collapsing on the sideline.

There, a team trainer and doctor treated him until an ambulance arrived minutes later, and he was taken to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center, according to Tibbetts.

Haugen died early Saturday.

"It was a very short response time," she said. "From the time (medical personnel) got there, they were in charge and they made the decisions. He was being treated as best he could and everyone did everything they could do."

Tibbetts said the review is done just to be aware of everything surrounding the event.

"The county will be looking at all of the aspects of this tragic accident," she said. "We want to be aware of everything that happened. I want to be a problem solver and look at all sides. This student was equipped with all the gear that is expected and everyone was on top of everything they needed to be on top of.

"It's just a tragedy."


Barnwell High School Football Player Dies Save Email Print
Posted: 6:59 PM Aug 31, 2008
Last Updated: 10:28 PM Aug 31, 2008
Reporter: Ashley Jeffery
Email Address: ashley.jeffery@wrdw.com

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News 12 at 11 o'clock August 31, 2008

BARNWELL, SC--Justin Ferguson and James Wooden always played side by side and now that he's gone; this is one warhorse that will never be forgotten.

"He gave everything he had and that's what he did that last day of practice," said Justin Ferguson, James' teammate.

Justin Ferguson was at James Wooden's side when he collapsed after practice Tuesday and he can't believe his friend won't be back by his side ever again.

"I saw his eyes rolling around so I knew he was dehydrated real bad but I never knew it would be like this," said Justin.

Justin rode to the hospital with James and prayed everything would be just fine, but it wasn't. James' football coach tells News 12 the high school junior died Sunday morning from complications from a heat stroke.

Before he fought for his life in the hospital. James was a fighter right here on the football field as one of the toughest yet gentle Barnwell Warhorses."

"When the pads weren't on, you couldn't get him to hurt a single person, not even a fly. But when he put those pads on, you better know he was ready to hit," said Justin.

The "big teddy bear" as many would call him, touched countless lives in the Barnwell community. His number 79 painted in the end zone and posters still hung around the stadium from Friday's game. Reminders of support from a community that hoped James would be hitting the field once again.

And for James, a promise from his friend.

"He'll be there, he won't be there but his spirit will. The whole year is dedicated to him now," said Justin.

A team that plays for one horse, one town, and now one friend who will never be forgotten.

Coach Joey Still tells News 12 that James had suffered from other heat related complications this season. A few weeks ago he was hospitalized but was recently cleared to hit the field again.

He was able to play in the team's season opener against H-K-T.It's unclear at this time if the teenager had other medical problems that contributed to the heat stroke. No cause of death has been released

Quick hits, August 31, 2008

Within a couple of weeks, Francisco Rodriguez is due to not only smash Bobby Thigpen's signle-season saves record, but also become the first closer to tally 60 saves in a single season.

Chew on that, White Shox.

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The Long Beach Armada clinch the GBL South Division 2nd half title. Nice. Now let's see if they can ACTUALLY win it all in the playoffs.

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Volleyball and soccer at the Beach are off to a decent start. The volleyballers are 3-0, while Mauricio's bridesmaids are 2-0-1, the draw against Denver.

Let's see if they can keep it up.

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After a two-game slump, the Saskatchewan Roughriders learn how to win again. A 19-6 victory over those Blue Bombers from Winnepeg snaps the funk..at the expense of poor Marcus Crandell being released in favor of Michael Bishop, the former Toronto Argonaut.

Time for Eric Tillman, Ken Miller and the crew to make this a habit for the rest of the season and learn to win again and again. I mean, the best thing for Saskatchewan now is: you already got a spot in the playoffs, and now it's time to tally up those W's because you want to have that good ol' home field advantage all the way to the Grey Cup.

Ride on, Riders.

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I not only follow the Chelsea (that's the only team I follow from the EPL), but I also follow a few non-league sides.

All good things have to come to an end for AFC Wimbledon. Their win streak was halted by the likes of Bath City in a 2-2 draw. If Jon Main gets healthy, and some other players step up, these guys will be back in business as they continue their promotion push in the Blue Square South.

Meanwhile, out at Gigg Lane, the likes of FC United of Manchester are having a test in the Unibond League PRemier Division. They are in the middle of the table, and it's early, but a 3-1 win over Whitby is the way to go.

And down in little old Prescot, a suburb of Liverpool, AFC Liverpool is enjoying their maiden year in the Vodkat LEague Division One. They are where FC United was three years ago. Whether or not a promotion push is in the works remains to be seen, but a 3-0 win over Ashton Town, as part of a 4-game win streak in the Vodkat Division One is a sign that they intend to stay at the top of the table...at least until they get promoted.

Will it happen? We'll find out...

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Roll call? We don't need no stinkin' roll call!

Art Torres, thank you very much for shooting down my call for you guys to cast any votes. You turd.

I suppose there was a reason why they passed on casting any votes. I mean, who needs a roll call anyway? It really didn't make any sense to cast the votes when Senator Hillary Clinton of New York decided to let Obama take the nomination by acclamation, eliciting the obvious sensation across the nation.

(No rhyme intended. Damnation.)

Anyway, since all 4,000 votes will go towards Obama, my attention turns toward who McCain will tap as his VP mate. Could it be Mitt Romney (who I am calling for him to pick)? Is it Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota? Is it someone else like Bobby Jindal of Louisiana?

I am looking forward to who McCain will pick now. Also can't wait to see a crowd down at the Mile High Stadium.

We ARE Out There


"If You're Out There..."

So says John Legend and the Agape Choir to the masses at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention had some concerts, some cheesy speeches, but the Pepsi Center was jumping with the house band doing the honors.

I made a promise to my folks that if the Democrats get the White House, I would refrain from the "Dean Scream." For four years. And whether or not I do it again depends on what happens on the elections after that. So as of this post, the "America's Town Hall" part of the program is underway. Obviously they filtered out the questions to bring in the ones that will result in the cheesiest answers.

Yawn. I can't wait for the delegations saying, "Madame Secretary...The Great State of California...will cast 166 delegrates for Hillary Clinton, and 204 for the next president of the United States, Barack Obama!"
Something like that.

I can't wait to start working on my MBA. I just gotta get the green light from my parents.

On Waipio Little League and another milestone

What a meltdown by Lake Charles, Lousiana in the US Championship Game of the Little League World Series. I mean, you are three outs away from meeting Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and you give up six runs in top of the sixth! Oy vey. One of the greatest collapses in Little League history! Whoa. Gunner Leger just gave what could be the entire World Series to Waipio of West Waipahu, Hawaii.

They paid the price, with Minami of Edogawa Ward in Tokyo downing them, 4-3 in the consolation game.

Waipio became the second team from Hawaii to win the Little League World Series, crushing Matamoros, 11-3. The first to do it was Ewa Beach in 2005. There are some local boys who can smack the horsehide around down there. There's one now, scouts. Go get 'em.

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It's number 50 for K-Rod! Francisco Rodriguez gets his 50th save as the Angels defeat the Twins, 5-3.

Final Olympic thoughts, Day 16: 36, 38, 36.

The USA men open up Day 16 with some hard-earned payback for what Brazil's women did to them in volleyball. Meanwhile down at the Wukesong Indoor Stadium, the only low point of the first quarter for their counterparts is KObe Bryant missing a slam dunk with a few seconds remaining.

Aghast. Please let this not be a sign of things to come. And please, fates, let this be the ONLY low point for the Redeem Team this game. Ugh.

