The Headlines: After the First Real Day of College Football

Here are my headlines for the teams of the Pac-10 conference after the first day of college football:

• Arizona: 70 Reasons Why the Wildcats Looked For Real (But May Not Be)
• Arizona State: Carpenter: Why Can't We Play These I-AA School All the Time?
• California: Maybe Nate Longshore Can Start if He Just Hands the Ball Off All the Time
• Oregon: We Don't Need No Stinkin' First- or Second-String QB to Beat on the Huskies
• USC: Bring on the Buckeyes
• Washington: Woes Us. Woes Willingham's Job
• Wazzu: Let's Review How to Run an Offense
  

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I know the college football season started Thursday, but I don't care. To me, that was the unofficial start of the year.

But the first Saturday of the season, now THAT'S the start of college football.

Just think about. When is there a time when an entire community of people, spanning the entire country stop one they're doing for one day, have some fun and go to a (American) football game? Okay, I guess people do that for the NFL too. But the atmosphere is different on Saturdays than it is on Sundays.

Sundays feel very corporate. The tailgates feel corporate. The stadium feels corporate. There are too many commercial breaks. You have prima donnas on the sidelines (you have a few in college too). And you get a lot of old, grump men at the stadium.

Saturdays. That's where it truly is at.

You have marching bands and pep rallies. You have the dance teams and cheerleaders. You have the inebriated co-eds (who doesn't like that?), who haven't let themselves go yet, because hey, at 21, life doesn't suck. You have drunk frat boys (who hates that? But they sure do make a lot of noise when called upon in the stadium). You have the old alums coming back to school and you have those hopeful 17-year-olds wishing they went to that school. And you even have the opposition on the other side of the stadium. I love it when the students from both schools start doing chants at each other an hour before a football game.

It's college football. The players don't get paid (usually). The game is at its purest (most of the time). And the feelings towards one's university or college is felt more and runs deeper than the ones connected to that professional team you follow (except, if you didn't go to college, then that's a different story). One is always going to be tied with his or her alma mater. It will always be there.

So, welcome back college football. I've missed you. We've missed you.

Oh, and GO BEARS!

Darrell Catchings Meet Cameron Colvin

What is it with football players from the Oregon universities not being able to hang on to the football near the goal line at the end of the game?

I distinctly remember when Cameron Colvin's fumble gave Cal its first win at Autzen Stadium in 20 years (I was there, covering the game for the Daily Cal).

And then watching Darrell Catchings fuck up last night, fumbling the football into the end zone a la Colvin, giving Stanford a win just reminded me of that glorious day last September. (Note: I've tried to find video of Catchings fumbling the ball, but I have failed to no avail. I guess no one in the YouTube world cares about an Oregon State/Stanford football matchup).

But this is what the Card's win over the Beavers says about both teams: they both still suck. What about Oregon State being the dark horse in the Pac-10? Forget about. After next weekend, might as well be over.

And how about this for Stanford? For at least one week, the Card will be atop the Pac-10 standings for the first time in, I don't know, seven years?

Who would of thought?

Orozco Gets Call Up

If I were Bob Bradley, I would have said to hell with Michael Orozco. To hell with him at least until he clears his head and proves himself on the pitch--at least for this next round of qualifiers.

Okay, Maybe Orozco hasn't had too much of a chance to prove himself. He hasn't played much for his club team. But still, if I were managing the U.S. Senior National Team, Orozco's name would have been left off for its next group of World Cup Qualifiers. But it's not.

But then again, Orozco may not even suit-up for the Americans in their next two qualifying matches. He may not even see a minute of the pitch. Especially not with this being his first time being called to a senior team camp in his career.

And I guess Orozco did earn it, being named to the All-CONCACAF team during Olympic Qualifying and playing semi-well in Beijing.

However, at least with the Olympics being so fresh in everyone's memories, I'd leave Orozco off. And if he was that good, he'd be able to play his way back on the team again.

The Headlines: College Football Preview

I know I'm really late with this. The college football season begins in hours (if it hasn't started yet).

So here's my quasi college football preview. Now let me explain this. One of the best (or worst) things I've ever had to do while working at the Daily Cal was come up with headlines for stories. Most were very cliche. Some were good. A lot were bad.

And some of the good ones that I thought of, well, they weren't PG enough to run in the paper.

So, I come at you uncensored. Every week, I'll give you "headlines" for all the Pac-10 schools and some of the bigger news in college football.

But today, I give you headlines for a promising season for all Pac-10 schools and then give you my predicted headline for those post-season write-ups of what actually happened. Enjoy.

Season Previewed:

• Arizona: Can Stoop's Squad Finally Make it to the Promise Land?
• Arizona State: Be-Deviling the Rose Bowl Hopes
• California: Longshore Out, Riley In, Forget About Last Season
• Oregon: Costa Out, Panic Ensues
• Oregon State: Beavers Are Never Over-Hyped
• Stanford: Harbaugh Putting His Money Where His Mouth Is
• UCLA: Please Rick, Don't Fuck This Up
• USC: Ain't No One Gonna Stop Us Now
• Washington: Jake Locker For Heisman
• Wazzu: How Did We Get to the Rose Bowl in the Late '90s?

• Bonus Headline for Georgia: Lovable Losers Are Finally No. 1

Season-Ending Headlines:

• Arizona: Wildcats Finally Beardown on Stoops, Give Him the Axe
• Arizona State: BCS Dreams Wilted in Desert Heat
• California: Longshore Really Was the Right Choice in Holiday Bowl Victory
• Oregon: Costa Still Out for Next Year, Panic Ensues
• Oregon State: No Quarterbacks = No Bowl
• Stanford: Harbaugh Jumps Sinking Ship, Gets Job With Big Ten Lightweight
• UCLA: The Los Angeles Football Dynasty IS Over, But Look What Happened After 2006
  
• USC: Boring...Another Rose Bowl Blowout Win
• Washington: Bye Bye Ty
• Wazzu: And We Couldn't Even Beat Stanford
  

• Georgia: So Tim Tebow IS That Good
  

The Draw for the Most Exciting Competition Outside of the World Cup

The Champions League qualifying ties are done, and the groups have been set.

I love the European Cup competition. I love seeing the different styles of football (soccer) from the competing nations compete against each other.

Some thoughts about the Champions League group stages, which begin next month.

• So the Scots are still squabbling over the proposition that an All-United Kingdom football side be fielded for the 2012 Olympic Games. Well, at least one Scottish side gets to be the hopes of tiny the nation as Manchester United and Celtic match up twice in the group stage.

• I am dubbing Group D this year's "Group of Death" Why? Well, we know Liverpool will advance through, but you pick between PSV, Marseille and Atletico Madrid.

• Barcelona couldn't have prayed for an easier six matches.

• Poor Juventus. Their first time back in two years and they draw Real Madrid and UEFA Cup winners Zenit.

• Is Chelsea really the top draw for this tournament? Please.
  

My Final, Final, Thought on the Beijing Olympics

I know. I know. I said I was going to transition to other sports outside of the Olympic Games in Beijing.

But what Thomas L. Friedman says something about the Games and about sport, you have to listen and maybe comment.

That's what I'm going to (try) do here. And I promise it's the last time and this won't be long. Why? Cause I'm going to let Friedman do most of the talking.

If you haven't read it yet, Friedman, in today's New York Times, talks about how the United States has fallen behind China--and not just in the medal count.

