As all NBA fans know, former Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard is now with the LA Lakers. In a complicated 4 team deal, involving many players and future draft picks, Howard has left Disneyworld and entered LA-la land.
The best player the Magic got in return for Howard is Arron Afflalo. Wait a minute. Didn't Afflalo used to play for the Detroit Pistons? General manager Joe Dumars shipped him out for a couple of nobodies a few years ago and now he's traded for Dwight Howard? Wow. Who knew it was that easy?
Joe D's generally thought of as a shrewd guy, but maybe he's missing the big picture. If Afflalo can bring Dwight Howard, maybe Dumars should consider making a couple other phone calls.
How about offering up Jonas Jerebko and a couple draft picks to Okla City for Kevin Durant? You never know.
If new Pistons' owner Tom Gores wants Pistons fans to believe he'll do anything to make his team a winner -- then he should put his assets where his mouth is. Offer the Miami Heat Pine Knob (it will always be that to me) and Meadowbrook for Lebron and D-Wade. Throw in Jason Maxiell, Kyle Singler and a couple draft picks just for appearances to the league. Having a couple summer playgrounds when the weather is brutal in Miami just might be attractive to Heat owner Micky Arison. Stranger things have happened. Maybe.
(Yeah, I know. This is all ridiculous. Then again, scribes and fans in the Detroit area are talking about the Lions winning the Super Bowl this year. Please. Ridiculous is one thing. Spiked kool-aid spread amongst the masses causing hallucinations is quite another.)
Let's not forget the Thunder of the NBA is the only pro team in the entire state of Oklahoma. No baseball, hockey, or football. With the Lakers getting Howard, along with earlier acquiring point guard extraordinaire Steve Nash from the Phoenix Suns, the Thunder aren't necessarily the elite team in the NBA west anymore. Throw in a prolonged drought that has withered their crops, thereby forcing herds of cattle to be culled, and things aren't so good in Oklahoma these days.
So here's hoping Joe D makes the call about trading Jerebko for Durant. If nothing else, the folks in Oklahoma City could use a good laugh right about now.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
NFL replacement officials
Having been a card-carrying member of the UAW for over 30 years before I retired, it's likely I'm somewhat biased when it comes to union/management labor strife. While I understand the necessity of it at times, to this day it still grinds my gears some to see "scabs" replacing the "regular" workers while negotiations drag on.
That said, the replacement officials in the NFL are getting a raw deal. Everybody's all over these guys -- and that's not fair.
They just woke up in a new world. Sure, most of them probably had experience at the high school or college level, and were given a crash course in the ways of the NFL, but they're basically all rookies.
It's fully expected that rookie players will make lots of mistakes, but that's generally accepted as just part of the maturing process. Same with rookie head coaches. They make some bone-headed calls as well. Over time, both usually get better with experience. The same could be said of an electrician, plumber, or other tradespeople with a brand new journeyman's card in their back pocket, a teacher in their first class with real students, a cop fresh out of the academy, and countless other examples. Being "booksmart" is one thing, but in the real world most people have to learn "on the fly". Regardless the vocation, some go on to excel. Others crash and burn.
Yet consider who's raising the most hell about the replacement officials in the meantime. It's the media. How ironic. Print journalists seem to forget about when they were cub reporters and the mistakes they made. To boot, they've always had editors to correct many of their goof-ups before the public sees their work. Spellcheck and various other computer programs don't hurt either these days. The talking heads on opinionated TV sports shows can do umpteen "takes" before they get it right and the viewers see the final product. Quite the safety net.
I dare say very few of these same critics, that have the most influence on what fans think, have ever experienced anything remotely similar to what it's like to be an NFL replacement official right now. When they were writing their first stories, or learning how to look into different cameras without stuttering, they were under nowhere near the same pressure. Yes, they have their "deadlines" and news is a fast-paced business these days, but not nearly as fast as what's going on at ground zero in an NFL game. Throw in players and coaches from both teams constantly yapping at them, 50 or 60 thousand screaming fans in attendance, the pressure of already knowing they're not appreciated at most every level, and having to make tough calls in a matter of seconds. This is not exactly an easy job.
