The eight year old me chose my Obscure Summer Olympic Sport. The eight year old me saw a water park on steroids and imagined how much fun it would be to ride down that thing on a raft. Or without a raft. Truth is, I made a bad choice. Kayak, like badminton, is fun to watch for a while. Then the novelty wears off. Plus, kayak takes forever. One racer goes at a time. The average racer, from what I saw, took more than a minute, and there were over 30 competitiors. Take into account start time and random lollygagging between racers, and the qualifying heats lasted for hours. In the words of the Grail Knight in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", "[I] chose pooorly."
So, I am giving myself a mulligan. A do-over for you non-golfers. It's my Blog, I can do what I want. Plus, when you see elements of the Perfect Storm developing again, you don't sit around because you have already seen rain today, you run to that storm and see what it brings you. This year, it brought us a derecho. Not as devastating as a hurricane, but still packs a mighty punch.
So, for this year, I am amending my Obscure Summer Olympic Sport to Judo. Nothing will ever match Nordic Combined in 2010 for the elements of the Perfect Storm, but judo has many elements: 1. US success is limited - i.e., never won a gold before; 2. It is an obscure sport; 3. It doesn't require a great time commitment (matches are 5 minutes); and 4. The US was on the brink of a breakthrough. It misses on the easy to understand thing, but it certainly was interesting to watch. At the end, there is a score, so you know who won. You just may not know how they got that score.
The emerging US success is Kayla Harrison. She is quite a story. To begin with, Kayla was sexually abused by her judo coach as a child. She told a friend about the abuse, who told her mom, who smashed the coach's car windows with a baseball bat. (GO MOM!!) Despite this early tragedy, Kayla continued with judo, and yesterday became the first American to win gold in judo. This is the tragic, but inspirational story. But we need to move past her history to her present, because the competition was awesome.
My introduction to judo was watching Travis Stevens heroically fail to win a medal in the Men's Half Middleweight (WHAT?) competition. I saw Stevens lose the semifinals in extra time and the bronze medal match. I watched about 15 minutes of judo and saw one point scored. As I have already written, I also saw a couple guys repeatedly grab each other, roll around on the floor, stop, start over, and never score. Stevens was exhausted and devastated. In many ways, he represented what the Olympics is. But this was baffling.
I still watched Kayla. Kayla walks onto the judo mat like she is prepared to destroy you. In the first match I saw, her quarterfinals, she won in 56 seconds. Think about that. Two days before, I watched two men's matches and approximately 15 minutes of Judo and saw one point. Kayla won, with 100 points, in 56 seconds. Now I was even more confused, but intrigued. In her semifinal match, she fell behind 10-0. I had seen one point scored. I had seen 100 points scored. And now I had seen 10 points scored. I figured a great story was killed right then, because I don't know how you get 10 points, but it has to be hard to beat. Kayla eventually got a point to make the score 10-1. Then, with about a minute and a half left, she got 100 points and the match was over. 101-10. Huh?
So I had to learn about judo. Judo translates to "gentle way". If you read the Wikipedia article, this MIGHT make sense, but if you watch a judo match it is baffling. Each little scuffle begins with the competitiors trying to grab each other. They reach for the other's robes and simultaneously try to slap the other's hands away. They look like two little kids trying to poke each other, and more importantly trying to stop the other from poking them. Once they get a grip, the goal is to throw the opponent to the ground on their back. There is nothing gentle about this. If they throw their opponent onto her back with the right amount of force and technique, they get 100 points and win the match. If they throw their opponent on her back without the right amount of force, they get 10 points. If they throw their opponent onto her side, they get 1 point. At least as far as I can tell and read. Also, if they get on the ground and strangle their opponent (I am not making any of this up) into submission or unconsciousness they win the match. If they can force their opponent to submit by hyperextending a joint (this is how Kayla won her quarterfinal), they win the match. There is also something about pinning an opponent for 25 seconds. Each competitor is allowed 2 medical visits (again, not making this up). This is...the Gentle Way.
I have found no rule, but it also appears that either for strategy or intimidation, the competitors don't straighten themselves up during the match, even though the first thing that happens is both robes are dishevelled and eventually hang loosely, untied by their belt. The men wear nothing underneath, so they look like they are about to go for a steam.
Kayla's gold medal match was against Gemma Gibbons of Great Britian. Gemma is surprisingly attractive for a judo competitor. She had the home crowd support, but no chance. Kayla walked with purposeful intent. She had a mission and no one, not the least Gemma Gibbons, was going to stop her. At the beginning of the match (which starts at about 1:59.00 here), Gemma looked a little scared. I would have been terrified going into a judo match against Kayla. About halfway through, Gemma started slapping away Kayla's hands in a way that looked like she was whining "Leave me alone!" Towards the end, though she gave it a good fight. The match as a whole was good. But you have to watch the not straightening up thing. Gemma's hair slowly disintegrates into a floppy mess until she looks like a homeless person. She makes no effort to do anything other than sweep a few strands out of her eyes. Kayla's hair was a little bit more tightly bound, so it didn't collapse quite as much.
Then I saw the late night interview with Kayla. This intimidating, focused, downright scary woman became this bubbly, smiley teeny-bopper. (She is 22, but she looked like a teeny-bopper.) I tell you, the woman who won that gold medal was not the woman who did that interview. She must send her unknown twin sister out to do interviews while she fights bears for raw meat in a cave to prepare for her next conquest.
Today's Olympic Story Line - is Kayla. My last comment was for fun, and I hope you realize that. Kayla is a tremendous story and one NBC should milk for all it is worth. Her ability to overcome tragedy should be an inspiration to anyone, and sad as it is, hopefully this can be a small source of comfort to victims of sexual abuse. Her focus is incredible and the fact that she is one person on the floor and another in the interview studio is a good demonstration of what it takes to be a world class athlete. I am glad I found Kayla. Just like I am glad I found Bill Demong, Johnny Spillane, Todd Lodwick and Brett Camerota.
Reflections on What Has Happened (Focus for this will be on US sports and
medals, but we will touch on other stuff as time permits) -
1. Ryan Lochte finished his Olympics with 5 medals: 2 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze. About 140 people in the history of the Olympics have won 5 or more medals in their careers. Lochte did it in a week. (He now has 11 career Olympic medals.) But 2012 was a disappointment for Lochte, who came in with a realistic chance at 6 golds. I think he has the mindset to understand that 2012 was a great accomplishment. But this had to be a little tough.
2. Michael Phelps proved he is the best swimmer ever. As someone said to me earlier today, Lochte is Alydar, Phelps is Affirmed.
3. US Men beat Brazil in Volleyball in remarkably dominant fashion. Let's hope this continues through the tournament. (My Volleyball Insider had a comment about this which I will save for another day, and another subject matter.)
4. Rebecca Soni is awesome.
5. Missy Franklin is still my hero.
6. Gabby Douglas is the pride of Virginia Beach. And America.
Predictions Wrap Up -
1. Lochte and Clary go 1-2 in 200 back. - WRONG - Lochte falls to bronze. But Clary takes gold.
2. Phelps and Lochte go 1-2 in 200
IM. - Correct
3. US women get 1, and only 1, medal in 100 free. I'll say silver. For
Missy. - WRONG - but Missy gave it a good show. And will be back tonight (see below).
4. Judo Breakthrough - Gold for US, and I will change my Obscure
Summer Olympic Sport. - Correct - See above.
5. US Men's basketball team beats Nigeria by more than
40. - Correct - It does seem wrong to take credit for predicting a 40 point win when they won by 83!
6. US Women defend their gold in Women's 8 rowing. Mary Whipple
screams the National Anthem during the ceremony. - Correct - Yeah, baby! Those are my girls. Well, they were last night. And Mary was belting that anthem.
7. I will be back on my
game tomorrow. - Correct - At least I feel like I am.
What to Watch For (I am reversing this and predictions, because predictions often come from what to watch for) -
1. Women's soccer v. NZ. Knock out rounds begin.
2. Still lots of sailing.
3. Trampoline begins. How many other backyard activities can we turn into Olympic sports?
4. Track and field begins.
5. Beach volleyball knock-out rounds begin.
6. Another weekend - how much stuff can we cram into two days?
7. Tennis - who knew it was in the Olympics? (More on this later.)
8. Track Cycling -you have to watch a little, it is crazy cool to watch.
Predictions -
1. Franklin-Biesel 1-2 in 200 backstroke
2. US wins 2 medals in men's 100 fly. Gold for Phelps.
3. 15 year old Katy Ledecky wins a medal in the 800 free. I'll say bronze.
4. US wins one medal in men's 50 free. Not sure who or what color. This is a crapshoot anyway.
5. US wins 2 medals in men's discus.
6. US wins 1 medal in women's 10,000.
7. US wins gold in both beach volleyball competitions. (My Volleyball Insider will like the optimism, but may question the judgment.)
Fat Old Man Update - 2000 meters in the water yesterday. Focus was on building endurance. At times, I feel like a real swimmer. These are rare and short lived, but they do happen.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Tape Delayed
I post my comments usually in the early afternoon each day. I write as if I was writing at the end of the previous day. It is possible my comments are 24 hours behind live action. One could claim that I have made my predictions after the events have occurred. For some events, that would be true. However, some time around 1 pm Eastern US time I begin my media blackout. I cut off ESPN and the NBC Olympics website until I get home and start watching hours of recorded action. I have to be very careful listening to the radio on my drive home. In general, I have been successful in not knowing what happened until I get a chance to see it on TV. There are exceptions (see below) and a couple of glorious success stories.
My greatest success was in 2004. The Australian men's 800 freestyle relay was heavily favored to win the gold medal. Athens is seven hours ahead of Eastern US time. The 800 freestyle relay was probably swum around 9 or 10 pm local time, so 2 or 3 pm where I was. I had to shut myself off from the world for 5-6 hours to prevent myself from knowing what happened. This included a CD in the car on the way home, because radio DJs were not helpful with "media blackout." I managed to pull it off by getting in front of the NBC telecast at 8 pm. At that point I was safe. Of course, they didn't show the relay until 11:45 pm. I stayed up and watched that relay, by myself, in the quiet of my basement. And as Klete Keller out-touched Ian Thorpe for the gold medal, I jumped and leaped and screamed like I had won an Olympic Gold Medal. It is a wonder I did not wake my wife or 4 month old baby.
Athens was tough to pull off. But it was doable. Beijing was not as hard. Part of this is because my favorite event is the swimming and NBC was able to muscle the Chinese into holding event finals in the morning local time, so they could be live in prime time in the US. I don't know what other sports did, but I know I saw Nastia Liukin win all around gold, Usain Bolt win the 100 and the 200, the US girls choke away the team gymnastics gold medal, both beach volleyball gold medal games, and several other events without knowing the results.
London has been a little more difficult. With so many different avenues for information, it is easy to accidentally learn something and difficult to shut yourself out. Two days ago, with Phelps looking to break the all time record for medals won and the US girls going for team gold, I received three messages from my NBC Olympics app and two email news updates from the Washington Post before I left work. I knew I had to be careful, so I managed to delete the emails (I am glad the world wasn't coming to an end, I never would have known) and ignore the messages. I also heard a little on the radio (the words "silver in the 200") and saw an NBC promo to link to the gymnastics medal ceremony. This led me to the (correct) conclusion that the Pixie Parade had won gold. I was in complete denial of the 200 butterfly silver medal for Phelps. That is still incomprehensible.
Today, it has become even more difficult. I just got an email from the Washington Post telling me what happened in the girl's gymnastics. I won't say anything, but the subject line of the email gave everything away. I had no chance to delete. Now I am being extra careful, because Lochte-Phelps Showdown # 2 is also today. It has probably already happened. I would prefer to see it without knowing the results.
NBC has been criticized for how they are showing the Olympics. I guess, specifically, they have been criticized for tape delaying the big events. I like it. I have a job, three sons, and a long commute. I am happy to go blackout in the afternoon, get home, get the boys to bed and sit back to enjoy the competition without knowing the ending. Well, except for the 200 fly and the men's 400 free relay. Those just hurt. Of course, you have to take that pain to get the absolute joy of Nathan Adrian winning the 100 free, Allison Schmitt winning the 200 free and the Grevers-Thoman 1-2 in the 100 back.
I don't really have a point. I would say this is not one of my better posts. (I have a great one, but I need more time.) Maybe I am just trying to explain why I seem to be 12 hours behind, and why my predictions, although made without knowledge of actual events, may be made after the events occurred. Maybe I am tired and doing this every day is getting to me. When I do a big volleyball post I will have a lot to give you, thanks to my Volleyball Insider. When I do my big Baltic States post, I will have a lot to give you, thanks to my Baltic States Insider. I have a couple other good ones in store for you. What? No one wants my Baltic States Post? Hmmm. Today is my version of Stephen Strasburg's 4 inning, 8 hit, 6 earned run outing v. the Phillies from a couple days ago. A bad day by a great performer. We are all entitled to one every once in a while. I hope Lochte and Phelps, and Rebecca Soni, and Lochte and Tyler Clary, and either Jessica Hardy or Missy Franklin, and our men's volleyball team don't join me.
Today's Olympic Story Line - Kristin Armstrong. Yesterday, Kristin Armstrong defended her gold medal in the women's cycling time trial. After winning gold in Beijing and winning the world championships in 2009, Kristin retired as a professional cyclist to start a family. She had a son in 2010, then started to ride again. In May she crashed and broke her collarbone. She recovered in time to get to London and become, at 38, the oldest gold medalist in a road cycling event. The cycling time trial was an awesome event. It started at Hampton Court Palace, the castle of Henry VIII. When the riders finished, the medalists went to a little stage with three chairs that can only be described as thrones and sat there like royalty before the medal ceremony. For the men's race, no one sat on the throne until he was basically assured of a medal. For the women's race, they had riders in the thrones if they were in medal position, even though faster riders were still on the course. So when people finished with a faster time, the previous riders had to leave, or move to a different throne, as their place changed. That was just funny.
