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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
It's going to be Argentina. The USA has a shot at revenge as Luis Scola and company defeated Greece, 80-78.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
Actually, I found out that we were NOT facing Russia in our women's volleyball quarterfinal...instead, it's Italy. This will be fun.
===
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.
===
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.
===
Bloody hell. The Angels are now on a 2-game losing streak. Wake up, gentlemen.
===
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.
===
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.
===
I decided, "Ah, screw the ADrive files. If I go one file each on MegaUpload, I will be clocking at 188 kB/sec."
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
Argentina upstages the Brazilians, 3-0 in men's soccer and will face the Nigerian s for the gold. A mer formality? Stay tuned.
===
26 golds, 26 silvers, and 27 bronzes, with 5 days to go. Hmmm.
===
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.
===
Actually, I found out that we were NOT facing Russia in our women's volleyball quarterfinal...instead, it's Italy. This will be fun.
===
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.
===
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.
===
Bloody hell. The Angels are now on a 2-game losing streak. Wake up, gentlemen.
===
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.
===
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.
===
I decided, "Ah, screw the ADrive files. If I go one file each on MegaUpload, I will be clocking at 188 kB/sec."
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
Argentina upstages the Brazilians, 3-0 in men's soccer and will face the Nigerian s for the gold. A mer formality? Stay tuned.
===
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.
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.
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.
===
Looks like Phil and Todd got the Jorge and Renato next. The Georgina-Brazilians take out Nummerdor and Schuil in identical 21-19 wins.
===
The question right now for the USA in women's basketball isn't if they will beat Korea, but by how many.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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?
===
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.
===
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.
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.
===
Looks like Phil and Todd got the Jorge and Renato next. The Georgina-Brazilians take out Nummerdor and Schuil in identical 21-19 wins.
===
The question right now for the USA in women's basketball isn't if they will beat Korea, but by how many.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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?
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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).
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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).
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
===
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.
---
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.
===
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.
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.
===
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.
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.
-
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!
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.Article Launched: 08/14/2008 11:19:46 PM PDTThe 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.
Even more thoughts from Day 7
Roger Federer is on the decline. First, he loses to Rafael Nadal in the finals at Wimbledon. ANd now, in Beijing, he loses to James Blake in the quarterfinals. What is up with Roger? This guy, who once was in the company of Tiger and Thierry, has been on the downswing as of late. If he gets the top seed at Flushing Meadows, I will be crying foul. That honor should go to Rafael Nadal.
===
With China due for gold in badminton, judo and weightlifting, they are going to gain some ground back on us in the total medals and golds. Wonder how long they will keep it up.
===
Canada is looking for some payback in soccer after we pasted them in softball (much to their own undoing). I am not putting my money on that happening, though.
===
We barely did better than the Chinese in the Team Sprint today. We finished 8th, they finished 9th, we got in, they didn't.
Whew.
===
Our USA men's quadruple sculls side saved our skins. We finished in the top three to qualify for the final. Not as good as Italy, but better than France. And I just found out that we got a little payback for what Cuba's baseball side did to us (although to be honest, it's our fault for not getting out best team [i.e. committed MLB players] out there).
===
While I'm steaming at our lack of punch in baseball and archery, the Chinese supporters are coming after the men's soccer team for their suckitude the same way we are for our USA side.
The irony is this: both women's sides are still in the tournament. We face Canada, they face Japan.
===
Okay, maybe we didn't have it as bad. They had two losses and a draw; we had one of each (W, D, L). We still got eliminated, though.
Unfortunately for the ladies, Mother Nature intervened again, with the ladies 1-0 up on Canada in the 20th minute. Good thing USA softball team finished their games already. A possible serendipity of a blessing.
===
As the Williams sisters took out Sugiyama and Morita, the match between James Blake and Chile's Fernando Gonzalez was nothing short of entertaining. It was one of those classics you couldn't get out of your head, albeit it was just a mere best-of-three.
Both players made the most of it. Ultimately, it was the Chilean, who looked to improve on his bronze-medal finish in Athens, getting a shot at perhaps Rafael Nadal (unless Novak Djokovic spoils the party), 4-6, 7-5, and 11-9.
Something about the poor choice of music for Beijing at the tennis courts is being talked about on NBCOlympics.com. Looks like the Parade of Nations wasn't the only miss for the committee soundtrack-wise. I take it most of the home fans haven't been to the All England Club their entire lives.
Figures.
===
Texas's Leonel Manzano finished outside the top 5 in his heat. He was sixth. There can be no solace from finishing sixth if your time is not the top four among those outside the top five in any of the heats. He's going to have to play the waiting game.
His countrymen Lopez LOmon and Bernard Lagat move on to the next round. He also move on with one of the four best times outside of the top five in each heat. Not bad.
===
With the women's volleyball game against China going on at the same time as the basketball game against Spain, I flip a coin in a best-of-seven to see which one I should check first.
It's basketball in a clean sweep. However, Matt Vasgersian on the USA Network says that "For those of you wanting the see the USA women's basketball take on Spain, we can only be on one place at one time, so we will show you the soccer first..."
That effectively made my coin flip moot. I am resigned to the volleyball.
===
MIdway through the first game, MSNBC also decides to cut to another press conference regarding the situation in Georgia. I thought they were not supposed to mix sport with politics. I believe this justifies the futility of that premise.
So I switch back to the soccer, only to see Canada tie the match up.
Luckily for me, Dubya had only a few words to say, before heading off. Thanks for gutting the best part of the game, you GOP asshole! And now back to the volleyball.
The USA fails to hold off China in Game 1, losing 25-23. I hurl an empty water bottle at the screen in disgust.
====
Meanwhile, I check online the women's basketball team, and even they are struggling. 31-25 lead over Spain with 5:19 to go in the second. I'm thinking: what the bloody hell is going on with the USA women today?
I mean, the basketball team is bouncing back to end up trouncing them, but the soccer and especially volleyball teams are looking flat-out awful and need top ask themselves the question, "Is it in you?".
I need some Gatorade.
===
Christian Cantwell give the USA their first track and field medal at these games, and it's a silver in the shot put. POland's Tomasz Majewski took home the first gold. Shalane Flanagan brought home bronze in the women's 10,000 meters as Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba brough home the gold.
===
To my sheer relief, the women's volleyball team ended up stunning the Chinese team and the home crowd, 23-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-20, 15-11. They went on a tear late in the fourth, and they never looked back.
You're good, Jennifer Lang Ping. You're good.
Also, the USA's women's soccer team rode on Natasha Kai's heroics in the 101st minute to beat Canada 2-1 in extra time. Au revoir, Even Pellerud. To my surprise, the Chinese women also failed to deliver, losing to Japan 2-0. Uh oh...Now the home folks there deserve to be displeased.
But what about Jenny and Pia's girls. I mean, I knew that they had to stop the bleeding fast, and make it an all-or-nothing deal if they want to contend for some shiny pendants. So I was quite pleased that they finally got the job done, a testament of their resilincy. I was thinking, "Torrent, baby."
===
With China due for gold in badminton, judo and weightlifting, they are going to gain some ground back on us in the total medals and golds. Wonder how long they will keep it up.
