tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64140062011-06-08T01:38:49.541-05:00Olympic FeverCome discuss the 2008 Beijing Summer games with a couple of fanatics!Jemnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2101100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-75371612542433277662008-08-28T13:21:00.001-05:002008-08-28T13:23:31.206-05:00Phelps WatchAre you having Phelps withdrawal? Well, you can watch him host Saturday Night Live on September 13th and see if he has any sort of sense of humor (I'm betting he does). I mean, no one can be worse than when Nancy Kerrigan hosted, right?Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-2277810853734549592008-08-27T10:35:00.001-05:002008-08-27T10:36:55.976-05:00And Then It Was OverAt least there's the US Open to watch compulsively. And in case you haven't had enough of Misty May-Treanor, you can watch her on "Dancing with the Stars" this fall. No joke.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-72908108966222199642008-08-24T11:22:00.002-05:002008-08-24T11:26:07.353-05:00Medal Round Update IIIThe US Men's teams came to represent, dammit! We won the gold in basketball and in volleyball! Yay! We lost the water polo gold, but really, who cares about water polo?Oh, and guess who did NOT win the last diving gold medal? That's right! China lost the 8th and final diving medal in men's platform diving to Australia! Aussie Aussie Oy Oy Oy!Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-79166677665770497202008-08-23T15:41:00.003-05:002008-08-23T15:50:47.303-05:00The Strange World of Tae Kwan DoIn the martial art of Taekwondo, US Lopez siblings won all of our medals, a silver and 2 bronze. Also, Afghanistan's only ever Olympic medal came in this sport as well. The winner has been given a new house by his government. Other countries who won medals in Taekwondo include Iran, Turkey, Canada, and the Dominican Republic. It would seem that this Asian art is Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-3866624078188556352008-08-23T15:32:00.002-05:002008-08-23T15:40:54.689-05:00Medal Round Update IIThe US Women lost the gold medal volleyball match against the Brazilians, but will still bring home some very pretty silver! The US men go for the gold against the Brazilians later today (10pm Mountain).Of course, the US Women won the basketball gold. There was no question about that. Congrats ladies! The men go for the gold at 12:30am Mountain.Even though we were demolishedJemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-45327518054169649982008-08-22T11:56:00.004-05:002008-08-22T12:01:55.452-05:00Medal Round UpdateThe US Women lost the gold medal water polo match, but end up with the silver!Dallhauser and Rogers claim the gold in beach volleyball in an excellent match against Brazil. (however, I have a bone to pick with NBC. They said the match would be commercial free, but then had commercials between the 2nd and 3rd set.)We were CRUSHED by Cuba in baseball in a semifinal match, 10-2. Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-77503142276747166192008-08-21T11:42:00.001-05:002008-08-21T11:44:05.292-05:00And the Gold Medal Winner is...US Women are going for the gold in both water polo and indoor volleyball. We sure seem to have great women teams!Good luck ladies!Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-45055557945311678662008-08-21T11:34:00.001-05:002008-08-21T11:38:57.535-05:00Golden GirlsThe US women's soccer team won gold in Beijing. Iin a hard fought game against Brazil, the US won 1-0. It is their third gold in 4 Olympics.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-74431183261341271352008-08-21T11:28:00.002-05:002008-08-21T11:32:36.134-05:00A Shocker!Japan beat our women in softball for Olympic gold! Even Bustos couldn't make the game any closer than 3-1 although she did hit a home run. With softball not in the 2012 London Olympics, Japan will remain the defending Olympic champions in softball for at least 8 years.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-48229621921291247972008-08-21T11:21:00.002-05:002008-08-21T11:25:33.205-05:00Now This is Just PitifulWhile certain athletes have failed doping tests during these Olympics, it has now been brought to light that four of the horses used in the Equestrian events have failed drug tests! The horses belong to riders from Ireland, Norway, Brazil, and Germany. Now come on people! It's one thing to take banned substances yourself, but to give them to your horse? That's low.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-21338940047690844082008-08-21T11:17:00.002-05:002008-08-21T11:19:57.850-05:00And the Golds Keep Coming!Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor won over their Chinese opponents even through the driving rain! They won in 2 straight sets. After the match, May spread some of her mother's ashes onto the court, just as she did 4 years ago in Athens. My question is, isn't there some sort of law against throwing human remains onto volleyball courts?Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-24792595434240556682008-08-20T00:33:00.003-05:002008-08-20T00:39:15.999-05:00Beach VolleyballBoth the US men's and women's volleyball teams are going for gold. After an initial loss, Todd Rogers and Philip Dalhausser clinched a spot for the big event after beating Georgia today. (Actually, the members of this Georgia team are Brazilians to get around the rule that any country can send only two teams.)The amazing team of Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor will play for goldJemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-31624433582278205272008-08-20T00:27:00.002-05:002008-08-20T11:04:09.385-05:00SoftballThanks to a 3 run homer in the 9th inning against Japan, the US women go on to the gold medal game (as if anyone thought otherwise). What's more surprising than them getting to the gold medal game is that they had a game that went 9 innings! Most of their games are called after 5 innings due to the "mercy" rule.UPDATE: The gold medal game will be against Japan, as they beat Australia in Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-18686234740356383322008-08-20T00:24:00.001-05:002008-08-20T00:26:23.444-05:00Yet More GymnasticsCongrats to Shawn for winning the gold medal on the beam. Nastia also did an excellent job winning silver. And did you see Horton on High Bar? That was a crazy-exciting routine! Congrats on your silver!Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-57053207007887533622008-08-18T12:25:00.002-05:002008-08-18T23:48:34.043-05:00Women's Gymnastics Con'tI don't want to be a spoiler but I do want to alert you to what seems to be a HUGE controversy. Make sure to watch Nastia tonight on uneven bars and pay close attention to her score...UPDATE: See what I mean? Nastia was totally robbed of the gold on unevens. That tie-breaking rule is totally random. Bah!Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-44111910949330945032008-08-18T00:37:00.002-05:002008-08-18T00:40:57.604-05:00Women's GymnasticsCongrats to Shawn Johnson, who won silver, and Nastia Leukin, who won bronze, on the floor apparatus Sunday. Watch for Nastia to compete on uneven bars tonight (Monday).Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-91829632743502679742008-08-18T00:31:00.002-05:002008-08-18T00:36:59.859-05:00Bad SportsmanshipSwedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian decided he deserved the gold medal instead of his bronze. After receiving his medal, he took it off and placed it on the middle of the wrestling mat. He has since been stripped of the medal (that technically he stripped off himself) and disqualified from the Beijing Olympics. The IOC said that the Olympics does not allow any demonstrations and thatJemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-41548216275839677152008-08-17T11:41:00.002-05:002008-08-17T11:46:25.267-05:00USA Women's BasketballThe US Women's basketball team ended pool play with a 5-0 record. Now comes the medal round with US meeting Korea tomorrow.Australia also ended pool play 5-0. It should be a great game when our ladies meet the Ozzies.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-56916590075872843952008-08-17T11:33:00.002-05:002008-08-17T11:38:21.025-05:00Tennis FinalsCongratulations to the Williams sisters for winning the women's doubles. (I didn't have a doubt.) It was quite a decisive win of 6-2, 6-0 over the Spanish team.Congrats to Elena Dementieva for winning women's singles against countryman Dinara Safina. On the men's side Rafael Nadal SMOKED his Chilean opponent 6-3, 7-6, 6-3.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-30631544903226311652008-08-17T00:22:00.001-05:002008-08-17T00:23:32.230-05:00Phelps WatchHe did it! He won the eighth gold medal at these games that started on 08/08/08. Without a doubt, he is part fish. How else do you explain it?Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-64301432839914720092008-08-17T00:17:00.001-05:002008-08-17T00:20:32.538-05:00One One-Hundredth of a Second Part IIThat's by how much the great Dara Torres lost her individual gold medal by. The 41 year old had to settle for silver and did so gracefully. She also won a silver in a relay later so in total, she won 3 silvers in her last Olympics. Congrats Dara! Maybe we will see your daughter swim in another 12 years or so.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-67631206238460813112008-08-16T12:59:00.003-05:002008-08-16T13:05:35.326-05:00More TennisThe Bryan brothers got the silver medal in Men's doubles. Considering that Federer was on the winning end of that game, I'd say the Bryans did a very good job. James Blake lost the bronze medal game to Novak Djokovic from Serbia. Nadal is still in the running for the gold.The Williams sisters are out of singles but are in the hunt for doubles gold which takes place tomorrow.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-8592641106539127582008-08-16T12:42:00.003-05:002008-08-16T12:49:42.569-05:00Live! From New York!So it turns out that the studio where Saturday Night Live is shot is now divvied up into small broadcasting booths. NBC gets live HD feed from China and the broadcasters do the play by play stateside. They are not trying to be sneaky about it. When I was watching Women's softball last night, they were very honest about the fact that the broadcasters were in NY. The Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-38160039330511097262008-08-16T12:39:00.003-05:002008-08-16T21:27:09.540-05:00Welcome Back Coach McCutcheonVolleyball coach McCutcheon, whose father-in-law was killed in Beijing, is back with his team who are currently undefeated. It must so emotional for all involved. I wish them the best of luck.