Despite her name, Kristin is not related to Lance Armstrong. It is oddly coincidental, however, that the best female cyclist in the world is named Armstrong. And that Lance's first wife was named Kristin.
Reflections on What Has Happened (Focus for this will be on US sports and medals, but we will touch on other stuff as time permits) -
1. Saw another judo match this morning. It lasted 56 seconds. Kayla Harrison of the US won and is apparently a gold medal contender. I am more confused than ever. It is likely I will change my Obscure Summer Sport to Judo. I need to know more about this sport. Plus, we have an American who might win gold. And we have never won gold before. The Perfect Storm is rising again. Tune in tomorrow.
2. I saw three rowing finals. The US finished fourth by about a millisecond in two of them. Aye coramba!
3. I am beginning to think I am a US Beach Volleyball jinx. I predicted Rogers and Dalhausser would win efficiently, and they struggled to a 3 set win. I predicted Misty and Kerri would keep their set winning streak alive and they lost their first set (see Predictions Wrap Up below). I am now going to leave beach volleyball out of my predictions.
4. I watched some archery. The US men have the top ranked archer in the world, Brady Ellison. He is a Paul Walker look-alike. That's right, Lance Harbor went into archery after his devastating knee injury. My West Canaan Insider also told me he heard about the whipped cream bikini and dumped Darcy Sears. I was thinking as I watched that Paul Walker could play Brady Ellison in the made for TV docu-drama, The Brady Ellison Story, a Local Football Star Becomes Robin Hood. Then he lost in the round of 32 and I realized no one cares if you lose in the round of 32. Too bad. That was one bad made for TV movie opportunity missed.
5. Women's kayak finals were today. We didn't win a medal. Man, I chose poorly.
6. NATHAN ADRIAN! Well done. The US won their first gold in the men's 100 freestyle since Matt Biondi in 1988. Adrian had a great swim and came from behind in the last five meters to win by .01 seconds.
7. Allison Schmitt is the quiet assassin of these games. She has won two gold medals, one silver and one bronze. She almost won the 400 freestyle before dominating the 200 freestyle and destroying Australia's anchor leg in the 800 freestyle relay. The bronze came in the 400 freestyle relay. For all the Missy Franklin, Ryan Lochte, and Michael Phelps talk, so far Allison Schmitt has had the best Olympics of any US swimmer.
Predictions Wrap Up (I realized this is more a Wrap Up than a Sum Up) -
1. Misty and Kerri keep their "Never lost a set" streak alive tonight - WRONG - But they won the match.
2. China wins gold in Men's Synchro Diving - Correct - And shocking.
3. US gets a medal in All Around Men's Gymnastics, but not gold - Correct -Bronze for Dannel Leyva.
4. Kitajima fails to threepeat in 200 breastroke - Correct - Didn't even medal.
5. US women win 800 free relay - Correct - In dominant fashion.
6. Nathan Adrian gets silver in 100 free - WRONG -And I couldn't be happier about it.
7. US fails to medal in women's 200 fly - Correct.
8. US women beat China in Women's Volleyball - Correct.
9. Someone will violate my Rule #1 Advice for Watching the Olympics tonight - Pending - Come on people, fess up. Someone had sex last night.
Predictions -
1. Lochte and Clary go 1-2 in 200 back.
2. Phelps and Lochte go 1-2 in 200 IM.
3. US women get 1, and only 1, medal in 100 free. I'll say silver. For Missy.
4. Judo Breakthrough - Gold for US, and I will change my Obscure Summer Olympic Sport.
5. US Men's basketball team beats Nigeria by more than 40.
6. US Women defend their gold in Women's 8 rowing. Mary Whipple screams the National Anthem during the ceremony.
7. I will be back on my game tomorrow.
What to Watch For -
1. Phelps - Lochte Showdown #2.
2. Men's Volleyball v. Brazil. Remember, its OK to lose, just don't lose to Brazil. Heard this will be on NBC's Prime Time coverage tonight.
3. Women's All-Around. I'm sure you know what will happen, it is unavoidable.
4. Women's Eights in rowing. It has already happened, but should be cool to watch.
5. Track cycling - kind of bizarre, but really cool to watch.
6. Fat Old Man updates at some point.
7. Am I going to crash and burn before the Olympic flame is extinguished?
My greatest success was in 2004. The Australian men's 800 freestyle relay was heavily favored to win the gold medal. Athens is seven hours ahead of Eastern US time. The 800 freestyle relay was probably swum around 9 or 10 pm local time, so 2 or 3 pm where I was. I had to shut myself off from the world for 5-6 hours to prevent myself from knowing what happened. This included a CD in the car on the way home, because radio DJs were not helpful with "media blackout." I managed to pull it off by getting in front of the NBC telecast at 8 pm. At that point I was safe. Of course, they didn't show the relay until 11:45 pm. I stayed up and watched that relay, by myself, in the quiet of my basement. And as Klete Keller out-touched Ian Thorpe for the gold medal, I jumped and leaped and screamed like I had won an Olympic Gold Medal. It is a wonder I did not wake my wife or 4 month old baby.
Athens was tough to pull off. But it was doable. Beijing was not as hard. Part of this is because my favorite event is the swimming and NBC was able to muscle the Chinese into holding event finals in the morning local time, so they could be live in prime time in the US. I don't know what other sports did, but I know I saw Nastia Liukin win all around gold, Usain Bolt win the 100 and the 200, the US girls choke away the team gymnastics gold medal, both beach volleyball gold medal games, and several other events without knowing the results.
London has been a little more difficult. With so many different avenues for information, it is easy to accidentally learn something and difficult to shut yourself out. Two days ago, with Phelps looking to break the all time record for medals won and the US girls going for team gold, I received three messages from my NBC Olympics app and two email news updates from the Washington Post before I left work. I knew I had to be careful, so I managed to delete the emails (I am glad the world wasn't coming to an end, I never would have known) and ignore the messages. I also heard a little on the radio (the words "silver in the 200") and saw an NBC promo to link to the gymnastics medal ceremony. This led me to the (correct) conclusion that the Pixie Parade had won gold. I was in complete denial of the 200 butterfly silver medal for Phelps. That is still incomprehensible.
Today, it has become even more difficult. I just got an email from the Washington Post telling me what happened in the girl's gymnastics. I won't say anything, but the subject line of the email gave everything away. I had no chance to delete. Now I am being extra careful, because Lochte-Phelps Showdown # 2 is also today. It has probably already happened. I would prefer to see it without knowing the results.
NBC has been criticized for how they are showing the Olympics. I guess, specifically, they have been criticized for tape delaying the big events. I like it. I have a job, three sons, and a long commute. I am happy to go blackout in the afternoon, get home, get the boys to bed and sit back to enjoy the competition without knowing the ending. Well, except for the 200 fly and the men's 400 free relay. Those just hurt. Of course, you have to take that pain to get the absolute joy of Nathan Adrian winning the 100 free, Allison Schmitt winning the 200 free and the Grevers-Thoman 1-2 in the 100 back.
I don't really have a point. I would say this is not one of my better posts. (I have a great one, but I need more time.) Maybe I am just trying to explain why I seem to be 12 hours behind, and why my predictions, although made without knowledge of actual events, may be made after the events occurred. Maybe I am tired and doing this every day is getting to me. When I do a big volleyball post I will have a lot to give you, thanks to my Volleyball Insider. When I do my big Baltic States post, I will have a lot to give you, thanks to my Baltic States Insider. I have a couple other good ones in store for you. What? No one wants my Baltic States Post? Hmmm. Today is my version of Stephen Strasburg's 4 inning, 8 hit, 6 earned run outing v. the Phillies from a couple days ago. A bad day by a great performer. We are all entitled to one every once in a while. I hope Lochte and Phelps, and Rebecca Soni, and Lochte and Tyler Clary, and either Jessica Hardy or Missy Franklin, and our men's volleyball team don't join me.
Today's Olympic Story Line - Kristin Armstrong. Yesterday, Kristin Armstrong defended her gold medal in the women's cycling time trial. After winning gold in Beijing and winning the world championships in 2009, Kristin retired as a professional cyclist to start a family. She had a son in 2010, then started to ride again. In May she crashed and broke her collarbone. She recovered in time to get to London and become, at 38, the oldest gold medalist in a road cycling event. The cycling time trial was an awesome event. It started at Hampton Court Palace, the castle of Henry VIII. When the riders finished, the medalists went to a little stage with three chairs that can only be described as thrones and sat there like royalty before the medal ceremony. For the men's race, no one sat on the throne until he was basically assured of a medal. For the women's race, they had riders in the thrones if they were in medal position, even though faster riders were still on the course. So when people finished with a faster time, the previous riders had to leave, or move to a different throne, as their place changed. That was just funny.
Despite her name, Kristin is not related to Lance Armstrong. It is oddly coincidental, however, that the best female cyclist in the world is named Armstrong. And that Lance's first wife was named Kristin.
Reflections on What Has Happened (Focus for this will be on US sports and medals, but we will touch on other stuff as time permits) -
1. Saw another judo match this morning. It lasted 56 seconds. Kayla Harrison of the US won and is apparently a gold medal contender. I am more confused than ever. It is likely I will change my Obscure Summer Sport to Judo. I need to know more about this sport. Plus, we have an American who might win gold. And we have never won gold before. The Perfect Storm is rising again. Tune in tomorrow.
2. I saw three rowing finals. The US finished fourth by about a millisecond in two of them. Aye coramba!
3. I am beginning to think I am a US Beach Volleyball jinx. I predicted Rogers and Dalhausser would win efficiently, and they struggled to a 3 set win. I predicted Misty and Kerri would keep their set winning streak alive and they lost their first set (see Predictions Wrap Up below). I am now going to leave beach volleyball out of my predictions.
4. I watched some archery. The US men have the top ranked archer in the world, Brady Ellison. He is a Paul Walker look-alike. That's right, Lance Harbor went into archery after his devastating knee injury. My West Canaan Insider also told me he heard about the whipped cream bikini and dumped Darcy Sears. I was thinking as I watched that Paul Walker could play Brady Ellison in the made for TV docu-drama, The Brady Ellison Story, a Local Football Star Becomes Robin Hood. Then he lost in the round of 32 and I realized no one cares if you lose in the round of 32. Too bad. That was one bad made for TV movie opportunity missed.
5. Women's kayak finals were today. We didn't win a medal. Man, I chose poorly.
6. NATHAN ADRIAN! Well done. The US won their first gold in the men's 100 freestyle since Matt Biondi in 1988. Adrian had a great swim and came from behind in the last five meters to win by .01 seconds.
7. Allison Schmitt is the quiet assassin of these games. She has won two gold medals, one silver and one bronze. She almost won the 400 freestyle before dominating the 200 freestyle and destroying Australia's anchor leg in the 800 freestyle relay. The bronze came in the 400 freestyle relay. For all the Missy Franklin, Ryan Lochte, and Michael Phelps talk, so far Allison Schmitt has had the best Olympics of any US swimmer.
Predictions Wrap Up (I realized this is more a Wrap Up than a Sum Up) -
1. Misty and Kerri keep their "Never lost a set" streak alive tonight - WRONG - But they won the match.
2. China wins gold in Men's Synchro Diving - Correct - And shocking.
3. US gets a medal in All Around Men's Gymnastics, but not gold - Correct -Bronze for Dannel Leyva.
4. Kitajima fails to threepeat in 200 breastroke - Correct - Didn't even medal.
5. US women win 800 free relay - Correct - In dominant fashion.
6. Nathan Adrian gets silver in 100 free - WRONG -And I couldn't be happier about it.
7. US fails to medal in women's 200 fly - Correct.
8. US women beat China in Women's Volleyball - Correct.
9. Someone will violate my Rule #1 Advice for Watching the Olympics tonight - Pending - Come on people, fess up. Someone had sex last night.
Predictions -
1. Lochte and Clary go 1-2 in 200 back.
2. Phelps and Lochte go 1-2 in 200 IM.
3. US women get 1, and only 1, medal in 100 free. I'll say silver. For Missy.
4. Judo Breakthrough - Gold for US, and I will change my Obscure Summer Olympic Sport.
5. US Men's basketball team beats Nigeria by more than 40.
6. US Women defend their gold in Women's 8 rowing. Mary Whipple screams the National Anthem during the ceremony.
7. I will be back on my game tomorrow.
What to Watch For -
1. Phelps - Lochte Showdown #2.
2. Men's Volleyball v. Brazil. Remember, its OK to lose, just don't lose to Brazil. Heard this will be on NBC's Prime Time coverage tonight.
3. Women's All-Around. I'm sure you know what will happen, it is unavoidable.
4. Women's Eights in rowing. It has already happened, but should be cool to watch.
5. Track cycling - kind of bizarre, but really cool to watch.
6. Fat Old Man updates at some point.
7. Am I going to crash and burn before the Olympic flame is extinguished?
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Obscure Summer Olympic Sport
Before I go into my Obscure Summer Olympic Sport, I want to give a little history. This whole idea began with the 2010 Winter Olympics. The Winter Olympics are a gold mine of obscure sports. Well, at least for a lifelong resident of the mid-Atlantic region of the US. Curling, Biathlon, Nordic Combined, Luge, Skeleton, Ski Jumping, even Cross-Country Skiing, are all obscure here. I have grown to love the obscure Winter Olympic Sports. In 2010, I adopted Nordic Combined as my favorite Obscure Winter Olympic Sport.