===
Canada is looking for some payback in soccer after we pasted them in softball (much to their own undoing). I am not putting my money on that happening, though.
===
We barely did better than the Chinese in the Team Sprint today. We finished 8th, they finished 9th, we got in, they didn't.
Whew.
===
Our USA men's quadruple sculls side saved our skins. We finished in the top three to qualify for the final. Not as good as Italy, but better than France. And I just found out that we got a little payback for what Cuba's baseball side did to us (although to be honest, it's our fault for not getting out best team [i.e. committed MLB players] out there).
===
While I'm steaming at our lack of punch in baseball and archery, the Chinese supporters are coming after the men's soccer team for their suckitude the same way we are for our USA side.
The irony is this: both women's sides are still in the tournament. We face Canada, they face Japan.
===
Okay, maybe we didn't have it as bad. They had two losses and a draw; we had one of each (W, D, L). We still got eliminated, though.
Unfortunately for the ladies, Mother Nature intervened again, with the ladies 1-0 up on Canada in the 20th minute. Good thing USA softball team finished their games already. A possible serendipity of a blessing.
===
As the Williams sisters took out Sugiyama and Morita, the match between James Blake and Chile's Fernando Gonzalez was nothing short of entertaining. It was one of those classics you couldn't get out of your head, albeit it was just a mere best-of-three.
Both players made the most of it. Ultimately, it was the Chilean, who looked to improve on his bronze-medal finish in Athens, getting a shot at perhaps Rafael Nadal (unless Novak Djokovic spoils the party), 4-6, 7-5, and 11-9.
Something about the poor choice of music for Beijing at the tennis courts is being talked about on NBCOlympics.com. Looks like the Parade of Nations wasn't the only miss for the committee soundtrack-wise. I take it most of the home fans haven't been to the All England Club their entire lives.
Figures.
===
Texas's Leonel Manzano finished outside the top 5 in his heat. He was sixth. There can be no solace from finishing sixth if your time is not the top four among those outside the top five in any of the heats. He's going to have to play the waiting game.
His countrymen Lopez LOmon and Bernard Lagat move on to the next round. He also move on with one of the four best times outside of the top five in each heat. Not bad.
===
With the women's volleyball game against China going on at the same time as the basketball game against Spain, I flip a coin in a best-of-seven to see which one I should check first.
It's basketball in a clean sweep. However, Matt Vasgersian on the USA Network says that "For those of you wanting the see the USA women's basketball take on Spain, we can only be on one place at one time, so we will show you the soccer first..."
That effectively made my coin flip moot. I am resigned to the volleyball.
===
MIdway through the first game, MSNBC also decides to cut to another press conference regarding the situation in Georgia. I thought they were not supposed to mix sport with politics. I believe this justifies the futility of that premise.
So I switch back to the soccer, only to see Canada tie the match up.
Luckily for me, Dubya had only a few words to say, before heading off. Thanks for gutting the best part of the game, you GOP asshole! And now back to the volleyball.
The USA fails to hold off China in Game 1, losing 25-23. I hurl an empty water bottle at the screen in disgust.
====
Meanwhile, I check online the women's basketball team, and even they are struggling. 31-25 lead over Spain with 5:19 to go in the second. I'm thinking: what the bloody hell is going on with the USA women today?
I mean, the basketball team is bouncing back to end up trouncing them, but the soccer and especially volleyball teams are looking flat-out awful and need top ask themselves the question, "Is it in you?".
I need some Gatorade.
===
Christian Cantwell give the USA their first track and field medal at these games, and it's a silver in the shot put. POland's Tomasz Majewski took home the first gold. Shalane Flanagan brought home bronze in the women's 10,000 meters as Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba brough home the gold.
===
To my sheer relief, the women's volleyball team ended up stunning the Chinese team and the home crowd, 23-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-20, 15-11. They went on a tear late in the fourth, and they never looked back.
You're good, Jennifer Lang Ping. You're good.
Also, the USA's women's soccer team rode on Natasha Kai's heroics in the 101st minute to beat Canada 2-1 in extra time. Au revoir, Even Pellerud. To my surprise, the Chinese women also failed to deliver, losing to Japan 2-0. Uh oh...Now the home folks there deserve to be displeased.
But what about Jenny and Pia's girls. I mean, I knew that they had to stop the bleeding fast, and make it an all-or-nothing deal if they want to contend for some shiny pendants. So I was quite pleased that they finally got the job done, a testament of their resilincy. I was thinking, "Torrent, baby."
Archery and baseball letdowns among a plethora of fail
Ronda Rousey is the only one from our side who will be getting a medal in judo. And for her, it's a bronze.
===
The women's water polo team marches on, beating Russia 12-7. Meanwhile, the Bryan Brothers will be facing Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka in the semis and the WIlliams sisters are at work against Ai Sugiyama and Ayumi Morita.
===
Interesting note about Matthew Emmons, who got silve in the Men's 50-meter Rifle Prone. His wife is Katerina Emmons of the Czech Republic. She got the gold. And get this: both of them are from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, the defending NCAA Rifle Champions.
That explains it. Matt owes Kate dinner though, I would imagine. And some. I choose not to comment further on that.
===
The next big small country hero is a man by the name of Tuvshinbayar Naidan. His gold in judo, the first-ever gold for Mongolia, caused a party never before seen in Ulan Bator, the nation's capital. They will dedicate a lot of stuff in him name, I guarantee you. It's a national holiday.
===
The Cat Returns (in spite of giving up a no-no). Thank you Mother Nature for your divine intervention. The USA reeled off 8 unanswered runs in the 6th inning to take it, 8-1.
Bring on Taiwan-er, Chinese Taipei.
===
In spite of our success in gymnastics and swimming, there are some events where we have flat-out failed to show up. Disappointments that demand major administrative overhaul. And I mean MAJOR. So while the day wasn't as lousy as yesterday...we've had our share of lousy performances too.
===
AG Kruger III failed to qualify for the final round of the hammer throw. Daniel McCormick lost to Lasha Gujejiani of Georgia. One of the few times where a Georgian outdoes an American. This wasn't the biggest downer today.
===
Wouldn't you know it, the next person to dope is a North Korean, followed by a Vietnamese. Kim Jong Su and Thi Ngan Thuong Do doped. For Kim Jong Su, this especially depressing because he won medals in shooting: silver and bronze.
While this is bad for North Korea, its a schadenfruede shooting theatre for the USA. We are now at 44 medals, since Jason Turner gets the bronze.
That's three sheep gone astray. Poor Kim is going to need to defect ASAP in a hurry if he wants to save his life. I would imagine they would execute him for this.
For Thi Ngan, this was unfortunate. She was last in the floor exercise during qualification, but she was misinformed on what to take, and what not take. Given that she's from Vietnam, she may also need to seek asylum fast.
===
Perhaps the only major downer today teamwise is the baseball team. They lost to Cuba, 5-4. I don't know about you, but I think the only sports where we are doing reasonably well against Cuba is beach volleyball. That's it.
And to think my Galaxy tying Chivas USA 2-2 earlier tonight was crap enough...we REALLY need to send in our best players a la World Baseball Classic down there. This is unacceptable. We really need to send out our World Baseball Classic squad the next time we compete...which is...2016 at the earliest. Fresno State could beat this USA side. Utterly crap.