I guess what many people have failed to see (or maybe they did see, but they don't understand it) is how important these Games were to the Chinese.

Yeah, it was their coming out party. Yeah, they kicked America's ass in the gold medal count. Yeah, everyone was super excited. Sure, China spent $40 billion on the Games.

But this just isn't an anomaly and whatever happened in Beijing the last three weeks doesn't just effect sport. It effects the global community. It effects the power struggle. China is on the verge of becoming a fucking superpower and one with four times as many people as the current world superpower.

So while Peter Ueberroth is trying to come up with a plan to compete with the Chinese again in four year's time, the United States government needs to come up with a plan to just not fall behind the Chinese--something that Mr. Friedman talks about.

And then again, all great empires come to an end. All great societies lose their special place in the world. Part of me says that depending on who wins this Presidential election in November, we'll see the beginnings of U.S. power and ability to sway world opinion wane.

But, the English are just fine. So are the French. The Germans look pretty good too. And the Japanese have probably the most vibrant of economies. All were world or regional superpowers at one point or the other. Why can't the U.S. just follow suit?

Because that's utterly un-American and because what's at stake is more than just a handful of gold medals.

What I've Missed Because of the Olympics

The Olympics are over and sport must go on. And actually, I was glad to be distracted by the Olympics. I didn't even touch ESPN once on my tv dial while the Olympics were on. No baseball. No Red Sox. No Yankees. No shitty ESPN slant. No talking heads talking about stupid things. And best of all, no Brett Favre. It was awesome.

But reality has come to bite me in the ass and if I want to continue this whole blog thing, I'll have to pay attention to "main stream" sports.

So here we go. A list of what I've missed because of the awesome-ness of the Olympics.

• Aaron Rodgers was in my History 7A discussion section in my first year (and Rodgers' last year) at the University of California. He was a cool guy. He fell a sleep a lot, but who didn't? The class was at 8 in the morning. But that's just the way I can say that I have actually met an NFL quarterback and one who starts for the most historic franchise in the League. Rodgers waited his turn. He has it now. Thanks for nothing Favre.

• Speaking of Brett, that prima donna plays for the Jets now.

• And speaking of Cal quarterbacks, the young gunslinger, Kevin Riley, gets the nod from Jeff Tedford. The Bears have no expectations for this year, which is good. They have a pretty advantageous schedule also. (More on this when I preview college football).

• While we're on the topic of college football, Georgia No. 1? Why the hell not. At least it's not THE Ohio State University or THE University of Southern California. But can the Dawgs really beat Tim Tebow and Florida? I think not.

• And speaking of the Trojans, I love them fightin' words coming out of the Southern Branch of the University of California. And remember, UCLA did upset the Trojans two years ago.

• Speaking of Los Angeles, the Dodgers still trail the Diamondbacks for the NL West lead, even after getting Manny Ramirez. And the Angels...best team in baseball?

• While we're still in SoCal, let me talk about my Chargers. Philip Rivers looks fine. Antonio Gates will be fine. LT will be fine. Shawn Merriman? He needs to just sit out. Please remember that A.J. Smith is the best general manager in pro football. And please remember that the Chargers have the deepest team in the League. And please remember that the Bolts plays the cheating Patriots and the Indy Colts at home this year. If there ever was a year for San Diego, it's this one.

• Congrats to Maurice Edu for getting signed by European giant Rangers. And good luck Freddy Adu, win some playtime with Monaco.

• And the most overrated event in sport happened the same weekend the Olympics closed. Thanks Hawaii for bring the Little League World Series title back to the States.
  

Final Thoughts on the Beijing Games

I can't believe that the 2008 Summer Games are over.

It seems just like yesterday I was watching the Opening Ceremonies, thinking to myself that China wasn't going to challenge the U.S. in the medal count.

I was wrong.

Not only was I wrong, but the Chinese kicked the American's ass, if we're only looking at the number of Olympic champions each country produced. And that's what I'm going to be talking about mostly on this blog post.

I don't think that this was a shot-in-the-arm type thing from the Chinese. They won't be a one-hit wonder. The one thing that made the Olympics really popular after World War II was the fact that there were two superpowers, the U.S. and Soviet Union, and that the Olympics was like a mini-Cold War, played out in sport. Nothing too consequential. Just good, (sometimes) clean athletic competition.

Thank you China for making the Olympics relevant again. For the next few Olympics at least, this battle between the U.S. and China will take center stage, especially with the U.S. Olympic Committee saying that they're going to re-prioritize for the medal count.

On the purely athletic and sport-related issues, that's what's most important coming out of the 29th Olympiad. It's not Michael Phelps, or Usain Bolt, or that Team USA is once again king in basketball.

China has staked it's claim and now the Summer Games no longer belong to the U.S. If Team USA wants to take back the gold medal count, it's going to have to work harder and find innovative ways to train athletes in order to compete with China.

The days of American dominance may be over.

But of course, you cannot talk about Beijing without talking about the political aspects.

If there was any criticism of NBC's coverage of the Olympics here in the states, I would say that it played them to the Chinese's advantage. There were protests. There were hostages. But none of them were broadcast or reported by NBC during its coverage.

And then they had the audacity to say that these Olympics went off without a hitch.

But to those who say that the Olympics should have never been given to Beijing, I say they should have.

Why? Because the Olympics could have been, should have been the catalyst that's makes that totalitarian regime change it's ways. But I feel that it wasn't. What Beijing may have been (history will show us the light in a decade's time), is a missed opportunity.

Instead of forgetting about all the political shadows that shrouded the Beijing Games, the Olympics should have been used as a tool to make China change. It has a little bit, with nation after nation calling the Chinese out. But there should have been a discourse. There should have been pressures. But there were none of that.

So, these Olympics Games close almost unfinished. The story of these Olympics will depend heavily on whether or not China changes it's ways after these Games.

The Chinese spent an estimated $40 billion on the Games. Hopefully, it can spend that much on its people in the years after the Olympic Flame is long extinguished.

Now You Can Call Them the Redeem Team

So it wasn't as easy as everyone thought it'd be, but after eight years, two third-place finishes and an abysmal sixth place finish in 2002, the U.S. men's basketball team is on top of the world again. Go ahead, call'em the Redeem Team.

I was amazed by the level of play put on by the Americans. And not how skilled they were, but the teamwork. It made me change my mind about the current status of USA basketball. They shared the ball. They played for each other. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, on the bench with early foul trouble, cheered on their teammates. This was definitely a team, something we haven't seen since 1992.

The U.S., in year's past, had been able to overpower, and use their sheer individual talents to defeat international opponents. But since the turn of the century, sheer skill wasn't enough. And now, I truly believe, the Americans finally know how to win on the international stage.

Hopefully that translates into the NBA product. How about a little more ball-sharing? How about a little more sacrifice? How about some defense? (though none was displayed in that gold medal game).

So, the Americans did what they came to do, and they did it in an un-American way (at least in terms of professional sport).

Here are some other observations from the game:

• I wish I hadn't been such a snob and actually watched the Olympic basketball tournament. Not for the games, per se, but for the theme music. I forgot that NBC brings back the old NBA on NBC theme for the Games. Gosh I miss it.

• I questioned Dwayne Wade's intention and health going into the Games. Uhm, not anymore. He looks like a better player than he was before his injury. If he can knock down the perimeter jumper on a consistent basis like he did last night, the Heat will be in the playoffs (but that's not saying much in the East).