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Curse you Fates. They didn't listen. At the end of the first half, it's a high-scoring affair, but the USA is ONLY leading Spain by 8, 69-61.

Time for some adjustments.

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Um, hello? Where the bloody hell are the adjustments I've been asking for? Why is it that we can't capitalize on our last two buzzer-beating shots, and Juan Carlos Navarro does it on his last shot?

Bastards. USA 91, Spain 82 through three.

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I'll give Spain this: they should be the #2-ranked team in the country. They have the best team in Europe, and they have players that will be helping our clubs in the NBA>

Final score: USA 118, Spain 107.

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Obviously, we can't win them all, but USA Men's Water Polo and USA Women's Volleyball escaped an article of praise from me on Bleacher Report. It's a 14-10 goal festival for the Hungarians who get the gold medal. The women's water polo team should be in the same league with the softball team in terms of futility. They come undefeated...only to lose their last game. There will be goats. On the men's side, it's the soccer and baseball teams. On the women's side, water polo and softball have been the biggest letdown in the team sports.

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In spite of it all, the USA's stock in men's volleyball, men's water polo, and women's volleyball will see a strong resurgence. Lloy Ball has waited four Olympiads for a medal. It was worth the wait, and it was a gold. The men's water polo team wasn't even supposed to contend for a medal, let alone the gold. But even the Hungarians have to admit that they have been impressed by the likes of Tony Azevedo and then-unheralded company. And what about the women. Even though they equal their best finish from Los Angeles, their resurgence will do wonders for them in London.

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All in all, this was a great Olympics. USA will finish with the most medals, with China grabbing the most golds. This was a Games that will be remembered for generations to come. See you in Vancouver in 2010.

As well as Singapore.

We finish with 36 golds, 38 silvers, and 36 bronzes for a total of 110 medals.

More Olympics thoughts on Day 15

The USA gets the gold medal in women's basketball, taking down Australia, 92-65. Meanwhile, Brazil took out the USA, three games to one. for the gold medal in women's volleyball. Both USA sides won their respective golds in the 4 by 400-meter relays.

Hopefully the men can get their revenge against Brazil. It's only fair. Next time, Konata might think twice about upping those sliders.

Meanwhile, the Chinese table tennis power trio of Ma Lin, Wang Hao and and Wang Liqin made it a 1-2-3 finish in the men's single department. We can see China hit 50 golds by Day 16...

...pending the facts behind their women gymnasts. Nonetheless, the likes of Zou Shiming, Zhang Xiaoping and Zhang Zhilei are poised to crack the 50-gold barrier. Of course, they will come nowhere close to the 83 golds we won down in my home town, Los Angeles...Hohohohohoooooh.

One more day to go. We are at 35 golds, 37 silvers and 36 bronzes. If we add the other medals we won, we are now at 1,007 golds, 810 silvers and 696 bronzes.

Olympic Quick Hits, Day 15

OMan, I just don't get these Russians. There is a player on their men's volleyball team by the name of Semen. I don't about you, but the next thing you know, some fresh new set of parents in Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, or insert [country of kinky names here] who lack even the slightest of decency is gonna name their daughter Cum.

God save that family. Domine salvum farc!

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God save Ato Boldon, too. He is an ass. He just had to correlate the missing bibs with the USA 4x100m relay team's failure to hold on to the baton.

Douchebag.

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At least the USA got their revenge on Japan. In baseball, they took home a bronze in an 8-4 rout. Meanwhile, China makes Cuba pay for their victory over them in pool play, winning 3 games to 1.

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Some news.

FIG requests evidence from China
BEIJING - THE International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) told China on Saturday to provide more evidence to support its claims that five of its Olympic gymnasts are old enough to be competing.

Allegations have been rife that China broke the rules by fielding gymnasts who will not turn 16 this year as required under the sport's rules introduced in 1997 to protect the wellbeing of young athletes.

'The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) is seeking to clarify the claims made in the media regarding the age of Chinese female gymnasts He Kexin, Jiang Yuyuan, Li Shanshan, Deng Linlin and Yang Yilin,' it said in a statement.

'The FIG provided documentary evidence, including copies of the athletes' passports, when questions were raised in online media earlier this year.'

But more evidence focusing on the age of gold medal winner He Kexin has surfaced in recent days prompting the International Olympic Committee to demand the FIG check again.

The FIG said that 'in the interests of laying the matter to rest ... the FIG has now asked the Chinese Gymnastic Association to submit further documents testifying to the birthdates of the gymnasts'.

'On receipt of these documents, the FIG will forward its conclusions to the International Olympic Committee. It is in the interests of all concerned, not least the athletes themselves, to resolve this issue once and for all.'

BOCOG executive vice president Wang Wei insisted on Friday that the gymnasts would not have competed if they were under-age, while He told reporters during the competition that she was 16.

USA Gymnastics president Steve Penny on Friday said he had long believed the issue needed addressing by the FIG and IOC.

'An investigation would help bring closure to the issue and remove any cloud of speculation from this competition,' he said. -- AFP

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China, we can get through this faster if you cooperate. Failure to do so will result in your medals being taken away. Xie Xie.

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Argentina took out Nigeria in the gold medal game in soccer, 1-0, as Wang Hao and Ma Lin clashed it out later in the day for the gold in men's table tennis.

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We have four legit chances at getting some gold back (aside from China's cooperation regarding the real age of those young brats). The ladies have to outhit the Brazilians and outshoot the Aussies, while they along with their guy counterparts have to outrun everyone else-BUT NOT DROP THE F***ING BATON-in the 4 x 400 meter relay. Four chances.

Let's get it done.

More Olympics thoughts on Day 14

The Serbs were roughhoused by the USA, doubled up in a 10-5 win. The gusy wrap up their games against the always-intimidating Hungarian team, led by the likes of Gergely Kiss and Norbert Madaras.

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Man, this has been nothing but a crap Olympics for USA Baseball, as well as USA Softball. I'm putting my money on both sports returning in 2016. The USA gets a shot at payback against Japan in the bronze medal game.

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JUst like the women, it will be Brazil vs. the USA in the gold-medal game, A 3-1 victory over Italy makes it a Clash of thr Americas at Beijing.

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This time, the men did NOT drop the baton in the 4 x 400 m relay, finishing first in their heat. Meanwhile, Bryan Clay gives the USA another gold in the decathlon.

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The modern pentathlon, a.k.a. The Search for Eastern Europe's Greatest All-Around Athlete to Come Home Later In Life In A Box, concluded. Lena Schoenborn led the way for Germany's women (Heather Fell got silver for the Brits and Victoria Tereshuk won the Bronze for the Ukraine), while Andrey Moiseev took homne another gold for the Russians. A couple of Lithuanians in Edvinas Krungolcas and Andrejus Zadneprovskis took home silver and bronze.

I really think they should scrap this event. It's just plain antiquated. The IOC, in their next meeting, should do this:

* Scap the Modern Pentathlon.
* Bring back baseball and softball.
* Bring in rugby sevens and karate.

If it sounds hard to do, it's because the countries who vote against it suck.

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Bring on Spain and the Gasol brothers. A 101-81 victory lands the USA in the gold medal match, while Pau and Marc busted the Lithuanians 91-86.

Riders, Angels and Galaxy fail miserable...again on Day 14

A quick Q and A.

Question: Who is Maris Strombergs?

Answer: He is a Latvian who upstaged the likes of Mike Day and DOnny Robinson to take the first-ever Men's BMX gold at the Beijing Games. HE was also heading into this run as the world champion, so, it was fair enough.