===
There is some reason to believe that China's women's gymnastics team lied about their age. He Kexin, one of the members was said to be 13 or 14, and not 16. There was an article on this in the Xinhua News, which was taken down, but it did say that she was below the minimum age requirement.
Now, I don't know about the rule if a team lies about their age while winning gold, if it means that they will be stripped or if the gymnast in question is off the record, but let me be honest with you: I don't have any issues of China winning gold, or any medal for that matter. The question is: "Did they play by the rules?" If they didn't (and this is CHINA we're talking about here; they do things a WHOLE LOT DIFFERENTLY when it comes to gray zones like this), then the team needs to be penalized in a manner that is fair to the other athletes and teams competing.
Plain and simple.
===
Double sculls has not been friendly to us this Olympics. Our women finish behind the Greeks-of all teams!-to end up racing in the "B" final. Same thing for light weight men's fours. Our team finishes dead last in our semifinal.
===
Speaking of absolute crap, archery has to be a big disappointment here in the states. Obviously badminton deserves to be at the top of the list, but to find out that no one from the USA will medal in archery deserves a moment of silence. Victor Wunderle, our best hope for a medal here, loses to Juan Rene Serrano from Mexico, securing our futility.
Crank up the Border Patrol and send in the Minutemen and Taps bugle boy for good measure; archery is now rendered by yours truly as a forgotten sport. And this is from someone who comes from a city with an archery centre that was part of the Olympics in 84.
===
The women's water polo team marches on, beating Russia 12-7. Meanwhile, the Bryan Brothers will be facing Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka in the semis and the WIlliams sisters are at work against Ai Sugiyama and Ayumi Morita.
===
Interesting note about Matthew Emmons, who got silve in the Men's 50-meter Rifle Prone. His wife is Katerina Emmons of the Czech Republic. She got the gold. And get this: both of them are from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, the defending NCAA Rifle Champions.
That explains it. Matt owes Kate dinner though, I would imagine. And some. I choose not to comment further on that.
===
The next big small country hero is a man by the name of Tuvshinbayar Naidan. His gold in judo, the first-ever gold for Mongolia, caused a party never before seen in Ulan Bator, the nation's capital. They will dedicate a lot of stuff in him name, I guarantee you. It's a national holiday.
===
The Cat Returns (in spite of giving up a no-no). Thank you Mother Nature for your divine intervention. The USA reeled off 8 unanswered runs in the 6th inning to take it, 8-1.
Bring on Taiwan-er, Chinese Taipei.
===
In spite of our success in gymnastics and swimming, there are some events where we have flat-out failed to show up. Disappointments that demand major administrative overhaul. And I mean MAJOR. So while the day wasn't as lousy as yesterday...we've had our share of lousy performances too.
===
AG Kruger III failed to qualify for the final round of the hammer throw. Daniel McCormick lost to Lasha Gujejiani of Georgia. One of the few times where a Georgian outdoes an American. This wasn't the biggest downer today.
===
Wouldn't you know it, the next person to dope is a North Korean, followed by a Vietnamese. Kim Jong Su and Thi Ngan Thuong Do doped. For Kim Jong Su, this especially depressing because he won medals in shooting: silver and bronze.
While this is bad for North Korea, its a schadenfruede shooting theatre for the USA. We are now at 44 medals, since Jason Turner gets the bronze.
That's three sheep gone astray. Poor Kim is going to need to defect ASAP in a hurry if he wants to save his life. I would imagine they would execute him for this.
For Thi Ngan, this was unfortunate. She was last in the floor exercise during qualification, but she was misinformed on what to take, and what not take. Given that she's from Vietnam, she may also need to seek asylum fast.
===
Perhaps the only major downer today teamwise is the baseball team. They lost to Cuba, 5-4. I don't know about you, but I think the only sports where we are doing reasonably well against Cuba is beach volleyball. That's it.
And to think my Galaxy tying Chivas USA 2-2 earlier tonight was crap enough...we REALLY need to send in our best players a la World Baseball Classic down there. This is unacceptable. We really need to send out our World Baseball Classic squad the next time we compete...which is...2016 at the earliest. Fresno State could beat this USA side. Utterly crap.
===
There is some reason to believe that China's women's gymnastics team lied about their age. He Kexin, one of the members was said to be 13 or 14, and not 16. There was an article on this in the Xinhua News, which was taken down, but it did say that she was below the minimum age requirement.
Now, I don't know about the rule if a team lies about their age while winning gold, if it means that they will be stripped or if the gymnast in question is off the record, but let me be honest with you: I don't have any issues of China winning gold, or any medal for that matter. The question is: "Did they play by the rules?" If they didn't (and this is CHINA we're talking about here; they do things a WHOLE LOT DIFFERENTLY when it comes to gray zones like this), then the team needs to be penalized in a manner that is fair to the other athletes and teams competing.
Plain and simple.
===
Double sculls has not been friendly to us this Olympics. Our women finish behind the Greeks-of all teams!-to end up racing in the "B" final. Same thing for light weight men's fours. Our team finishes dead last in our semifinal.
===
Speaking of absolute crap, archery has to be a big disappointment here in the states. Obviously badminton deserves to be at the top of the list, but to find out that no one from the USA will medal in archery deserves a moment of silence. Victor Wunderle, our best hope for a medal here, loses to Juan Rene Serrano from Mexico, securing our futility.
Crank up the Border Patrol and send in the Minutemen and Taps bugle boy for good measure; archery is now rendered by yours truly as a forgotten sport. And this is from someone who comes from a city with an archery centre that was part of the Olympics in 84.
Not Lousy Day 7 for the USA.
Now it's Ryan Lochte, the skateboarding speedster, who has to race two finals. In the 200-m backstroke, he faces Aaron Peirsol. In the 200-meter individual medley, it's Michael Phelps. And in each of those races, he also faces six others who are just as competent.
Conventional wisdom (a logical female hound from hell) calls for a gold/silver in the backstroke, and a silver in the IM, for Lochte, with a 1-2 finish. Don't tell that to Ryan, though. There would be nothing better than for Lochte to stop his fellow countryman's gold-medal record hunt by taking it for himself.
===
At last, the track and field events are underway. We start with some heptathlon and shot-put, followed by some qualifying heats for speed.
Delicious.
===
Happy birthday, Kerri Walsh. Naturally, she celebrates her 30th year with Misty May as they polish off Belgium's Liesbeth Mouha and Liesbet van Breedam, but it wasn't easy. They were struggling in the first set, winning 24-22, before coming backt oform in the second, 21-10.
===
Take that, Australia! Rebecca Soni of the USA sets a new world record in the women's 200-meter breastroke, defeating Leisel Jones. It's a 2:20:22 for Soni.
Now THAT's more like it. Next!
===
It was Aaron Peirsol vs. Ryan Lochte vs. the rest of the competition in the men's 200-meter backstroke. Well, another record just had to tumble, right?
And that's exactly what happened. Phelps has to be thinking, "Awww damn." Or, "Okay, we got back a couple medals, next." It's a 1:53:94 for Lochte. And Peirsol finished second. For a few fleeting moments, we were up on China in total medals. Still 10 behind in the gold department.