• RICKY RUBIO! YOU'RE ONLY 17?!!!! WHAT?!!!

• Spain's uniforms makes me want to add an "N" at the end of that "ESP." By the way, the ESP is short for Espana.

• Dwight Howard has to be embarrassed. He let Rudy Fernandez dunk on him. WHAT?!

• Kobe can finally say that he can win without Shaq.

• Speaking of which, I wonder if Kobe and Pau Gasol's relationship will be strained after this.

• FIBA referees suck more than NBA refs. And I thought that no refs were any worse than NBA refs.

• Jason Kidd really did have to remind his teammates to salute the flag during the medal ceremony. Nice PR move.

• I know Mike Breen and Doug Collins are the American broadcasters, but the players shaking their hands after the game, totally unprofessional on Breen and Collins' part.

• Let's hope the Americans don't get too cocky and lose the 2010 FIBA championship.
  

So the Countdown Begins for 2010

I got one thing right. Argentina won the gold medal (for a second consecutive Olympics I might add).

And now the world waits. It waits for South Africa (or where ever the hell the World Cup may be) 2010. Two years. And it waits for the eventual clash between Spain's young guns and the Albicelestes. It's not like we don't expect it.

La Furia Roja earned its nickname earlier this summer, creatively slashing through the rest of Europe for its first major title in 44 years. And of course, most of the guys on the squad are up and coming youngsters, who will probably only get better in two years' time.

And Argentina? Well, they may have lost Copa America last year, but this current side plays with such a pace and flair, that these Olympics showed us that there is a changing of the guard in South America. Fine. Brasil defeated them 3-0 in the Copa final last year. But that was an old Brasil side against a very young Argentina team. In two years, I guarantee that the Albicelestes are the class of the world. And don't forget about Lionel Messi.

So, I can't wait. World Cup 2010 is going to be fun. Let's just hope that we get the final we all want. Argentina versus Spain.

Revisiting Cavic Versus Phelps

I admit it. I may have been a little soft last week when talking about the whole Milograd (Mike) Cavic being only thismuchslower than Michael Phelps thing.

And, to my surprise, people do remember, at least a week removed from Phelps winning that seventh gold medal enroute to his eight.

And, to my surprise, there is quite the uproar from people who aren't Serbian. Like this website, which looks like it has a photo of Cavic actually beating Phelps (conversely, SI.com has this sequence of Phelps supposedly touching first cause Cavic was like a millimeter from touching the wall).

Phelps breaking Spitz's record is great. It created drama at the Olympics, something that's been missing for some time. People cared. People watched. And Phelps delivered. I argue that if Phelps hadn't won eight gold medals, that tying Spitz would have just been an "ehh" moment in sport. People would care, but no one would care that much.

I mentioned last week that the computerized walls may have failed. That website (100thofasecond.com) argues that it may be a conspiracy.

In this day and age or computers running the show and huge dollars being spent on advertising and the like, I wouldn't put it past Omega, the IOC or FINA if they actually screwed Cavic out of the gold medal.

Yeah, Phelps would have gotten a hero's welcome when he returned with only seven gold medals. He would have gotten some face time. He probably would have still been on the cover of Sports Illustrated two weeks in a row. He would have done all the late night talk shows; all the daytime morning shows. Phelps would have still been a stud if he won just seven medals in Beijing.

But he wouldn't have reached the proportion of uber-mega-star he has now if he only won seven medals, and his sponsors wouldn't be cashing in right now.

Did Cavic get screwed? Maybe. Is Phelps winning eight medals good for corporate America (Earth?)? Of Course. Did Cavic really beat Phelps? From watching it live, I thought so.

That doesn't change, however, the fact that Phelps has eight gold medals around his neck.

Cavic has handled this well. Maybe too well? Who knows? I don't personally know him (though he did go to the most prestigious public institution in the world in Cal), but I wouldn't surprised me if he got paid off to handle the situation in this way.

But maybe that's just how Cavic is; content. He did lose (officially) to the world's greatest swimmer. But maybe in his mind (and in the minds of many) he (unofficially) defeated the world's greatest swimmer.

I know I thought he beat Phelps. I know that in my head, watching that race, I was torn between the two and that half of me really did want Cavic to beat Phelps, only to see the shocked look on the faces of everyone in the Water Cube and for Bob Costas to say some really dumb, smug thing about it.

Just think, would Cavic be on the cover of Sports Illustrated this week if he had defeated Phelps? The Giant Killer they would have called him. The Road Block. The Perfect Storm. The Snag in Phelps' journey to beat Spitz. We would all remember these Olympics as the Olympics that "could have been" for Phelps. And Cavic would have had his place in history has the only man that could be the titan.

But like I said last week, I'll remember Cavic. The Cal community will remember Cavic. Serbia will remember Cavic.

And, it appears, that this one race, that one minute span of time some August morning in Beijing, that will be remembered forever. For it may have been Cavic's night; his time in the spotlight. Instead, all we can ask is, did he?

Redeemed Enough?

Everyone's been praising the so-called Redeem Team.

And there is merit for it. The U.S. men's basketball team has been a destructive force on its way to the gold medal game. They've averaged a 30-point win in the seven games they've played. They've shared the ball. Some have compared the squad to the 1992 Dream Team (WHAT?!).

But LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and everyone else haven't redeemed anything if they fall flat against Spain for the gold medal.

Now, Team USA should defeat the Spaniards (the Americans blew them out by 37 in the group stage). But, this is the same team that won the FIBA World Championships in 2006.

Some say that the U.S. has redeemed itself already. It hasn't. Gold. That's the only way for the Americans to erase the last six years of international futility.

And, surprisingly, they've done it as a team, like that '92 Dream Team. I guess that's where the comparisons come from (but the '08 Olympic squad has nothing on that 1992 team).

The world is ready to crown this squad champions. That's fine. Team USA should win that gold medal and restore order to world basketball.

But let's not celebrate them yet. Let's save the until after they win gold.

On Top of the World Again

Instead of focusing on the failures of USA softball (how do you lose the gold medal in the last time the world plays softball at the Olympics) and the U.S. track and field team (it's simple guys; handing off batons is like breathing), I'm going to focus on some winners.

This team wasn't supposed to win. Some called them underdogs. And without its best player, with a new coach, with a new style, the Americans won another gold medal, redeeming their performance from last year's World Cup debacle.

And the thing that made this stick and might be one of the best victories that no one will remember from the U.S. women's soccer team, it was against the same Brasil side that thrashed them 4-0 in last year's semifinal in China, in the World Cup. According to reports, the Brasilians outplayed Team USA, but in football, all you need is that one shot.

I didn't watch the game, so I have no basis of judging how the Americans played (I'll leave that to SI.com's Grant Wahl).

But I do know this: this has to be one of the most difficult tournament a U.S. women's soccer side has ever played in. Why? Because of all the circumstances: No Abby Wambach (the team's best player); the psychosis from last year's 4-0 defeat; an opening 2-0 loss to Norway (?!); and on and on and on.

And here's another thing. This team was totally devoid of any stars that played with Mia Hamm or Julie Foudy or Shannon Box. Okay, yes, some of these ladies were subs. Some of them played along side them. But no one on the team really got substantial minutes with the true crux of USA soccer.

Winning the gold without them (and their baggage and celebrity and star power) is probably the most important thing that this current U.S. side earned. They gained respect. And they don't have to do look to Mia Hamm for support anymore.