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-44444994570002873742008-08-15T22:16:00.002-05:002008-08-15T22:19:55.762-05:00One One-Hundredth of a Secondthat's by how much Michael Phelps won his 7th gold medal. He did not lead for any part of the race but still somehow touched the wall first, and that's all that really counts. With this win in the 100 meter Butterfly, Phelps has now matched Mark Spitz's 1972 record of 7 gold medals in a single Olympics. And yes, he broke the past Olympic record.There's one race left Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-72362441798210410162008-08-15T00:05:00.003-05:002008-08-15T00:10:34.261-05:00Women's GymnasticsCongratulation to Nastia and Shaun for coming in first and second in Gymnastics All Around! Both women scored above a 16 on balance beam and put on a wonderful show during the Olympics. You still have time to see them during the apparatus finals this weekend.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-85725217002454842282008-08-14T22:45:00.002-05:002008-08-14T22:47:47.295-05:00Phelps WatchMichael Phelps won yet another gold in the 200-meter individual medley, the 6th gold for Phelps in these Olympics. Of course, he broke yet another world and Olympic record in the process. Woohoo!Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-67873216136865640472008-08-14T22:41:00.000-05:002008-08-14T22:42:18.364-05:00Seriously...Can anyone understand Bela Karolyi speak? They need to subtitle that man.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-43447547487255486882008-08-14T20:20:00.004-05:002008-08-14T22:49:23.722-05:00Tennis NewsJames Blake, of the US, beat the number one seeded male player today when he beat Roger Federer in 2 sets! Blake now goes on to the semi-finals.In other news, both Williams lost today. Venus lost to Chinese player Li Na while Serena lost to Russia's Elena Dementieva. The Williams sisters are still in the Olympics playing doubles, which they won 4 years ago.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-11357107535478087402008-08-12T23:27:00.002-05:002008-08-12T23:30:13.654-05:00Phelps WatchThe Men's swim team won another gold, the 5th for Phelps. Of course, they broke the WR and OR.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-62679911002880321642008-08-12T23:22:00.001-05:002008-08-12T23:24:56.697-05:00Women's GymnasticsUS Women's Gymnastics team won the silver medal tonight after a tough match against China. In the end, China's awesome bars routine is what did us in. Still, it was a fabulous meet. Next up is individual all-around.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-60583157082373346142008-08-12T22:27:00.002-05:002008-08-12T22:29:25.865-05:00Phelps WatchMichael did it again! He won gold and broke a world record in the Butterfly 200m. He's now won more Olympic gold medals than any other athlete in history! Stay tuned! He has another final tonight...Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-80596587523654296872008-08-12T20:50:00.002-05:002008-08-12T20:53:07.590-05:00And This is Why Baseball and Softball Will Not Be At The Next Olympics...The US Women's softball team beat Argentina 11-0. The mercy rule was in play or it probably would be worse. Apparently since we slaughter so many teams in softball and baseball, you will not be seeing these games in the 2012 Olympics in London. There is not competition out there that is on par with us. Too bad. I always do Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-41354969188740780512008-08-12T20:44:00.003-05:002008-08-12T20:48:20.639-05:00Men's GymnasticsEven with a third of the team now staffed by alternates, the US Men's gymnastics team brought home the bronze. Alternates Raj and Sasha definitely helped the team with Sasha bringing home the highest pommel horse routine and Raj scoring above a 16 on his vault. Good going guys!Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-50092774722830177202008-08-11T21:21:00.002-05:002008-08-11T21:32:59.751-05:00Phelps WatchIn what is becoming almost routine, Phelps won his third gold while breaking world and Olympic records in the process. Tonight it was the gold in the 200 Freestyle.Finally! An athlete who's living up to his hype!Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-73578542551691008502008-08-10T22:39:00.001-05:002008-08-10T22:41:45.119-05:00Phelps WatchPhelps got his second gold today in the Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay. He was actually the second slowest swimmer on the team. I think he's saving some energy for those other 6 races. Oh yeah, they broke the World and Olympic records in the process.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-58019477695222184232008-08-10T18:32:00.002-05:002008-08-10T18:37:34.914-05:00Update on American StabbingAs I'm sure you've heard, U.S. men's volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon's father-in-law was killed and his mother-in-law seriously wounded when a distraught Chinese citizen stabbed them in Beijing. McCutcheon did not coach the volleyball game last night. The assistant coach took over to bring in the win for the US. McCutcheon's future with the team is uncertain.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-76020676404921998842008-08-10T16:22:00.002-05:002008-08-10T16:26:39.859-05:00More Tennis NewsThe number one women's seed, Ana Ivanovic, has pulled out due to a thumb injury. She will be replaced by Jelena Jankovic. Women's tennis sure is having its share of hits at these Olympics.In some good news, James Blake won his match today, one of the few matches played due to rain. Go James!Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-46604184107585238322008-08-10T16:20:00.003-05:002008-08-10T16:27:48.487-05:00Remember Athens?According to one of the Greek Women's beach volleyball players, the beautiful stadium that was used for beach volleyball there has fallen into disrepair. The stadium is fenced off and the sand is gone. The Greek team was hoping to practice there for these Olympics but it wasn't to be. The land was recently purchased but no plans for the arena have been made public.