===
I got a bad feeling about Meagen Nay of AUstralia. She has a great opportunity to upstage Kirsty Coventry, Liz Beisel and Margaret Hoelzer in the women's 200-meter backstroke final. Nay finished between Coventry and Hoelzer in her semifinal today.
===
Yang Yilin was the catalyst and culprit for China's victory. She's matched with Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson. Meanwhile, the likes of Anna Pavlova (not the ballerina, whose dessert is named in her honor) and Ksenia Semenova can only hope to redeem themselves for Russian decline in women's gymnastics.
===
And Michael Phelps cuts the total gold deficit to 8, with another world record slaughtered. I have to despise Lazslo Cseh of Hungary. Bloody spoiler halted a 1-2 finish for the USA. Nonetheless, in the total medal count, we are up by four on China. For now.
===
The spoiler at the pool today was Britta Steffen of Germany in the women's 100-meter freestyle. Lisbeth "Libby" Trickett should also thank China for false-starting in the semi. For now, we are 5 ahead in the medal count, but 8 behind in the gold count. Natalie Coughlin got the bronze. At least China was shut out at the pool, for once, today.
===
COuld the USA medal in the men's shot-put? All three entries-Christian Cantwell, Resse Hoffa and Adam Nelson-qualified by right.
===
I've also got a bad feeling about Milo Cavic of Serbia. His water polo brethren had our number. Could it happen again tomorrow? By the blood of Michael Phelps, I hope not!
===
I sometimes don't get the hypocriticism from the commentators in gymnastics. First they say they don't know why, and then they say, "There are [number] areas," thus saying, that they actually DO.
Be honest, Tim. Which is it, pretentious hypocrite commentator?
===
Hallelujah! Praise to God! We are gaining ground on the Chinese in the gold medal department (pending archery, badminton, judo, weightlifting and ther like). Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson make it a 1-2 for the USA in the women's all-around, while Yang Yilin gets the bronze. 43 medals so far: 14 gold, 12 silver, 17 bronze. And we will be chipping away at that deficit in the days to come.
Fancy being on a Wheaties box, both of you?
Conventional wisdom (a logical female hound from hell) calls for a gold/silver in the backstroke, and a silver in the IM, for Lochte, with a 1-2 finish. Don't tell that to Ryan, though. There would be nothing better than for Lochte to stop his fellow countryman's gold-medal record hunt by taking it for himself.
===
At last, the track and field events are underway. We start with some heptathlon and shot-put, followed by some qualifying heats for speed.
Delicious.
===
Happy birthday, Kerri Walsh. Naturally, she celebrates her 30th year with Misty May as they polish off Belgium's Liesbeth Mouha and Liesbet van Breedam, but it wasn't easy. They were struggling in the first set, winning 24-22, before coming backt oform in the second, 21-10.
===
Take that, Australia! Rebecca Soni of the USA sets a new world record in the women's 200-meter breastroke, defeating Leisel Jones. It's a 2:20:22 for Soni.
Now THAT's more like it. Next!
===
It was Aaron Peirsol vs. Ryan Lochte vs. the rest of the competition in the men's 200-meter backstroke. Well, another record just had to tumble, right?
And that's exactly what happened. Phelps has to be thinking, "Awww damn." Or, "Okay, we got back a couple medals, next." It's a 1:53:94 for Lochte. And Peirsol finished second. For a few fleeting moments, we were up on China in total medals. Still 10 behind in the gold department.
===
I got a bad feeling about Meagen Nay of AUstralia. She has a great opportunity to upstage Kirsty Coventry, Liz Beisel and Margaret Hoelzer in the women's 200-meter backstroke final. Nay finished between Coventry and Hoelzer in her semifinal today.
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Yang Yilin was the catalyst and culprit for China's victory. She's matched with Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson. Meanwhile, the likes of Anna Pavlova (not the ballerina, whose dessert is named in her honor) and Ksenia Semenova can only hope to redeem themselves for Russian decline in women's gymnastics.
===
And Michael Phelps cuts the total gold deficit to 8, with another world record slaughtered. I have to despise Lazslo Cseh of Hungary. Bloody spoiler halted a 1-2 finish for the USA. Nonetheless, in the total medal count, we are up by four on China. For now.
===
The spoiler at the pool today was Britta Steffen of Germany in the women's 100-meter freestyle. Lisbeth "Libby" Trickett should also thank China for false-starting in the semi. For now, we are 5 ahead in the medal count, but 8 behind in the gold count. Natalie Coughlin got the bronze. At least China was shut out at the pool, for once, today.
===
COuld the USA medal in the men's shot-put? All three entries-Christian Cantwell, Resse Hoffa and Adam Nelson-qualified by right.
===
I've also got a bad feeling about Milo Cavic of Serbia. His water polo brethren had our number. Could it happen again tomorrow? By the blood of Michael Phelps, I hope not!
===
I sometimes don't get the hypocriticism from the commentators in gymnastics. First they say they don't know why, and then they say, "There are [number] areas," thus saying, that they actually DO.
Be honest, Tim. Which is it, pretentious hypocrite commentator?
===
Hallelujah! Praise to God! We are gaining ground on the Chinese in the gold medal department (pending archery, badminton, judo, weightlifting and ther like). Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson make it a 1-2 for the USA in the women's all-around, while Yang Yilin gets the bronze. 43 medals so far: 14 gold, 12 silver, 17 bronze. And we will be chipping away at that deficit in the days to come.
Fancy being on a Wheaties box, both of you?
Lousy Day 6 for the USA
I suppose it does suck not to see Michael Phelps swim for any medals today. Kosuke Kitajima got his second gold in the 200-meter breaststroke, while China made it 1-2 in the women's 200-meter butterfly. The Americans were not a factor in either of these races, with 6th and 7th/8th finishes, respectively.
If China tears it up in the track & field events, we are in trouble when it comes to the gold medal haul. The USA-Soviet Union rivalry will be replaced with the USA-China rivalry in a hurry.
===
As I watch the USA stand tall against a game German side (who would eventually come out on top), I have to say that even though we are not through with round-robin action, this team has improved in leaps and bounds. If Lee Bodimeade is given the ol' heave-ho after this is over, I will not be surprised.
I do hate Germany's coach here, though. He celebrated like Michael Ballack, Lukas Podolski and the crew won the FIFA World Cup. Typical Deutsch schwagger. The schiesskopf.`
===
In the battle between Eamon Sullivan of Australia and Alain Bernard of France in the men's 100-meter freestyle, the Frenchman edges the Aussie by .11 of a second, while Jason Lezak gets a bronze in the background. Pieter van den Hoogenband, the Dutchman who upstaged us in Athens, was not a factor in this race; "Hoagie Bun" finished fifth. Interesting to note that Cesar Cielo Filho of Brazil finished tied with Lezak. Brazil DO have some competent swimmers, after all.
===
This was a crappy day for our swimmers. All that work...and only two bronzes to show for it. AUstralia set a new world record, winning the women's 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay.