Since I've Been Gone, Part Deux

My apologies once again. I had to travel, get settled at my new job (which hasn't happened yet) and look for a place to live (which might end soon). So the world of sport hasn't been on my mind.

Though I did watch that great screw job that Nastia Liukin got yesterday on the uneven bars (more on that in a second).

So I've missed a few things from the Olympics, here's what I think are most important.

• Oh No They Didn't: I feel for Liukin. I really do. That routine was amazing. That little Chinese girl's routine? That was amazing too. But they tied. And somehow the computers picked He Kexin to win the gold. Oooooooookay. What about both of them doing another routine to decide the medal? That would have been nice. But that overshadows the fact the Liukin out-shined everyone on the team--including over-hyped 16-year-old Shawn Johnson--by tying Mary Lou Retton and Shannon Miller's record of five medals in a single Olympics. Johnson, by the way, finally got that gold medal.
  

• Enticing Rematch: Team USA gets that rematch that it wanted against Brazil. And it will be for the gold medal. On Thursday. I wonder how many times the Americans will be replaying that 4-0 beat-down it got from the Brazilians last year. Probably not many times. It's most likely ingrained in their minds.

• So I guess They Do Want Gold: I'm not as converted as Andrew Bogut. But I'm almost converted. Now the U.S. men's basketball team has go to win the gold.

• Underperformance: I would like to take this time to thank all the American track and field athletes for failing to entertain me in this last week of the Olympics (congrats to those hurdle guys though). Yes, that includes you Tyson Gay, who didn't even make the final in your ONE event. I guess swimming is just the better event.
  

Hold Up, She's Really Good Too

I feel a little bad for Natalie Coughlin.

First off, she's no Michael Phelps.

Second, she was overshadowed by a teenager and a middle-aged woman at the start of these Olympic Games.

Third, she's always gotten lost in someone else's spotlight.

I have a great affinity for Coughlin and yes it's because she's not too hard on the eyes and because the summer before I went to the University of California, there was Coughlin, at the U.S. swimming trials, wearing her signature Cal swim cap. And the week I moved to Berkeley to set sail on what would be a typical college career, there was Coughlin, winning five medals at the 2004 Athens Games, but overshadowed by a big-eared teenager named Michael Phelps.

What many don't remember is that Coughlin actually tied the medal count for the most ever swimming medals by an American female swimmer back in 2004. She was heralded as the best female swimmer of our time, and it was pretty damn cool that she went to the same university that I just enrolled in.

Coughlin finds herself lost again after the completion of her swimming program at these (what might be her final) Olympic Games. Before, it was the hype of youngster Katie Hoff (who failed to win gold this year) and 41-year-old sensation Dara Torres (who also failed to win gold this year).

And of course during these Olympics, no one could overcome the bright aura of Phelps.

But lost in the fray is that, win the medley relay silver she won today, Coughlin has taken home more medals in any one Olympic Games than any American female swimmer has ever done before--six.

It was probably bad timing for Coughlin and a little bad luck. I guarntee, if Phelps wasn't so Phelpsian and did the improbable by aiming for Mark Spitz's record at the Beijing Games and by declaring his assault on Spitz at the 2004 Games, Coughlin would have been the United States' top draw in Athens and in Beijing.

But such is the life of anyone who goes to or went to Cal (I guess it's what we get for attending the No. 1 public university in the world). There's always someone doing something a little bit better than what we're doing.

Not to say that Coughlin's accomplishments are nothing. They're amazing. She may very well be the best American female swimmer of all time.

The mainstream media will never pin that on her though. It will take a Phelpsian effort to be able to claim that title in this country.

And that may be a little sad. Coughlin represents everything that a quirky, research oriented, politically active school like Cal represents. She, in her everyday mannerisms in the pool and her training, represents the (I know it's cliche) out-of-the-box thinking expected of students from Cal. For more insight on this, read Michael Silver's book about Coughlin's journey to the 2004 Games, Golden Girl.

In it, Silver tells how Coughlin and Cal coach Teri McKeever have used unorthodox, unconventional training regiments to prepare for the Olympics.

But even with that, with a new style of coaching that has challenged a long tradition of how Americans have been coached in swimming, Coughlin can't get out of Phelps' shadow.

I'm sure she takes it all in stride. I'm sure Coughlin accepts the fact that she can be the one who basks in the shadows of others' greatness, while being just as equally great.

Perfect Eighth

He did it. It's that simple.

Eight gold medals. The most ever one in a single Olympics. Fourteen all-time gold medals. The most ever by anyone in the history of the Olympics. That's what Michael Phelps accomplished today.

It is no longer known as a "Spitzian" effort (as teammate Aaron Perisol noted today). It is now a "Phelpsian" effort when one does remarkable things at an Olympic Games.

And to be surprsied that Team USA won the medley relay today is like being surprised when John Williams gets nominated for an Oscar. The Americans always dominate the medley relay (they've never an Olympic final). So this was partly anti-climatic. It was just the coronation of Phelps as the greatest of all time.

That's how these Olympics have gone for Phelps. Only twice was he tested. And six of his eight victories were so decisive that it makes me wonder why Debbie Phelps (Michael's mom) had to cry after each gold medal win.

Phelps brought a buzz around the Olympics and around swimming, but he was also a buzz kill. It was amazing to watch him defeat swimmers by two or three or four body lengths, to smash world records and to simply destroy competition. But I wouldn't call it exciting.

Eight for eight was the draw. Phelps delivered, but Phelps killed most of the excitement and the drama after the second turn.

But that's how good he is.

And we cannot forget Jason Lezak, who Phelps owes much for this accomplishment. And we cannot forget the epic race Phelps had against Milograd (Mike) Cavic, who came within a fingernail of ending Phelps' run.

But in the end, many may not remember how Lezak swam the anchor in that incredible come-from-behind-relay finish. Most will forget that Phelps touched the wall .01 seconds before Cavic in the butterfly final.

What the people will remember is that Phelps won eight gold medals.

He did it.

Cavic Only .01 Seconds Slower

One-hundredth of a second. That's like a finger nail. That's .01 seconds for those of you who can't conceptualize "one-hundredth."

First, before I offer my opinion on what happened tonight, I knew this kid as Mike Cavic when he swam for California at the collegiate level (I went to Cal when Cavic was was a junior and senior and set Pac-10 and school records). But, at these Olympics (and I guess at the other international events he's swam in) he's known by his Serbian name, Milorad.

That's cool. You swim for the country of your parents, you gotta take the name that they gave you, I guess.

But the guy I knew as Mike almost made everyone take notice as the guy name Milorad. That one-hundredth of a second that I was referring too? That's how much best-swimmer-ever Michael Phelps beat Cavic by in the 100m fly tonight.

.01 seconds.

In my opinion, replays looked inconclusive. Seriously, you're going to watch as Phelps and Cavic touch the wall .01 seconds apart? To the naked eye, Cavic and Phelps touched the wall at the same time. And to some, maybe it looked like Cavic touched the wall first.

It certainly looked like Cavic was going to take the gold. Cavic was beating Phelps for 99 of the 100 meters in the pool. And when it looked like Phelps' assault on Mark Spitz's record was going to end, Phelps pulled off a miracle suitable for an Al Michaels' exclamation.

Coaches always say that sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. I think Phelps, tonight, was lucky. If Cavic takes the same half stroke Phelps does, then Cavic crashes the party and will be forever remembered as the man who saved Mark Spitz's record (and when I say remembered, I mean for like three months).

