Alex Rodriguez used steroids. Wow. I’m shocked.

Actually, I’m not even a little surprised … what next? Are they going to tell me Lance Armstrong wasn’t clean? No way!!

I’m of the opinion that MLB should take a page out of Arena Football’s book and just call next season off (and put everybody into drug treatment) or just do it the way we Americans love to do it — throw ‘em all in prison!

It’s actually probably extremely fitting that America’s Pasttime has a drug problem — and here we’re all freaking out about Michael Phelps taking a “performance-enhancing” bong hit.

By the way, shouldn’t that pretty much always and forever destroy the slacker-stoner stereotype? I mean, this guy’s more driven and trains harder than pretty much anybody on the planet, right? So much for robbing you of your ambition. Or is somebody going to tell me he’d have 30 gold medals (instead of a piddly 14) if not for his marijuana use?

- Padraic

I stayed up to watch the US men play Spain for the gold medal early Sunday and was rewarded with a great basketball game. What a show. From Dwyane Wade’s ridiculous first-half (21 points on 7-for-7 shooting) to Rudy Fernandez showing that he has all the tools to be one of the next great Euros in the NBA to Kobe Bryant once again proving that no matter who he’s playing with, or where, he’s the alpha dog on the floor, it was a hugely entertaining game.

Random thoughts …

1. Fernandez was unbelievable. He went head to head with Bryant and the only thing that stopped him was foul trouble. From ridiculous pull-up 3’s to great passing vision to a where-did-that-come-from!? dunk on Dwight Howard (probably the hardest guy to dunk on in the world) he was a revelation. Nate McMillan, Portland’s head coach and a Team USA assistant, was twice as happy after winning that game, seeing that he’s got another great young piece to add to the Trail Blazer puzzle.

2. Wade showed that when healthy he is truly unstoppable — particularly in the international game. He’s not a great shooter from NBA 3-point range, so defenders can lay off a bit and give him long 2’s (the worst shot in basketball). In international play he has no problem knocking down a 20-foot triple, making the fact that he has the world’s most explosive move to the basket all the more deadly.

3. Juan Carlos Navarro and Ricky Rubio. The two Spanish guards had even bigger roles to fill with starter Jose Calderon out of the game. Navarro, a 6-footer who played last year in the NBA in Memphis is headed back to Europe to play next season, but he showed that a healthy dose of skill and a little bit of cool can get it done against even the greatest athletes in the world. The number of runners and floaters he nailed kept Spain in the game. It’s a shot every guard in the world should have in their repertoire. Rubio, a 17-year-old hyped to be a top-3 pick in the NBA when he becomes eligible, will certainly be good, but any GM that burns a lottery pick on him is playing with fire. He’s got great vision and feel for the game but he’s a below-average athlete and shooter. Maybe you can overcome one or the other at the NBA level, but not both.

4. Kobe. Sheeesh. When the game came down to it in a tight 4th quarter, there was only one player the US was getting the ball to — and he delivered. His confidence in himself is amazing. The confidence the world’s other great players have in him might even be higher. No more really can be said.

- Padraic

A couple of weeks ago, I was called “un-American” for my “less than patriotic” views on the 2008 Olympic Games. I expressed in a column in our dead-tree product, that I had not found too many people who were overly excited about the Olympics. I was among them. At the time I wrote the column, Michael Phelps’ quest for eight gold medals did not excite me, nor did the expected domination of U.S. Olympic Softball, U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball and U.S. Track and Field.
A couple of individuals took the time to tell me how far off-base I was, which I am known to be. After all, the writers pointed out, the Olympics are all about fair play, good sportsmanship and national pride, something professional sports could learn something from I was told.
So I thought I would take this time to offer my apologies to all those I offended with my column. It was not my intent to slight the Olympics, or all they stand for.
Looking back, I can see that Cuban taekwondo contestant Angel Matos’ kick to the face of a referee, U.S. tennis star James Blake’s calling out an opponent after a critical call in a match, the Spanish basketball team appearing in an advertisement showing the players making slit-eyed gestures, Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian being stripped of his bronze medal after leaving it on the floor in disgust during the medal ceremony, U.S. gymnastics coach Martha Karolyi’s constant whining when meet officials delayed the start of Nastia Liukin’s routine to accommodate television are the height of the Olympic ideals.
I guess there is a new standard for fair play and good sportsmanship.
Andrew

The Olympic games at Beijing are coming to a close. Some may be sad and some are probably cheering because it’s almost over. With that being said, a coworker of mine asked the question, what’s your favorite memory from the Beijing Olympics?

