This has been another great two weeks watching the Olympics. I am glad it ended right before school started so I can stop staying up so late every night watching the games. There were some great highlights that came out of watching the games, but I think they have been covered to death; I would like to just make a few side comments.
What Michael Phelps did was amazing. The only problem I had with the coverage of Phelps is that he was considered the greatest athlete ever. That may or may not be true, but should gold medals be the standard for how good an athlete is, or does it mean they compete in the right sports. The only athletes who have a chance to earn 9 medals are in swimming or possible track. If you want to talk about the best athletes, May and Walsh must be in the discussion, but the maximum amount of medals they can earn is one. If May and Walsh earned a medal for every match the way swimmers earn one for every race, they could earn more than Phelps and receive the glory. What about the American that won the decathlon, is there a better athlete? He should get a medal for every event, but he only gets one for competing in ten events. Having said that Phelps was amazing, I still do not know how he pulled off the final race, it still looks to me like the other guy won.
I used to love playing beach volleyball and I still love watching it. Watching May and Walsh and the Thin Beast and the Professor play was awesome. Both Golds going to the Americans is the way it should be in beach volleyball.
Yes the men finally took back the gold in basketball, but they were not impressive doing it. They blew out every team they played until the last two. The way they played the first quarter against Argentina was truly amazing, but it must have gone to their head because that was the last great quarter they played. The American team has one thing going for them, more pure talent, but it ends there. I loved watching the Spanish play, they way they play as a team is how basketball should be, the way the college game it. They scored a bunch of their points off lay-up by setting back screens. The NBA players just want to go one on one and show off how good they are and expect a foul like they get in the NBA. The Americans played like cocky punks whom they just expected everyone to role over for them, but the Spanish had different plans. Several times we had fast breaks and the American player with the ball would not pass to the open man running the court but tried to take it himself and missed the circus shot. The worst was Kobe, he is a black hole, once he touches the ball he shots it. For ever great shot he made and everyone cheered his wildly he missed 5 or 6 other shots. And what’s with shooting all the three pointers. The American team better enjoy their medal, there is no guarantee they will keep it, one the other teams get a bid deeper and some more athletic ability, we are in real trouble.
It will be interesting to see if things are different in four years in London when it comes to the Chinese supremacy. There was a few times when it seemed like hometown judges or at least swayed by the crowd. This Olympics reminded me of the 1934 games in Berlin. There are some similarities. Both were hosted by tyrannical governments, Hitler and the Communist Chinese. Both wanted to host the games to show their prowess. Hitler wanted to show the world the Aryan race was supreme, where as I believe the Chinese government had basically the same goal for their own people. Both had government support machines to help their athletes. Both achieved their goals. Everyone knows about Jesse Owens winning four gold medals, but then they forget that the Germans won the most medals of the games, just like the Chinese won the most golds. However the Germans did not retain their dominance, we will have to wait to see about the Chinese.
I think it is a testament to how good our athletes are that they can compete against nations like China. China’s programs are fully sponsored by the government, who this year had even put in place directives to begin excelling in areas where they never have before. Their athletes are chosen at very young ages and once part of the athletics program are given anything required to succeed. Our athletes, yes some are spoiled with money and are sent off to train, but others work full time jobs and train on the side. Some of our athletes come from meager circumstances yet excel in spite of their surroundings.
I don’t care that the Chinese gymnasts were underage, and yes anyone could tell that they were underage. It was not like they were 15 year olds competing in a 12 and under league where being older was a clear advantage. Unless we had some 15 year old phenom waiting in the wings, they still beat us, they were just better. Having said that, it shows the character of the Chinese government and the IOC in allowing it to happen. There was no way the IOC would investigate the host nation, not that it would do any good. How can you argue with the government who would just print fake birth certificates?
What a horrible loss for the coach of the men’s indoor volleyball, the greatest joy mixed with such tragedy. Their victory on Sunday was the most emotional, it will not make up for the loss of loved ones, but somehow it might ease the pain and make all the players feel better for winning for their coach.