Cavic's coach and former Cal coach, Mike Bottom, decided to file a protest. FINA didn't look at it, which is blatantly wrong. At least take the time to be absolutely sure that the result was the result; that Phelps in fact touched before Cavic.

Yes, the walls are computerized, but that doesn't mean that they never fail.

It may sound like I'm an apologist for Cavic and a Phelps hater. Untrue. I would have loved for either of these two to win tonight. I rooted for Cavic because he's a Golden Bear (as am I) and anytime that the university can be represented well I will always root for that. I rooted for Phelps because he wears my country's colors. And then there's that record he's trying to break.

Either way, history was made tonight. A history that will probably see Cavic's name forgotten in the near future, over-shadowed by Phelps blazed path to glory.

But I will never forget Cavic and that performance he gave today. Whether his name is Mike or Milorad.

Phelps Versus the World, Part III

So I haven't updated my Michael Phelps versus the rest of the world gold medal race in awhile, and with Phelps finishing up his individual program at these Olympic Games tonight, I thought I'd recap what I've missed.

Phelps currently has six gold medals (he goes for number seven tonight).

Currently, six countries are tied with or have more gold medals than Phelps. China leads the gold medal count with 26, the U.S. has 14, Germany has eight, while South Korea, Italy and Japan are tied with Phelps with six gold medals each.

So, Phelps has more gold medals than 198 countries participating at these Games, while is assault on Mark Spitz continues tonight and probably on Sunday, as a member of the Team USA's last medley relay team.

What does it say when one man can achieve so much, that he can dwarf 198 different nations?

What Went Wrong for Katie Hoff

Michael Phelps has taken all the headlines from the Water Cube at these Olympic Games.

Katie Hoff could have taken some off that spotlight away from the all-time Olympic champ. Hoff swam in the same number of individual events as Phelps did (or will) at these Games. She was also in one relay. That gave her six chances for gold medals, which would have tied the record for any woman at any single Olympiad.

But Hoff will leave Beijing with no gold, just one silver and two bronze medals, after failing to qualify for the 800m today.

What went wrong? Hoff was hyped as being Phelps' counterpart in the pool for the United States women's side. Hyped up after an impressive performance at the U.S. Trials a few months ago.

And then maybe the hype got to her. Some say that it hasn't, as that L.A. Times story I link to says. Some say that it's unfair to link Hoff, who trained at the same Baltimore swimming club as Phelps did, to Phelps.

But when there are flashes of greatness and just one connection to probably the greatest swimmer of all-time, the hype will come. Simply, Hoff didn't live up to it. Where was the girl who won three gold medals at the 2007 FINA World Championships? Where was the girl who dominated the U.S. Trials? Where was she?

Not in Beijing. The best effort I saw from her was when she led the U.S. back to claim bronze in the 800m freestyle relay.

And maybe it did get into the 19-year-old's head: trying to become the best ever.

And then maybe she was just too tired. Six events is a lot for a swimmer not named Phelps.

But she is just 19. She will probably be in London four years from now and she'll probably be more motivated than ever.

And maybe then, she can live up to the hype. Or maybe, the hype won't follow her when London calls.

Revisiting Michael Orozco

It's quite possible that I was a little hard on Michael Orozco earlier today. Especially as some of the comments were trying to defend Orozco's actions in the third minute.

Yeah, it was a harsh call by the referee. If I were him, I would probably only caution Orozco for that elbow. Regardless, he threw one and then the ref tossed him.

But of course, lost in my post earlier today was the fact that Team USA played hard, played well and really should have tied the Nigerians in the waning moments of that game.

Somehow, the United States out-hustled and out-paced Nigeria in the last 15 minutes and probably deserved an equaliser at the least. If Charles Davies only got a good strike on the ball; if Benny Feilhaber's header was an inch lower; if the U.S. had capitalized on the open goal late in the game, then we'd see the Americans playing in the quarterfinals.

But they aren't. Effort wasn't good enough on this day.

And it's not to say that it's all on Orozco, cause it really isn't. That's kind of the superficial reason as to why the U.S. lost.

There were a few times during the game, especially in the first half, that I thought that the U.S. was a little leggy and where their tactics failed them. In the first half, Team USA played too low, didn't get up field enough and that created the pressure that had the Americans on their heels when that first goal was scored.

Same thing happened on the second goal for Nigeria.

The U.S. could have tied. They could have salvaged a point. They could have been in the quarterfinals. And maybe that's why I and most everyone else who watched was so upset.

Orozco is the easy scapegoat. Bad luck and a few mental lapses is the real reason why the Americans did not advance.

Thank You, Michael Orozco

Thank you, Michael Orozco for wasting my time this morning.

Thank you, Michael Orozco for making get up at 4:55 in the morning.

Thank you, Michael Orozco for getting that red card in the third or fourth minute of the game, whenever FIFA decides you were sent off from the game.

Thank you, Michael Orozco for making Robbie Rodgers, a midfielder, play in the backline because you were ejected.

Thank you, Michael Orozco for making Michael Parkhurst play more of the pitch, thus making him tired and prone for that mistake that led to the first goal.

Thank you, Michael Orozco for making Peter Nowak subout Jozy Altidore and put in Benny Feihalber.

Thank you, Michael Orozco for making Brad Guzan make save after save, doing all he can to overcome your red card.

Thank you, Michael Orozco for making Brian McBride a nonfactor. The old man has no legs, but is a great target guy, of course Nowak keeps him in.

Thank you, Michael Orozco, somehow, you led to that Dutch goal that led to their win today over Japan.

Thank you, Michael Orozco for making Team USA, which was atop the group before play began today, miss out on the quarterfinals ofthese Olympics.

Thank you, Michael Orozco. That elbow was unnecessary. That ejection costly. The U.S. lost. Now go back home and watch the rest of the Olympics from your couch.

Phelps versus the World, Part II

This may all be moot in a couple of hours and so maybe I should save this post until tomorrow morning, but what the hell. I haven't done anything in awhile.

Michael Phelps has gone 3 for 3 in finals so far, with one more scheduled for later on tonight. And still, Phelps is ahead of the curve in the gold medal count, with only four other nations having more gold than he does.

The current standings of nations with gold medals are China with 13, USA (with Phelps' gold medals) 7, South Korea 5, Germany 4.

Australia, Italy and Japan are all tied with Phelps with three gold medals apiece (as of 5:05 p.m. Pacific Time). That means that Phelps has more gold than 197 other competing nations.

Pretty impressive.

On a side note, it looks like the prediction that China would challenge the U.S. in the medal count has come to fruition. Currently, the Americans have the overall lead by two medals. However, as noted above, the Chinese have the lead in the gold medal count by six.

The U.S. has got some work to do and Phelps is doing everything he can.

Since I've Been Gone

First of all, my apologies for not updating the last couple of days. I'm starting a new job and the work is pretty crazy. It also doesn't help that I don't get an internet connection where I'm staying, but I'll make due.

A lot's happened since the last time I've posted. Here's what I've missed. And don't worry, the Phelps versus the world gold medal count is coming up in just a bit.