Nordic Combined is a competition that combines the two Nordic sports of ski jumping and cross-country skiing. Odd how that works with the name, huh? Prior to 2010, the US had never won a Nordic Combined Olympic Medal. This goofy little sport fit perfectly for what I was looking for. It was obscure, it was relatively easy to understand (if you don't really care how ski jumping is scored), it didn't require a great time commitment (the jumping is done in tape delay relatively quickly, most of the skiing takes less than half an hour), and the US had not been very successful (if you count no medals ever not successful), BUT the US was on the verge of a breakthrough. I drank Nordic Combined like the elixir of life. I loved every minute of it. I was lifted by every triumph, and destroyed by every failure. Of course, when the US has never won a medal in a sport, are there really any failures?
Well, we did break through. With a vengeance. The US won gold and silver in the individual large hill, silver in the individual small hill and the team silver medal. So my choice was almost as good as the performances of Bill Demong, Johnny Spillane, Todd Lodwick and Brett Camerota.
Picking a Summer Sport has been more difficult. It's hard to find a sport that fits all the criteria above. Honestly, I think Nordic Combined in 2010 was the Perfect Storm, and those elements will never come together in such harmony again. Because of this, I almost bailed on choosing an Obscure Summer Olympic Sport. But I know at least one of you, and maybe up to three of you, are relying on me for this. So I chose Kayak.
I chose Kayak mainly because the Olympic course looks like a water slide on steroids, and I would love to go for a ride. Riding on a raft would probably be best, but I would like to try with nothing but a bathing suit. Kayak works because it is obscure as competitive sports go, it is certainly not overhyped by NBC, and we don't have a great history of success in Olympic Kayak (16 total medals, five gold, five silver and six bronze - good for 12th all time in combined Canoe and Kayak.) Plus, it looks cool, and very hard.
I am focusing on the individual slalom race. The slalom races have been in the Olympic program seven times: in 1972 and every year since 1992. Not sure what happened from '76-'88. The racers go down a course and have to go through a series of numbered gates. Some of these gates are down stream and some are upstream, meaning the racers have to turn around and fight the current to go through the gates. If you are lucky, someone will flip over and go through a gate upside down. Not only does that create visual hilarity, it also results in a whopping 50 second penalty. Unlike skiing, the racers are not allowed to touch the gates. And the gates hang from the sky, as if being held by angels.
The Men's final was today.We didn't win a medal. The women's final is tomorrow. We won't win a medal. But at least I learned a little something choosing my Obscure Summer Sport. And isn't that really the point. (No, US domination is the point, but I chose poorly and had to justify my choice in some way. Like I said above - Perfect Storm.)
Today's Olympic Story Line - I'm sure you have heard about this one - Badminton disqualifications. Eight Badminton players have been disqualified, not for cheating, but for intentionally trying to lose. The purpose was to set up an easier path in the knock-out rounds. Except for the Chinese. They were trying to avoid meeting another Chinese duo until the Finals. Watch the highlights. This is hysterical. They are blatant. Hitting serves directly into the net; watching the birdie fall to the ground easily in bounds; and obviously not trying. If you want to throw the game, you can do it without announcing to the world what you are doing.
Of course, this leads to another question - should they have been disqualified? This is a tough question. On one hand, no one wants people intentionally throwing a game. On the other hand, the Olympics is full of competitors not giving their best effort at the end of a qualifying, competition to save themselves for the medal competition. You see it frequently in swimming and even more so in track. I say the IOC did the right thing. Easing up because you think you have already qualified is one thing. Ryan Lochte basically stopped trying at the end of the preliminary heat of the 400 IM, but he didn't intentionally lose. If you go out there in Olympic competition and try to lose, you should be thrown out. If you are saving yourself for a later round, and because of this you happen to lose, well that's just the way things work.
Reflections on What Has Happened (Focus for this will be on US sports and medals, but we will touch on other stuff as time permits) -
1. I saw a Judo match yesterday. An American was in the semifinals. He had his eye wrapped from a blood-producing injury and his judo uniform was all dishevelled. He and some other dude spent eight minutes grabbing each other, falling on the ground, rolling around, stopping and then repeating the process. Neither one scored a point and the match went to a judge's decision. The American lost. I have no idea how neither one scored a point or why the American lost. This sport makes no sense. My wife watched for about a minute, then looked at our three boys and said "Hey, that looks like what you guys do." The American then fought in the Bronze medal match. I saw these two people fall to the ground about 25 times in five minutes. The other guy got one point and won 1-0. I have no idea why one fall resulted in a point, and the other 24 didn't. Maybe I should make Judo my Obscure Sport in 2016 so I can figure out this bafflingly odd sport.
2. Women's Soccer won 1-0 over North Korea. Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach are simply awesome. I would risk my marriage for one night in the Olympic Village with either one. Alex is simply gorgeous. Abby makes me understand how ugly NBA players have women throwing themselves at them. (I am not saying Abby is ugly, she's just not Alex.) She is SO good and SO confident that she is damn sexy. This partly explains why the Olympic Village is one big sex party.
3. The US rules the world of skeet shooting. Vincent Hancock won the Men's gold medal. He also won in 2008, leading to my new favorite Olympic phrase: "Skeet Repeat."
4. The Pixie Parade (I refuse to call them the Fab Five or the Fantastic Five out of respect for the Beatles and Kung Fu Panda, respectively) won an expected gold medal in Women's Team Gymnastics. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is win with expectations. I am happy for the Pixie Parade, although I wish NBC would acknowledge that they were trying to win for themselves, their teammates and their country. Not for Jordyn Weiber. Jordyn didn't need her teammates to pick her up. Remember, two of them were the ones who put her down.
5. Phelps lost the 200 Fly. I am literally speechless. I hope you didn't take my advice on that parlay bet.
6. The US won the Men's 800 free relay. Rowdy Gaines needs to get fired. I will get all of this off my chest now and then leave it alone. Rowdy, a few things - 1. Water is see through. A freestyler can see the other swimmers even if he isn't breathing in their direction. 2. Lane lines reduce drafts and you can't get a draft off another swimmer in another lane. Even if you can, all that means is you are at least a half a body length behind. 3. Watch the race and comment on what is happening, not what you thought would happen. Stop pretending that what you thought would happen is what is actually happening. 4. If you miss something, admit it. Don't spend 20 seconds talking about how terrible Missy Franklin's backstroke start was then try to claim credit for correctly stating that she was taking the first 25 easy. That's not what you said. 5. Yannick Agnel is having a great Olympics, but he is NOT going to make up 2 seconds in the anchor leg of the 800 free relay on the best swimmer who ever lived, much less the 3+ he was behind. The relay was not dramatic. Stop pretending like France had any chance. This goes along with #3 above. (For the record, Agnel's split was less than a second faster than Phelps, which should surprise no one, except maybe Rowdy Gaines.)
7. Allison Schmitt's 200 freestyle was the most dominant performance I have seen in this year's Olympics. Shet took the "Get the lead early, extend it, extend it some more, then win by a lot" strategy. And she reminds me of Beaker.
8. Rogers and Dalhausser won in 3 sets. My Volleyball Insider told me this was a typical Rogers win. Just wear down the opponent. Sounds like Iceman from Top Gun: Goose: "Iceman. It's the way he flies, ice cold, no mistakes. He wears you down, you get bored--frustrated--do something stupid and he's got ya."
Predictions Sum Up -
1. Phelps wins 200 fly. US wins 800 Free Relay. There will be no better parlay bet in one swimming session than these two races. Phelps has looked mildly vulnerable, but he will become the first male swimmer to win the same event in three Olympics and break the record for most total medals won in an Olympic career. - WRONG - See above for specifics, but you make a parlay bet, you have to get them all right. Phelps is the all time record holder in Olympic medals, though.
2. There will be more doping rumblings after Shiwen Ye wins the 200 IM. - Pending
3. The US still wins nothing in Badmitton. - Pending
4. Rogers and Dalhausser win in efficient fashion. - WRONG -but they did win.
5. Djokovic beats Roddick in tennis. - Correct
6. Thunderstorms prevent me from swimming tonight. - WRONG -2000 meters.
7. US Women win Team Gymnastics Gold. Then Jordyn Weiber has someone take out Gabby Douglas's knee a la Tanya Harding. (I kid, I kid - but I would still sleep with one eye open if I were Douglas or Raisman) - Correct and Pending
Predictions -
1. Misty and Kerri keep their "Never lost a set" streak alive tonight
2. China wins gold in Men's Synchro Diving
3. US gets a medal in All Around Men's Gymnastics, but not gold
4. Kitajima fails to threepeat in 200 breastroke
5. US women win 800 free relay
6. Nathan Adrian gets silver in 100 free
7. US fails to medal in women's 200 fly
8. US women beat China in Women's Volleyball
9. Someone will violate my Rule #1 Advice for Watching the Olympics tonight
What to Watch For -
1. Medal Rounds beginning soon in volleyball, soccer, water polo, etc.
2. Women's 800 freestyle relay - With Allison Schmitt winning gold and Missy Franklin missing bronze by .01, this should be about as close as the men's relay.
3. Misty and Kerri - My Volleyball Insider tells me Kerri has pink eye. What effect will that have?
4. Links to hot athletes in various stages of undress - My "Mostly Naked Content" Editor has told me I am slacking in this area. Will remedy that soon.
5. More bad betting advice - although probably not until football season.
6. A new section - My attempt to stop being a fat old man. I am hoping the possibility of public shame will keep me motivated.
Nordic Combined is a competition that combines the two Nordic sports of ski jumping and cross-country skiing. Odd how that works with the name, huh? Prior to 2010, the US had never won a Nordic Combined Olympic Medal. This goofy little sport fit perfectly for what I was looking for. It was obscure, it was relatively easy to understand (if you don't really care how ski jumping is scored), it didn't require a great time commitment (the jumping is done in tape delay relatively quickly, most of the skiing takes less than half an hour), and the US had not been very successful (if you count no medals ever not successful), BUT the US was on the verge of a breakthrough. I drank Nordic Combined like the elixir of life. I loved every minute of it. I was lifted by every triumph, and destroyed by every failure. Of course, when the US has never won a medal in a sport, are there really any failures?
Well, we did break through. With a vengeance. The US won gold and silver in the individual large hill, silver in the individual small hill and the team silver medal. So my choice was almost as good as the performances of Bill Demong, Johnny Spillane, Todd Lodwick and Brett Camerota.
Picking a Summer Sport has been more difficult. It's hard to find a sport that fits all the criteria above. Honestly, I think Nordic Combined in 2010 was the Perfect Storm, and those elements will never come together in such harmony again. Because of this, I almost bailed on choosing an Obscure Summer Olympic Sport. But I know at least one of you, and maybe up to three of you, are relying on me for this. So I chose Kayak.
I chose Kayak mainly because the Olympic course looks like a water slide on steroids, and I would love to go for a ride. Riding on a raft would probably be best, but I would like to try with nothing but a bathing suit. Kayak works because it is obscure as competitive sports go, it is certainly not overhyped by NBC, and we don't have a great history of success in Olympic Kayak (16 total medals, five gold, five silver and six bronze - good for 12th all time in combined Canoe and Kayak.) Plus, it looks cool, and very hard.
I am focusing on the individual slalom race. The slalom races have been in the Olympic program seven times: in 1972 and every year since 1992. Not sure what happened from '76-'88. The racers go down a course and have to go through a series of numbered gates. Some of these gates are down stream and some are upstream, meaning the racers have to turn around and fight the current to go through the gates. If you are lucky, someone will flip over and go through a gate upside down. Not only does that create visual hilarity, it also results in a whopping 50 second penalty. Unlike skiing, the racers are not allowed to touch the gates. And the gates hang from the sky, as if being held by angels.
The Men's final was today.We didn't win a medal. The women's final is tomorrow. We won't win a medal. But at least I learned a little something choosing my Obscure Summer Sport. And isn't that really the point. (No, US domination is the point, but I chose poorly and had to justify my choice in some way. Like I said above - Perfect Storm.)
Today's Olympic Story Line - I'm sure you have heard about this one - Badminton disqualifications. Eight Badminton players have been disqualified, not for cheating, but for intentionally trying to lose. The purpose was to set up an easier path in the knock-out rounds. Except for the Chinese. They were trying to avoid meeting another Chinese duo until the Finals. Watch the highlights. This is hysterical. They are blatant. Hitting serves directly into the net; watching the birdie fall to the ground easily in bounds; and obviously not trying. If you want to throw the game, you can do it without announcing to the world what you are doing.
Of course, this leads to another question - should they have been disqualified? This is a tough question. On one hand, no one wants people intentionally throwing a game. On the other hand, the Olympics is full of competitors not giving their best effort at the end of a qualifying, competition to save themselves for the medal competition. You see it frequently in swimming and even more so in track. I say the IOC did the right thing. Easing up because you think you have already qualified is one thing. Ryan Lochte basically stopped trying at the end of the preliminary heat of the 400 IM, but he didn't intentionally lose. If you go out there in Olympic competition and try to lose, you should be thrown out. If you are saving yourself for a later round, and because of this you happen to lose, well that's just the way things work.
Reflections on What Has Happened (Focus for this will be on US sports and medals, but we will touch on other stuff as time permits) -
1. I saw a Judo match yesterday. An American was in the semifinals. He had his eye wrapped from a blood-producing injury and his judo uniform was all dishevelled. He and some other dude spent eight minutes grabbing each other, falling on the ground, rolling around, stopping and then repeating the process. Neither one scored a point and the match went to a judge's decision. The American lost. I have no idea how neither one scored a point or why the American lost. This sport makes no sense. My wife watched for about a minute, then looked at our three boys and said "Hey, that looks like what you guys do." The American then fought in the Bronze medal match. I saw these two people fall to the ground about 25 times in five minutes. The other guy got one point and won 1-0. I have no idea why one fall resulted in a point, and the other 24 didn't. Maybe I should make Judo my Obscure Sport in 2016 so I can figure out this bafflingly odd sport.