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-28779518943700529562008-08-10T16:17:00.002-05:002008-08-10T16:20:27.250-05:00Team USA DominatesThe US Men's basketball team were out for blood today trouncing Yao Ming's Chinese team 101-70. The game was closer than that score would indicate until the second half when the NBA stars decided it was time to take the Chinese to school. Hopefully they can keep the momentum up.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-73813970815606014482008-08-09T21:24:00.003-05:002008-08-09T23:54:50.787-05:001 Down, 7 To GoMichael Phelps won is first gold in his first try during the 400m IM. Oh yeah, he also broke his own world record. No big. ;)Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-28752532928819594002008-08-09T10:06:00.003-05:002008-08-09T10:10:04.351-05:00Holy Cow!An American in Beijing to watch the Olympic games was stabbed to death by a Chinese citizen who then killed himself by jumping from a tower. An American woman was also stabbed in the attack. The couple are family members of an indoor Men's volleyball team. Officials think this was just a random act of violence, not the start of some terrorist plot.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-35188509063410718292008-08-08T23:20:00.002-05:002008-08-08T23:31:16.281-05:00Saturday's Medal EventsThe gold will start to flow tomorrow in Cycling, Fencing, Judo, Shooting, and Weight Lifting. In prime time (which is Sunday in China) you can see Phelps and Torres swimming, men's gymnastics and beach volleyball.If that's not enough, NBC is actually broadcasting about 8 hours all day long. Bon appetit!Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-4044858705501632462008-08-08T17:32:00.003-05:002008-08-08T17:36:13.454-05:00Tennis UpdatePast Olympic gold medal winner Lindsey Davenport has pulled out of singles tennis at the Olympics due to a nagging knee injury. She still may play doubles but the thought of playing up to 11 matches was a bit much for her. Just for the record, Maria Sharapova, Mary Pierce and Amelie Mauresmo also will not participate in the Beijing games.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-84214318003416194652008-08-07T23:33:00.000-05:002008-08-07T23:34:01.486-05:00Beijing air pollutionLatest BBC air particle reading191 micrograms per cubic meterWorld Health Organization target = 50Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-42688344611091565672008-08-07T11:15:00.002-05:002008-08-07T11:17:53.218-05:002nd Hamm OutMorgan Hamm, Paul's twin brother, also withdrew from the Olympics due to an ankle injury. Thus ends the Hamm era. While it's sad to see these affable young men leave the sport in such a way, it does open the door for alternate Alexander Artemev. Good luck Alexander!Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-32132421576191995312008-08-07T00:20:00.003-05:002008-08-07T00:24:16.490-05:00Beijing air pollutionLatest BBC air particle reading186 micrograms per cubic meterWorld Health Organization target = 50Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-44802287594549842642008-08-06T23:07:00.004-05:002008-08-07T00:14:27.829-05:00ConundrumMike and I (OK, really only Mike) are getting inquiries regarding advertising on this site. However, I personally am turned off by advertising on blogs and I first told Mike no. But then he brought up the fact that we could donate all proceeds to a pro-Tibet organization. Now that interests me. So...I want your opinion. What do you think about 1) advertising on a blog site and 2) if Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-39697639247113311222008-08-05T23:09:00.003-05:002008-08-06T16:00:02.201-05:00Olympics Start Tomorrow!Yes, I said tomorrow, Wednesday, 8/6/08. There are so many soccer games that need to be played that the Women's soccer (or football for you non-Yanks) will start tomorrow. Games to be played are:Argentina vs Canada, China vs Sweden, Germany vs Brazil, North Korea vs Nigeria, Japan vs New Zealand, and Norway vs US.The US game can be watched in rerun (i.e. not live) on Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-37167641814110837512008-08-03T12:59:00.003-05:002008-08-05T23:23:24.479-05:00Tennis PreviewSharapova will miss both the Olympics and the US Open after tearing some tendons in her shoulder. On the women's side you can still watch the Williams sisters and Davenport. Do NOT discount Chinese player Jie Zhang. She is a very exciting player who gave the Williams sisters some tough matches at Wimbledon.On the men's side for the US, there is James Blake, always a fun player to Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-33798430125865308662008-07-30T11:04:00.004-05:002008-07-30T11:41:40.604-05:00Iraq In, Hamm OutIraq athletes are being allowed to participate in the Beijing games after some last minute negotiations that included both German and Chinese help. Not all Iraqi athletes will be able to participate due to the passing of some deadlines for the rosters. However, the rowing team was told today that even though their deadline has passed, they will still be able to compete. The trackJemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-42374405105171948582008-07-24T22:42:00.002-05:002008-07-24T22:45:43.932-05:00Iraq Banned from Beijing OlympicsDue to what is being called government interference, the approximately 7 athletes that planned to compete from Iraq are now going to have to watch the Olympics like the rest of us...from home. Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-2587314033020778422008-06-10T23:05:00.002-05:002008-06-10T23:09:37.645-05:00Beijing OlympicsThis is a tough one for me. I'm not a fan of the Chinese gov't but want to support our athletes. I love the gymnastics and diving. Also the women's softball is fun to watch. I'm assuming once the games begin I'll be all over it. We'll see...Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1140882769064659192006-02-25T09:51:00.000-06:002006-02-25T09:52:49.083-06:00Most Hype EVER!Bode Miller will leave Torino with exactly NO medals. He disqualified today 18 seconds out of the gate to end his chase for 5 medals emptyhanded. Ligety also DQed after missing a gate. Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1140792481849246782006-02-24T08:46:00.000-06:002006-02-24T08:48:01.860-06:00First Medal EVER!Congratulations to the US Men's curling team! They just won the bronze, which is the first curling medal ever for the US! Very exciting!The US women didn't make it to the medal round but played much better than their record would lead you to beleive. They lost more than one game in extra ends (the equivalent of overtime in Curling).Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1140732067340282812006-02-23T15:52:00.000-06:002006-02-23T16:04:09.300-06:00Guess Who Fell?Sasha Cohen fell twice during her long program today knocking her off the top of the podium. Irina didn't make it up there either. As is becoming typical with these games, those expected to win aren't doing it. The winner is Japanese Shizuka Arakawa. Cohen wins silver and Slutskaya wins bronze. Other Americans fared well. Kimmie Meissner came in 6th and Emily Hughes came in 7th. AtJemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1140711586090235942006-02-23T10:15:00.000-06:002006-02-23T15:49:11.316-06:00Davis Pulls OutDavis will not participate in the 10,000 meter race tomorrow. All that has been reported is that a reason for his withdrawal would be made available later today. Hmmm...Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1140710290665386502006-02-23T09:53:00.000-06:002006-02-23T09:58:10.680-06:00It's Looking a Bit Brighter TodayWe already have a bronze today in Women's Snowboarding! And we still have decent shots in Women's Figure Skating and Men's Aerials. Go USA!Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1140658773901396722006-02-22T19:35:00.000-06:002006-02-22T19:40:59.616-06:00No Medals TodayThe Men's Hockey Team is out of the medal round while our Men's Curling team go for bronze on Friday after losing to Canada today. No medals for us in Women's Arials. No medal in Women's slalom...you get the picture. Hopefully the story will be different tomorrow night after the women's figure skating event. Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1140565454319905902006-02-21T17:39:00.000-06:002006-02-21T17:45:24.596-06:00Sasha's On Top!I personally would not have placed a bet on this but Sasha Cohen is ahead of Slutskya after the short program...by only 0.03 of a point! Kimmie Meissner is 5th and Emily Hughes is 7th. The long program is scheduled for Thursday night.So, I'm starting a pool...who thinks Sasha can do it and who thinks she's going to implode like she's done many times before?Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1140538313357644712006-02-21T10:08:00.000-06:002006-02-21T10:11:53.366-06:00More Figure SkatingAfter the stunning silver medal finish by our Ice Dancing pair, the women take the ice tonight. Sasha Cohen was a no-show for practice this morning, citing the fact that she skates last tonight and needs to stay "fresh" for the competition. Interesting choice. I wonder how it will play out tonight!Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1140454460243821522006-02-20T10:53:00.000-06:002006-02-20T10:54:20.243-06:00US Women's HockeyAt the end of the second period, it's 4-0, US over Finland for the bronze medal. I think it's fair to say they will win the bronze. It's a medal, just not the color they were expecting.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1140454366924219372006-02-20T10:50:00.000-06:002006-02-20T10:52:46.936-06:00Miller ReportBode Miller did participate in the Giant Slalom and does finish, just not on the medal stand. Looks like he ends up tied for 6th. Ligety and Rahlves did not finish.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1140377656747480412006-02-19T13:29:00.000-06:002006-02-19T13:36:26.386-06:00Most Important ErrandEmily Hughes had an important mission yesterday before the short program draw. She had a most valuable cargo with her to deliver to the world champion Slutskaya. It turns out Emily and Irina share a costume designer in Manhattan. When word got to the designer that Emily was leaving for the games, she was immediately contacted to bring Irina's favorite costume to Italy from Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1140377066264682132006-02-19T13:23:00.000-06:002006-02-19T13:24:26.276-06:00Guess Who Lost Again?US Men's Hockey is now 1-1-2. Up next: Russia. Good Effin' luck guys.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1140297583048870162006-02-18T15:18:00.000-06:002006-02-18T15:22:52.180-06:00And So It GoesUS Men's Hockey lost today to Slovakia, 2-1. So we are now 1-1-1. Great record for the country that is supposed to be a powerhouse in the sport.