• I guess the USA men's basketball team is out to redeem itself. Or, maybe all the conspiracy theories have been disproved. Whatever the case, Team USA made a huge announcement when it thrashed host China in the opening game of the Olympic hoops tournament. This totally throws out my friend Chris's theory (Chris by the way runs Bear Territory, check it out sometime). Chris thought that at the beginning of the NBA's most recent season, Yao Ming was going to win the MVP, get the Houston Rockets to the finals and then lead China to gold all in a huge conspiracy/marketing ploy. I guess not. (None of those things have happened or may not happen yet, btw).

• Even more impressive was the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team drawing the Netherlands in the second day of group stage. At one point (after a Jozy Altidore score) the Americans were actually leading the U-23 European champions. But I'll take a draw. Team USA still leads its group and with a draw tonight against Nigeria, can secure a spot in the quarters.

• Michael Phelps owes Jason Lezak some money. And so does Cullen Jones. What Lezak did was amazing. And with Phelps winning the 200m freestyle yesterday, he's 3 for 3 in gold medal attempts. Thanks Lezak. That was incredible.

• China's men did their thing in the gym, winning the gold medal that they were supposed to win. But the U.S., without the Hamm brothers, taking bronze? That's a miracle.

• Aaron Peirsol and (Cal graduate) Natalie Coughlin did their thing in the 100m backstroke. Both won gold.

• And everything is alright with the U.S. Women's Soccer Team. They defeated New Zealand 4-0 today. Forward march to the quarters.
  

For Americans, It's Phelps and Everyone Else, So Far

Michael Phelps has his gold medal. The rest of his teammates in the water? Well, they'll have to wait still.

Larsen Jensen took bronze in the 400m freestyle. Katie Hoff lost her world record in the 400m IM and also lost the gold, also taking bronze. The heralded Dara Torres and Natalie Coughlin couldn't do enough for the women's 400m relay team to reclaim the gold medal they lost in 2004. They took silver for the second consecutive Olympics to the Dutch. (Ryan Lochte had no other choice but to take something no better than silver in the 400 IM. He was swimming against Phelps).

Now, these results aren't bad, per se. Hoff was a disappointment for sure. Jensen and the relay team? Probably not.

But it does say one thing: in the world of (American) swimming, there's Phelps and then there's his teammates. There was a time when I thought someone like Coughlin or Hoff could be the Phelps of the women's world. However, I think there's too much parity. And, Phelps is just that awesome.

If anyone wants to break out of that huge shadow that Phelps is casting, then someone is going to have to win some gold. My gut says that Hoff, Torres and Coughlin aren't finished yet, especially Coughlin. She looked so pissed that her relay team took silver for the second consecutive Olympiad.

And right now, I wouldn't mind a little anger from the rest of this American swimming squad.

One Down, Seven More for Phelps

The mystique stays alive, with uber-star Michael Phelps not disappointing by taking the gold in the 400 IM in world-record fashion.

I think that Phelps will break the Olympic record held by Mark Spitz and will grab eight gold medals. It might be the most anti-climatic thing that happens at these Olympics. Kind of like a horse who has won the first two legs of the Triple Crown and the fizzles out at the Preakness.

So, instead of talking about how awesome that race was by Phelps (he destroyed everyone and broke the world record by almost four seconds) I'll be tracking Phelps' success by comparing him to competing Olympic nations.

There are 204 nations competing at these Games, and not all of them are going to have one gold medal, let alone eight.

As of right now, just looking at the gold medal count, Phelps would be tied for fourth in the number of gold medals. He ties the nations of Australia, the Netherlands, Spain, Romania and the Czech Republic. He also tied the United States if you remove him from the American count.

And if you do take Phelps as an individual nation, only China and South Korea have more gold medals than he.

Of course, these numbers will change. However, as of right now, Phelps has more gold medals than 196 if the nations competing in Beijing during these Olympics. Pretty impressive.

Who Named This Team?

The Redeem Team. That's quite a name. Quite a horrible name.

It's what the USA Men's Basketball Team is being called at this Olympics. And that's for a number of reasons, most pointedly the Americans' bronze medal at the 2004 Games (the first time that Team USA didn't win the gold medal at an Olympiad since the 1988 Games in Seoul) and because they haven't taken an international tournament outside of North America since the 2000 Olympics.

Since then Team USA has taken:

6th Place at the 2002 FIBA World Championships
Bronze at the 2004 Olympics
Bronze at the 2006 FIBA World Championships

Granted, the Americans have taken the FIBA Americas tournament in 2003 and 2007, but they haven't won a world title since the 2000 Games in Sydney (in fact, the last time Team USA won the FIBA World Championship was in 1994). And the only real competition in the Americas comes from, well, Argentina, so I guess that's a plus. But it's kinda like CONCACAF in the world of football (soccer): it's Mexico and the U.S. and everyone else.

So, there's plenty to redeem for Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and company. It really is on James and Kobe, the biggest American stars to take the court at an Olympics since the 1992 Dream Team. They get to shoulder this burden. And if they don't when gold, the you can say to LeBron that he won't ever validate his career without a title (something he may never win) and Kobe's douche bag level just goes higher.

But, let's not call them the Redeem Team yet. Why? They haven't done anything to redeem themselves. The Olympic basketball tournament starts tomorrow with Team USA playing the host nation China and its larger-than life (and everyone else) star, Yao Ming.

Don't get carried away. When Kobe and LeBron bring home the gold, then they can earn that "Redeem Team" name.

But if (and quite possibly when) Team USA fails to win another gold medal, then maybe we can name them something else.

The Over-Hyped Team?
The Americans-Will-Never-Win-Another-Gold-Medal Team?
The Let's-Not-Use-Prima-donnas-Again Team?

Whatever they are called after these Olympics, all I know is that they're going to deserve it.

Oh It's On Now

The race between China the the United States in the medal count will be an intriguing one, and it's already started.

And so far, (even though I hate to say this) the USA Today's prediction that the Chinese will be the first country to take the most gold medals in 72 years while the Americans continue their dominance in the medal count has come to fruition, after one day of medals.

China currently has two gold medals, while Team USA (after sweeping the sabre event) leads in the medal count with three.

It will be interesting to see how this battle plays out. Much has been said about the Chinese's Project 119, their goal to obtain 119 (gold) medals in the events that hold the most medals (swimming, rowing, sailing and track and field).

Some news outlets have compared this to the Soviet-style training systems prevalent throughout the world of Communism in during the Cold War, hinting at a negative connotation.

No matter the tactics, the race is on. The one thing that made the Olympics such a huge even during the Cold War was the fact that you had two superpowers in the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

Now there's another superpower in sport. And that might just make this interesting.

More Relief, This Time for American Women

The U.S. Women's National Team duplicated its counterparts results against Japan, defeating Nadeshiko Japan 1-0 in the second game of the group stage for both teams.

But watching the game, it seems to me that the world has caught up with or even surpassed the Americans' skill level.

The Japanese played beautiful football (soccer), with the one-touch passing that was reminiscent of how the Dutch Men's National Team played at the beginning of this year's European Championship. Japan was more technically sound, was more poised and, in my opinion, dominated most of the game. (And oh by the way, the U.S. was 0 for 10 on corner kicks. A BIG FAT ZERO. How do you expect to beat the likes of Brasil and Germany with that?)

What the Japanese lacked was a reliable striker to put that finishing touch in any number of golden opportunities. American-homer and color-commentator for NBC, Brandi Chastain even had to acknowledge Japan, saying that she didn't want to see the Japanese would an above-average target person.

Vice versa, American keeper, Hope Solo, played well, making save after save, as once again Team USA's backline failed her.