2. Women's Soccer won 1-0 over North Korea. Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach are simply awesome. I would risk my marriage for one night in the Olympic Village with either one. Alex is simply gorgeous. Abby makes me understand how ugly NBA players have women throwing themselves at them. (I am not saying Abby is ugly, she's just not Alex.) She is SO good and SO confident that she is damn sexy. This partly explains why the Olympic Village is one big sex party.
3. The US rules the world of skeet shooting. Vincent Hancock won the Men's gold medal. He also won in 2008, leading to my new favorite Olympic phrase: "Skeet Repeat."
4. The Pixie Parade (I refuse to call them the Fab Five or the Fantastic Five out of respect for the Beatles and Kung Fu Panda, respectively) won an expected gold medal in Women's Team Gymnastics. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is win with expectations. I am happy for the Pixie Parade, although I wish NBC would acknowledge that they were trying to win for themselves, their teammates and their country. Not for Jordyn Weiber. Jordyn didn't need her teammates to pick her up. Remember, two of them were the ones who put her down.
5. Phelps lost the 200 Fly. I am literally speechless. I hope you didn't take my advice on that parlay bet.
6. The US won the Men's 800 free relay. Rowdy Gaines needs to get fired. I will get all of this off my chest now and then leave it alone. Rowdy, a few things - 1. Water is see through. A freestyler can see the other swimmers even if he isn't breathing in their direction. 2. Lane lines reduce drafts and you can't get a draft off another swimmer in another lane. Even if you can, all that means is you are at least a half a body length behind. 3. Watch the race and comment on what is happening, not what you thought would happen. Stop pretending that what you thought would happen is what is actually happening. 4. If you miss something, admit it. Don't spend 20 seconds talking about how terrible Missy Franklin's backstroke start was then try to claim credit for correctly stating that she was taking the first 25 easy. That's not what you said. 5. Yannick Agnel is having a great Olympics, but he is NOT going to make up 2 seconds in the anchor leg of the 800 free relay on the best swimmer who ever lived, much less the 3+ he was behind. The relay was not dramatic. Stop pretending like France had any chance. This goes along with #3 above. (For the record, Agnel's split was less than a second faster than Phelps, which should surprise no one, except maybe Rowdy Gaines.)
7. Allison Schmitt's 200 freestyle was the most dominant performance I have seen in this year's Olympics. Shet took the "Get the lead early, extend it, extend it some more, then win by a lot" strategy. And she reminds me of Beaker.
8. Rogers and Dalhausser won in 3 sets. My Volleyball Insider told me this was a typical Rogers win. Just wear down the opponent. Sounds like Iceman from Top Gun: Goose: "Iceman. It's the way he flies, ice cold, no mistakes. He wears you down, you get bored--frustrated--do something stupid and he's got ya."
Predictions Sum Up -
1. Phelps wins 200 fly. US wins 800 Free Relay. There will be no better parlay bet in one swimming session than these two races. Phelps has looked mildly vulnerable, but he will become the first male swimmer to win the same event in three Olympics and break the record for most total medals won in an Olympic career. - WRONG - See above for specifics, but you make a parlay bet, you have to get them all right. Phelps is the all time record holder in Olympic medals, though.
2. There will be more doping rumblings after Shiwen Ye wins the 200 IM. - Pending
3. The US still wins nothing in Badmitton. - Pending
4. Rogers and Dalhausser win in efficient fashion. - WRONG -but they did win.
5. Djokovic beats Roddick in tennis. - Correct
6. Thunderstorms prevent me from swimming tonight. - WRONG -2000 meters.
7. US Women win Team Gymnastics Gold. Then Jordyn Weiber has someone take out Gabby Douglas's knee a la Tanya Harding. (I kid, I kid - but I would still sleep with one eye open if I were Douglas or Raisman) - Correct and Pending
Predictions -
1. Misty and Kerri keep their "Never lost a set" streak alive tonight
2. China wins gold in Men's Synchro Diving
3. US gets a medal in All Around Men's Gymnastics, but not gold
4. Kitajima fails to threepeat in 200 breastroke
5. US women win 800 free relay
6. Nathan Adrian gets silver in 100 free
7. US fails to medal in women's 200 fly
8. US women beat China in Women's Volleyball
9. Someone will violate my Rule #1 Advice for Watching the Olympics tonight
What to Watch For -
1. Medal Rounds beginning soon in volleyball, soccer, water polo, etc.
2. Women's 800 freestyle relay - With Allison Schmitt winning gold and Missy Franklin missing bronze by .01, this should be about as close as the men's relay.
3. Misty and Kerri - My Volleyball Insider tells me Kerri has pink eye. What effect will that have?
4. Links to hot athletes in various stages of undress - My "Mostly Naked Content" Editor has told me I am slacking in this area. Will remedy that soon.
5. More bad betting advice - although probably not until football season.
6. A new section - My attempt to stop being a fat old man. I am hoping the possibility of public shame will keep me motivated.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Olympic Parents
Missy Franklin won her first Olympic gold medal last night in the women's 100 backstroke. Immediately after winning, the NBC cameras went to Missy's parents who were in an emotional state somewhere between crying, cheering, smiling and probably "How the (bleep) did we get here?" At her poolside post-race interview, Missy was a little weepy, saying it was because she just saw her parents.
During the girl's (sorry, but these aren't women) gymnastics qualifying, in the uneven bars, after one of the US girl's routine, NBC showed her parent's reactions during the whole routine. They were leaning left and right, backwards and forwards, almost getting up, and falling back down. In unison with each other. It was the funniest thing I had seen at this year's Olympics until yesterday afternoon (see below). They looked like a weekend hacker golfer trying to move the ball by leaning. Only they were going in at least 5 different directions. The golfers always leans in one direction. At least until the next shot.
Michael Phelps swam the 200 butterfly semifinal last night. After his swim, the cameras went right to Mama Phelps and the sisters, who looked relieved that Phelps looked more like the 23 year old who won eight gold medals in Beijing than the 15 year old who finished fifth in the 200 fly in Sydney. Mama Phelps has been on TV more than anyone other than Michael himself over the last two Olympics.
Parents are everywhere.
I have already written about my angst as a parent. How hard do you push your kids in sports and when do you start pushing? Or do you push? This is a whole new level. Missy Franklin is 17 years old and has a chance to win seven medals in this Olympics. Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania won the women's 100 breastroke. She's 15. Shiwen Ye of China won the women's 400 IM. She's 16. Phelps made his first Olympics as a 15 year old. (If you haven't seen the clips of him in 2000 in Sydney, you need to. I am sure they will show them tonight for the final of the 200 fly.) 15 is 7 years older than my oldest child. How do you know your child is good enough to even think of the Olympics? And when?
My dream as a child was to win an Olympic gold medal. Actually, that's still my dream, but I don't think I am going to be able to pull off an Olympic debut at the age of 44. My dream as a parent is to watch my kids win an Olympic gold medal. Or the Tour de France. Or the Ironman World Championships. Or the Masters. I recently heard a coach say that one of the keys in sports is to set goals. Goals are realistic benchmarks for where you want to be at a particular time. If I start swimming races again, one of my first goals will be to break a minute in a 100 yard freestyle. That is realistic. The coach said that "I want to swim in the Olympics" is not a goal, it's a dream. However, for Missy Franklin, some time in the last four years, "I want to swim in the Olympics" became a goal. Michael Phelps reached that point some time around age 13. How do you know that being one of the best in the world is a goal, and not a dream?
When I was a child I saw John Naber speak. John Naber won four gold medals and one silver at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. Naber said that he was so bad in high school, he won the most improved swimmer award all four years. I have no idea if this is true, but can someone today be a mediocre high school swimmer at age 15 and an Olympic contender, much less Olympic champion, by 22? Can you do this in any sport? Or do you have to start at age 4 and specialize by age 7? I know this is a little extreme, but my oldest son is 8, and sometimes I wonder if he is running out of time.
Then there is the sacrifice question. Even if your child has the talent to make the Olympics, or be a professional in a particular sport, do you really want to sacrifice their childhood? After winning seven medals in Athens, Micheal Phelps came home, bought a Lincoln Navigator and got arrested for drunk driving. When he was 19 years old. After winning eight golds in Beijing, Phelps was photographed with a bong at a college party somewhere in North Carolina. Neither one of these is very good, but they are things some kids do. Phelps lost part of his childhood to 3 hour practices in the pool. He probably went a little crazy during the post Olympics downtime. We see this more with stars in TV and movies than athletes, but there is a risk to the development of a person if they are forced-or choose-to do adult things too fast. No matter what that adult thing may be.
I saw a Beverly Hills 90210 episode once where Brandon got involved with a figure skater. He was impressed with her dedication and work ethic, and questioned his father why he didn't start such dedication as a boy in speed skating. (Back story was he was a very good youth speed skater when they lived in Minnesota.) His father told him that he had spoken to a top coach and the coach asked him if he wanted to raise a son or a champion. And he chose a son. But are they mutually exclusive?
We all have proud moments as a parent. Many are as simple as watching our child walk into school without crying for the first time. There is the first step, first soccer game, first time swimming across the pool without stopping, first win, etc., etc., etc. I am sure watching my child win an Olympic medal would be unbelievable. But that coach is right. It's a dream. It's a dream until one of them shows the ability to make it a goal. And that will likely not happen. That is probably a good thing. We can always watch others live their dreams.
Today's Olympic Story Line - Missy Franklin. Missy is a 17 year old star in swimming. She will be the darling of the 2012 Olympics, even more so than the Fab Five Gymnasts. She already has two medals, including individual gold in the 100 backstroke. She is swimming the 200 freestyle tonight and still has two relays, the 200 backstroke and the 100 freestyle. She will finish this Olympics with at least five medals and has a chance at seven. I am predicting four golds a silver and a bronze. If she sticks with swimming for eight more years, she will become the most decorated US female Olympian and will be a household name just below Phelps and Spitz. And she is fun. She is a normal teenager who happens to have extraordinary ability. If you are looking for a superstar athlete for your child to admire and emulate, I would recommend Missy. You never know what will come in the future (see Phelps and the DUI and bong), but I have faith in Missy. She is rapidly becoming my favorite swimmer.
Reflections on What Has Happened (Focus for this will be on US sports and medals, but we will touch on other stuff as time permits) -
1. I love women's volleyball. All women's volleyball. Indoor team beat Brazil. My volleyball insider told me that in US volleyball, they say "It's OK to lose. Just don't lose to Brazil." They followed that one well. The women have looked very good so far. As have the beach players. Misty and Kerri almost lost their first set last night, but managed to turn a 19-19 second set into a 21-19 win in about 32 seconds. Seriously, I don't know what happened. It was tied. Then it was over.
2. Water polo is incomprehensible, but brutal. Women won yesterday v. Hungary. Apparently in their last 15 games against Hungary, the US women were 7-7-1. Nice win.
3. Lochte finishes fourth in the 200 free. Not sure what to make of this. He said he just didn't go that fast. After getting passed in the final leg of the 400 free relay, then finishing fourth in the 200, I am a little worried about his confidence. Tonight's relay (see below) should help with that.
4. MATT GREVERS - NICK THOMAN. 1-2 in the 100 backstroke. I was a backstroker, so our continued dominance in this event is like crack to me. I need it and I need more of it. Way to go boys!! Five straight gold medals in the men's 100 backstroke (1996 - Jeff Rouse; 2000 - Lenny Krayzelburg; 2004 - Aaron Piersol; 2008 - Piersol with Grevers getting silver).
5. Saw some equestrian yesterday. I can't get into equestrian. When it first came on, I saw a horse run into some trees and never come back. The camera stayed on the trees for about 10 seconds, then went to another horse. I have no idea what happened. Then the horses apparently ran through a pond. Still, kind of confused. Then I saw the funniest thing I have ever seen at the Olympics. A 57 year old was riding a horse, they made a jump, then the guy started to slide off the horse. It happened in slow motion. He seemed to lose his balance a little, then started to slide down the left side of the horse. He tried to hang on, which just made the whole incident last longer. Finally, he slid off. It looked kind of like one of those "I've fallen and I can't get up commercials." He rolled around for a few seconds before standing up. Then he started lifting his leg like a cat that stepped in something sticky. The left knee kept shooting high up as he walked around. And he had some sort of protective vest that lifted up around his head so he looked like a five year old wearing an adult sized life jacket. All this time, the horse just ran off. Everyone was OK, so it was acceptable to laugh.
6. It's hard not to call the Men's Gymnastics Team chokers.
Predictions Sum Up -
1. Matt Grevers continues US dominance in the 100 back with the gold medal - Correct
2. Lochte continues his individual run, and gets a bit of redemption, with a gold in the 200 free - WRONG
3. US gets 2 medals in women's 100 breast - Wrong - Silver for Rebecca Soni, 6th for Breeja Larson. My Baltic States Insider was pleased with the Lithuanian victory.
4. Missy Franklin gets her first individual medal, but not gold -WRONG- She will eventually be the most decorated US woman. Pending But we will have to wait 8 years fot that. - Correct
5. US Men do not match the women's silver in synchro diving - Correct - An unexpected bronze for the men.
Corrected Predictions Sum Up -
3. No one cares about Team Handball - WRONG - My Team Handball Insider has objected telling me he cares and was seeking team handball games this past weekend. According to my Insider, it is a combo of basketball, soccer, and hockey, but their are more injuries. So, you need to be indecisive and enjoy the pain of others. Yeah, sounds like my Insider.
Predictions -
1. Phelps wins 200 fly. US wins 800 Free Relay. There will be no better parlay bet in one swimming session than these two races. Phelps has looked mildly vulnerable, but he will become the first male swimmer to win the same event in three Olympics and break the record for most total medals won in an Olympic career.
