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.