I love the games; we look forward to every Olympic year. There were so many good stories that make you want to just try a bit harder, like distance swimmers with only one leg. I hope everyone got something from the games that can inspire them to greatness
What Michael Phelps did was amazing. The only problem I had with the coverage of Phelps is that he was considered the greatest athlete ever. That may or may not be true, but should gold medals be the standard for how good an athlete is, or does it mean they compete in the right sports. The only athletes who have a chance to earn 9 medals are in swimming or possible track. If you want to talk about the best athletes, May and Walsh must be in the discussion, but the maximum amount of medals they can earn is one. If May and Walsh earned a medal for every match the way swimmers earn one for every race, they could earn more than Phelps and receive the glory. What about the American that won the decathlon, is there a better athlete? He should get a medal for every event, but he only gets one for competing in ten events. Having said that Phelps was amazing, I still do not know how he pulled off the final race, it still looks to me like the other guy won.
I used to love playing beach volleyball and I still love watching it. Watching May and Walsh and the Thin Beast and the Professor play was awesome. Both Golds going to the Americans is the way it should be in beach volleyball.
Yes the men finally took back the gold in basketball, but they were not impressive doing it. They blew out every team they played until the last two. The way they played the first quarter against Argentina was truly amazing, but it must have gone to their head because that was the last great quarter they played. The American team has one thing going for them, more pure talent, but it ends there. I loved watching the Spanish play, they way they play as a team is how basketball should be, the way the college game it. They scored a bunch of their points off lay-up by setting back screens. The NBA players just want to go one on one and show off how good they are and expect a foul like they get in the NBA. The Americans played like cocky punks whom they just expected everyone to role over for them, but the Spanish had different plans. Several times we had fast breaks and the American player with the ball would not pass to the open man running the court but tried to take it himself and missed the circus shot. The worst was Kobe, he is a black hole, once he touches the ball he shots it. For ever great shot he made and everyone cheered his wildly he missed 5 or 6 other shots. And what’s with shooting all the three pointers. The American team better enjoy their medal, there is no guarantee they will keep it, one the other teams get a bid deeper and some more athletic ability, we are in real trouble.
It will be interesting to see if things are different in four years in London when it comes to the Chinese supremacy. There was a few times when it seemed like hometown judges or at least swayed by the crowd. This Olympics reminded me of the 1934 games in Berlin. There are some similarities. Both were hosted by tyrannical governments, Hitler and the Communist Chinese. Both wanted to host the games to show their prowess. Hitler wanted to show the world the Aryan race was supreme, where as I believe the Chinese government had basically the same goal for their own people. Both had government support machines to help their athletes. Both achieved their goals. Everyone knows about Jesse Owens winning four gold medals, but then they forget that the Germans won the most medals of the games, just like the Chinese won the most golds. However the Germans did not retain their dominance, we will have to wait to see about the Chinese.
I think it is a testament to how good our athletes are that they can compete against nations like China. China’s programs are fully sponsored by the government, who this year had even put in place directives to begin excelling in areas where they never have before. Their athletes are chosen at very young ages and once part of the athletics program are given anything required to succeed. Our athletes, yes some are spoiled with money and are sent off to train, but others work full time jobs and train on the side. Some of our athletes come from meager circumstances yet excel in spite of their surroundings.
I don’t care that the Chinese gymnasts were underage, and yes anyone could tell that they were underage. It was not like they were 15 year olds competing in a 12 and under league where being older was a clear advantage. Unless we had some 15 year old phenom waiting in the wings, they still beat us, they were just better. Having said that, it shows the character of the Chinese government and the IOC in allowing it to happen. There was no way the IOC would investigate the host nation, not that it would do any good. How can you argue with the government who would just print fake birth certificates?
What a horrible loss for the coach of the men’s indoor volleyball, the greatest joy mixed with such tragedy. Their victory on Sunday was the most emotional, it will not make up for the loss of loved ones, but somehow it might ease the pain and make all the players feel better for winning for their coach.
I love the games; we look forward to every Olympic year. There were so many good stories that make you want to just try a bit harder, like distance swimmers with only one leg. I hope everyone got something from the games that can inspire them to greatness
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