===
Outside of baseball, basketball and beach volleyball, there really hasn't been much to cheer about for the USA today. Actually, it has been rather lousy. Adding insult to defeat, the USA's men's water polo team were dealt their first defeat of these games...to Serbia. And the women's fencing team is consigned to fight for the bronze after the Ukraine stunned them in the team sabre semis.
It's mystifying to see the USA show up individually, but not as a team. Really mystifying.
Further, early on in softball, the USA is trailing Canada 1-0. This game would be postponed to tomorrow.
===
China has to be the new Soviet Union in terms of athleticism. They will be facing the Ukraine in the women's team sabre final. While they ended up losing by one point to them, they already have surpassed us-for-today-in total medals, along with golds. They are off to a flying start.
===
In anticipation of my interview, I decide to go ahead and take a long power nap.
===
As expected, the Greeks were doused in men's hoops, 92-69. The baseball team bounced back with a 7-0 shutout of the Netherlands. And the men's volleyball team, after dropping the first set 29-27, roared back to win the next three, 25-21, 25-14 and 26-24, and win the match.
Aside from that, the day for the Americans was still lousy.
If China tears it up in the track & field events, we are in trouble when it comes to the gold medal haul. The USA-Soviet Union rivalry will be replaced with the USA-China rivalry in a hurry.
===
As I watch the USA stand tall against a game German side (who would eventually come out on top), I have to say that even though we are not through with round-robin action, this team has improved in leaps and bounds. If Lee Bodimeade is given the ol' heave-ho after this is over, I will not be surprised.
I do hate Germany's coach here, though. He celebrated like Michael Ballack, Lukas Podolski and the crew won the FIFA World Cup. Typical Deutsch schwagger. The schiesskopf.`
===
In the battle between Eamon Sullivan of Australia and Alain Bernard of France in the men's 100-meter freestyle, the Frenchman edges the Aussie by .11 of a second, while Jason Lezak gets a bronze in the background. Pieter van den Hoogenband, the Dutchman who upstaged us in Athens, was not a factor in this race; "Hoagie Bun" finished fifth. Interesting to note that Cesar Cielo Filho of Brazil finished tied with Lezak. Brazil DO have some competent swimmers, after all.
===
This was a crappy day for our swimmers. All that work...and only two bronzes to show for it. AUstralia set a new world record, winning the women's 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay.
===
Outside of baseball, basketball and beach volleyball, there really hasn't been much to cheer about for the USA today. Actually, it has been rather lousy. Adding insult to defeat, the USA's men's water polo team were dealt their first defeat of these games...to Serbia. And the women's fencing team is consigned to fight for the bronze after the Ukraine stunned them in the team sabre semis.
It's mystifying to see the USA show up individually, but not as a team. Really mystifying.
Further, early on in softball, the USA is trailing Canada 1-0. This game would be postponed to tomorrow.
===
China has to be the new Soviet Union in terms of athleticism. They will be facing the Ukraine in the women's team sabre final. While they ended up losing by one point to them, they already have surpassed us-for-today-in total medals, along with golds. They are off to a flying start.
===
In anticipation of my interview, I decide to go ahead and take a long power nap.
===
As expected, the Greeks were doused in men's hoops, 92-69. The baseball team bounced back with a 7-0 shutout of the Netherlands. And the men's volleyball team, after dropping the first set 29-27, roared back to win the next three, 25-21, 25-14 and 26-24, and win the match.
Aside from that, the day for the Americans was still lousy.
Olympic Quick Hits on Day Five: High Fives and Let-Downs
I had the honor of witnessing one of the more underachieving performances of our USA swim team. Katie Hoff finishes fourth in the 200-meter freestyle. She might as well finished last in this face because out of those who will not be on the podium, she was the best of them. Pure suckitude at the pool. Her gymnastic sisters will need some inspiration, because China's Pang Jiaying finished ahead of Hoff.
===
These world records keep falling like flies at this pool. Michael Phelps outdoes New Zealand's Moss Burmeister in the 200-meter butterfly.
Next.
===
No fluke about it...Even more bad news from the pool for the ladies: there will be NO Americans in the finals of the women's 200-meter butterfly. Kathleen Hershey finished tied for fourth, while Elaine Breeden finished sixth. The women REALLY haven't had their way at the pool today.
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Romania's gymnasts have not been as dominant as they were before. In the past, these ladies gave us, the Russians, and the Chinese fits. Now, NBC says that this team has been "Westernized," although it's a redundant, pretentious description of the team. I prefer the fact that they have not been as strong as they have been before. Suddenly, even Australia, who is not even a threat to medal in this competition could outdo the Romanian team. That will show you how bad things have been for the team as of late.
===
And to add insult to futility, Hoff finishes fourth. AGAIN. This time it's in the 200-m Individual Medley. Natalie Coughlin gives the USA a bronze, while Kirsty Coventry (who I affectionately [sic] call Mugabe's bitch, and it's for a reason; you can look it up in your head) has beeing seeing nothing but silver. The favorite was Australia's Stephanie Rice, and another world record was felled.
But Katie Hoff...oh man. The only medal she got at these games was a silver medal. We have seen teams that have fallen below expectations, but among our group of USA Olympians, Katie Hoff has underachieved with style.
===
Holy Toledo, Batman! The USA 4 x 200m freestyle relay team break 7 minutes. 6 minutes, and 58.26 seconds! Ohhhhhhhhh! A new World, Olympic, Americas, and USA record. Thank you NASA for those suits. Russia finishes second, Australia finishes third. And Michael Phelps gets another gold.
Next!
===
Alicia Sacramone, how could you? I'm not sure if you have an account here on deviantART, but how could you fail stick the mount on the balance beam? I think you need a hug from Haruhi Suzumiya in a hurry. A big hug, one of the symmetrical docking kind. A hug that will allow you to believe in yourself through the blushes.
More on this in my next entry.
===
These world records keep falling like flies at this pool. Michael Phelps outdoes New Zealand's Moss Burmeister in the 200-meter butterfly.
Next.
===
No fluke about it...Even more bad news from the pool for the ladies: there will be NO Americans in the finals of the women's 200-meter butterfly. Kathleen Hershey finished tied for fourth, while Elaine Breeden finished sixth. The women REALLY haven't had their way at the pool today.
===
Romania's gymnasts have not been as dominant as they were before. In the past, these ladies gave us, the Russians, and the Chinese fits. Now, NBC says that this team has been "Westernized," although it's a redundant, pretentious description of the team. I prefer the fact that they have not been as strong as they have been before. Suddenly, even Australia, who is not even a threat to medal in this competition could outdo the Romanian team. That will show you how bad things have been for the team as of late.
===
And to add insult to futility, Hoff finishes fourth. AGAIN. This time it's in the 200-m Individual Medley. Natalie Coughlin gives the USA a bronze, while Kirsty Coventry (who I affectionately [sic] call Mugabe's bitch, and it's for a reason; you can look it up in your head) has beeing seeing nothing but silver. The favorite was Australia's Stephanie Rice, and another world record was felled.
But Katie Hoff...oh man. The only medal she got at these games was a silver medal. We have seen teams that have fallen below expectations, but among our group of USA Olympians, Katie Hoff has underachieved with style.