Question: Who is Jill KIntner?

Answer: She represented the only medal hope for the USA in women's BMX, delivering bronze behind a 1-2 combination for France.


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And the Philippines in not going to medal at these Games. Mary Antoinette Rivero lost to Sandra Saric in taekwondo, 4-1. Nice going, mother country.

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As Steven Lopez does his own taekwondo business, I am surprised that this match went south in a hurry for Marcio Araujo and Fabio Luiz Magalhaes in the third set against Phil and Todd. Mr. Dalhausser and Mr. Rogers take the Brazilians out of their neighborhood to win, 2 sets to 1.

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While Phil and Todd's Beijing Beachvolley Adventure culminated in a gold sweep for the USA, their indoor counterparts were frustrated at the grittiness of the Russians, namely Maxim Mikhaylov, Alexander Volkov and Sergey Tetyukhin in Set 3 after they were up 2 games to none. You gotta give to credit to these three guys for keeping them in the game with a 27-25 victory in the set. In volleyball, there are times where getting that final set can be difficult, especially if you are up two games to none. A lack of focus, combined with an uncanny penchant for complacency, will do you in when a match goes the distance.

The best teams in volleyball will shut down their opponents early when they are up by two sets. But those same teams also inherit the ability to rally back when they are down to their last set. This Russian side's performance was a clear example of what great teams in volleyball do when everything is on the line. Actually, the guys nearly gave the match away altogether to the Russians. THank god for David Lee. See, this is why I am proud to be from Long Beach State. It's these types of alums that are clutch when it come to these types of situations. It took them 220 rally points, but David finally got it done, blocking Maxim Mikhaylov, and taking it, 25-22, 25-21, 25-27, 22-25, and 15-13.

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Time-out to vent some steam.

What the hell is going on with my Roughriders and Galaxy? Saskatchewan is now on a 2-game losing streak. We probably need to get some calcium pills stat over to Regina because our guys are getting their bones broken faster than old hags with osteoporosis. And even with Bruce Arena at the helm we can't figure out how to win games. 1-0 defeat to Chicago. I'm more keen to follow the likes of the Chelsea, the Melbourne Victory and AFC wimbledon now. I don't think my G's will stand a chance against even the Wombles.

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And as if things haven't been bad enough for my local team today, they do. Angels fall to the Twins, 2-1. Suddenly, the phrase "consistency" comes into play. Should they have enough to win the division, the last thing Scioscia needs to come into October on a losing note. Wake the bats up boys, the regular season isn't over yet. Only good thing locally is that the Armada won. The bad things about it is that...the Armada won on a day that the Angels lost.

More Olympics thoughts on Day 13

In team competition, the USA had had its share of ups and downs. The USA Women had their sloppiest game yet at the Wukesong Indoor Stadium. Against Becky Hammon and the Russians, they eked out a 67-52 victory. In extra time, the USA women defeated Brazil thanks to Carli Lloyd's goal in the 96th minute.

There were a few letdowns, all of them big. Down at the Yingdong Natatorium, the USA lose a heartbreaker to the Netherlands, 9-8. And what the bloody hell just happened in Fengtai!? In what will go down as one of the biggest chokes in softball history as well as a day of infamy for softball in this country, the USA loses to Japan, 3-1. This USA side was undefeated before this game. For these ladies to lose the very last game in their Olympic campaign-THE VERY LAST GAME-is something that will never be erased from this proud American psyche for years, even after the sport is reinstated.

This softball picked the WRONG time to drop one. Let us have a moment of silence for their campaign gone south. See the obituary below.

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More chokes. In taekwondo, Mark Lopez lost to Son Tae-Jin for the gold medal, while Diana Lopez salvaged a campaign gone south, defeating Veronica Calabrese for the bronze. Allyson Felix was outrun by Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica for the gold in the women's 200 meters. Just in case you had any doubt about the Havana Affair being put to rest, David Payne and David Oliver were not match for Dayron Robles of Cuba in the men's 100-meter hurdles.

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There were some other good things that also happened. Lashawn Merritt, Jeremy Wariner and David Neville made it a 1-2-3 finish for the USA in the men's 400 meters.

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More diving medals for the Chinese. Ruolin Chen and Wang Xin finish 1-3 in the women's 10-meter platform.

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Konata's gonna need to crank up those sliders, because it IS Brazil that the USA will face in the women's volleyball gold medal game. They swept China 3-0. And it WILL be Australia in the gold medal game in women's hoops, with the Opals thumping China, 90-56.

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Rest in peace, Gene Upshaw.

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And just when you thought it couldn't get any more worse for the USA, it does. Both 4 x 100 meter relay teams dropped the baton. And suddenly, Chicago's prospects for 2016 have taken a serious about-face.

Mercy.

Obituary of the day

In Affectionate (or is it Disaffectionate?) Remembrance
of
USA SOFTBALL,
WHICH DIED AT THE FENGTAI FIELD
on
21st AUGUST, 2008
Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and family, despondent acquaintances, and despairing fans of the sport who also mourn the removal of it from the Olympic Program in 2012. (As well as deeply celebrated by weeaboos around the world.)
------
R.I.P.
------

N.B. - The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Japan.

Havana Affair on Day 13


The day started off rather nicely for us. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh got their payback over Tian Jia and Wang Jie, winning the gold medal in successive 21-18 set victories. Naturally, my senile parents made it known that they were living in a different, louder era.

Meanwhile, as the USA took out Guatemala 1-0 for their first-ever win in a FIFA World Cup Qualifier in Guatemala City, Wang Chen won her fourth-round match against Kim Kyung-Ah of South Korea, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 10-12, 6-11, 11-9 and 11-9. Four games to three.

That Usain Bolt...does this guy have a future as an actor? He made it look as if it was something from a comedy worthy of a Razzie. Dat Jamaica mon...

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Meanwhile, Wu Xue of the Dominican Republic (seriously, what the hell is it with these countries hiring these Chinese mercenaries to play for them? Do us all a favor and develop your OWN players, you lazy island merengue maniacs!), takes out our very own Gao Jun by the same score as Chen's win over Kim.

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I am compelled to play the Ramones' "Havana Affair" over and over. We can't lift a middle finger to them in wrestling, and one of our grapplers quit. And you call yourself an Olympian, Daniel Cormier. By the blood of Rulon Gardner of Wyoming, you are a disgrace to your singlet.

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Cuba's women's volleyball team should have known that karma is a female hound from hell that bites. They swept the USA 3-0 in their round robin match before they headed into the knockout stages. They must have thought, "Oh, we beat the USA, we can take care of them again."

If these ladies thought they were going to reprise their effort, they were in for a rude awakening. Jenny Lang Ping and her crew were playing the type of game Cuba had been doing to them. They reviewed the game tape, and figured out these ladies, routing them in a sweep of their own: 25-20, 25-16 and 25-17.

Performances can turn into flukes just like that. This USA women's team will get a medal. It's just a matter of which color it will be.

Olympic Quick Hits, Day 12

We could be facing the Australians in softball, as well as men's and women's basketball. Hey, we got their number in women's water polo, so I feel a clean sweep coming on.

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As it turns out, I read it wrong. They do a double-elimination format for the semifinals. Japan has one more crack at us after beating Australia, 4-3.

Curses.


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The baseball counterparts could not figure out Japan's Yu Darvish but in the top of the 11th innings, reliever Hitoki Iwase gave up four runs on three big hits by Brian Barden, Nate Schierholtz and Matt Brown to take it, 4-2.