The one bright spot for the U.S. has to be the play of Southern California's Amy Rodriguez. The Trojans striker was poised, played with pace and gave the Americans the opportunity to alleviate the pressure that was established by the Japanese.

A win's a win. The U.S. needed it. Now it needs to find its form. But maybe, the rest of the world has caught up and the Americans can no longer out muscle, out hustle and out play their opponents no more.

That Was A Lot of Fireworks

The lighting of the Olympic cauldron is one of the greatest spectacles in all of sport. And the Chinese did not disappoint.

It was simply amazing. Okay, so it may have been far-fetched when China's president said that China had been waiting for this moment for the last 100 years. Maybe, in their psyche, they have been. But they haven't been waiting for the Olympics specifically. They have been waiting for their time to say hello to the world.

They did.

Now, let's get the rest of these Games started.

Here are those fireworks:

Americans Sigh Relief

They finally got one. The United States U-23 team notched their first goal in four matches and took its Olympic opener over Japan, 1-0.

I didn't get to watch the game (I didn't wake up for it, but I tried, I promised), but from what I heard, the U.S. is still plagued by the same lack of attacking prowess that it displayed in the three friendlies leading up to the Games.

Peter Nowak also sought to sit the next American superstar, Jozy Altidore (who didn't play until the 74th minute), a move that SI's Grant Wahl hails as genius. What was genius was starting Maurice Edu (normally a central midfielder) in the back. Not starting Altidore not so much. Sure the Americans got the win. But, from what I've read, the team still lacked a cohesiveness.

The team got the goal, it got the win, but it hasn't played a solid game of football yet.

And then maybe Nowak's sending a message to his young starling: shape up or don't play. The later isn't going to happen anytime soon and I'm sure Nowak will insert the young sensation for Team USA's next match against the Dutch.

But they got the win, albeit an ugly one. And now the Americans find themselves atop of their table and in control of their destiny. I say one more win and the U.S. cashes their ticket for the quarterfinals. When was the last time that happened?

Let the Games Begin (One Day Early)

I may not have the scores right for the women's soccer games last night, but at least I got most of the results correct.

Let's try this prediction thing again, this time with the men's football tourney starting tonight.

Must see game to watch: anything with the Argentines. They will be a sure joy to view, analyze, watch. Just sit back and let them take control of the ride.

Also interesting will be whether or not Peter Nowak can figure out how to get some balls in the back of the net for his American squad. Can Nowak find away to tap into that attacking and creative flair that Freddy Adu played with when he went toe-to-toe with the full national squads of Argentina and European Champion Spain? Can Jozy Altidore and Brian McBride find chemistry up top? Can Michael Bradley not be a bitch?

Those are the questions for an American side that I think can contend for a medal. But, with the U-23s, and stars like Ronaldihno and Messi leaving their club teams to play in this pseudo-World Cup, Team USA has got to get its act together.

Predictions:

Group A
Australia draws Serbia, 1-1
Argentina over Ivory Coast, 4-1

Group B
USA over Japan, 1-0 (finally, a goal for this American team)
Netherlands over Nigeria, 3-2

Group C
Brasil over Belgium, 3-0
China over New Zealand. 2-0

Group D
Italy over Honduras, 1-0
Cameroon draws Korea, 2-2

So, That's How Much They Missed Abby

Okay, so everyone will say to not get to excited or to put too much on the United States' 2-0 loss over Norway in the first game of the women's football (Soccer) tournament.

Rightfully so. The Norwegians were the biggest threat to the Americans in the group stage. Team USA should win its next two games and if it does that (or even just wins one and draws the other) then the defending gold medalists have a good chance (and should) advance to the knockout stages of the tournament.

Such is the set up of the women's tourney in the Olympics, with only 12 teams qualifying. There's a lot of leeway for a team to make it to the quarters.

Also, a team scoring two quick goals is an anomaly. Especially two quick goals in the first half off of two very huge mistakes.

But that forced the U.S. to change its gameplan. And instead of the possession-oriented game that we were all supposed to see out of Pia Sundhage's team, we saw the Americans play the way they did in last year's World Cup--a more direct, long-ball style of play that works when you have someone like Abby Wambach in the lineup. This was all because Norway began to sit back and defend with eight or nine players in its half of the field.

Wambach is probably the best target player in the world and one of the best pure strikers. Without her, Team USA's attacks fizzled when it got to the attacking third. Poor finishing didn't help either.

Would Wambach's presence have changed that? Would she have been able to net a few of those oh-my-why-didn't-you-put-that-into-the-back-of-the-net opportunities that the U.S. had?

Maybe. But the Americans don't have Wambach and I'm not going to let them use it as a crux as to why they lost today.

What we saw is the United States' inability to change its gameplan when things go awry.

Maybe they were shell-shocked, but they are the No. 1 team in the world. And I'd expect the No. 1 team in the world to play like it, whether their up by two, or down by two.

Now, the Americans are at the bottom of the table. When was the last time that happened?

Let the Games Begin (Two Days Early)

It's currently morning in Beijing, Aug. 6, 2008. That means the first day of the 2008 Summer Games is all set to begin.

Now, wait, aren't the opening ceremonies Friday? Well, yeah, they are, but the football (soccer) gods have deemed the sport so amazing that it gets to start before the official start date of these Games.

And the women kick it off today with all 12 nations in competition tonight (early tomorrow morning). The men kick off tomorrow.

In the world of women's soccer, there are always interesting matchups and today's openers are no exception.

The United States' hardest test of the group stage comes first, with No. 5 Norway. Of course, it will be the first real competition for the No. 1 Americans since losing their best player in Abby Wambach. Heather Mitts is also back for Team USA and Grant Wahl of SI.com has written this awesome story. After that, it's a cake walk for Team USA all the way into the quarterfinals.

The most enticing matchup comes when Germany and Brasil meet on the pitch. FYI, they're the No. 2 and No. 4 teams in the world. And, FYI, it's a rematch of last year's World Cup final.

And China's biggest test of the group stage comes early also, as the Forceful Roses take on Sweden.

Here are predictions for today's games (note: I don't know if I can do this for the whole tournament, but I'll try).

Group A
Canada over Argentina, 1-0
China over Sweden, 3-2 (upset special)

Group B
Brasil over Germany, 3-2
Korea over Nigeria, 2-0

Group C
Japan over New Zealand, 1-0
USA over Norway, 2-1

So That's Why They Care So Much

I can't believe I missed this Newsweek story the last week. For goodness' sakes it was the cover story last week.

Ever wonder why China has been so protective of its national identity? Ever wonder why hosting events like the Women's World Cup and the Olympic Games were such a big deal? Well, according to this Newsweek story (which I totally missed by the way) says that it's tied into their collective consciousness. In other words, China, as a whole, as an inferiority complex.

So, then, it's okay for China to have an awful human rights record? So, then, it's okay for China to crack down on any form of speech against its government? So, then, it's okay for China to block certain websites from reporters there to cover the Games?

I think not. Sure, China and the Chinese population may have a nationalistic bond that will be stronger than any other form of nationalism that we may ever see. Sure, the Chinese have felt slighted for over 100 years. But that doesn't mean we can let the Chinese government do all the horrible things that its doing.

But I do understand why the Chinese people and the Chinese government are so protective of themselves. They want their time in the sun. It's like when Bismarck and Wilhelm II wanted the Germans' to be respected in Europe. The same with the Japanese during World War II, but at a more global stage. The same here. But instead of war or aggression, the Chinese are doing it through the collective power of sport.