No, as a rule, I still don't like scabs, but under these circumstances, I think we should all cut them a little slack.
That said, the replacement officials in the NFL are getting a raw deal. Everybody's all over these guys -- and that's not fair.
They just woke up in a new world. Sure, most of them probably had experience at the high school or college level, and were given a crash course in the ways of the NFL, but they're basically all rookies.
It's fully expected that rookie players will make lots of mistakes, but that's generally accepted as just part of the maturing process. Same with rookie head coaches. They make some bone-headed calls as well. Over time, both usually get better with experience. The same could be said of an electrician, plumber, or other tradespeople with a brand new journeyman's card in their back pocket, a teacher in their first class with real students, a cop fresh out of the academy, and countless other examples. Being "booksmart" is one thing, but in the real world most people have to learn "on the fly". Regardless the vocation, some go on to excel. Others crash and burn.
Yet consider who's raising the most hell about the replacement officials in the meantime. It's the media. How ironic. Print journalists seem to forget about when they were cub reporters and the mistakes they made. To boot, they've always had editors to correct many of their goof-ups before the public sees their work. Spellcheck and various other computer programs don't hurt either these days. The talking heads on opinionated TV sports shows can do umpteen "takes" before they get it right and the viewers see the final product. Quite the safety net.
I dare say very few of these same critics, that have the most influence on what fans think, have ever experienced anything remotely similar to what it's like to be an NFL replacement official right now. When they were writing their first stories, or learning how to look into different cameras without stuttering, they were under nowhere near the same pressure. Yes, they have their "deadlines" and news is a fast-paced business these days, but not nearly as fast as what's going on at ground zero in an NFL game. Throw in players and coaches from both teams constantly yapping at them, 50 or 60 thousand screaming fans in attendance, the pressure of already knowing they're not appreciated at most every level, and having to make tough calls in a matter of seconds. This is not exactly an easy job.
No, as a rule, I still don't like scabs, but under these circumstances, I think we should all cut them a little slack.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
The perfect Cabrera Jones head butt
Congrats to Seattle Mariner pitcher Felix Hernandez on throwing a perfect game. Something seems weird, though. Major league baseball's been played since way back in the 1800's, and I don't know how far back the records go, probably at least 100 years, but only 23 perfect games have been recorded over that entire time. This latest is the third one in just the 2012 season. Every time a hitter puts up big numbers that aren't in line with his career statistical average, people start whispering about steroids or other performance enhancing drugs. Maybe they should start checking the pitchers a little closer. Just a thought.
Speaking of which, Melky Cabrera of the San Francisco Giants just got zapped with a 50 game suspension for having too much testosterone in his system. He was the Giants' best hitter and they're in a divisional race with the LA Dodgers. Depending on how things play out with other teams, the runner-up isn't necessarily guaranteed a wild card spot. To Detroit Tigers' fans, that would be like their own Cabrera getting bounced for the rest of the season, while they're in a similar race with the ChiSox. A disaster.
Jerry Jones, that ever-lovable owner of the Dallas Cowboys said the window might be closing on his current team to reach the Super Bowl. Who does he think he's kidding? That window's been closed and boarded up for years. The bars on the outside of it even have names. The Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and New Orleans Saints have all been superior to the Cowboys for quite a while. Now the San Francisco 49ers have jumped in, and even the Detroit Lions look to be ahead of what's going on in Big D. Maybe HE should be drug tested.
Chad (the artist formerly known as Ochocinco) Johnson got cut from the Miami Dolphins. He'd pretty well worn out his welcome every other place he'd been with his antics. Whether another team will give him a chance is a good question. Besides the previous not-so-good rep he'd built over the years, now he allegedly head butts his new wife? Good-bye marriage, and maybe good-bye career. Bad, repeat BAD idea.
So why is it that in every other sport they call it an "exhibition game", but in soccer it's a "friendly"?