===
Holy Toledo, Batman! The USA 4 x 200m freestyle relay team break 7 minutes. 6 minutes, and 58.26 seconds! Ohhhhhhhhh! A new World, Olympic, Americas, and USA record. Thank you NASA for those suits. Russia finishes second, Australia finishes third. And Michael Phelps gets another gold.
Next!
===
Alicia Sacramone, how could you? I'm not sure if you have an account here on deviantART, but how could you fail stick the mount on the balance beam? I think you need a hug from Haruhi Suzumiya in a hurry. A big hug, one of the symmetrical docking kind. A hug that will allow you to believe in yourself through the blushes.
More on this in my next entry.
Olympic Quick Hits, Days 4 and 5
So far, I've been singing the praises of Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe, but another of the feel-good stories of these games is Azerbaijan's Elnur Mammadli. Competing in judo in the Under 73 kg category, his gold medal performance renders him a national hero in the Land of Fire.
I am reminded of the days of the original Dream Team as I check out a video of their gold-medal slaughter of Croatia. Ironically, they are facing Angola later today, the first team that the USA fought against in Barcelona.
Good times. Good times.
Yet another Olympian from a small country is Bejamin Boukpeti of Togo, His bronze medal will in an inspiration for many Togolais to take up kayaking. Boukpeti is now a hero in his homeland, like Mammadli from Azerbaijan.
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I sure hope Michael Phelps does not race like Big Brown in the Belmont when take care of the races today at the Water Cube. There are seven others swimming against him, and they all have Da'Tara's inspiration in their Speedos.
===
The ladies must pull out all the stops against China at the Olympic Green in women's gymnastics. They must. Just like their volleyball counterparts need to get back on the winning track against Venezuela.
I am reminded of the days of the original Dream Team as I check out a video of their gold-medal slaughter of Croatia. Ironically, they are facing Angola later today, the first team that the USA fought against in Barcelona.
Good times. Good times.
Yet another Olympian from a small country is Bejamin Boukpeti of Togo, His bronze medal will in an inspiration for many Togolais to take up kayaking. Boukpeti is now a hero in his homeland, like Mammadli from Azerbaijan.
===
I sure hope Michael Phelps does not race like Big Brown in the Belmont when take care of the races today at the Water Cube. There are seven others swimming against him, and they all have Da'Tara's inspiration in their Speedos.
===
The ladies must pull out all the stops against China at the Olympic Green in women's gymnastics. They must. Just like their volleyball counterparts need to get back on the winning track against Venezuela.
More Olympic Quick Hits, Day 4
More Olympic quick hits: Day 4
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Well, a bronze is better than finishing fourth. See, I believe that finishing fourth in the Olympics is just as good as finishing last. But there have been some unfortunate luck for our guys. The Hamm Brothers got injured. And we flat-out stunk it up in the floor and pommel.
Thank God for Sasha Artemev. He bailed the boys out. The USA would end up with a 275.850, good enough for the bronze. Japan got the silver with a 278.875 thanks to some acrobatics on the high bar (honto ni doitashimashite, Nihon no otoko-jin), and the home fans got to see China get their well-deserved gold medal, with 286.125 points.
---
Inside the Water Cube, Michael Phelps does his record-smashing business in the 200-meter freestyle (Peter Vanderkaay got bronze, behind South Korea's Park Tae-Hwan), Natalie Coughlin rolls on in the 100-meter backstroke, and the duo of Aaron Peirsol and Matt Grevers make it a 1-2 deal at the 100-meter backstroke. Leisel Jones played spoiler, though, with her win in the 100-meter breastroke. Rebecca Soni got the silver for the USA.
---
Regardless of what happens at these games, I have nothing but scathing remarks for the IOC's decision to drop baseball and softball after these Games. As well as the decision not to add any other sports.
They got a ways to go before they can be compared with Hu Jintao's minions in terms of totalitarianism, and miles to go before they are in Kim JOng-Il's league. But they are getting there, if at a snail's pace. They ARE getting there.
Meanwhile, Venezuela is getting hung out to dry by this USA side.
---
---
Well, a bronze is better than finishing fourth. See, I believe that finishing fourth in the Olympics is just as good as finishing last. But there have been some unfortunate luck for our guys. The Hamm Brothers got injured. And we flat-out stunk it up in the floor and pommel.
Thank God for Sasha Artemev. He bailed the boys out. The USA would end up with a 275.850, good enough for the bronze. Japan got the silver with a 278.875 thanks to some acrobatics on the high bar (honto ni doitashimashite, Nihon no otoko-jin), and the home fans got to see China get their well-deserved gold medal, with 286.125 points.
---
Inside the Water Cube, Michael Phelps does his record-smashing business in the 200-meter freestyle (Peter Vanderkaay got bronze, behind South Korea's Park Tae-Hwan), Natalie Coughlin rolls on in the 100-meter backstroke, and the duo of Aaron Peirsol and Matt Grevers make it a 1-2 deal at the 100-meter backstroke. Leisel Jones played spoiler, though, with her win in the 100-meter breastroke. Rebecca Soni got the silver for the USA.
---
Regardless of what happens at these games, I have nothing but scathing remarks for the IOC's decision to drop baseball and softball after these Games. As well as the decision not to add any other sports.
They got a ways to go before they can be compared with Hu Jintao's minions in terms of totalitarianism, and miles to go before they are in Kim JOng-Il's league. But they are getting there, if at a snail's pace. They ARE getting there.
Meanwhile, Venezuela is getting hung out to dry by this USA side.
---
The biggest victory of the season for the Galaxy...
Alexi Lalas and Ruud Gullit have resigned. This has to be, if it were to be in the standings, a huge win for the fans who have suffered through match days of pure suckitude.
AEG President and CEO makes "sweeping changes" to Galaxy
Carson, CA (Sports Network) - Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy officially announced on Monday that Ruud Gullit, the team's head coach, has resigned from his position. The Galaxy also announced that team President and General Manager Alexi Lalas has been relieved of his duties, effective immediately.
"Both parties have agreed on mutually-agreeable terms to part company," Timothy J. Leiweke, President and CEO of AEG, the investor/operators of the Galaxy, said of Gullit's resignation. "It is an amicable arrangement and we appreciate and respect the issues that Ruud has highlighted with the club and are very grateful for all the hard work he has contributed while with the organization. Hopefully, he has laid the foundations for future success for the Los Angeles Galaxy."
Gullit, a native of Amsterdam, cited "personal reasons" for leaving the team.
"In truth, it has proved a lot more difficult than I anticipated for my family to settle in the area and the club has been very supportive and understanding of my decision," Gullit said. "I would like to thank the players and the fans for their fantastic support and I wish the L.A. Galaxy much success in the future. I would now like to spend some time with my family before considering any other position in football."
Lalas leaves after he joined the team in April of 2006 after serving in the same capacity with the New York Red Bulls.
"With Ruud moving on, we believe that this is the right time to make more sweeping changes throughout the organization," Leiweke said. "Our commitment continues to be focused on not only winning the MLS Cup this and every season, but to build a club capable of competing at the international level. This decision is the right one for the organization, the right one for the players and the right one for our fans. We thank Alexi for the tremendous hard work and dedication he brought to his job each and every day."
The "sweeping changes" are made necessary because of a seven-game winless streak that has seen the Galaxy drop to fourth in the mediocre Western Conference.