2. There will be more doping rumblings after Shiwen Ye wins the 200 IM.
3. The US still wins nothing in Badmitton.
4. Rogers and Dalhausser win in efficient fashion.
5. Djokovic beats Roddickm in tennis.
6. Thunderstorms prevent me from swimming tonight.
7. US Women win Team Gymnastics Gold. Then Jordyn Weiber has someone take out Gabby Douglas's knee a la Tanya Harding. (I kid, I kid - but I still would sleep with one eye open if I were Douglas or Raisman)
What to Watch For -
1. I have selected my obscure summer sport. Stay tuned.
2. US men go for relay redemption in the 800 free relay.
3. Men's volleyball v. Germany.
4. Men's Water Polo v. Romania
5. Still lots of sailing.
6. Men's basketball v. Tunisia. The point spread is 55. Take the points.
7. And everything in the Predictions Section.
During the girl's (sorry, but these aren't women) gymnastics qualifying, in the uneven bars, after one of the US girl's routine, NBC showed her parent's reactions during the whole routine. They were leaning left and right, backwards and forwards, almost getting up, and falling back down. In unison with each other. It was the funniest thing I had seen at this year's Olympics until yesterday afternoon (see below). They looked like a weekend hacker golfer trying to move the ball by leaning. Only they were going in at least 5 different directions. The golfers always leans in one direction. At least until the next shot.
Michael Phelps swam the 200 butterfly semifinal last night. After his swim, the cameras went right to Mama Phelps and the sisters, who looked relieved that Phelps looked more like the 23 year old who won eight gold medals in Beijing than the 15 year old who finished fifth in the 200 fly in Sydney. Mama Phelps has been on TV more than anyone other than Michael himself over the last two Olympics.
Parents are everywhere.
I have already written about my angst as a parent. How hard do you push your kids in sports and when do you start pushing? Or do you push? This is a whole new level. Missy Franklin is 17 years old and has a chance to win seven medals in this Olympics. Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania won the women's 100 breastroke. She's 15. Shiwen Ye of China won the women's 400 IM. She's 16. Phelps made his first Olympics as a 15 year old. (If you haven't seen the clips of him in 2000 in Sydney, you need to. I am sure they will show them tonight for the final of the 200 fly.) 15 is 7 years older than my oldest child. How do you know your child is good enough to even think of the Olympics? And when?
My dream as a child was to win an Olympic gold medal. Actually, that's still my dream, but I don't think I am going to be able to pull off an Olympic debut at the age of 44. My dream as a parent is to watch my kids win an Olympic gold medal. Or the Tour de France. Or the Ironman World Championships. Or the Masters. I recently heard a coach say that one of the keys in sports is to set goals. Goals are realistic benchmarks for where you want to be at a particular time. If I start swimming races again, one of my first goals will be to break a minute in a 100 yard freestyle. That is realistic. The coach said that "I want to swim in the Olympics" is not a goal, it's a dream. However, for Missy Franklin, some time in the last four years, "I want to swim in the Olympics" became a goal. Michael Phelps reached that point some time around age 13. How do you know that being one of the best in the world is a goal, and not a dream?
When I was a child I saw John Naber speak. John Naber won four gold medals and one silver at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. Naber said that he was so bad in high school, he won the most improved swimmer award all four years. I have no idea if this is true, but can someone today be a mediocre high school swimmer at age 15 and an Olympic contender, much less Olympic champion, by 22? Can you do this in any sport? Or do you have to start at age 4 and specialize by age 7? I know this is a little extreme, but my oldest son is 8, and sometimes I wonder if he is running out of time.
Then there is the sacrifice question. Even if your child has the talent to make the Olympics, or be a professional in a particular sport, do you really want to sacrifice their childhood? After winning seven medals in Athens, Micheal Phelps came home, bought a Lincoln Navigator and got arrested for drunk driving. When he was 19 years old. After winning eight golds in Beijing, Phelps was photographed with a bong at a college party somewhere in North Carolina. Neither one of these is very good, but they are things some kids do. Phelps lost part of his childhood to 3 hour practices in the pool. He probably went a little crazy during the post Olympics downtime. We see this more with stars in TV and movies than athletes, but there is a risk to the development of a person if they are forced-or choose-to do adult things too fast. No matter what that adult thing may be.
I saw a Beverly Hills 90210 episode once where Brandon got involved with a figure skater. He was impressed with her dedication and work ethic, and questioned his father why he didn't start such dedication as a boy in speed skating. (Back story was he was a very good youth speed skater when they lived in Minnesota.) His father told him that he had spoken to a top coach and the coach asked him if he wanted to raise a son or a champion. And he chose a son. But are they mutually exclusive?
We all have proud moments as a parent. Many are as simple as watching our child walk into school without crying for the first time. There is the first step, first soccer game, first time swimming across the pool without stopping, first win, etc., etc., etc. I am sure watching my child win an Olympic medal would be unbelievable. But that coach is right. It's a dream. It's a dream until one of them shows the ability to make it a goal. And that will likely not happen. That is probably a good thing. We can always watch others live their dreams.
Today's Olympic Story Line - Missy Franklin. Missy is a 17 year old star in swimming. She will be the darling of the 2012 Olympics, even more so than the Fab Five Gymnasts. She already has two medals, including individual gold in the 100 backstroke. She is swimming the 200 freestyle tonight and still has two relays, the 200 backstroke and the 100 freestyle. She will finish this Olympics with at least five medals and has a chance at seven. I am predicting four golds a silver and a bronze. If she sticks with swimming for eight more years, she will become the most decorated US female Olympian and will be a household name just below Phelps and Spitz. And she is fun. She is a normal teenager who happens to have extraordinary ability. If you are looking for a superstar athlete for your child to admire and emulate, I would recommend Missy. You never know what will come in the future (see Phelps and the DUI and bong), but I have faith in Missy. She is rapidly becoming my favorite swimmer.
Reflections on What Has Happened (Focus for this will be on US sports and medals, but we will touch on other stuff as time permits) -
1. I love women's volleyball. All women's volleyball. Indoor team beat Brazil. My volleyball insider told me that in US volleyball, they say "It's OK to lose. Just don't lose to Brazil." They followed that one well. The women have looked very good so far. As have the beach players. Misty and Kerri almost lost their first set last night, but managed to turn a 19-19 second set into a 21-19 win in about 32 seconds. Seriously, I don't know what happened. It was tied. Then it was over.
2. Water polo is incomprehensible, but brutal. Women won yesterday v. Hungary. Apparently in their last 15 games against Hungary, the US women were 7-7-1. Nice win.
3. Lochte finishes fourth in the 200 free. Not sure what to make of this. He said he just didn't go that fast. After getting passed in the final leg of the 400 free relay, then finishing fourth in the 200, I am a little worried about his confidence. Tonight's relay (see below) should help with that.
4. MATT GREVERS - NICK THOMAN. 1-2 in the 100 backstroke. I was a backstroker, so our continued dominance in this event is like crack to me. I need it and I need more of it. Way to go boys!! Five straight gold medals in the men's 100 backstroke (1996 - Jeff Rouse; 2000 - Lenny Krayzelburg; 2004 - Aaron Piersol; 2008 - Piersol with Grevers getting silver).
5. Saw some equestrian yesterday. I can't get into equestrian. When it first came on, I saw a horse run into some trees and never come back. The camera stayed on the trees for about 10 seconds, then went to another horse. I have no idea what happened. Then the horses apparently ran through a pond. Still, kind of confused. Then I saw the funniest thing I have ever seen at the Olympics. A 57 year old was riding a horse, they made a jump, then the guy started to slide off the horse. It happened in slow motion. He seemed to lose his balance a little, then started to slide down the left side of the horse. He tried to hang on, which just made the whole incident last longer. Finally, he slid off. It looked kind of like one of those "I've fallen and I can't get up commercials." He rolled around for a few seconds before standing up. Then he started lifting his leg like a cat that stepped in something sticky. The left knee kept shooting high up as he walked around. And he had some sort of protective vest that lifted up around his head so he looked like a five year old wearing an adult sized life jacket. All this time, the horse just ran off. Everyone was OK, so it was acceptable to laugh.
6. It's hard not to call the Men's Gymnastics Team chokers.
Predictions Sum Up -
1. Matt Grevers continues US dominance in the 100 back with the gold medal - Correct
2. Lochte continues his individual run, and gets a bit of redemption, with a gold in the 200 free - WRONG
3. US gets 2 medals in women's 100 breast - Wrong - Silver for Rebecca Soni, 6th for Breeja Larson. My Baltic States Insider was pleased with the Lithuanian victory.
4. Missy Franklin gets her first individual medal, but not gold -WRONG- She will eventually be the most decorated US woman. Pending But we will have to wait 8 years fot that. - Correct
5. US Men do not match the women's silver in synchro diving - Correct - An unexpected bronze for the men.
Corrected Predictions Sum Up -
3. No one cares about Team Handball - WRONG - My Team Handball Insider has objected telling me he cares and was seeking team handball games this past weekend. According to my Insider, it is a combo of basketball, soccer, and hockey, but their are more injuries. So, you need to be indecisive and enjoy the pain of others. Yeah, sounds like my Insider.
Predictions -
1. Phelps wins 200 fly. US wins 800 Free Relay. There will be no better parlay bet in one swimming session than these two races. Phelps has looked mildly vulnerable, but he will become the first male swimmer to win the same event in three Olympics and break the record for most total medals won in an Olympic career.
2. There will be more doping rumblings after Shiwen Ye wins the 200 IM.
3. The US still wins nothing in Badmitton.
4. Rogers and Dalhausser win in efficient fashion.
5. Djokovic beats Roddickm in tennis.
6. Thunderstorms prevent me from swimming tonight.
7. US Women win Team Gymnastics Gold. Then Jordyn Weiber has someone take out Gabby Douglas's knee a la Tanya Harding. (I kid, I kid - but I still would sleep with one eye open if I were Douglas or Raisman)
What to Watch For -
1. I have selected my obscure summer sport. Stay tuned.
2. US men go for relay redemption in the 800 free relay.
3. Men's volleyball v. Germany.
4. Men's Water Polo v. Romania
5. Still lots of sailing.
6. Men's basketball v. Tunisia. The point spread is 55. Take the points.
7. And everything in the Predictions Section.
Monday, July 30, 2012
How Are We Supposed to Keep Up With This Stuff?
On Sunday, I watched basketball, a little badmitton, some volleyball, both indoor and beach, water polo, swimming, rowing, highlights of skeet shooting, gymnastics, synchronized diving and table tennis. I completely missed the US women's second soccer game. I also mowed the lawn, vacuumed the bedrooms in my house, went to the grocery store, swam 2000 meters, ate three meals, and spent a little time playing with my kids. I swear, driving into work today I felt like the last time I was in my office was a month ago. I appreciate NBC trying to show everything, but I can't keep up. This is ridiculous. I remain exhausted.
I was thinking about what I needed to do what I want. If I want to watch everything I have even a mild interest in, I need 4 more weeks and three more TiVOs. I also need the ability to shut myself out from the rest of the world for those 4 weeks. As I have, maybe 10 people relying on me for information and entertainment, that is obviously not possible. So I could use 3 clones of myself instead of 4 weeks. If I also want to keep my job, I need another clone. To keep up with my new motivation to exercise, I need another clone. And to be a father and husband (and not have to take my "Watching the Olympics Advice" #1), I probably need yet another clone. So 5 clones, and let's add another TiVO to make it 4 TiVOs. I could also use a few 75 hour days. But, instead I will have to push through with drooping eyelids, sore arms and frustrated family members.
Speaking of family members, I have learned that as much as Middle wants to talk about basketball, it still ranks behind iCarly on the priority scale. After spending several weeks talking about Olympic basketball, asking several times when the game was on, and complaining that we weren't watching at 8:00 Sunday morning (because the game didn't start until after 9), Middle asked to watch iCarly about 6 minutes into the game. We made him go to the grocery store instead.
I did get a few proud parent moments. Eldest was very into the women's volleyball game v. Korea and is enjoying beach volleyball. This morning he was even disappointed that I had to leave for work before the beach volleyball started. I told him it was recording and we could watch some later. All three boys enjoyed watching Ryan Lochte win the 400 IM. After it was over, Middle was shaking with excitement. I think this year will go well, but 2014 and 2016 will be even more fun with the boys.
Today's Olympic Story Line - Kim Rhode. Rhode became the first American to win an Olympic medal in five straight Olympics, by winning gold in the women's skeet shooting. She now has three golds, one silver and one bronze medal. And she is only 33, so presumably she could go for six. She also won in record fashion, being the first Olympic shooter to earn 99 points, meaning she missed one of 100 shots. She collects classic cars and rebuilt a 1965 Shelby Cobra. I don't know what that means but it looked really cool on TV. According to this article there are now eight American women with at least five individual Olympic medals: speedskater Bonnie Blair and track star Jackie Joyner-Kersee each have six; swimmers Shirley Babashoff, Janet Evans, Amanda Beard and Natalie Coughlin, and gymnast Shannon Miller each have five. Go look at a picture of Rhode and tell me you wouldn't love a photograph of these eight women.
Reflections on What Has Happened (Focus for this will be on US sports and medals, but we will touch on other stuff as time permits) -
1. The Men's 400 free relay was disappointing. That pretty much sums it up. We didn't choke. Lochte didn't swim badly, he just got passed by a better sprinter. The other three swimmers all swam well. Everyone at the Olympics is beyond great at what they do. In this case, we got beat by someone who swam better. It hurts that it was France, but, then again, it is a little poetic after 2008. I thought Lochte would hold on. I was wrong. Although, as the Wife pointed out, this makes my predicition correct (see below.)