Speaking of which, Melky Cabrera of the San Francisco Giants just got zapped with a 50 game suspension for having too much testosterone in his system. He was the Giants' best hitter and they're in a divisional race with the LA Dodgers. Depending on how things play out with other teams, the runner-up isn't necessarily guaranteed a wild card spot. To Detroit Tigers' fans, that would be like their own Cabrera getting bounced for the rest of the season, while they're in a similar race with the ChiSox. A disaster.
Jerry Jones, that ever-lovable owner of the Dallas Cowboys said the window might be closing on his current team to reach the Super Bowl. Who does he think he's kidding? That window's been closed and boarded up for years. The bars on the outside of it even have names. The Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and New Orleans Saints have all been superior to the Cowboys for quite a while. Now the San Francisco 49ers have jumped in, and even the Detroit Lions look to be ahead of what's going on in Big D. Maybe HE should be drug tested.
Chad (the artist formerly known as Ochocinco) Johnson got cut from the Miami Dolphins. He'd pretty well worn out his welcome every other place he'd been with his antics. Whether another team will give him a chance is a good question. Besides the previous not-so-good rep he'd built over the years, now he allegedly head butts his new wife? Good-bye marriage, and maybe good-bye career. Bad, repeat BAD idea.
So why is it that in every other sport they call it an "exhibition game", but in soccer it's a "friendly"?
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Life after the Olympics
The Olympics are over and wasn't it grand? From the opening ceremonies, through all the various thrilling competitions, right up until they turned out the lights, it was quite the spectacle. But something was wrong.....
There was even a little scandal thrown in with protests over scores, an athlete here and there being suspected of doping, and whoever heard of badminton players intentionally throwing a match? The Olympics just wouldn't be the same without a little scandal to spice it up.
Even the mayor of London, Hizzoner Boris Johnson got in on the act. Getting stuck on a zip line while waving a couple British flags? Great stuff. We could use a few politicians like him in the US. Maybe even as President. BJ was born in New York, so he's technically eligible. He may or may not be capable of solving the myriad of problems the US is facing, but it sure would be fun. Something about those initials, though, hmmm, nevermind. Still, why did it feel like something was out of whack? It seemed like I should know this, but I couldn't put my finger on it....
Now the athletes are scattering all over the globe returning to their home countries, where they do -- what? It probably depends on the country. Some of them will go right back to training for the next Olympics in Rio, while others blend into society, and go in search of a real job. The American Olympians are a little different. They'll go in search of other things -- like the talk show circuit, breaking into fashion, TV, or the movies. And of course, there's the never-ending quest for the highest standard of all -- endorsements. Cha-ching. Surely, there's enough products out there for each of them to find a niche. Even the low-profile sports like, say, hammer throwers, could advertise wrecking balls. Somebody's gotta do it.
If one could avoid the dreaded "spoiler alerts" on the 6 o'clock news, it was pretty cool being able to settle in for Olympic action every night for the last few weeks. But that's when that mysterious feeling that something was amiss would get even stronger.
Now that it's all over, the problem is finally solved. It was obvious all along, but I just couldn't see it. And that's exactly the point.
No Jeopardy! for 3 weeks. Welcome back, Alex Trebek.
How appropriate they start right off with the Tournament of Champions in the wake of the Olympics.
Perfect. All is well now.
There was even a little scandal thrown in with protests over scores, an athlete here and there being suspected of doping, and whoever heard of badminton players intentionally throwing a match? The Olympics just wouldn't be the same without a little scandal to spice it up.
Even the mayor of London, Hizzoner Boris Johnson got in on the act. Getting stuck on a zip line while waving a couple British flags? Great stuff. We could use a few politicians like him in the US. Maybe even as President. BJ was born in New York, so he's technically eligible. He may or may not be capable of solving the myriad of problems the US is facing, but it sure would be fun. Something about those initials, though, hmmm, nevermind. Still, why did it feel like something was out of whack? It seemed like I should know this, but I couldn't put my finger on it....