That brought many responses from the small group of us. Obviously, Michael Phelps and the Men’s 4X100-Meter Freestyle Relay was mentioned first. Japan defeating the United States in softball was definitely a shock. Or the fastest man in the world, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt winning three gold medals. It may not be his winning three gold medals that make him memorable, but rather his celebration and actions the people will remember the most.

I could probably go on and on, but I’m sure there is something that took place in the Beijing Olympics that someone may remember for quite a while. The Olympics only come around every four years, but it’s what a person remembers that makes each one special.

-Jerome

Men’s 4×100-Meter Freestyle Relay

I got up early today to watch the USA-Russia basketball game featuring Rebekka Hammon (don’t worry, I went back to sleep after it was over) because it has been one of the hottest topics of conversation around town lately. Like many articles on our website I’ve been shocked by many of the Rapid Replies on the topic, but I wanted to see if Becky woud prove the doubters wrong and show that she deserved to be on the U.S. team.

She didn’t.

So far, that’s been the main bone of contention for the crowd that feels Hammon made a sound decision to play for the Russian team — she wasn’t chosen for the U.S. team, which obviously she should have been, so she’s realizing her Olympic dream elsewhere.

There’s just one problem with that reasoning — she shouldn’t have been picked for the U.S. team. I love Becky Hammon, she’s an awesome basketball player and an even better person, but she simply doesn’t bring anything to the table that Team USA doesn’t already have set. And it’s not like the coaches on the team — Anne Donovan, Mike Thibault, Gail Goestenkoers and Dawn Staley — are unfamiliar with her game. They know what she does (shockingly, even better than all the Rapid Repliers put together) and decided they didn’t really need her. It’s too bad for Hammon, but it is what it is. The U.S. team has repeatedly shown the world that it is the best collection of women’s basketball talent on the planet. Anybody who thinks they are missing anything is looking at the situation with blinders on.

On the other side of the coin, you’ve got the “ultra-Americans” who feel that what Hammon is doing constitutes some kind of treason — which is just plain crazy.

I do think it dilutes what the Olympics are all about for a chance to do what, exactly? Play a few basketball games against people you play against all the time anyway? If international play is just going to turn into another form of free agency, what’s the point? Before somebody starts up with the “Olympics aren’t really about nationalism, read the bylaws” thing, all I can say is nice try. Quit showing up carrying your flags into the opening ceremonies and wearing uniforms of the same colors. Get rid of the medal count and national anthems, too. I don’t know of any little kids growing up saying, “Someday I’m going to compete in the Olympics … either for the United States, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Canada or the Czech Republic. Or maybe Jamaica.”

I don’t agree with her decision in my heart or gut, but my brain sure gets it. Still, she’s a long, long way from being some kind of traitor, and people that call her such should be ashamed of themselves.

She’s just capitalizing on a capitalist opportunity. It’s actually completely American when you think about it. I just wish she’d come out and say that playing for the Russians isn’t really about the Olympic experience at all — but the bottom line. She could have just as easily ended up playing for Spain, Greece or any other country that would have put in the right bid. She’s a hoops mercenary — no more, no less.

If you’d turn down a couple million dollars to play for another country in the Olympics, good for you. I don’t know if I could. Thankfully (or regretfully) I won’t ever have to worry about it.

But let’s knock off the talk about Becky getting hosed by not being named to the U.S. Olympic team. She wasn’t, and they proved it today.

- Padraic

No Gold medal for the Golden girls. In an upset, in my mind anyway, Japan knocked off the USA Softball team 3-1 to win the gold.
It will be a long time before team USA can recapture thier Olympic glory as softball will not be an Olympic event again until 2016 if then.
However, the USA women's soccer team struck gold with a 1-0 win over Brazil.
Maybe too much was placed on the softballer's shoulders while the soccer's gals snuck in under the radar?
Redemption for goalie Hope Solo!
Sports don't you just love them?

Lenn


As I drove home from work the other day, an individual on the radio mentioned that she was getting overwhelmed and burned out by all of the Olympic coverage. She stated she was ready for it to be over. Is there such a thing as too much Olympic coverage? Is that possible?

Sure, it takes up a lot of television time and interrupts a lot of regular programming. And yes, it is a major sporting event so media does devote a lot of time to it. But the Olympics only comes around every four years. As a sports fan, I may find some events more interesting than others, but I can’t say I really get burned out by the Olympics.