2. Love that Dana Vollmer won the 100 fly and broke the world record.
3. As much as women's beach volleyball gets the hype for their outfits, the indoor volleyball uniforms are even more borderline pornographic. I can describe, in intimate detail, every contour of Logan Tom's ass. Those "shorts" are more revealing than any underwear outside of a thong, and there is no way any of them are wearing underwear, unless it is a thong. As for the games, nice opening win for the women's volleyball team over Korea. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings continued their run of NEVER LOSING A SET in the Olympics. That's right, 15 matches now, 30-0 in sets. My Volleyball Insider tells me that is incredible. He's also given me some more tips which I will share as beach volleyball moves into the medal rounds.
4. Speaking of beach volleyball, we saw some of the April Ross/Jen Kessy match on Sunday. My wife looked over at the TV and said "We have more than one women's beach volleyball team?"
5. More on beach volleyball - Phil Dalhausser looks like a 15 foot high, 10 foot wide brick wall in front of the net on defense. I am not a volleyball player (although I will happily tell you my glory story of the B-League fraternity championship title in 1994), so I'm not the one to ask. But I can not figure out how anyone gets the ball around this guy. I wouldn't even try.
6. US and China are fighting hard for the medal count. As of this posting we are tied, but China has a big lead in golds.
7. Archery is kind of fun to watch. And very quick. But those people do not look like athletes.
8. Badmitton is really fun to watch for 5 minutes. Then you get over the novelty and remember that it's a backyard activity.
9. Kudos to Kelci Bryant and Abigail Johnston on their synchro diving silver medal. I find diving kind of boring, but the synchro is pretty cool. Of course you have to turn the sound down because the lady doing the color commentary is unbearable. Bad voice, but really good at pointing out the obvious. When the two Italians are out of step on the walk up and half a turn out of synch in the air, I don't need you to say "They were a little off" after the dive. I know that. Tell me something I didn't know. Like how you got this job several Olympics ago and have managed to keep it.
10. Despite the fact that the basic purpose of water polo is simple (put the ball in the net), it is confusing. There are whistle all the time, but play never stops, I have no idea what is a foul and what is not, there are times when people get mauled, and times when they don't (so, ummm, why not just maul the guy all the time), and there are penalties, but play still doesn't stop and the guy just swims off to a tiny little lane line box and hangs out. I did enjoy our win over Macedonia. Why are central European countries good at water polo?
11. Defending world all-around gymnastics champion Jordyn Weiber failed to qualify for the individual all around competition. If you do a Google search for "Jordyn" the third suggested completion is "Jodyn Weiber controversy". This is not a controversy. The rules say only two people from each country may qualify, so it is pretty clear cut. But why? The US had the second, third and fourth highest scores in qualifying, but only two can make it. Again, why? If one country has three of the four best in the world, shouldn't they be allowed to go for an Olympic sweep? (The same question can be asked about swimming, in which the rule was changed specifically to prevent the US from sweeping so many events.) And doesn't this create a lovely team dynamic just a few days before the team competition? Seriously, Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas just destroyed Jordyn's lifelong dream. I might sleep with one eye open if I was them. One more - why JordYn instead of JordAn? Can you not spell?
Predictions Sum Up -
1. US Women take Silver in Team Archery - Wrong - We lost to China in the quarters (China went on to win the Silver, not helping that medal count race).
2. US wins NOTHING in badmitton - Pending - but looks good so far.
3. No one cares about Team Handball - Correct - Well, no one objected at least.
4. I can turn most of you (well at least the males) into fans of Frederica Pelligrini (Top seed in women's 400 freestyle) - Pending - Still waiting.
5. Dana Vollmer wins 100 fly - Correct
6. US Men's 400 Free Relay can not repeat 2008 success. Wins silver (which will be tough itself) - Correct - Sadly.
7. If I swim 2000 meters today, I will die - Wrong - 2000 meters completed yesterday and I am here to tell my survival story. Which I will spare you.
Predictions -
1. Matt Grevers continues US dominance in the 100 back with the gold medal.
2. Lochte continues his individual run, and gets a bit of redemption, with a gold in the 200 free.
3. US gets 2 medals in women's 100 breast.
4. Missy Franklin gets her first individual medal, but not gold. She will eventually be the most decorated US woman Olympian, but we will have to wait 8 years fot that.
5. US Men do not match the women's silver in synchro diving.
What to Watch for:
1. Do I survive the next two weeks?
2. Swimming - Men's 100 back, women's 100 back, men's 200 free, women's 100 breast. See above predictions for more detail.
3. Gibb/Rosenthal and May/Walsh in beach volleyball.
4. Men's team final in gymnastics.
5. Lots of sailing, if you are in to that kind of thing.
6. Women's volleyball v. Brazil
7. Women's water polo v. Hungary
I was thinking about what I needed to do what I want. If I want to watch everything I have even a mild interest in, I need 4 more weeks and three more TiVOs. I also need the ability to shut myself out from the rest of the world for those 4 weeks. As I have, maybe 10 people relying on me for information and entertainment, that is obviously not possible. So I could use 3 clones of myself instead of 4 weeks. If I also want to keep my job, I need another clone. To keep up with my new motivation to exercise, I need another clone. And to be a father and husband (and not have to take my "Watching the Olympics Advice" #1), I probably need yet another clone. So 5 clones, and let's add another TiVO to make it 4 TiVOs. I could also use a few 75 hour days. But, instead I will have to push through with drooping eyelids, sore arms and frustrated family members.
Speaking of family members, I have learned that as much as Middle wants to talk about basketball, it still ranks behind iCarly on the priority scale. After spending several weeks talking about Olympic basketball, asking several times when the game was on, and complaining that we weren't watching at 8:00 Sunday morning (because the game didn't start until after 9), Middle asked to watch iCarly about 6 minutes into the game. We made him go to the grocery store instead.
I did get a few proud parent moments. Eldest was very into the women's volleyball game v. Korea and is enjoying beach volleyball. This morning he was even disappointed that I had to leave for work before the beach volleyball started. I told him it was recording and we could watch some later. All three boys enjoyed watching Ryan Lochte win the 400 IM. After it was over, Middle was shaking with excitement. I think this year will go well, but 2014 and 2016 will be even more fun with the boys.
Today's Olympic Story Line - Kim Rhode. Rhode became the first American to win an Olympic medal in five straight Olympics, by winning gold in the women's skeet shooting. She now has three golds, one silver and one bronze medal. And she is only 33, so presumably she could go for six. She also won in record fashion, being the first Olympic shooter to earn 99 points, meaning she missed one of 100 shots. She collects classic cars and rebuilt a 1965 Shelby Cobra. I don't know what that means but it looked really cool on TV. According to this article there are now eight American women with at least five individual Olympic medals: speedskater Bonnie Blair and track star Jackie Joyner-Kersee each have six; swimmers Shirley Babashoff, Janet Evans, Amanda Beard and Natalie Coughlin, and gymnast Shannon Miller each have five. Go look at a picture of Rhode and tell me you wouldn't love a photograph of these eight women.
Reflections on What Has Happened (Focus for this will be on US sports and medals, but we will touch on other stuff as time permits) -
1. The Men's 400 free relay was disappointing. That pretty much sums it up. We didn't choke. Lochte didn't swim badly, he just got passed by a better sprinter. The other three swimmers all swam well. Everyone at the Olympics is beyond great at what they do. In this case, we got beat by someone who swam better. It hurts that it was France, but, then again, it is a little poetic after 2008. I thought Lochte would hold on. I was wrong. Although, as the Wife pointed out, this makes my predicition correct (see below.)
2. Love that Dana Vollmer won the 100 fly and broke the world record.
3. As much as women's beach volleyball gets the hype for their outfits, the indoor volleyball uniforms are even more borderline pornographic. I can describe, in intimate detail, every contour of Logan Tom's ass. Those "shorts" are more revealing than any underwear outside of a thong, and there is no way any of them are wearing underwear, unless it is a thong. As for the games, nice opening win for the women's volleyball team over Korea. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings continued their run of NEVER LOSING A SET in the Olympics. That's right, 15 matches now, 30-0 in sets. My Volleyball Insider tells me that is incredible. He's also given me some more tips which I will share as beach volleyball moves into the medal rounds.
4. Speaking of beach volleyball, we saw some of the April Ross/Jen Kessy match on Sunday. My wife looked over at the TV and said "We have more than one women's beach volleyball team?"
5. More on beach volleyball - Phil Dalhausser looks like a 15 foot high, 10 foot wide brick wall in front of the net on defense. I am not a volleyball player (although I will happily tell you my glory story of the B-League fraternity championship title in 1994), so I'm not the one to ask. But I can not figure out how anyone gets the ball around this guy. I wouldn't even try.
6. US and China are fighting hard for the medal count. As of this posting we are tied, but China has a big lead in golds.
7. Archery is kind of fun to watch. And very quick. But those people do not look like athletes.
8. Badmitton is really fun to watch for 5 minutes. Then you get over the novelty and remember that it's a backyard activity.
9. Kudos to Kelci Bryant and Abigail Johnston on their synchro diving silver medal. I find diving kind of boring, but the synchro is pretty cool. Of course you have to turn the sound down because the lady doing the color commentary is unbearable. Bad voice, but really good at pointing out the obvious. When the two Italians are out of step on the walk up and half a turn out of synch in the air, I don't need you to say "They were a little off" after the dive. I know that. Tell me something I didn't know. Like how you got this job several Olympics ago and have managed to keep it.
10. Despite the fact that the basic purpose of water polo is simple (put the ball in the net), it is confusing. There are whistle all the time, but play never stops, I have no idea what is a foul and what is not, there are times when people get mauled, and times when they don't (so, ummm, why not just maul the guy all the time), and there are penalties, but play still doesn't stop and the guy just swims off to a tiny little lane line box and hangs out. I did enjoy our win over Macedonia. Why are central European countries good at water polo?
11. Defending world all-around gymnastics champion Jordyn Weiber failed to qualify for the individual all around competition. If you do a Google search for "Jordyn" the third suggested completion is "Jodyn Weiber controversy". This is not a controversy. The rules say only two people from each country may qualify, so it is pretty clear cut. But why? The US had the second, third and fourth highest scores in qualifying, but only two can make it. Again, why? If one country has three of the four best in the world, shouldn't they be allowed to go for an Olympic sweep? (The same question can be asked about swimming, in which the rule was changed specifically to prevent the US from sweeping so many events.) And doesn't this create a lovely team dynamic just a few days before the team competition? Seriously, Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas just destroyed Jordyn's lifelong dream. I might sleep with one eye open if I was them. One more - why JordYn instead of JordAn? Can you not spell?
Predictions Sum Up -
1. US Women take Silver in Team Archery - Wrong - We lost to China in the quarters (China went on to win the Silver, not helping that medal count race).
2. US wins NOTHING in badmitton - Pending - but looks good so far.
3. No one cares about Team Handball - Correct - Well, no one objected at least.
4. I can turn most of you (well at least the males) into fans of Frederica Pelligrini (Top seed in women's 400 freestyle) - Pending - Still waiting.
5. Dana Vollmer wins 100 fly - Correct
6. US Men's 400 Free Relay can not repeat 2008 success. Wins silver (which will be tough itself) - Correct - Sadly.
7. If I swim 2000 meters today, I will die - Wrong - 2000 meters completed yesterday and I am here to tell my survival story. Which I will spare you.
Predictions -
1. Matt Grevers continues US dominance in the 100 back with the gold medal.
2. Lochte continues his individual run, and gets a bit of redemption, with a gold in the 200 free.
3. US gets 2 medals in women's 100 breast.
4. Missy Franklin gets her first individual medal, but not gold. She will eventually be the most decorated US woman Olympian, but we will have to wait 8 years fot that.
5. US Men do not match the women's silver in synchro diving.
What to Watch for:
1. Do I survive the next two weeks?
2. Swimming - Men's 100 back, women's 100 back, men's 200 free, women's 100 breast. See above predictions for more detail.
3. Gibb/Rosenthal and May/Walsh in beach volleyball.
4. Men's team final in gymnastics.
5. Lots of sailing, if you are in to that kind of thing.
6. Women's volleyball v. Brazil
7. Women's water polo v. Hungary
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Day 1 Complete
Since my last post, I have swum 2000 meters twice, watched the Opening Ceremonies, spent 4+ hours at a divisional swim meet (while working a little less than half of it as a stroke and turn judge), watched cycling, crew, beach volleyball, women's indoor volleyball, swimming, archery highlights, and a story about Michael Phelps' sisters. I have also slept. That advice about sleep being for September ignores the motivated to exercise thing. I am exhausted. Sorry I missed yesterday.
Local Sports Update - We will review the predictions section later, but I was wrong. Eldest did not break through with one best time. He did not have his worst meet of the year (fly wasn't that bad), but his season did end with a whimper. He peaked about 5 weeks ago, which is fine, I guess. I think his biggest problem is swim meets are CRAZY time, not swimming time. In general, I understand and support this. It would, however, be nice if he could focus for 10 minutes, instead of 10 seconds. The number of times I saw him start to put his goggles on when the starter said "Take your mark" is a little frustrating. However, the whole family had a very fun season, and at age 8, fun is more important than accomplishment. If he enjoys it, he will want to keep doing it. If he keeps doing it, he will get better.
At the Team Banquet last night, he watched a lot of people get big ribbons, and awards, while he got the standard participation award - which was a medal this year. For a while, he looked pretty frustrated and pouted that he wasn't getting anything. We told him that he had to do better to get more. I am not sure if this soaked in, because by the end he was having fun with his friends and didn't seem to care. But at least for a moment, he realized there is a connection between accomplishment and reward.
I am not one of those who believes participation trophies have no place in youth sports. At an early age, fun and reward for getting out there and playing is important. But it is also important to start to connect accomplishment and reward at some point. Around 8-9 years old seems like a good time for that. I am glad he is getting there.