Now the athletes are scattering all over the globe returning to their home countries, where they do -- what? It probably depends on the country. Some of them will go right back to training for the next Olympics in Rio, while others blend into society, and go in search of a real job. The American Olympians are a little different. They'll go in search of other things -- like the talk show circuit, breaking into fashion, TV, or the movies. And of course, there's the never-ending quest for the highest standard of all -- endorsements. Cha-ching. Surely, there's enough products out there for each of them to find a niche. Even the low-profile sports like, say, hammer throwers, could advertise wrecking balls. Somebody's gotta do it.
If one could avoid the dreaded "spoiler alerts" on the 6 o'clock news, it was pretty cool being able to settle in for Olympic action every night for the last few weeks. But that's when that mysterious feeling that something was amiss would get even stronger.
Now that it's all over, the problem is finally solved. It was obvious all along, but I just couldn't see it. And that's exactly the point.
No Jeopardy! for 3 weeks. Welcome back, Alex Trebek.
How appropriate they start right off with the Tournament of Champions in the wake of the Olympics.
Perfect. All is well now.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Rory McIlroy now and Tiger Woods then
Whether or not Tiger Woods will ever again dominate professional golf is anybody's guess. There was a time, not that long ago, when Woods was so far above the rest that many would take Tiger against the entire "field" in a wager, particularly when it came to major championships. That wasn't such a bad bet. For whatever reasons -- time, age, tougher competition, personal demons, injuries, swing, coach and caddy changes -- take your pick -- few would take that same bet these days. Tiger's still a world-class golfer, but the last few years haven't seen him in the dominant role he once played.
To currently compare Woods and Rory McIlroy might be apples and oranges, but looking back at what Tiger did when he was Rory's age reveals some remarkable similarities.
McIlroy just won the PGA championship for his second major, at the age of 23. Tiger did the same. So did Jack Nicklaus, for that matter. Rory was one month older than Jack, and 4 months younger than Tiger, but close enough.
When Tiger was merely 21 he blitzed the field at the Masters, winning by a whopping 12 strokes, a record.
Rory just blitzed the field at the PGA, winning by 8 strokes, to eclipse the record Jack had held since 1980.
McIlroy has quickly become a crowd favorite, as Woods once did. To be sure, Tiger still has his legions of fans many years later. As McIlroy was walking the 18th fairway, about to close out the 2012 PGA championship in grand fashion, the gallery was chanting his name. RO-RY. RO-RY. RO-RY. Pretty impressive for a kid that wasn't even playing on his own continent, let alone in his own country.
Whether or not the current competition is tougher than it was in Tiger's hey-day is debatable, but just the fact that up until McIlroy won the PGA, the previous 16 major tournaments had all been won by different golfers certainly speaks of parity. It also seems like more "young guns" are popping up from all over the world every year these days than they did a decade or so ago, but that could be an illusion. Either way, it might be safe to say the competition is certainly a lot tougher than it was back in Nicklaus' prime.
Around the turn of the century, Tiger got on an unbelievable roll, winning majors (and a slew of other tournaments) at an unprecedented rate. He once even held all 4 major championships at the same time. Most had little doubt it was only a matter of time before Tiger would easily eclipse Jack's record of 18 majors. Fast forward a decade and that doesn't look like such a given. Maybe he will. Maybe he won't. It's astonishing to think that over the past year, Woods didn't shoot a single round under par on the weekends at any of the 4 majors. It used to be that on Saturday and Sunday Tiger would shift into overdrive and leave the field in his dust. Of late, he'll often start off well on Thursday and Friday, only to fade on the weekend. It's like everything's backwards.
Like Woods, McIlroy is long off the tee, has every shot in his bag, and is a superb putter. Tiger was "pressure-proof". If anything, the bigger the stage, the better he played. Time will tell if Rory can handle the constant scrutiny he'll find himself under if he remains the #1 golfer in the world for any length of time. Yet having won 2 majors by the same age as Tiger and Jack once did speaks a lot for the young Irishman's nerves in big situations.
It would seem foolish to suggest that McIlroy will ever approach what Woods has done in golf, but back then, who ever thought someone like Tiger would come along and accomplish what he has?