Some payback is in order when we face Cuba in the semifinals.

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The basketball team did its usual business, defeating Australia 116-85. It was a regular day at the office for Kobe Bryant, delivering with 25 points to lead the way. A chance for redemption is in order as either Argentina or Greece is next.

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Meanwhile, in Taekwondo, it took them 12 days but Mexico got their first gold medal of these games, with Guillermo Perez delivering in the Under-58 kilogram category over Yulis Gabriel Mercedes of the Dominican Republic, winning by superiority after a 1-1 draw.

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Usain Bolt strikes again. The Jaamaican sensation takes the gold in the men's too meters, with Sahwn Crawford getting the bronze. Churandy Martina gives the Netherlands Antilles their first medal of these Games, taking the silver.

Bolt also took down Michael Johnson's world and olympics record set in Atlanta 1996, running a 19.30.

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It's going to be Argentina. The USA has a shot at revenge as Luis Scola and company defeated Greece, 80-78.

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This has been a really lousy day for USA Track & Field at these Games. Sheena Tosta finished with a silver as Melanie Walker gave Jamaica yet another gold medal. Poor Tiffany Ross-Williams. She ended up finishing last as she stumbled on a hurdle.

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It's interesting: it could be a gold for China...or a golden medal for a Chinese posing as someone playing for a different country. Table tennis is one of those types of sports where it will be certain it will be someone from China or someone from China posing as someone playing for a country other than China.

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It took them five games, but the USA defeated Serbia in men's volleyball, 20-25, 25-23, 21-25 and 15-12.

Bring on the Russians.

Bitter and sweet first thoughts on Day 12.

Damn you Ryan Carneli! You lucky Aussie fuck! 1-0 win over the Philippines's Tshomlee Go. AAAARGH! The possibility of no medal for the Philippines at the Beijing Games looks golden. I can't believe I'm calling for it. But now I am.

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Mention the name "Crystl Bustos" in Japan and everyone who follows softball down there raises their hands in despair. At the top of the ninth inning, her 3-run bomb over the fence was the key factor in what was, up until that point, a nailbiter.

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The adventures of Phil and Todd conclude with a match against Fabio Luiz Magalhaes and Marcio Araujo of Brazil for the gold.

Have fun, guys.

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USA Field Hockey,

Lee Bodimeade must be sacked. NOW.

To fail in their last game, a classification match, against Spain, 3-2 on a golden goal, is clearly unacceptable, and you know as well as I do that he should be gone. Keep him on board, and our prospects to qualify for Longdon 2012 are tanked well before the next Pan-Am Games starts.

Bodimeade must go. Get. It. Done.

Olympic Quick Hits, Day 11

No need to be a sourpuss, Hagen Stamm. Your guys scored that last goal on an illegal restart. That's like scoring an easy goal in soccer, onl y to find you're off-sides. You can't be blaming the ref in this case. You denied yourself an opportunity. Go back to your pub in Deutschland and cry in your bier, you cheat.

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MIsty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh will face Tian Jia and Wang Jie in the gold-medal match in beach volleyball after sweeping the Brazilians.

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Actually, I found out that we were NOT facing Russia in our women's volleyball quarterfinal...instead, it's Italy. This will be fun.

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I just learned a new thing: table tennis is a sport where Nigirians can best us in. It's not restricted to soccer. David Zhuang wouldn't stand a chance at beer pong. The failure.

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Henry Cejudo, don't let us down against Japan's Tomohiro Matsunaga. If we can bounce them in volleyball, soccer and softball, you can do the same against this guy.

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Bloody hell. The Angels are now on a 2-game losing streak. Wake up, gentlemen.

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Flickering lights go on as I halt Dad's downloading to do mine's. I only have four or five hours to go on a downloading feast and get my games downloaded. I like my speeds to go as fast as they can go, preferable 100 kB/sec at the minimum. Currently I am taking care of a soccer match between the USA and Canada on the women's side. One of the parts is being taken care of by Megaupload, the other on ADrive, which has a 50 kB/sec limit. After the part by Megaupload is done, I am reactivating uTorrent, beause I have to make sure that the lights don't stop blinking.

I mean, I have so many games that I couldn't download due to the bottleneck, and I am lucky enough to be able to halt the Dad's download to get some of my files done. When his is stopped, mine's flies like the wind.

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Hallelujah, we got another medal coming our way! Whether it's gold or silver reamins to be seen in women's water polo, but we withstand a monumental comeback by the Aussies in a 9-8 win. Bring on the Netherlands. This should be our chance to get back at them for what their 4 x 100 meter freestyle relay team did to us. Make the most of it. Can't stress it more than that.

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I decided, "Ah, screw the ADrive files. If I go one file each on MegaUpload, I will be clocking at 188 kB/sec."

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Dammit. Another gold for China, with Li Xiaopeng taking it in the parallel bars. And the USA finsihes out of the medals in synchronized swimming. Russia gets the gold, Spain the silver, and China and Japan tie for the bronze. The USA finished fifth.

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Looks like Cejudo didn't let us down, defeating Matsunaga by points, 5-2. And the duo of Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin made it a 1-2 combo for the States. This time, Johnson takes the gold in the balance beam, with Liukin grabbing the silver. Cheng Fei took home the bronze for China.

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In sailing, Anna Tunnicliffe brought home the silver in the women's laser radial. And yet another gold for China, as the young, brash, but always amazing Zou Kai caps off their artistic gymnastics campaign with a gold in the high bar, with Jonathan Horton taking home a silver. Fabian Hambuechen gave Germany a bronze.

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The Koreans were the next to fall to the women's basketball team, 104-60. Russia and Becky Hammon is next for them. Shouldn't be a problem.

Italy was unable to hold off the Americans in women's volleyball, as they dropped a 5-game heartbreaker to Jenny Lang Ping's crew, 20-25, 25-21, 19-25, 28-18 and 15-6. Next up: Cuba. Ramones send help.

The USA baseball team is on a little bit of a tear, taking out Chinese Taipei 4-2. That should give them a spot in the medal round.

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This has been a really good year for the Chinese men in gymnastics. Lu Chunling and Dong Dong (yes, that IS his real name) make it a 1-3 finish for the hosts in the men's trampoline event. LIkewise for the divers, He Chong and Qin Kai make it a 1-3 finish in the men's 3-meter springboard final.

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Meanwhile, Sanya Richards taken the bronze for the USA in the women's 400 meters, with Great Britain's Christine Ohuruogu crashing the Jamaica sprint party a bit to take the gold (Shericka Williams gave the island a silver). Of course, though, Dawn Harper gave the States something to cheer about, with a gold in the 100-meter hurdles.

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THe next big small country hero to deliver was Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain. His win in the men's 1,500 meters should give him some nice financial endowments and such from his majesty the King.

=-=

Poor Steffen Peters. He could have been on the podium...but finished fourth in the dressage individual grand prix freestyle event at Sha Tin (in Hong Kong). Another of those would-be feel-good stories for the Americans at these games. Sigh.

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Argentina upstages the Brazilians, 3-0 in men's soccer and will face the Nigerian s for the gold. A mer formality? Stay tuned.

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26 golds, 26 silvers, and 27 bronzes, with 5 days to go. Hmmm.

Time-Out: Osaka Toin trounces Tokoha to claim title

I would like to take a time-out from the usuals, in this, my 500th post on the Bedlam (woo hoo! osu!) to raise a glass of sake to Osaka Toin High, for delivering in the 2008 Summer Koshien.