Middle did not swim in Divisionals, which is pretty normal for a 5 year old. He did not want to go to the meet, he did not want to go to the team banquet and when we were at the pool, he did not want to get out of the water for dinner and awards presentations. Swim meets to him are an excuse to buy and eat junk food. Come to think of it, he doesn't need an excuse for this, he simply loves to buy and eat junk food. I could have a bag full of candy and a cooler full of Gatorade, but this child would rather go to 7-11 and spend a couple dollars. He will be the death of me.
At the Banquet, Middle won Most Improved 6&Under Boy. This was deserved, as you will understand when I give my season summary (which at this point probably won't happen until after the Olympics). He also ran around like a crazy child with his friends. When he won the award he was not with us, and didn't seem to understand that he was getting a trophy. Afterwards, of course, he wouldn't put that trophy down.
One other little note. The swim team gives a "cutest couple" award (just for fun) for each swimming age group. Eldest won for 8&Unders. For the second year in a row. With a different girl. So at least he is getting something out of the swim team. A reputation.
Today's Olympic Story Line - Women's Indoor Volleyball. The US Women's Indoor Volleyball coach is Hugh McCutcheon. If you watched any men's volleyball in 2008, you probably recognize the name, and will definitely recognize the story. Hugh McCutcheon coached the US Men's Volleyball Team in 2008. The day after the Opening Ceremonies, his father in law was murdered at a tourist site in China. Despite this personal tragedy, McCutcheon coached the men's team to an upset gold. McCutcheon is now coaching the Women's team, and they are gold medal favorites. McCutcheon said the Beijing tragedy is not part of the story, and for him, he's right. But it is. Unfortunately, it always will be.
Reflections on What Has Happened (Focus for this will be on US sports and medals, but we will touch on other stuff as time permits) -
1. First US Medal won was a silver in Men's Team Archery. The competition came down to the last arrow, and the victorious Italians got a 10 point (maximum) shot with that last arrow to win by 1. We can discuss whether archery is a sport at another time, it is a waste of time now, because it is in the Olympic program. I will say, when there is pressure and you are doing something that requires physical exertion, like running or swimming or hitting someone in a football game, you can use the pressure and adrenaline to channel your strength. When you have to calmly pull back a bow string, aim and fire an arrow, that takes pure concentration. I wish the US won, but props to the Italian who made a great shot at the highest pressure point. Team competition, gold medal at stake, perfect shot needed.
2. Men's 400 IM - Wow! Michale Phelps finishes an Olympic race without a medal for the first time since 2000 when he was 15 years old. I am shocked. And he was right with Kosuke Hagino, the bronze medalist, with 100 meters to go, but couldn't get him. I never thought I would see that happen. I'm not sure if this shows he wasn't in the best shape for the 400 IM, or he isn't in the best shape for the Olympics. I will say this probably will impact my predictions moving forward.
3. Men's cycling road race - Alexander Vinokourov won the road race in impressive fashion. Vino managed to get into a late break-away with one other competitor and win the gold by sneaking past him with about 400 meters to go. Vino is 38 years old. He has finished top 3 in the Tour de France, won the final stage of the Tour de France on Champs Elysees, been suspended for doping, and retired last year. He has now come back to win a stage of the Tour de France and the Olympic gold medal. Not bad for someone only one and a half years younger than me. I'm impressed that I can swim 80 lenghts of a swimming pool.
Predictions Sum Up -
1. Eldest will break through with at least one best time in the Divisional Meet tomorrow. WRONG
2. Lochte wins the first swimming gold medal by defeating Phelps in the 400 IM. CORRECT
3. Elizabeth Biesel does Saunderstown, RI proud by winning gold in the Women's 400 IM. WRONG (She won Silver.)
4. The US Women win silver in the 400 Free Relay. WRONG (We won Bronze)
5. Mark Cavendish becomes the pride of Great Britain by winning the Men's Road Cycling Race. WRONG
6. The US wins the medal count. But China passes us in 2016. Pending
7. None of you will take my #1 advice for watching the Olympics. (See 7/27/12 Post.) Pending
(Somehow I doubt I will know if this was correct. The Wife would kill me if I told you if we took this advice.)
Predictions -
1. US Women take Silver 1n Team Archery.
2. US wins NOTHING in badmitton.
3. No one cares about Team Handball.
4. I can turn most of you (well at least the males) into fans of Frederica Pelligrini (top seed in women's 400 freestyle).
5. Dana Vollmer wins 100 fly.
6. US Men's 400 Free Relay can not repeat 2008 success. Wins silver (which will be tough itself.)
7. If I swim 2000 meters today, I will die.
Things to Watch For -
1. US Men's Basketball Team begins competition Sunday.
2. Men's 400 Free Relay - Never thought I would say this, but Phelps goes for his first medal of the 2012 Games. And the US attempts to repeat the Miracle of 2008.
3. Women's gymnastics qualifying.
4. Men's Indoor volleyball v. Serbia.
5. Men's Water Polo v. Montenegro.
6. Beach Volleyball - Including defending Men's Champions Dalhausser and Rogers.
7. BADMITTON!!!
8. More Predictions, some of which may actually be right.
Local Sports Update - We will review the predictions section later, but I was wrong. Eldest did not break through with one best time. He did not have his worst meet of the year (fly wasn't that bad), but his season did end with a whimper. He peaked about 5 weeks ago, which is fine, I guess. I think his biggest problem is swim meets are CRAZY time, not swimming time. In general, I understand and support this. It would, however, be nice if he could focus for 10 minutes, instead of 10 seconds. The number of times I saw him start to put his goggles on when the starter said "Take your mark" is a little frustrating. However, the whole family had a very fun season, and at age 8, fun is more important than accomplishment. If he enjoys it, he will want to keep doing it. If he keeps doing it, he will get better.
At the Team Banquet last night, he watched a lot of people get big ribbons, and awards, while he got the standard participation award - which was a medal this year. For a while, he looked pretty frustrated and pouted that he wasn't getting anything. We told him that he had to do better to get more. I am not sure if this soaked in, because by the end he was having fun with his friends and didn't seem to care. But at least for a moment, he realized there is a connection between accomplishment and reward.
I am not one of those who believes participation trophies have no place in youth sports. At an early age, fun and reward for getting out there and playing is important. But it is also important to start to connect accomplishment and reward at some point. Around 8-9 years old seems like a good time for that. I am glad he is getting there.
Middle did not swim in Divisionals, which is pretty normal for a 5 year old. He did not want to go to the meet, he did not want to go to the team banquet and when we were at the pool, he did not want to get out of the water for dinner and awards presentations. Swim meets to him are an excuse to buy and eat junk food. Come to think of it, he doesn't need an excuse for this, he simply loves to buy and eat junk food. I could have a bag full of candy and a cooler full of Gatorade, but this child would rather go to 7-11 and spend a couple dollars. He will be the death of me.
At the Banquet, Middle won Most Improved 6&Under Boy. This was deserved, as you will understand when I give my season summary (which at this point probably won't happen until after the Olympics). He also ran around like a crazy child with his friends. When he won the award he was not with us, and didn't seem to understand that he was getting a trophy. Afterwards, of course, he wouldn't put that trophy down.
One other little note. The swim team gives a "cutest couple" award (just for fun) for each swimming age group. Eldest won for 8&Unders. For the second year in a row. With a different girl. So at least he is getting something out of the swim team. A reputation.
Today's Olympic Story Line - Women's Indoor Volleyball. The US Women's Indoor Volleyball coach is Hugh McCutcheon. If you watched any men's volleyball in 2008, you probably recognize the name, and will definitely recognize the story. Hugh McCutcheon coached the US Men's Volleyball Team in 2008. The day after the Opening Ceremonies, his father in law was murdered at a tourist site in China. Despite this personal tragedy, McCutcheon coached the men's team to an upset gold. McCutcheon is now coaching the Women's team, and they are gold medal favorites. McCutcheon said the Beijing tragedy is not part of the story, and for him, he's right. But it is. Unfortunately, it always will be.
Reflections on What Has Happened (Focus for this will be on US sports and medals, but we will touch on other stuff as time permits) -
1. First US Medal won was a silver in Men's Team Archery. The competition came down to the last arrow, and the victorious Italians got a 10 point (maximum) shot with that last arrow to win by 1. We can discuss whether archery is a sport at another time, it is a waste of time now, because it is in the Olympic program. I will say, when there is pressure and you are doing something that requires physical exertion, like running or swimming or hitting someone in a football game, you can use the pressure and adrenaline to channel your strength. When you have to calmly pull back a bow string, aim and fire an arrow, that takes pure concentration. I wish the US won, but props to the Italian who made a great shot at the highest pressure point. Team competition, gold medal at stake, perfect shot needed.
2. Men's 400 IM - Wow! Michale Phelps finishes an Olympic race without a medal for the first time since 2000 when he was 15 years old. I am shocked. And he was right with Kosuke Hagino, the bronze medalist, with 100 meters to go, but couldn't get him. I never thought I would see that happen. I'm not sure if this shows he wasn't in the best shape for the 400 IM, or he isn't in the best shape for the Olympics. I will say this probably will impact my predictions moving forward.
3. Men's cycling road race - Alexander Vinokourov won the road race in impressive fashion. Vino managed to get into a late break-away with one other competitor and win the gold by sneaking past him with about 400 meters to go. Vino is 38 years old. He has finished top 3 in the Tour de France, won the final stage of the Tour de France on Champs Elysees, been suspended for doping, and retired last year. He has now come back to win a stage of the Tour de France and the Olympic gold medal. Not bad for someone only one and a half years younger than me. I'm impressed that I can swim 80 lenghts of a swimming pool.
Predictions Sum Up -
1. Eldest will break through with at least one best time in the Divisional Meet tomorrow. WRONG
2. Lochte wins the first swimming gold medal by defeating Phelps in the 400 IM. CORRECT
3. Elizabeth Biesel does Saunderstown, RI proud by winning gold in the Women's 400 IM. WRONG (She won Silver.)
4. The US Women win silver in the 400 Free Relay. WRONG (We won Bronze)
5. Mark Cavendish becomes the pride of Great Britain by winning the Men's Road Cycling Race. WRONG
6. The US wins the medal count. But China passes us in 2016. Pending
7. None of you will take my #1 advice for watching the Olympics. (See 7/27/12 Post.) Pending
(Somehow I doubt I will know if this was correct. The Wife would kill me if I told you if we took this advice.)
Predictions -
1. US Women take Silver 1n Team Archery.
2. US wins NOTHING in badmitton.
3. No one cares about Team Handball.
4. I can turn most of you (well at least the males) into fans of Frederica Pelligrini (top seed in women's 400 freestyle).
5. Dana Vollmer wins 100 fly.
6. US Men's 400 Free Relay can not repeat 2008 success. Wins silver (which will be tough itself.)
7. If I swim 2000 meters today, I will die.
Things to Watch For -
1. US Men's Basketball Team begins competition Sunday.
2. Men's 400 Free Relay - Never thought I would say this, but Phelps goes for his first medal of the 2012 Games. And the US attempts to repeat the Miracle of 2008.
3. Women's gymnastics qualifying.
4. Men's Indoor volleyball v. Serbia.
5. Men's Water Polo v. Montenegro.
6. Beach Volleyball - Including defending Men's Champions Dalhausser and Rogers.
7. BADMITTON!!!
8. More Predictions, some of which may actually be right.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Opening Ceremonies
At long last, the 2012 Opening Ceremonies are here. Well, make that a few hours away. At least for US East Coast TV viewers. I am excited for the beginning of the Olympics for many reasons. First, I was not good at traditionally watched US Sports. I never played football, was terrible at basketball and was a coward at baseball. Seriously, and this is painful to admit even 30 years later. As soon as I learned that the guy throwing the ball could throw it at me, whether intentional or not, the ball always looked like it was coming right at me. My last season of baseball was a highlight reel of me ducking away from the ball only to hear the ump yell, "STRIKE!" I have complete respect for sports officials but the number of umps who missed strike calls by a mile that season was criminal. I mean, come on, the ball almost hit me. How can that be a strike?
Eventually, I moved on to other sports - swimming and track. Swimming and track only matter once every 4 years, during the Olympics. I love the Olympics because I can remember the days when making the Olympics was my dream. Well, its still my dream, but it is even more unrealistic now than it was 30 years ago. Plus, the Olympics is full of obscure sports that you can learn about. Winter is better for this, but you will have to wait 18 long months for my discussion of the wonderful array of obscure Winter Olympic Sports.
Second, the Olympics (OK, the Olympic ideal) is the epitome of sports at its best. Sure there is corruption and billions of dollars and scandals about selecting the host city and the Olympics bankrupted Greece and occassionally steroids and...wait, wasn't this positive? Oh, yeah, that all comes BEFORE the Opening Ceremonies. (Even Katrina Thanou and Kostas Kenteris missed their drug test and staged their motorcycle accident on the eve of the Olympics in 2004, not after the Opening Ceremonies.) The Opening Ceremonies are like wiping the slate clean. We now get 2 weeks of pure entertaining sports competition. No labor disputes, no demands for trades, only great stories and great performances. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. People doing things never thought possible and people failing to live up to expectations. Surprises out of nowhere and expectations met. I even enjoy the silly made for TV stories. You know, four years ago the Olympics even made me like Chris Collinsworth, and I really don't like Chris Collinsworth. Well, I used to not like him.
Third, the Olympics always inspires me to start exercising again. This year, it happened during the Olympic Swimming Trials. I got back in the water. I have been occassionally sidetracked by "Raft Night" at the pool, thunderstorms, swim meets and a strained wrist. But I have been in the water 3 or so times per week for a month. And today I plan to get in 2,000 meters before the Opening Ceremonies. I think watching the best in the world do something that I used to be at least better than average at reminds me that I would like to be better than I currently am and gets me motivated to start working at it again. (Read that sentence again, I swear it makes sense.) I know I will never be as good as I was at 20 and 21, but maybe I can at least be respectable. The irony is that I am conflicted between wanting to spend 24 hours a day watching on TV and being motivated to go out and do it myself. But, I find the time to do both. When the Olympics ends, the motivation goes away. I am considering swimming a Masters Meet at some point to keep motivation up, but that is also for another post.