Rory's only beginning, Tiger's not done yet, and there might be a 14 year old kid out there somewhere that will burst upon the scene in a few years to eventually smash ALL the records. You never know. The more likely scenario is that it won't happen. There's too many guys that are really good, and it only takes one of them to get hot while winning any particular tournament to deny any one golfer the chance at chasing all time records. It could be a different guy every tournament, like the last 16 majors, but the cumulative effect works against one player being singularly dominant. Parity may be boring, but for now it's certainly real. It's odd that all the other professional sports leagues strive mightily for that same parity, through the likes of draft picks and salary caps, while golf seems to relish having a "king". Tiger could very well reassume the throne. Then again, perhaps the golf gods will decide it should remain vacant. Or maybe, just maybe, another will come along and seize power.
Interesting, though, how McIlroy was wearing a red shirt on Sunday, as he blew away the field at the PGA. Sound familiar? If he starts wearing black pants and gets a surly caddie --- watch out.
To currently compare Woods and Rory McIlroy might be apples and oranges, but looking back at what Tiger did when he was Rory's age reveals some remarkable similarities.
McIlroy just won the PGA championship for his second major, at the age of 23. Tiger did the same. So did Jack Nicklaus, for that matter. Rory was one month older than Jack, and 4 months younger than Tiger, but close enough.
When Tiger was merely 21 he blitzed the field at the Masters, winning by a whopping 12 strokes, a record.
Rory just blitzed the field at the PGA, winning by 8 strokes, to eclipse the record Jack had held since 1980.
McIlroy has quickly become a crowd favorite, as Woods once did. To be sure, Tiger still has his legions of fans many years later. As McIlroy was walking the 18th fairway, about to close out the 2012 PGA championship in grand fashion, the gallery was chanting his name. RO-RY. RO-RY. RO-RY. Pretty impressive for a kid that wasn't even playing on his own continent, let alone in his own country.
Whether or not the current competition is tougher than it was in Tiger's hey-day is debatable, but just the fact that up until McIlroy won the PGA, the previous 16 major tournaments had all been won by different golfers certainly speaks of parity. It also seems like more "young guns" are popping up from all over the world every year these days than they did a decade or so ago, but that could be an illusion. Either way, it might be safe to say the competition is certainly a lot tougher than it was back in Nicklaus' prime.
Around the turn of the century, Tiger got on an unbelievable roll, winning majors (and a slew of other tournaments) at an unprecedented rate. He once even held all 4 major championships at the same time. Most had little doubt it was only a matter of time before Tiger would easily eclipse Jack's record of 18 majors. Fast forward a decade and that doesn't look like such a given. Maybe he will. Maybe he won't. It's astonishing to think that over the past year, Woods didn't shoot a single round under par on the weekends at any of the 4 majors. It used to be that on Saturday and Sunday Tiger would shift into overdrive and leave the field in his dust. Of late, he'll often start off well on Thursday and Friday, only to fade on the weekend. It's like everything's backwards.
Like Woods, McIlroy is long off the tee, has every shot in his bag, and is a superb putter. Tiger was "pressure-proof". If anything, the bigger the stage, the better he played. Time will tell if Rory can handle the constant scrutiny he'll find himself under if he remains the #1 golfer in the world for any length of time. Yet having won 2 majors by the same age as Tiger and Jack once did speaks a lot for the young Irishman's nerves in big situations.
It would seem foolish to suggest that McIlroy will ever approach what Woods has done in golf, but back then, who ever thought someone like Tiger would come along and accomplish what he has?
Rory's only beginning, Tiger's not done yet, and there might be a 14 year old kid out there somewhere that will burst upon the scene in a few years to eventually smash ALL the records. You never know. The more likely scenario is that it won't happen. There's too many guys that are really good, and it only takes one of them to get hot while winning any particular tournament to deny any one golfer the chance at chasing all time records. It could be a different guy every tournament, like the last 16 majors, but the cumulative effect works against one player being singularly dominant. Parity may be boring, but for now it's certainly real. It's odd that all the other professional sports leagues strive mightily for that same parity, through the likes of draft picks and salary caps, while golf seems to relish having a "king". Tiger could very well reassume the throne. Then again, perhaps the golf gods will decide it should remain vacant. Or maybe, just maybe, another will come along and seize power.