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1140282075327334272006-02-18T10:55:00.000-06:002006-02-18T11:01:15.340-06:00Snap Out of It Bode!After white-out conditions delayed the men's Super-G, Miller failed to finish once again. The winner was Aamodt from Norway who, at 35, had won this event way back in Albertville 16 years ago.Bode is now 0-3 for medals and 1-3 in finishing races. Hey Olympic committee! Next time send someone what wants to go!Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1140235512972247272006-02-17T22:02:00.000-06:002006-02-17T22:05:12.983-06:00So SadThe first ever shootout in Women's Olympic Hockey ended up with the US on the losing end of a 3-2 score. Sweden goes on to the gold medal round while we will battle Finland for bronze. For the record, this was the first loss for the women to any team except Canada.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1140137833808178752006-02-16T18:51:00.000-06:002006-02-16T18:57:13.820-06:00Remember I Said the US Men Figure Skaters Needed Some Luck?Well they didn't get it. Johnny Weir, second after the short program, had the 6th best long program, coming in 5th overall. He blamed his poor performance on a bus being late, I kid you not! After getting to the arena late because of the bus, he said he couldn't feel his aura and that he was black inside. (I swear I'm not making this up!)Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1140105092198878902006-02-16T09:41:00.000-06:002006-02-16T09:52:39.783-06:00Hockey Deja VuOnce again, the US Women's Hockey team is making us proud while we shake our head and wonder what's wrong with the guys. The women have won every game and the men have tied in their first game. Now you're thinking, what's so bad with a tie? Well they were playing Latvia, a country of only 2 million people and we had a team of 23 professional hockey players. I mean, our team plays Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1140027926254091072006-02-15T12:16:00.000-06:002006-02-15T12:25:26.266-06:00Double LugeWhat's with this double luge? I mean, can't you just hear the guy on the bottom saying, "Dude, you're squishing my junk!" It seems like they should do mixed doubles with the woman on the bottom. At least it would give for a smoother ride for the top guy. Anyway, a team of brothers from Austria won the gold today. I personally don't know any brothers that could do this sport without Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1139957820307980382006-02-14T16:53:00.000-06:002006-02-14T16:57:00.320-06:00Fun Fact #1Did you know that Japanese curlers use English commands when they play? The English words for sweep, guard, etc. are shorter in English and therefore faster to pronounce. In this way, the Japanese stay competitive during competition...so competitive in fact, that they beat our women in extra ends, the equivalent of curling overtime, today.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1139956330607146752006-02-14T16:24:00.000-06:002006-02-14T16:33:17.933-06:00US Figure Skating Men In A Tight SpotWhile Johnny Weir finished second in the Men's short program today behind favorite Evgeni Plushenko, Matthew Savoie finished 8th and bronze medal 2005 World Champ winner Evan Lysecek finished 10th. As Plushenko is more than 10 points in the lead, unless he completely falls on his ass more than once, he's got the gold. There is less than 1 point between Weir Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1139940146965486292006-02-14T11:57:00.000-06:002006-02-14T12:02:26.966-06:00Olympian Uses Bonus to Do GoodJoey Cheek, speedskater from the US, is giving his $25,000 bonus for wining gold to a charity that helps children in a war-torn region in Dafur, named Right to Play. He has challeged his sponsors to match his donation. It's nice (and rare) to see an American thinking globally. Good for you Joey!Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1139935873559724792006-02-14T10:48:00.000-06:002006-02-14T12:03:33.173-06:00Miller DQ'ed?After Bode's first slalom run, he was at the top of the board by almost a second...for a while anyway. The live results on the Torino site now say he's disqualified! Apparently, he straddled a gate and is officially DQ'ed. Teammate Ted Ligety stands currently in 3rd place.This is Bode's 5th straight DQ in slalom.Miller is now 0-2 for medals this Olympics.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1139927348032554802006-02-14T08:25:00.000-06:002006-02-14T08:29:08.046-06:00Miller Takes LeadIn Men's Combined, Bode Miller is in first place after the downhill. He now has 2 slalom races to go for the medal. He said he felt like he skiied today's downhill race the same way he skied 2 days ago, but obviously today he had much better results. The Slalom races come later today. Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1139870689963273392006-02-13T16:43:00.000-06:002006-02-13T16:44:49.976-06:00Programming NoteFor the first time ever, US Olympic hockey games are being shown commercial free! Well, commercial free while they are playing. During the intermissions, there are plenty but it's so nice to see the action without it being interrupted. So far I've seen a couple of games on the USA network and they have been true to their word. Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1139759729401295482006-02-12T09:49:00.000-06:002006-02-12T18:05:15.543-06:00I {Heart} Canadian WomenThe Canadian Women's Hockey team is kicking butt and taking names. Yesterday they beat Italy 16-0. Makes you wonder if there should be a slaughter rule in the game. Right now, in the first period against Russia, the score is 3-0 with the last goal scored shorthanded. You gotta love that. These women seem to be able to score at will and it sure is fun to watch.It looks likeJemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1139756261661733222006-02-12T08:50:00.000-06:002006-02-12T09:49:11.083-06:00Kwan WithdrawsAfter the long flight to Turin and sitting outside in the cold for 4 hours for the opening ceremonies, Michelle Kwan injured herself during her first practice in Italy Saturday afternoon. Kwan pulled a groin muscle again while practicing her jumps which only got worse as the day went on. After seeking medical advice, she withdrew from the Games and said she'd return home. This is Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1139642380673772582006-02-11T01:14:00.000-06:002006-02-11T01:19:40.690-06:00Strange Start to the GamesSo far, 12 cross-country skiers have been given a 5 day suspension for having high levels of hemoglobin. The strange thing is that there are many reasons why one's level of hemoglobin might be high besides from blood doping including altitude and dehydration. I guess the idea is that if it was from blood doping, the effects would be gone within 5 days.Also, the US top Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1139504981585947872006-02-09T11:01:00.000-06:002006-02-09T11:09:41.596-06:00One Day To Go!Tomorrow night are the opening ceremonies for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy! The good stuff starts Saturday with the following events:Figure Skating Pairs Short ProgramBiathlonLadies' Moguls (freestyle skiing)Women's HockeyLugeNordic CombinedSki JumpingSpeed SkatingEnjoy!Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1138760897777665202006-01-31T20:25:00.000-06:002006-01-31T20:28:18.693-06:00US Olympic Team NamedThe entire US Olympmic team was named today. You can check it out here. The athletes are listed by sport and by state so you can see if there is anyone from your hometown competing.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1137450940897339852006-01-16T16:23:00.000-06:002006-01-16T16:35:40.910-06:00Women's Skating Representatives PickedSasha Cohen won the US Figure Skating Championship this weekend, securing her a spot on the US Olympic team. Kimmie Meissner also has a trip to Torino in her immediate future for finishing second. The last member of the team is Michelle Kwan...for now. She will be judged by a 5-member team no later than January 27th to determine if she is in shape to Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1136436287346976642006-01-04T22:12:00.000-06:002006-01-04T22:44:47.413-06:00Michelle Kwan Not In The Olympics?Michelle Kwan, coming back form an injury that kept her from competing for 9 months, has a new injury and has withdrawn from the US Championships. Kwan pulled a groin muscle on December 19th and has been unable to practice jumps or spins since. She has the right to petition the U.S. Figure Skating International Committee for a spot on the Olympic team. Only the Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1135830764137189772005-12-28T22:22:00.000-06:002005-12-28T22:32:44.150-06:00Women's HockeyThe Women's US Hockey team was named today. On the team is Sarah Parsons, freshman at Dartmouth College. She is the youngest member of the team at tender age of 18. She's no stranger to the ice, obviously, and scored a goal earlier this month against Finland in a warm-up game (which they won 3-1) to the Olympics. Some are calling Parsons the next Cammi Granato. Make sure to look forJemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1133714342830533872005-12-04T10:31:00.000-06:002005-12-04T10:39:03.543-06:00I Want One!Have you seen the medals for the Torino Olympics? They are the best looking medals ever (IMHO)! You can see a picture of them here. They remind me of old Chinese coins. Very classy. Good job Torino!Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1131604852650982352005-11-10T00:16:00.000-06:002005-11-10T01:09:22.366-06:00In Skating News...Michelle Kwan is still sidelined with an injury and it looks like she won't be back to competing until the US Championship in January. Sasha Cohen, also injured, plans to compete this month in Paris. I really hope they are both healthy for the Olympics. It totally sucks when the medal goes to the girl who doesn't fall down. I'd much prefer to see everyone in tip-top shape, Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1131390572275354282005-11-07T12:59:00.000-06:002005-11-09T15:34:00.610-06:00less than 100 days...until the 2006 winter games in torinome and jen are gettin' the band together and reactivating this blog...i am reading bode miller's bodelicious autobiographyso far an insightful and entertaining read...here's my favorite passage so far...from the chapter: the feral lifeall boys are brutal litle apes, but most of us grow out it long before we're men. those that don't, run Mikenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1124225217784832482005-08-16T15:45:00.000-05:002005-08-16T15:46:57.790-05:00Now only 178 days...I wish I could just take Feb 10-26 off next year from school.Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1112017641467219632005-03-28T07:46:00.000-06:002005-03-28T07:48:10.203-06:00Only 319 days to go until the next Olympics! WOoohooooooooo!Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1093835016737406752004-08-29T22:02:00.000-05:002004-08-29T22:04:13.166-05:00Closing Ceremonies
Could anything be cuter than the little Chinese girl singing on top of the lantern? I think not!
Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1093760856715419262004-08-29T01:09:00.000-05:002004-08-29T01:29:51.016-05:00The following events will take place today:
Boxing, Handball, Men's Marathon, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Taekwondo, Volleyball, Water Polo and Wrestling.
On CNBC at 5 am is wrestling, water polo and taekwondo. On NBC at 9am is men's marathon, water polo, rhythmic gymnastics, boxing and handball. Later on NBC, starting at 6pm are the closing ceremonies.
Then we'll have to wait for a little less thanJemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1093739866459938402004-08-28T19:32:00.000-05:002004-08-28T19:38:56.330-05:00Another Trip Up
The US Men get silver in the 4x100m relay after yet another bad pass. Reminiscent to the women's 4x100m, runner Coby Miller took off too soon requiring him to stop cold or run out of the passing zone. The runner behind him, Shawn Crawford, basically gave him a flat tire, ripping a hole in his shoe.
Even after the bad pass, US came soooooo close to winning. When all was said andJemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1093722057708468042004-08-28T14:40:00.000-05:002004-08-28T14:43:46.566-05:00Sorry Mike...
The US men got the bronze in basketball.
Meanwhile, the US women got the gold! Woohoo! US Women rock in team sports.
Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1093712817745188922004-08-28T12:04:00.000-05:002004-08-28T14:40:10.783-05:00My New Favorite Sport
I've just fallen in love with Taekwondo! Not that NBC and its minions made it easy. They just showed one whole match, which means 6 minutes, but damn, it was awesome! My new goal is to learn Taekwondo and participate in the senior olympics. Wish me luck!
Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1093698308363314342004-08-28T07:57:00.000-05:002004-08-28T12:04:28.050-05:00Performance Enhancing?
John Capel, scheduled to run in the 4x4m men's semi-final relay for the US last night was pulled from the race just before the race and replaced with Shawn Crawford who only had one hour notice. Capel was pulled due to a positive marijuana test.
I would just like to point out that marijuana is NOT a performance enhancing drug. If anything, it's a performance degrading Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1093697668046826942004-08-28T07:49:00.000-05:002004-08-28T07:54:28.046-05:00Bush Ad Ticks Off USOC
The same ad that raised the ire of the Iraqi socccer team has also upset the USOC. The US Olympic Committee demanded that the ad stop airing as they "reflect unauthorized use of Olympic images trademarks" and that the USOC never associates itself with political parties. The Bush campaign said they will not stop airing the ad until Sunday, the last day of the Olympics.
Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1093697315874955442004-08-28T07:45:00.000-05:002004-08-28T07:48:35.873-05:00Powell Cancels Visit
Colin Powell announced on the same day that he was supposed to arrive in Greece that he would not be traveling after-all. Pressing business in Wasington will keep him stateside where he will be dealing with Iraqi and Sudanese issues. The Whitehouse claims the recent protests in Athens had nothing to do with the change in plans.
Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1093696496042819192004-08-28T07:31:00.000-05:002004-08-28T07:34:56.043-05:00Today's Schedule
The following events will take place today:
Basketball, Boxing, Canoe/Kayak, Cycling, Diving, Handball, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Sailing, Soccer, Synchronized Swimming, Taekwondo, Track & Field, Volleyball, and Wrestling.
Honestly folks, I'm exhausted. You're going to have to check your local listings for times and events.
Enjoy the Olympics while you can as tomorrow they all go Jemnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6414006.post-1093666159088576232004-08-27T23:02:00.000-05:002004-08-27T23:10:25.900-05:00"We have offered an environment of celebration and joy, security and respect of human rights"
The protests have started against Colin Powell's visit to Athens for the closing ceremonies. The protesters were stopped 2 miles from the American embassy by police.
One of the protest ogranizers stated, "We are here because we believe Colin Powell should not be coming to Greece. He has been very Jemnoreply@blogger.com0