Galaxy assistant coach Cobi Jones will serve as the club's interim head coach. He will be assisted by current Assistant Coach/Director of Player Development Trevor James and Goalkeeper Coach Ian Feuer.
Paul Bravo, L.A.'s Director of Soccer, will continue in the role of overseeing all issues related to the Galaxy's roster while Assistant General Manager Tom Payne will continue to oversee the team's front office.
08/11 16:34:43 ET
Has it really been that long?
I am checking my YouTube profile, established on New Year's Eve in 2005, and I can't believe that the last time I posted a music video was in 2004, somewhere along those lines. I was attending a junior college in those days, and as I was fooling around at Long Beach City College, I made a few anime music videos. After that, I lost interest in making these types of flicks, due to school and cheering for Long Beach State. My priorities changed.
However, this August, I was inspired to do it again. With a system rebounding from an autonuke, a plethora of spicy stock footage and a certain Van Halen song, I was compelled to go at it again. And so, my first-ever AMV in over a few years was made. You can see this on my blog, on the left side. I had to reupload it due to the crappy, choppy audio. ffdshow is such a bitch when it decides to fuck up my background music. It turned out much better.
Well, enjoy. You can check out my new vid under "BoBA Video of the Week."
You Frenchies need to quit talking outta yer derrieres.
Olympic Quick Hits, Day 3
Pop quiz: Suppose you have a situation involving a Frenchwoman and her love affair with an Italian beau. Both of them are swimmers. And then, this guy flaunts his infidelity by sleeping with a fellow Italian woman, also a swimmer. The French girl's life is emotionally crushed. As luck would have it, both of them qualify for the 400m freestyle final in Beijing. What do you do?
Answer:
Get a couple of competent Brits in Rebecca Adlington and Joanne Jackson, and sandwich them around American Katie Hoff. And that, my friends is what happened.
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Rowdy Gaines, you are a bloody toof for exploting Hoff's orgasmic groans of disgust. You shagbag womanizer.
---
The French 4 x 100 M relay team is praying for divine intervention a la Tour de France 2000's era. They are praying to their personal Jesuses that the Americans doped.
Well, just like Beijing, God can't control everything. But if your prayers are somehow answered, none of you are welcomed into my Maison de BoBA. And zat, my friend, is de bottom line. Hon hon hon.
Archery is a sport where we clearly suck at. The USA lost to Taiwan in the men's team quarterfinals.
By 4 points. Mercy.
---
Cuba seems to be our bogey team in women's volleyball. Out here in the states, we can only hope that our ladies bounce back, becuase I think our men will fare better than these poor MILFs. I can solace in the fact that their guys wouldn't stand a chance against David Lee and the gang.
Ugh. Horrid performance. They wouldn't stand a chance against Penn State's ladies. Venezuela's gonna be gulping right now.
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God bless Lauren Wenger. Her game winning shot with the women's water polo team a player up gave the USA a 12-11 victory. It was a sharp contrast to the 108-63 farce of a game against their respective basketball counterparts.
---
Out of all the non-USA threads that the basketballing chicks wear, I like Australia's the best. I don't know; I just dig hot sheilas in tight fits like that.
Random Olympic Thoughts, Day 2
Random Olympic Thoughts, Day 2
The BOCOG owes us an apology for cutting our anthem short after Michael Phelps won the men's 4 x 100M Individual Medley. The person who played this needs to be recalled. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some political intent behind this. If there actually was some foul play, let Bonga be proud to say to you, "I told you so."
Speaking of shockers, how about Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry. Forget the fact that Stephanie Rice of Australia got them their first gold medal at the pool, smashing Katie Hoff's world record (Hoff got the bronze). I do not remember Zimbabwe having any medalists in swimming. Coventry is going to come back to Zimbabwe as a national heroine. I'm not kidding. For all the hell that has gone through Zimbabwe, with the election sham and blood flowing out of the wasteland that is Mugabestan...she has given her countrymen and countrywomen a reason to celebrate. It's a national holiday down in Zimbabwe.
Actually, after further research, I found out that she got the collection at Athens. So her aura increases with each medal draped on her neck.
And I reckon that the dirty old ape is clapping his hands after seeing this. As well as Morgan Tsvangirai. The continuing legend of Kirsty Coventry has to be one of the feel-good stories of these games, and we're only in Day 2! Could there be more to come?
Pending the dope checks, yes! Korea's Park Tae-Wan wins their first swimming gold medal in the Men's 400m Freestyle. China Zhang Lin finishes second, while another bronze goes to Larsen Jensen.
---
Curses! The Dutch best us for gold in the women's 4 x 100 freestyle relay. Peter Nowak and the boys...you all know what you have to do.
---
Tang Yongming will have no chance at entering the gates of heaven for murdering Hugh McCutcheon's father-in-law. How they let this psychomaniac from Hangzhou out in the open to do this is just adding insult to the USA's cause. First the screw up the anthem for Phelps. Now this.
When out men's hoops and water polo teams head out there later tonight/today against the home country, no mercy will be spared on them.
Olympic Quick Hits; Days -2, -1, 0 and 1
Olympic Quick Hits; Days -2, -1, 0 and 1 Some of the lowlights I can point out from the Beijing 2008 Opening Ceremony... * China's athletes entering to Jarabe Tapatio. WTF!? * No playing of the Olympics Fanfare & Theme, or Bugler's Dream. * Estonia's threads. Yuck Highlights: * The BOCOG can rest assure that Li Ning was not hurt, or did not fall to his death, when being gurney upward to light the cauldron. * The caligraphy painting, finished off with the athletes leaving their footprint on the parchment, should go to a museum. Or auctioned for untold riches at Sotheby's. * Love the electric taiko and 2008 time a few performers setting things up. * For the cheer girls to have to go through two hours of jumping up and down nonstop is pure guts. * Fireworks. NBC will say this was maybe too much. I say it's not enough fireworks. * HUngary and Russia had some women's suits to die for. Any delegation with handbags gets my vote of the Olympics. --- The USA women's have been doing well in the early going, with a clean sweep of the women's individual sabre, while the USA women's soccer (1-0) and volleyball (3-1) teams trounced Japan. The guys (1-0) beat Japan too. Both sides need a win in their next match to go through. No question, the NEtherlands will be a test for Landon and company. The women's hoops team also ripped apart the Czech Republic. All in all, a good start for the USA. --- Commisserations to the Roughriders of Saskatchewan for finally suffering their first defeat. I think the guys who are injured neet to get healthy fast, or Ken Miller and Eric Tillman are gpoing to need some talented replacements in a hurry. --- Cheers to Aldershot and AFC Wimbledon on winning their first contests in their first seasons in the Football League Two and Football Conference South, respectively.
Ah, the power of autonuke
A Trojan horse attack on my computer turned out to be a blessing.
There's this program called DBAN - Darik's Boot and Nuke. It's a program that allows you to clean your hard drive thanks to an autonuke feature, and get rid of any other lingering programs that might harm your computer. It's awesome stuff. I was able to get my machine back to normal after the Trojan attack. And it's all thanks to BongaDad.