Whether or not they will outlast Wilson High from Long Beach is anyone's guess.

Osaka Toin trounces Tokoha to claim title

NISHINOMIYA, Hyogo Pref. (Kyodo) Shoma Okumura hit a grand slam in the first inning as Osaka Toin battered Tokoha Gakuen Kikugawa of Shizuoka Prefecture for a 17-0 victory to claim the National High School Championship on Monday.

News photo
Osaka Toin players celebrate victory Monday in the National High School Baseball Championship at Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, after beating Tokoha Gakuen Kikugawa of Shizuoka Prefecture 17-0 in the final. The title was Toin's second in the tournament's history after winning it on their first attempt 17 years ago. KYODO PHOTO

Yuto Fukushima struck out nine over the distance, limiting Tokoha to five hits at a packed Koshien Stadium to give the Osaka school its second triumph in the summer classic after winning in 1991 as a newcomer.

The Toin offense, which had double-digit hits in all five games the team played before reaching the final, erupted again with 21 hits — a record in a final game — including a bases-clearing double by Fukushima and a two-run homer by cleanup hitter Keigo Hagihara.

Catcher Yuta Ariyama and outfielder Kohei Fukushima also drove in two runs apiece. Hagihara amassed a record 15 RBIs for a single player in a championship, including three Monday.

Tokoha, which beat Toin en route to winning the 2007 national invitational meet in the spring, failed in a bid for its first championship victory as starter Toshiki Togari and three other pitchers were left helpless before Toin's sluggers.

"I didn't think the kids had this much power left at the very end," said Osaka Toin manager Koichi Nishitani. "We had been described as a team that can't hit, but today we were able to play baseball the way we really wanted to by keeping the offense rolling."

Nishitani said his players had their feet on the ground all the way with a well-balanced spirit, technique and physical condition, adding he wants to "commend them to the highest degree today" even though he normally always scolds them.

It is the first time in 17 years that a school from Osaka has won the competition, giving the prefecture the championship flag for a record 10th time.

More Olympics thoughts on Day 10

Men's volleyball vs. Japan
This will be a sweep. We are flying high. We should get the job done.

Outcome: No surprises; as expected, it is a sweep. The USA lays a tsunami on Japan, 25-18, 25-12, and 25-21.

And I did call for us to face the Serbs in the quarterfinals. I got my wish.

Women's soccer vs. Japan
A tough proposition, but we beat them before, so this should be a chance to get it done again.

Outcome: And that's exactly what they did in a 4-2 win. And we get a crack at Brazil for the gold medal. Some payback for what they did to us in the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup semifinal is in order. And this time, Hope Solo should start. I pity the ignorant fool who mention's Greg Ryan's name in a positive Kim Jong-Il-like light.

Baseball vs. China
Our manager should be fired if we don't roughhouse them, let alone go through by the mercy rule.

Outcome: No mercy rule, but we did take them down, 9-1.

Softball vs. China
See above. But this team is always worrisome. This should not be an issue.

Outcome: A win. And we did lay out the mercy rule on them, 9-0.

Basketball vs. Germany
Are you kidding me? This will be another thumping.

Outcome: 106-57. Remember that I called it, guys. Dwight David Howard leads the way with 22 points and 10 boards.

Water Polo vs Germany
Tough contest, but we should be able to get the job done.

Outcome: *sings* Same old Germans, always cheating...
Those bloody Deutsch almost got away with a cheap backhand. Not so fast, Deutschland.
8-7 win for the States.

Women's field hockey vs. Great Britain
Of all the team matches, this one worries me the most because we will coming into that match as underdogs. But hey, we took New Zealand to school, so we should have the mindset that anything is possible.

Outcome: Here comes the matches for classification: Scoreless draw. What USA Field Hockey decides to do next with Lee Bodimeade after this tournament is anyone's guess.

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Looks like Phil and Todd got the Jorge and Renato next. The Georgina-Brazilians take out Nummerdor and Schuil in identical 21-19 wins.

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The question right now for the USA in women's basketball isn't if they will beat Korea, but by how many.

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The judges in synchronized swimming are biased towards the Chinese. Their performance had some flaws, yet they overlook it, giving them scores that are WAAAAAY too generous.

Hello Salt Lake 2002 Pairs Revisited.

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Meanwhile, China's gold rush marches on. Chen Yibing and Yang Wei make it a 1-2 deal in the rings. On the uneven bars, He Kexin, the subject of a great deal of controversy regarding her real age, takes the gold in spite of being ties with Nastia Liukin, who now has the entire collection: 1 gold, 2 silvers and a bronze. The men's table tennis team outhustled Germany in a 3-0 sweep, while He Wenna delivered in the women's trampoline final.

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In the women's discuss, Stephanie Brown Trafton takes home the gold for the USA with a 64-74. Jennifer Stuczynski conceded the gold to the favorite, Russia's Elena Isinbaeva. Isinbaeva set a new world record with 5.05 in this event. Panama's Irving Saladino took home the gold in the long jump with an 8.34, cementing his place as the next Small Country Hero there. And the USA made it a 1-2-3 finish in the 400-meter hurdles, responding to Jamaica doing the same in the women's 100-meter dash. Angelo Taylor got the gold, Kerron Clement got the silver, and Bershawn Jackson got the bronze.

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While Misty and Kerri will be facing the Chinese in their last match, Phil and Todd will be facing the Brazilians to cap off their campaign. The only question is, which team?

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Some payback by the Canadians was the order of the day in the equestrian department. They were able to outjump us for the gold. Unfortunate for those guys. Even more unfortunate was Queen Quedith Harrison finishing sixth in her semifinal heat in the women's 400-meter hurdles.

EDIT: Actually, it turned out that we outjumped THEM in a jump-off. So we had only a couple letdowns in track and table tennis today.

Talk about alliteration.

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As of this post, we have 22 golds, 24 silvers, and 26 bronze. The Chinese are ahead of us in the gold department, with 39. So we're down by two touchdowns and field goal.

Random Olympic thoughts, Day 10

The prognosis for our teams in action...

Men's volleyball vs. Japan
This will be a sweep. We are flying high. We should get the job done.

Women's soccer vs. Japan
A tough proposition, but we beat them before, so this should be a chance to get it done again.

Baseball vs. China
Our manager should be fired if we don't roughhouse them, let alone go through by the mercy rule.

Softball vs. China
See above. But this team is always worrisome. This should not be an issue.

Basketball vs. Germany
Are you kidding me? This will be another thumping.

Water Polo vs Germany
Tough contest, but we should be able to get the job done.

Women's field hockey vs. Great Britain
Of all the team matches, this one worries me the most because we will coming into that match as underdogs. But hey, we took New Zealand to school, so we should have the mindset that anything is possible.

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ohhhhh the futility!!!

Alicia Sacramone's Olympic run got even worse. She ended up finishing fourth in the women's vault. Bless her heart she must be feeling like wrist-slashing might be ritual for her.

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The student, Phil "The Dome" Dalhausser and the master, Todd Rogers, make easy fixins of David Klemperer and Eric Koreng, 21-13 and 25-23. Could a meeting with the Georgian-Brazilians of Jorge "Geor" Terceiro and Renato "Gia" Gomes? Or is it a meeting with the Dutch power duo of Richard Schuil and Reinder Nummerdor?

Stay tuned.

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It's hilarious to see some of the Russian and Chinese would-be female competitors stumble on the unforgiving floor. Looks like I now know why Russia didn't medal in the team competition.

