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?
===
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.
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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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
---
And the Finns get their first medal of these games with Sanna Sten and MInna Nieminen getting silver in the Women's Double Sculls.
===
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.
===
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.
===
It's a 3:29:34 for the states in that race of legend. Uh-huh.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
France defeated the USA in the men's team sabre with a 45-37 victory. Bloody hell.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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!"
===
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.
===
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. >_>
===
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.
===
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!"
===
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.
===
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. >_>
===
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.
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