He may have a foot lagging from a bout of gout, but when it comes to figuring out what the fuss with my computer is all about, without a doubt, he packs a clout.
---
How about that Melbourne Victory side. They are a football team from Melbourne, Australia, and they won the A-League Preseason Cup. Even though the USA Women stunk like Limburger against Norway the same day, keeper Michael Theoklitos is clutch.
From the Sydney Morning Herald:
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Victory win A-League pre-season cup
August 6, 2008 - 9:33PM
Melbourne Victory have claimed the first silverware of the A-League season, defeating Wellington Phoenix 8-7 in a marathon penalty shootout in the final of the pre-season cup at Westpac Stadium in Wellington.
Reigning A-League goalkeeper of the year Michael Theoklitos proved the difference between the two sides, making two spectacular stops during the second half and then saving Karl Dodd's penalty to win the shootout after 18 kicks.
Phoenix striker Shane Smeltz and Victory's Nick Ward had earlier blazed their spot kicks over the crossbar.
The match had finished 0-0 at fulltime, the Phoenix having slightly the better of proceedings before falling just short of becoming the first New Zealand club to claim a trophy in an Australian competition.
The home side fielded close to their best line-up with the only notable absentees being skipper Andrew Durante who sat out the match through suspension, while defender Tony Lochhead remained unavailable after recent trials with Middlesbrough.
Conversely ,Victory went into the match without a number of key squad members including regular captain Kevin Muscat, experienced midfielder Grant Brebner, plus Olyroos trio Archie Thompson, Leigh Broxham and Billy Celeski.
Goalscoring opportunities were rare with the match commencing in scrappy fashion on a greasy surface in front of over 9,000 fans who braved the chilly conditions.
Chances in the first half were largely a result of defensive errors with Phoenix goalkeeper Glen Moss misjudging a regulation Matthew Kemp cross and catching the ball at the second attempt as match officials ignored Victory appeals that the ball had crossed the line.
At the other end of the field Adam Kwasnik should have done better but headed over the crossbar after the Victory had left the striker unmarked from a free kick.
It was a match in which defence dominated with both sets of defenders solid throughout and former Socceroos Jon McKain for the Phoenix and Michael Thwaite for Victory particularly prominent.
The match sprang to life mid-way through the second stanza with Richard Johnson's stunning long range effort requiring an equally spectacular save from Victory goalkeeper Theoklitos.
Carlos Hernandez warmed the palms of Moss soon after with his own powerful strike from distance in what was a relatively quiet night for the Costa Rican international.
The best chance of the match came ten minutes from time with Phoenix's prolific striker Smeltz producing a diving header that saw Theoklitos at full stretch to tip the ball around the post.
"It was a tough one, but we did the job," said Victory coach Ernie Merrick.
"Right from the kick-off they pressured us and made sure we couldn't get our passing game going.
"When your goalkeeper is one of your best players and your other two are probably (defenders) Michael Thwaite and Roddy Vargas, you know that you haven't played your best football.
"But sometimes you play a game like that when you're not at your best and you come away with a win, and you think 'not a bad team to get that sort of result with not the best performance'.
"It has been the perfect preparation for the A-league season, and to get to the final, which the boys set themselves the challenge of winning, it sets us up really well for the A-league season."
Phoenix captain Jon McKain said he was impressed with his team's effort as they build towards just their second season in the competition.
"Penalties are always a lottery, and we didn't seem to get that bit of luck tonight," McKain said.
© 2008 AAP
Brought to you by aap
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Onward!
There's this program called DBAN - Darik's Boot and Nuke. It's a program that allows you to clean your hard drive thanks to an autonuke feature, and get rid of any other lingering programs that might harm your computer. It's awesome stuff. I was able to get my machine back to normal after the Trojan attack. And it's all thanks to BongaDad.
He may have a foot lagging from a bout of gout, but when it comes to figuring out what the fuss with my computer is all about, without a doubt, he packs a clout.
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How about that Melbourne Victory side. They are a football team from Melbourne, Australia, and they won the A-League Preseason Cup. Even though the USA Women stunk like Limburger against Norway the same day, keeper Michael Theoklitos is clutch.
From the Sydney Morning Herald:
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Victory win A-League pre-season cup
August 6, 2008 - 9:33PM
Melbourne Victory have claimed the first silverware of the A-League season, defeating Wellington Phoenix 8-7 in a marathon penalty shootout in the final of the pre-season cup at Westpac Stadium in Wellington.
Reigning A-League goalkeeper of the year Michael Theoklitos proved the difference between the two sides, making two spectacular stops during the second half and then saving Karl Dodd's penalty to win the shootout after 18 kicks.
Phoenix striker Shane Smeltz and Victory's Nick Ward had earlier blazed their spot kicks over the crossbar.
The match had finished 0-0 at fulltime, the Phoenix having slightly the better of proceedings before falling just short of becoming the first New Zealand club to claim a trophy in an Australian competition.
The home side fielded close to their best line-up with the only notable absentees being skipper Andrew Durante who sat out the match through suspension, while defender Tony Lochhead remained unavailable after recent trials with Middlesbrough.
Conversely ,Victory went into the match without a number of key squad members including regular captain Kevin Muscat, experienced midfielder Grant Brebner, plus Olyroos trio Archie Thompson, Leigh Broxham and Billy Celeski.
Goalscoring opportunities were rare with the match commencing in scrappy fashion on a greasy surface in front of over 9,000 fans who braved the chilly conditions.
Chances in the first half were largely a result of defensive errors with Phoenix goalkeeper Glen Moss misjudging a regulation Matthew Kemp cross and catching the ball at the second attempt as match officials ignored Victory appeals that the ball had crossed the line.
At the other end of the field Adam Kwasnik should have done better but headed over the crossbar after the Victory had left the striker unmarked from a free kick.
It was a match in which defence dominated with both sets of defenders solid throughout and former Socceroos Jon McKain for the Phoenix and Michael Thwaite for Victory particularly prominent.
The match sprang to life mid-way through the second stanza with Richard Johnson's stunning long range effort requiring an equally spectacular save from Victory goalkeeper Theoklitos.
Carlos Hernandez warmed the palms of Moss soon after with his own powerful strike from distance in what was a relatively quiet night for the Costa Rican international.
The best chance of the match came ten minutes from time with Phoenix's prolific striker Smeltz producing a diving header that saw Theoklitos at full stretch to tip the ball around the post.
"It was a tough one, but we did the job," said Victory coach Ernie Merrick.
"Right from the kick-off they pressured us and made sure we couldn't get our passing game going.
"When your goalkeeper is one of your best players and your other two are probably (defenders) Michael Thwaite and Roddy Vargas, you know that you haven't played your best football.
"But sometimes you play a game like that when you're not at your best and you come away with a win, and you think 'not a bad team to get that sort of result with not the best performance'.
"It has been the perfect preparation for the A-league season, and to get to the final, which the boys set themselves the challenge of winning, it sets us up really well for the A-league season."
Phoenix captain Jon McKain said he was impressed with his team's effort as they build towards just their second season in the competition.
"Penalties are always a lottery, and we didn't seem to get that bit of luck tonight," McKain said.
© 2008 AAP
Brought to you by aap
-----
Onward!
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