As for the tears from the Chinese, I feel vindicated. That's for one-upping us in the team competition. You gotta save some of the golds for the others, i.e. us.
Hmph.

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Many detractors (some of them who are clearly biased in degree or another) say that Romanian gymnastics is dead.

Poppycock. We know better. Or at least, Sandra Izbasa knows better. Her gold-medal winning performance in the floor exercise validates the fact that Romania is not dead when it comes to their relevance in the gymnastics world. Girls like Sandra won't let that happen, at least not on her watch.

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Unbelievable. Terrence Trammell could not finish his heat in the men's 110m hurdles. He must have injured himself, popped a ligament or something. Bad luck.

Here's hoping this type of incident doesn't send his life in the wrong direction (though it probably will).

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So Liu Xiang of China fails to finish his heat in the 110-meter hurdles.

I'm like, "Who fucking cares!?" Apparently the 1.3 billion people in China do, but not me. I mean, come on, China is still ahead of us by 16 gold medals, even though we barely lead them in the total medals.

Not a big deal to me, but for me, it would be a big deal if one of the USA hopefuls fails in forgettable fashion. Besides, at least they still have Ji Wei.
Riiiiiight?

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Here's something that is a big deal, in my view. In women's table tennis: Yang Fen, representing the Congo-THE CONGO, of all countries-defeats Crysti Huang in the preliminaries, 4 games to 2.

At first I thought, "Is this a joke!?" But after a while, I Determined that the world must have exploded, as the Ouran Host Club ending theme implied. This is the Congo we're talking about here. It's not very often that someone from this country bests one of our players. In fact, it's rare.

I am sick to my stomach after seeing this. For Stephanie Huang, this has to be one of the crappiest days of her career, if not her life. To lose to someone from a country like the Congo (not the country formerly knows as Zaire, the OTHER Congo) is like a number-16 seed beating the number one seed in one bracket of a basketball tournament.

Could this Yang Fen be to the COngo as Oussama Mellouli is to Tunisia and KIrsty Coventry to Zimbabwe-the next Africa Small Country Hero? Stay tuned. This result validates our suckitude in ping-pong. I'm going to have to wait for the day that beer pong is an Olympic sport.

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I've seen upsets left and right, but I didn't think that Australia would pull a blowout or two in men's basketball. Lituania was 4-0 heading into this match, and Australia, who also qualified for the knockout stages...is 2-2. And the Boomers are thumping this team.

Forget March Madness, how about August Anarchy?

The thing that worries me is a similar letdown by the USA against Germany. While convention wisdown is calling for that NOT to happen, one would think that for the Germans (who are elimanted from the knockout round), anything is possible. And rightfully so.

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Poor Laura Bennett. Ugh. She finished fourth in the women's triathlon behind Emma Snowsill, Vanessa Fernandes, and Emma Moffatt. Both Emmas are from Australia, Vanessa is from Portugal.

She might as well finished last. Laura wouldn't have stood a chance in the women's 10,000 meters.

The golds rush in China continues

The Williams sisters put Spain's Anabel Medina And Virginia Pascual to the grindstone in a scintillating gold-medalperformace.

---

And the Finns get their first medal of these games with Sanna Sten and MInna Nieminen getting silver in the Women's Double Sculls.

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I can't bloody believe it. China brought home yet another gold...this time in the women's quadruple sculls. And the USA finished fifth. We're just gonna be keeping pace with the Chinese unless something happens against France in fencing and hell breaks loose in the remaining medal events, especially diving and gymnastics.

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The Russian 1-2-3 finish in the women's singles tournament has been confirmed: Elena Dementieva, Dinara Safina, Vera Zvoraneva. And the Williams sisters-Venus and Serena-took out Medina and Ruano, 6-2, 6-0.

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It's a 3:29:34 for the states in that race of legend. Uh-huh.

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What the hell is up with our quadruple sculls crew? The men finish in the same position and the women: fifth. These guys have a knack for consistency, the wrong type of consistency, and an uncanny ability to maintain that type of consistency.

It's just uncanny. My Beach Crew side could have some fun against them.

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At last, we finally get a gold in women's rowing. The USA outlasts the Netherlands to win the gold medal in the women's eights. About time we did something right for once.

Meanwhile, the guys finish behind Canada and Great Britain for the bronze, and thus the entire team got the collection.

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IT seems that there is one country that has an uncanny ability to sweep one single event at the Games. For us, it's the women's individual sabre. For Russia, it's the women's individual tennis singles. For Jamaica...it's the women's 100 meters, with Shelly-Ann Fraser getting gold. Sherrone Simpson gets the silver and Kerron Stewart the bronze.

Mind you, this is at the expense of the USA, who fail to give their country it's 20th gold, let along 66th medal.

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Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh are going to be facing a Chinese team in the final. Who that team will be, I won't know until their semifinal match against Brazil.

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Guo Jingjing's diving career finishes with a bang. She takes the women's 3-meter springboard final, with Wu Minxia taking the bronze.

Now she can go back to her modeling career.

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France defeated the USA in the men's team sabre with a 45-37 victory. Bloody hell.

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Some more business as usuals: in softball, the Netherlands is downed by submission, 8-0 in 5 iniings. In women's basketball, New Zealand didn't stand a chance against Lisa Leslie and company, as they were thumped 96-60. And Rafale Nadal proved that he'd lost none of his poise from Wimbledown, downing Chile's Fernando Gonzalez for the gold.

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I don't know if we're gonna be able to catch the Chinese in the gold medal department with a few days left to go. Lin Dan defeats Lin Chong Wei of Malaysia to take the men's singles gold in badminton, while the women's table tennis team defeated Singapore 3-0 to take that gold. And the duo of Zou Kai and Xiao Qin gave China even more gold in the floor and pommel horse, respectively

They are now at 35 golds. We are only at 19.

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Deontay Wilder is the USA"s only hope to medal at these games. He takes out Morocco's Mohammed Arjaoui by decision. Demitrius Andrade was unable to catch Korea's Kim JUng-Joo, 11 to 9 on points.

We're counting on you, Deontay.

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I have a suspicion that North Korea's Hong Un Jong doped in the Women's vault, just like Kim Jong-Su in his shooting events. It will be a surprise if she didn't.

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Looks like Greece's Fani Halkia is the fourth sheep gone astray. The 400-meter hurdles champion dope in Japan. I say the IOC goes one step further and strips her of her medal.

More thoughts from Day 9 of the Games

Long Beach's very own Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh continued their golden defense with a sweep of Brazil's Ana Paula and Larissa.

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Can this day get any better? The men in the team sabre were able to do something that the women were unable to do in the team foil: defeat Russia. Keeth Smart sent Stanislaw Pozdnyakov to school in a 45-44 rally. They did this also against Hungary.

If I am one of the members on the French team, i.e. JUlien Pillet, I should be thinking, "Sacre bleu!"

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I am busy looking for some work, freshly motivated. I really have no clue; I am suddenly quite, and before you know it, I am spending a few hours in the real world.

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In spite of qualifying for the finals of the men's 50m 3 positions event, Qiu Jian of China took home another gold for the home country, while Emmons finished fourth.

Smooth move, Ex-Lax. >_>

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Apparently China wasn't the only team pushing us to the bring. As the old Bush cliche goes, "You forgot Poland." Of course, though, we got job done nonetheless, 18-25, 25-21, 19-25, 25-19, and 15-13.