Swimming, diving, and gymnastics usually highlight the first week, but than track and field, boxing and basketball and baseball medal games round out the final week of action. It’s that variety of sports and being able to see the world’s best athletes perform that keeps me watching.

There’s only one more week of action and then the Olympics say goodbye for another four years. One more week isn’t that long. Then many will probably turn their attention to football. That season is just around the corner.

-Jerome

Just eye-balling it I would say that the Chinese women’s gymnastics team has a few girls under the age of 16, which is against the Olympic rules. If you asked me to guess I’d say only two of the Chinese girls are over 16, but that doesn’t really matter. It’s a guess. They’ve got passports that say they’re old enough and they’re competing. Case closed. That means you’ve got to face what’s in front of you if you’re a US gymnast — and they did. Their coaches were the ones that couldn’t manage to get over it. 

The Chinese beat the American women for gold and Bela and Martha Karolyi started crying, whining and generally making the USA look like it had the world market cornered on sour grapes. It was the epitome of losing without class. The USOC should look into getting rid of the husband-wife duo. They’ve been a huge part of the world gymnastics scene for decades.

But it’s time for them to retire.

- Padraic 

.. the rally’s over. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to handle not having motorcycles driving around like they’re invincible, yet somehow still playing the”Look out for me!” card, and washed-up rock bands (not to mention politicians) performing for another year.

You want something about sports? The U.S. basketball team trounced China in its first Olympic basketball game, but a familiar international bugaboo — shaky perimeter shooting — once again reared it’s ugly American head.

The Chinese aren’t a strong enough team to take advantage of that (the US and China could play 1,000 times and China wouldn’t ever win — no guard play) but there are teams that will. We better keep that defensive intensity cranked way up all tournament long or else an off game could spell something other than G-O-L-D.

- Padraic

My thoughts are on Russian basketball as the USA men and women just got done playing them and everybody and their mother wants to talk about Becky Hammon.

Hammon. I just can’t come around on her choice to play for the Russian national team but I will be cheering for her. I love seeing South Dakotans do well.

I don’t care that she’s playing for the big, bad Russkies — my Cold War fears aren’t nearly as deep as those of the heavily propagandized generations that grew up in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s — but I don’t understand how marching into the Olympics as a mercenary who can’t even speak the language is really all that rewarding an experience. I don’t care if you’re playing for Russia, Norway, Angola, England or anywhere else, if you just show up like Hammon has (she has no real ties to Russia outside of a contract she signed last year) what’s the point? There can’t be a whole lot of camaraderie between Hammon and her teammates. Imagine the Russians do win gold (which they won’t, but humor me) does Hammon tear up when the Russian national anthem comes on? I hope the money’s as good as it’s been reported ($2 million over four years to play for CSKA Moscow).

USA men. I thought the Russian national team (coached by former Princeton player and assistant David Blatt) showed quite well against Team USA. And that brings me to Blatt and JR Holden, an American guard playing for the Russian team. Do I feel the same about them as I do about Hammon? Not really. Holden has been playing in Russia for the better part of a decade (7 years or so) while Blatt has coached in the Russian professional league since 2004. They have ties to the country — and neither has any chance whatsoever of ever being part of the USA men’s team. It really is their only chance to compete against the Kobes and LeBrons of the world. Hammon, while not on the original invite list for Team USA was (belatedly) invited to at least try out before turning it down. If she had tried out and been cut, that ‘d be one thing. Plus, she already plays in the best women’s league in the world. She can’t really say that the Olympics are the only way she’s going to get a shot at Diana Taurasi.

The NBA All-Star team that we’ve sent to the Olympics is once again going to be tested by plenty of zone defense (we didn’t see much in the exhibition games because the outcomes don’t matter) and a lot of pick-and-roll basketball. We’ve certainly got the best athletes in the world … it will be interesting to see if the defensive pressure we’ll be able to unleash on teams will negate our relative lack of size and outside shooting ability. We’ve got a lot of mediocre shooters and just one great one (Michael Redd). If we get cold at the wrong time we could be coming home with something other than gold yet again. The Russians showed that if you can slow the Americans down they can barely help but revert back to the 1-on-5, give me the ball and get out of the way mentality when they really need a bucket (just how many 1-on-1 specialists do we actually need?). Luckily the defense and a couple of Redd triples pulled them away from the Russians, but things will be even harder against Greece, Spain and Argentina.

- Padraic