If you want examples in the world of sport, then look no further than its most popular game, football (soccer). Poland's considers Germany its most fiercest rival. The European Giant doesn't consider the Poles their rival. However, whenever the two sides play, it is a fierce competition, primarily because the Poles are looking for respect.

In North America, Mexico and the United States are natural rivals because of three reasons: 1) They have been the two countries to dominate CONCACAF since its inception, 2) the two nations touch each other, 3) Mexico has an inferiority complex with the Americans. But of course, who doesn't? Who wouldn't want to beat the United States in anything. But of course, when the Americans beat El Tri, who are the ones who is throwing a hissy fit?

So, after decades of humiliation, then China was to show that they deserve the respect of the global community. Fine, but we cannot forget their atrocities. We cannot forget their strikes against human rights.

For the Olympics to not be a forum for China's place in the world would be a waste. And just because China is trying to gain respectability in the world's eyes doesn't mean we can ignore that.

My Top 10 Things to Watch at the Games

The opening ceremonies are Friday. Olympic football starts a few days earlier. Beijing is ready to "let the world in" as those really stupid NBC commercials say.

Here are 10 things to lookout for at the Games this year (and of course there's a little bit of an American slant to this).

10. Chinese Regatta: Okay, maybe this one isn't so American. China has been excited for this for seven years, and trust me, they've been breeding their Olympians ever since they won the right to host. One of the more interesting tales of this comes in the world of rowing, where China hasn't done anything. That might all change this year. If there's a Chinese wave in the rowing waters this year, don't be surprised.

9. U.S. Versus China: Continuing on this Chinese versus the world theme, this might be the first time since the end of the Cold War that the United States might be challenged in the medal count. It's those breeding programs in China, trust me.

8. USA Basketball: The women will be a lock for the gold. I'll guarantee that. But the U.S. men, that's a whole different story. The Americans haven't won a major international tournament since 2000. Is the United States' monopoly on global domination waning? With a team full of uber-stars like Lebron and Kobe, anything but gold will be a disaster.

7. Swan Song for Softball and Baseball: The USA dominates softball. Since its inception in the Games in 1996, no one else as tasted gold. It's different for the USA Baseball, which has only won one gold medal since 1992. With baseball gone for the 2012 Games in London, can the Americans capture the gold for their national pastime?

6. Women's Soccer Rivalries: Brazil left a bad taste in the Americans mouth after last year's World Cup. Team USA is ready for a rematch. But the Games are in China, and ever since that 1999 World Cup, China and the USA haven't been the best of friends.

5. How's Tyson Gay's Leg: Gay is the track star for the Americans. But after injuring his hamstring in Eugene, Ore., during Olympic Qualifying, can he still be the fastest American alive, or will Team USA have to look to someone else for Olympic gold?

4. The Next Great American Gymnast: The Hamm brothers are back and are likely to strike gold again. But the women always steal the show. Sixteen-year-old Shawn Johnson now has the chance to put her name along side the likes of Mary Lou Retton, Kerri Strug and Carly Patterson.

3. The Wise Old Master: Can Dara Torres be the 41-year-old sensation and one of the oldest athletes to ever touch Olympic gold? She only has two events to do it in, which is just fine for that body that has to be massaged after every race.

2. Argentina's March to the World Cup: I'm going to make it official right now: Argentina is going to win the World Cup in 2010. The gold medalists from 2004 return with a star-studded side and play with a fierce aggression and creativity that scares the shit out of me. They play fast and any time they touch the ball, they can score. But of course, the Olympics have always been a place for upsets, so I wouldn't be too surprised if someone either than Brazil, Italy or the Albicelestes wins the thing.

1. Believe the Hype: Michael Phelps wants eight gold medals. He can get eight gold medals. Anything else for the American swimmer, then there's goes that title of "best ever."

Spy Gate: Beijing Edition

So much to talk about today. Dissenters are being arrested in China as the Olympics steadily approach. Chinese officials first reneged on a promise to keep an open internet for the Games. Then they balked on that, keeping restrictions on website like Amnesty International. Then they balked on that plan, lifting restrictions on several sites, but still no full freedoms for media at the Olympics on the internet.

And then there's spying. Sure, the authoritarian government in China will spy on guests. Yeah, it's an invasion of basic human rights. But it's China and they're probably going to get away with it.

What I think is a little bit scarier, especially for these Olympic Games, is the integrity of the sports and competitions being held in Beijing. China hosted the Women's World Cup last year, sort of a preparation for the Chinese government for their big day.

And on the eve of the Olympic football tournament, it turns out that the Chinese were spying on its opponents, or at least one. Denmark may have lost 3-2 to the Chinese last year, but the bigger loser is FIFA, who did absolutely nothing, as they said that their investigation in the spying incident in Denmark's prep room as "non-sport related."

Bullshit. So, we can't punish the Chinese for violating human rights (maybe the U.N. will want to sanction them or something, but like Chinese officials care).

But in the world of sport, where national athletic federations are held accountable by world governing bodies like FIFA and FINA and the IOC, then I sure as hell hope when cheating happens, they come swift with a penalty.

That didn't happen at last year's World Cup. FIFA let it slide and in my opinion, the integrity of the Games may be in jeopardy.

This may not effect the individual sports as much at this year's Games, but it sure as hell effects the team sports. There is so much strategy and planning that goes into competitions involving two teams. Spying on a team can give it quite the advantage over an opponent.

Yes, teams still need to execute and perform, but when they know when and how to execute and perform based on information gathered through espionage, it ruins the game.

Let's hope that the IOC has put in place systems to prevent this type of cheating. Because if it hasn't, then Denmark won't be the only one who is robbed. The fans will be robbed of what true athletic competition should be all about.

Hardy's Dream Over

Jessica Hardy's Olympic dream is done, but her nightmare may not be over.

Yes, she's tested positive for a banned substance. Yes, she's not going to be able to fulfill her dream and say that she was an Olympian. But her dream may be over of ever going to the Olympics. As of right now, Hardy is done with swimming competition. She's banned for at least two years. Yeah, she can train. She can swim exhibitions. But there isn't anything like swimming against the best in the world to see where you stack up.

I know that Hardy is good. I saw her swim at Cal. She works hard. She'll probably be able to bounce back from this, but if she doesn't get her penalty softened, she may lose time to be able to make a splash in London for the 2012 Games.

US Swimming also botched this one badly, and Christine Brennan of the (admirable, but-you-know-its-not-always-there) USA Today agrees that the suits at USA Swimming should have handled Hardy's situation better.

Tara Kirk, Lara Jackson and Amanda Weir should have replaced Hardy in three different events in Beijing, as they were the ones who finished third (or fifth in Weir's case) in their respective events at the trials in July. Instead, current members of the US National Team will swim in Hardy's place.

This probably happened because it was political. And it was political because the coaches probably didn't want to replace Hardy. Especially if you look who is on the coaching staff (current Cal head coach and Hardy's former coach in Teri McKeever). I don't know how much power McKeever wields in the politics of USA Swimming, but when you're star prodigy is Natalie Coughlin, I'm pretty sure you hold a lot of power. (I'll have more on that later, probably after the Games, or maybe during, who knows).

But what I do know is that Hardy is out and her fight to get into the pool has just started. Too bad Kirk (even though she went to Stanfurd), Jackson and Weir don't get to wear the colors in a week or so.