The Polish team was playing like there was no tomorrow if they lost. So it was no surprise that they were tested. They will have to look at the film, and get ready for a date with either Italy, Russia, or Serbia.

If you ask me: I want them to face Russia. Getting a little payback for what their fencing team did to us in the team foil final...heheheh. CHA~~~~~NCE.

===

I hope Misty and Kerri get Natalie Cook and Tamsin Barnett. I wouldn't mind a chance for a Brazilian sweep against Talia Rocha and Renata Ribeiro. Meanwhile, Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs would need to complete a Chinese sweep to get a date with May-Treanor and Walsh.

It's doable...if all four of them are up for it.

===

China didn't leave the tennis courts empty-handed; Yan Zi and Zheng Jie rub more salt in the Bondarenko sisters' wounds. It would, however, be a Russian sweep in the women's singles tournament, with Li Na losing to Vera Zvonareva.

Coffee. It makes us fans of the Second Amendment.

And Constantina Tomescu Dita of Romania is the oldest, at age 39, to win the women's marathon in Beijing. Here's hoping she didn't boost her blood to do it.

===

Damn you, Brita Steffan! The upstart Deutsch bitch one-ups Dara Torres (and everyone else) in the women's 50m freestyle. I started to have a gut feeling, "Awww, fuck. This isn't good. We gotta figure things out, or the Aussies are gonna upstage us too in the 4 x 100m medley relay."

===

NBC called the men's 1500m freestyle "The Super Bowl of Sport" in Australia. Are sure it's that and not the AFL Grand Final? Apparently he hasn't been following the footy.

===

Grant Hackett hacked his effort to win the 1500m. He procrastined in the pool and ruined it for himself. Tunisia's Oussama Mellouli, who also trains and lives in the States, gived the country their first swimming gold. He is the next small country hero of note. In Tunis, it is a party down there, for Mellouli is now a hero.

But Hackett got only silver, with Ryan Cochrane of Canada getting the bronze. Mellouli is to Tunisia and Kirsty COventry is to Zimbabwe. Babies will be named in his honor down there. Should Oussama return to Tunisia, he will get a hero's welcome.

===

Ugh. Dara Torres again finishes with a silver. I just had a bad feeling that it was going to happen. And Phelps is swimming only the butterfly leg. I may have to do a Top 5 Reason You Can't Blame very soon. To add to insult, the Chinese get another medal, and another bronze.

---

Meanwhile at the shooting gallery, Matthew Emmons is busy in the Men's 50-meter Rifle 3 Positions Qualification.

---

Michael Phelps got gold number 8, passing Mark Spitz.

I yelled at the heavens, "He did it! HE did it! Oh my fucking God, he did it!" Unfortunately, BongaMom was not very pleased that I screamed in the streets in celebration. She even so far as to wish that she could stab me with a knife to shut me up.

Well, well, well. People have vivid imaginations about killing people. We have our choice of weapons, too. For her it's a knife; for me it's a gun. And it runs in our family because we're coffee drinkers. She could have done better by not making it such a deal of it. But that's not her, and I knew that the Bedlam Cycle restarted.

It's not secret, really, BongaDad told me, "You're crazy." "Crazy in a celebratory way," I replied. "That makes millions of us around this country supporting the team. Like Mom, you shouldn't be making a big deal of it."

Obviously, both of them don't understand, let alone embrace the historical impact of this win for the 4 x 100m medley team. Or rather, they CHOOSE not to. Their loss.

Manila meltdown, Long Beach redemption

The USA's hopes of medaling in boxing were hampered even further yesterday.

Mongolia's Serdamba Purevdorj pulled off a rare win for his country over Luis

YAnez, 8 points to 7. Some administrative changes are now in order.

The good news for the USA is that we have a couple of fighters who are still alive

in representing the USA: Demitrius Andrade in the welterweight division and

Deontay Wilder in the heavyweight division.

===

What a wasted effort by my folks from the City of Makati Little League. The

pitcher, Jenny Pangilinan, gave up two home runs in the 7th and 9th innings to

Grand Rapids, Michigan in the 2008 Big League Softball Championship.

I am flat out disgusted by this because this was, in essence, the best chance for

a Filipino individual/group other that Manny Pacquiao to win something

substantial. Wasteful, wasteful, wasteful.

The last time the Philipines won something substantial in this department was

Zamboanga in 1992's Little League World Series, but because of age falsifications,

Long Beach ended up with the title.

I wouldn't want Jenny to pitch for Long Beach State. I'll stick with Brooke

Turner, thank you very much. This game was theirs for the taking and they gave it

to Michigan.

===

At the same time, Long Beach's PONY League All-Stars beat Taichiung City, Taiwan. While Jenny was the goat for Manila, Oliver Van Buskirk was the hero for Long Beach, in the bottom of the seventh inning with a two-run shot. Chiu Chun Chang was the goat for the Taiwanese.

Last year, Long Beach finished runner up. I am convinced it left a bad taste in their mouths, and they didn't want to go through that again.

I am glad they didn't.

Who is the World's Fastest Man? and other thoughts

James Blake and the Bryan brothers have to come into their respective matches with this question in mind.

-

Okay. You still have a chance to medal. You can still get bronze. It's better than coming away with nothing. You can go one of two ways, and ONLY one: come out ready to deliver and fly home with a medal, or leave Beijing with a bruised ego and little momentum heading into the big show at Flushing Meadows.
So, what will it be, guys?

-

===

Meanwhile, the Williams sisters have a great opportunity to give the USA a gold medal in tennis in Beijing. They disposed of the Bondarenko sisters, 4-6, 6-4, and 6-1.

===

I was very disappointed in James's choice to come home empty-handed. His loss to Novak Djokovic will no doubt put him as a longshot to win a single round, let alone win, the US Open in my book. Absolutely horrible.

===

I asked the question to the Bryan brothers, and they chose the other path. They ended up taking down Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra, 3-2, 6-3 and 6-4, clinching the bronze.

===

Meanwhile, it's the Russians who stymie the Americans in women's fencing, taking gold in the team foil. They came into the match as the favorites, but it is a bit of a downer knowing that the team won't be the once to keep pace with the Chinese in the gold medal count.

===

Tyson Gay has to be feeling very down right now. He finished fifth in semifinal, and has to watch Walter Dix and Darvis Patton represent the USA's hopes in the 100m. Could the Netherlands Antilles' Churandy Martina crash the three-nation sprint party of Jamaica, the USA, and Trinidand & Tobago?

===

Martina didn't crash the party, but Usain Bolt won the title of the World's Fastest Man, winning the men's 100 meter dash. Dix took home the bronze.

===

The men's basketball team kept its march intact, defeating Spaim 119-82. Lebron James led the way with18 points with eight people scoring in double figures.

More Olympic Quick Hits, Day 8


Great Britain's Rebecca Adlington strikes again, going the distance to win gold in the 800-meter freestyle in world record time. It's an 8:14:10 for Adlington, who shares the same first name as my mom.

===

The men's volleyball match against China isn't supposed to be as tough for them as it was for the women. As I type this, they win the first game, 25-22.

===

Remember when you were five, six or seven years old, and there was a small trampoline outside on the front yard, and you bounced on it until it broke? Well, wouldn't you know it, we have an event on the trampoline. Erin Blanchard and Chris Estrada both represent the States in their respective events. For China on the women's side, He Wenna and Huang Shanshan look to medal for the People's Republic. On the men side, the home fans should look out for Lu Chunlong and Dong Dong (that rhymes, and those ARE their names).