Fourth, the Olympics are what got me started with this little project. I began by sending a few friends email updates about the Olympic Swimming Trials. A couple people suggested I start a Blog, so I did. Now I have almost double the number of readers. We will see where this goes after the Olympics, but London 2012 is where it started.
So here is my advice for the Olympics:
1. Tell your spouse/partner/FWB you will not be having sex for the next couple of weeks. There is simply no time with a billion hours of TV coverage. (On that note, after or during the Parade of Nations make sure you get some. It's your last chance until closing ceremonies.) This is all fine, there will be enough sex in the Olympic Village for the whole world during this time.
2. Learn to love the DVR and hate commercials. Develop a quick, strong thumb.
3. Set your phone's clock to display London time, so you know what time it is there.
4. Check the TV listings. But before you do this, take a deep breath, get a drink, and set aside about 9 hours. Determine what sports you are most interested in and focus on those sports. Unless you are CURRENTLY taking a Spanish class, try to ignore Telemundo. This may be the time to start getting yourself in shape for a return to glory in beach volleyball, but it is not the time to reinforce your high school Spanish Class. Focus first on the sports you (and your middle child) want to watch. Find out when they will be televised and set aside those times. Then move on to the secondary sports and repeat. Remember, the time for sleep is September. Now is the time for focus. And TV. And motivated exercise for a return to athletic glory. If all you are interested in is swimming, gymnastics, marquee track and field events, diving and US beach volleyball teams, you can get by watching NBC from 7:30-midnight every night. Otherwise, you need a plan. This is the way to make that plan.
5. Check this Blog every day. I will be giving fantastic analysis and amazing anecdotes. Maybe. I will at least give my observations in between watching the games, trying to become the first Olympic swimmer to debut at the age of 44 (take THAT Dara Torres! - never mind that it won't happen), raising three children, having a job and fending off the Wife, who will be challenging #1 after seeing Ryan Lochte for several days. Come to think of it, #1 may be tough for me after seeing Ryan Lochte for several days. I can't promise daily updates, but that is the plan.
6. Watch with your kids. Even organizations that typically say turn off the TV are saying turn it on and watch with your kids.
7. Finally, in all seriousness, enjoy. Enjoy the spectacle, the stories, the triumphs, the failures, and most of all, the effort. The competition is what sports should be about. The best in the world giving their best effort. Appreciate the effort, win or lose.
Local Sports Update - Divisionals tomorrow. Results and season summary to follow. Follow up on yesterday's sad news: Curl-Burke Swim Club has terminated the name "Curl-Burke Swim Club", effective immediately. The brand is tainted.
What to Look Forward To/Today's Olympic Story Line:
Today I am combining these two sections and giving a number of things to watch for in this year's Olympics. Throughout the Olympics, I will divide these each day, and give one story line, and many things to watch for:
1. Lochte/Phelps Showdown - With apologies to anyone else in the Olympics, this is the biggest story. Phelps will be seeking 7 medals, Lochte 6. They will share two of these (800 Free Relay and 400 Free Relay) and compete head to head for 2 (200 IM and 400 IM). Phelps is already the greatest Olympian ever. He has more gold medals than anyone in history, he will break the record for most medals of any color by the fourth day of competition, and he has a chance to accomplish for the THIRD time (at least 7 medals in one Olympics), something only 7 other people have accomplished once. Lochte will look to vault up the list of most gold medals won, potentially putting himself in the top 10 of all time. (More likely top 20.) We are watching two of the greatest swimmers ever.
2. US Gymnastics - The women (girls) have a chance at 1-2 in the all around and team gold. Men also have a chance at team gold. This could be the greatest performance by a US gymnastics team in the Olympics ever, and will almost definitely be the best performance in a non-boycotted Olympics.
3. Allison Felix - Can she win the 200? Will the 100 controversy affect her in any way? How will Jenebah Tarmoh perform in the 4x100 relay? And will Tarmoh be in the finals of the relay, or just the prelims?
4. Beach Volleyball - Will Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor get a third straight gold? Can Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers defend their gold from 2008? Will the women cover up? Will the men take more off?
5. Women's socccer - The US looks for a 3rd straight gold and redemption from last year's World Cup. Alex Morgan just looks good. Although I would like the white jerseys so I can see her pink sports bra through the uniform.
6. USA Track and Field - Can the US recover from a dismal 2008 performance? Will Ashton Eaton break the Decathlon World Record again? Will Jamaica sweep the men's 100 meters?
7. Women's Crew - Mary Whipple is the coxswain for the Women's Eight Crew team. She is a feisty little sparkplug, who coxed the women to a gold medal in 2008. If you get a chance to watch anything about rowing, Mary is worth your time.
8. My pick for obscure summer sport of 2012.
9. Promises of My Predictions.
10. Missy Franklin could have the greatest single Olympics for a female swimmer in history. She is only 17, so this may be the beginning of the greatest Olympic swimming career for a female swimmer ever. Her performance at Olympic Trials was extraordinary. I expect nothing less in London.
11. Who will light the torch? Find out tonight. Even money is on Roger Bannister, but he never won an Olympic medal. Will the British choose an Olympic Champion? Or a greater historic figure?
Predictions:
1. Eldest will break through with at least one best time in the Divisional Meet tomorrow.
2. Lochte wins the first swimming gold medal by defeating Phelps in the 400 IM.
3. Elizabeth Biesel does Saunderstown, RI proud by winning gold in the Women's 400 IM.
4. The US Women win silver in the 400 Free Relay.
5. Mark Cavendish becomes the pride of Great Britain by winning the Men's Road Cycling Race.
6. The US wins the medal count. But China passes us in 2016.
7. None of you will take my #1 advice for watching the Olympics. (Go check it again, above.)
Enjoy the Games. More to come tomorrow. (I hope, very busy day.)
Eventually, I moved on to other sports - swimming and track. Swimming and track only matter once every 4 years, during the Olympics. I love the Olympics because I can remember the days when making the Olympics was my dream. Well, its still my dream, but it is even more unrealistic now than it was 30 years ago. Plus, the Olympics is full of obscure sports that you can learn about. Winter is better for this, but you will have to wait 18 long months for my discussion of the wonderful array of obscure Winter Olympic Sports.
Second, the Olympics (OK, the Olympic ideal) is the epitome of sports at its best. Sure there is corruption and billions of dollars and scandals about selecting the host city and the Olympics bankrupted Greece and occassionally steroids and...wait, wasn't this positive? Oh, yeah, that all comes BEFORE the Opening Ceremonies. (Even Katrina Thanou and Kostas Kenteris missed their drug test and staged their motorcycle accident on the eve of the Olympics in 2004, not after the Opening Ceremonies.) The Opening Ceremonies are like wiping the slate clean. We now get 2 weeks of pure entertaining sports competition. No labor disputes, no demands for trades, only great stories and great performances. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. People doing things never thought possible and people failing to live up to expectations. Surprises out of nowhere and expectations met. I even enjoy the silly made for TV stories. You know, four years ago the Olympics even made me like Chris Collinsworth, and I really don't like Chris Collinsworth. Well, I used to not like him.
Third, the Olympics always inspires me to start exercising again. This year, it happened during the Olympic Swimming Trials. I got back in the water. I have been occassionally sidetracked by "Raft Night" at the pool, thunderstorms, swim meets and a strained wrist. But I have been in the water 3 or so times per week for a month. And today I plan to get in 2,000 meters before the Opening Ceremonies. I think watching the best in the world do something that I used to be at least better than average at reminds me that I would like to be better than I currently am and gets me motivated to start working at it again. (Read that sentence again, I swear it makes sense.) I know I will never be as good as I was at 20 and 21, but maybe I can at least be respectable. The irony is that I am conflicted between wanting to spend 24 hours a day watching on TV and being motivated to go out and do it myself. But, I find the time to do both. When the Olympics ends, the motivation goes away. I am considering swimming a Masters Meet at some point to keep motivation up, but that is also for another post.
Fourth, the Olympics are what got me started with this little project. I began by sending a few friends email updates about the Olympic Swimming Trials. A couple people suggested I start a Blog, so I did. Now I have almost double the number of readers. We will see where this goes after the Olympics, but London 2012 is where it started.
So here is my advice for the Olympics:
1. Tell your spouse/partner/FWB you will not be having sex for the next couple of weeks. There is simply no time with a billion hours of TV coverage. (On that note, after or during the Parade of Nations make sure you get some. It's your last chance until closing ceremonies.) This is all fine, there will be enough sex in the Olympic Village for the whole world during this time.
2. Learn to love the DVR and hate commercials. Develop a quick, strong thumb.
3. Set your phone's clock to display London time, so you know what time it is there.
4. Check the TV listings. But before you do this, take a deep breath, get a drink, and set aside about 9 hours. Determine what sports you are most interested in and focus on those sports. Unless you are CURRENTLY taking a Spanish class, try to ignore Telemundo. This may be the time to start getting yourself in shape for a return to glory in beach volleyball, but it is not the time to reinforce your high school Spanish Class. Focus first on the sports you (and your middle child) want to watch. Find out when they will be televised and set aside those times. Then move on to the secondary sports and repeat. Remember, the time for sleep is September. Now is the time for focus. And TV. And motivated exercise for a return to athletic glory. If all you are interested in is swimming, gymnastics, marquee track and field events, diving and US beach volleyball teams, you can get by watching NBC from 7:30-midnight every night. Otherwise, you need a plan. This is the way to make that plan.
5. Check this Blog every day. I will be giving fantastic analysis and amazing anecdotes. Maybe. I will at least give my observations in between watching the games, trying to become the first Olympic swimmer to debut at the age of 44 (take THAT Dara Torres! - never mind that it won't happen), raising three children, having a job and fending off the Wife, who will be challenging #1 after seeing Ryan Lochte for several days. Come to think of it, #1 may be tough for me after seeing Ryan Lochte for several days. I can't promise daily updates, but that is the plan.
6. Watch with your kids. Even organizations that typically say turn off the TV are saying turn it on and watch with your kids.
7. Finally, in all seriousness, enjoy. Enjoy the spectacle, the stories, the triumphs, the failures, and most of all, the effort. The competition is what sports should be about. The best in the world giving their best effort. Appreciate the effort, win or lose.
Local Sports Update - Divisionals tomorrow. Results and season summary to follow. Follow up on yesterday's sad news: Curl-Burke Swim Club has terminated the name "Curl-Burke Swim Club", effective immediately. The brand is tainted.
What to Look Forward To/Today's Olympic Story Line:
Today I am combining these two sections and giving a number of things to watch for in this year's Olympics. Throughout the Olympics, I will divide these each day, and give one story line, and many things to watch for:
1. Lochte/Phelps Showdown - With apologies to anyone else in the Olympics, this is the biggest story. Phelps will be seeking 7 medals, Lochte 6. They will share two of these (800 Free Relay and 400 Free Relay) and compete head to head for 2 (200 IM and 400 IM). Phelps is already the greatest Olympian ever. He has more gold medals than anyone in history, he will break the record for most medals of any color by the fourth day of competition, and he has a chance to accomplish for the THIRD time (at least 7 medals in one Olympics), something only 7 other people have accomplished once. Lochte will look to vault up the list of most gold medals won, potentially putting himself in the top 10 of all time. (More likely top 20.) We are watching two of the greatest swimmers ever.
2. US Gymnastics - The women (girls) have a chance at 1-2 in the all around and team gold. Men also have a chance at team gold. This could be the greatest performance by a US gymnastics team in the Olympics ever, and will almost definitely be the best performance in a non-boycotted Olympics.
3. Allison Felix - Can she win the 200? Will the 100 controversy affect her in any way? How will Jenebah Tarmoh perform in the 4x100 relay? And will Tarmoh be in the finals of the relay, or just the prelims?
4. Beach Volleyball - Will Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor get a third straight gold? Can Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers defend their gold from 2008? Will the women cover up? Will the men take more off?
5. Women's socccer - The US looks for a 3rd straight gold and redemption from last year's World Cup. Alex Morgan just looks good. Although I would like the white jerseys so I can see her pink sports bra through the uniform.
6. USA Track and Field - Can the US recover from a dismal 2008 performance? Will Ashton Eaton break the Decathlon World Record again? Will Jamaica sweep the men's 100 meters?
7. Women's Crew - Mary Whipple is the coxswain for the Women's Eight Crew team. She is a feisty little sparkplug, who coxed the women to a gold medal in 2008. If you get a chance to watch anything about rowing, Mary is worth your time.
8. My pick for obscure summer sport of 2012.
9. Promises of My Predictions.
10. Missy Franklin could have the greatest single Olympics for a female swimmer in history. She is only 17, so this may be the beginning of the greatest Olympic swimming career for a female swimmer ever. Her performance at Olympic Trials was extraordinary. I expect nothing less in London.
11. Who will light the torch? Find out tonight. Even money is on Roger Bannister, but he never won an Olympic medal. Will the British choose an Olympic Champion? Or a greater historic figure?
Predictions:
1. Eldest will break through with at least one best time in the Divisional Meet tomorrow.
2. Lochte wins the first swimming gold medal by defeating Phelps in the 400 IM.
3. Elizabeth Biesel does Saunderstown, RI proud by winning gold in the Women's 400 IM.
4. The US Women win silver in the 400 Free Relay.
5. Mark Cavendish becomes the pride of Great Britain by winning the Men's Road Cycling Race.
6. The US wins the medal count. But China passes us in 2016.
7. None of you will take my #1 advice for watching the Olympics. (Go check it again, above.)
Enjoy the Games. More to come tomorrow. (I hope, very busy day.)
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