===

BOb Costas was joking about the Greek headline for their basketball game against the USA: "We invented the Games for THIS!?"

Seems the Hellenics got more than they bargained for.

===

Cavic's coach, being the sore loser he is, files a protest. He's just made that he lost. Gotta let it go, guy. That's all you can do. He's not going to win this one. And if he decides to do things a la Munich 1972 basketball, he should reviled even more.

If his protests succeeds, which I believe, should not, he will be reviled. Fortunately, that didn't happen, and I would suppose either he could use Viagra or PRozac, or lay off the coffe for a while.

===

Who is the world's fastest swimmer? The questions was answered in 21.3 seconds It was Brazil's very own Cesar Cielo Filho, in an new Olympic record time, besting his previous one by .04 seconds. And you call yourself a man, Amaury Leveaux.

I don't get these Frenchmen. By the way, his fellow comrade Alain Bernard finished second.

===

Moving right along, the USA men's volleyball continued to pour it on the Chinese. They take Game 2, 25-12. Meanwhile, Jefferson Perez brings home Ecuador's second medal in the 20 km walk-a silver. Han Wang of China finished fourth.

===

Man! I can't believe it. In volleyball, China's women gave us more of a match than the guys. 25-22, 25-12, and 25-18 for the USA men. Sweep.

===

I think the doujin artists are at work in paying tribute to the yuri pairs of Sonya V. Litvyak and Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen, Gertrud Bankhorn and Erica Hartmann, & Lynette Bishop and Yoshika MIyafuji. My categories respectively: Meant For Each Other, Comedy Pair, Shy Couple.

Brilliant. Watch for those things to surface in the coming weeks on Rapidshare, Fakku and the like.

===


Meanwhile, some more badminton golds are on the way for China. Martk Spitz described Michael Phelps's effort as "EPIC." I wholeheartedly agree.

===

Our performance in table tennis is just as forgettable as the likes of badminton and archery. FACT, deviants.

===

First victory for the USA in women's field hockey. After a heartbreaker to the Germans and their football-delusional coach, they rebound against New Zealand, 4-1.

We face the bloody Brits next. Heheheh...CHA~~~~~NCE.

===

In fencing, the women nearly gave it up in the team foil semifinal to Hungary. Aida MOhamed's rally against Erinn Smart ended up falling short by two points.

Bring on the Russians.

===

The baseball team rebounded yet again, dealing yet another defeat to Canada, rallying in the seventh to win, 5-4. And the USA men's water polo team defeated Croatia, 7-5. Softball had no problem laying the mercy rule on Chinese Taipei, 7-0.

===

Could it be that Serbians are going to stay away from purchasing, let alone boycott, watches made by Omega? After all, they timed Phelps to be .01 faster than Milorad Cavic.

===

Meanwhile, some of the rowing events are werapping up. We have three opportunties to get some medals, along with a gold in fencing (gotta out hit the Russians first).

---

Well, Bulgaria's Rumyana Neykova set the world's best time in women's single sculls with a 7:07.71 down in Seville in 2002, so it was no surprise that she went into the final as the odds-on favorite. As expected, she brought home a gold medal for Bulgaria. That said, I was quite pleased with the USA's Michelle Guerette getting the silver, with Zhang Xiuyun of China finishing fourth.

---

I am geting a gut feeling that this trampoline event will be another place where China will get some more medals. Believe it or not, this is another event where we suck at. I think the sales of trampolines will go down after our efforts; none of our entries qualified for the finals.

---

And where there is success in one area, there is futility in another. The Winklevoss brothers finished dead last in the Men's Pair in rowing. And another. Megan Kalmoe and Ellen Tomek finishing fifth in the women's double sculls, behind even China's Li Qin and Tian Liang. Suddenly, the Antipodes are guaranteeing the world that they won't go empty-handed these Games.

---

As if things hadn't been bad enough for our boxers, it just got worse. Shawn Estrada, from my part of town, lost to London's James Degale, 11-5. I thought that this guy was going to make a big impact. But when you don't have any punch, or hand speed a Manny Pacquiao, there is no way you will connect, and I had the unfortunate honor of witnessing just that.

If Luis Yanez doesn't get through in the light flyweight division, USA Boxing should have some administrative changes in order, as well as provide a report on why we didn't medal at these Games. Horrible.


---

We got ourselves our first gold in shooting. VIncent Hancock delivers in the men's skeet, outlasting Tore Brovold of Norway in a shoot-off. Jason Parker and Matthew Emmons-already with bronze and silver, respectively-each have an opportunity to add one more to their collection in the Men's 50m Rifle 3 Positions event.

This will be fun.

Not so fast, you Serb.

And the aura of Kirsty COventry increases yet again, with what could essentially be Zimbabwe's only gold, and last medal at these Olympics. She outdoes Margaret Hoelzer in the 200-meter backstroke. Meanwhile, Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers dump Martin Laciga and Jan Schnider in men's volleyball.

Not on my watch, Milorad Cavic. Not on my fucking watch will you spoil the party. Michael Phelps outdoes the American racing for Serbia in an Olympic record time. Andrew Lauterstein of Australia gets the bronze.

He's tied with Mark Spitz. Bring on tomorrow. That's for busting our water polo team, Milo.

I will say that this was not his best swim, but he got just enough to win. And that, everyone, is what matters.

NEXT!

Time Out: Long Beach Pony League

I take a time-out from the hullabaloo of the Olympics to let you know that Long Beach Pony League is on the cusp of greatness. Bring on Taiwan or Puerto Rico. More so those Taiwanese.

LB rally places team in title tilt

YOUTH BASEBALL: Team rallies late with three runs, will face Taiwan or Puerto Rico.
By Brian Biaotto, Correspondent

The Long Beach All-Stars scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning and were able to hold off Tamiami, Fla., 9-7, at the Pony World Series in Washington, Pa. to advance to the championship game Saturday at 10 a.m. PDT.

They did it in spite of committing four errors, several base running blunders, leaving 12 runners on base and trailing 6-3 in the sixth inning.

Daniel DeWolf was the star of the game, going 5-for-5 with two doubles, three RBIs, three runs scored and stole three bases for Long Beach.

Chase DeJong came in and closed out the win for Long Beach, going the seventh inning and allowing a run.

DeJong struck out two to secure the Long Beach spot in the title game.

"The atmosphere was electric and you could feel the tension in the air," Long Beach manager Ken Jakemer said. "This was the worst defensive night we've had and we were just fortunate we hit so well. We will need to play our best baseball to win the championship on Saturday."

Soloman Williams went the first four innings for Long Beach, allowing four runs, but only two were earned. Williams gave up six hits, walked one and struck out four.

A leadoff walk and an error in the bottom of the fourth inning did Williams in, then Tamiami scored four runs to take a 5-3 lead.

Long Beach came back with three runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a 6-5 lead.

Oliver Van Buskirk went 1 innings before being replaced by DeWolf, who inherited a bases loaded and two-out jam.

DeWolf hit a Florida batter to bring in the tying run, but got Joey Gomez to get out of the inning.

Thomas Walker had two hits and drove in four runs, Oliver Van Buskirk hit a solo home run to start the sixth inning rally and Avery Flores had two hits and scored three times.

Said Jakemer: "I don't want to begin thinking where we'd be without Daniel's (DeWolf) performance tonight."

Long Beach (14-0) saw undefeated Taiwan lose its first game of the tournament Thursday in a 7-4 setback to Puerto Rico.

The winner of today's rematch will face Long Beach on Saturday in the title game.