Interesting, though, how McIlroy was wearing a red shirt on Sunday, as he blew away the field at the PGA. Sound familiar? If he starts wearing black pants and gets a surly caddie --- watch out.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Media darlings
For whatever reasons, the media seem to adopt certain athletes as their favorite sons or daughters. They'll hype them to the max. They want them to win. They WILL them to win. And, lo and behold, sometimes they DO win. Lebron James would be a prime example. From always coming up short in Cleveland, to the "decision" to take his talents to Miami, to getting blown away by the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals a little over a year ago -- the media never wavered in their commitment. It didn't seem to matter that outside of the southeast Florida region most basketball fans didn't much care for James, to put it mildly, they weren't going to stop pushing that story down our collective throats until James was a champion. And now he finally is. Whew. I'm glad that's over.
There have been many others over the years in different sports, both male and female, that the media have come together to rally behind for their own reasons. Most times these athletes are amongst the best in what they do, but not always. Even at the local level, sometimes the bias can make one wonder. Take Brandon Inge, formerly of the Detroit Tigers. Though he never could hit much, while making millions during his career in Motown, Inge was adopted as the "favorite" Tiger. Inge was a team spokesman, gave great interviews, and was an all-around nice guy. But he still couldn't hit. Many were quick to defend him by claiming his fielding prowess at third base more than made up for his deficiency in the batter's box. Yeah? If that was so important, why did the Tigers kick him to the curb in favor of Miguel Cabrera? Cabrera's a beast in the batter's box, but compared to Inge, has Roberto Duran's famed "hands of stone" when in comes to fielding the same position.
The media wanted us to believe Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa were the greatest thing to happen in baseball for decades when they were slugging all those home runs years ago. Look back at what they said and wrote at the time. Once the whole steroid scandal broke, they turned on them quickly. Like the old "Mission Impossible" mantra, they currently disavow all knowledge of their involvement at the time -- but it happened.
Yet there's one athlete that is the undisputed champion when it comes to being a media darling. The king. The czar, emperor, Pope, President, pharaoh, and shaman of the media. They love him. They worship him. They can't get enough of him. His every word is looked upon as if Moses keeps coming down from the mountain with a new set of tablets.
Gee, I wonder who that could be.....
There have been many others over the years in different sports, both male and female, that the media have come together to rally behind for their own reasons. Most times these athletes are amongst the best in what they do, but not always. Even at the local level, sometimes the bias can make one wonder. Take Brandon Inge, formerly of the Detroit Tigers. Though he never could hit much, while making millions during his career in Motown, Inge was adopted as the "favorite" Tiger. Inge was a team spokesman, gave great interviews, and was an all-around nice guy. But he still couldn't hit. Many were quick to defend him by claiming his fielding prowess at third base more than made up for his deficiency in the batter's box. Yeah? If that was so important, why did the Tigers kick him to the curb in favor of Miguel Cabrera? Cabrera's a beast in the batter's box, but compared to Inge, has Roberto Duran's famed "hands of stone" when in comes to fielding the same position.
The media wanted us to believe Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa were the greatest thing to happen in baseball for decades when they were slugging all those home runs years ago. Look back at what they said and wrote at the time. Once the whole steroid scandal broke, they turned on them quickly. Like the old "Mission Impossible" mantra, they currently disavow all knowledge of their involvement at the time -- but it happened.
Yet there's one athlete that is the undisputed champion when it comes to being a media darling. The king. The czar, emperor, Pope, President, pharaoh, and shaman of the media. They love him. They worship him. They can't get enough of him. His every word is looked upon as if Moses keeps coming down from the mountain with a new set of tablets.
Gee, I wonder who that could be.....
Thursday, August 9, 2012
China vs USA. Who's better?
That's a loaded question, in a lot of ways. However, let's ignore politics, particularly in an election year, religious issues, productivity, and even Wal-Mart merchandise for sale. This is about which nation is winning the most medals in the current Olympic games.
As the games have gone on -- it's been a see-saw battle. One day China is ahead by a couple, and the next the USA has regained the lead. Meanwhile, the athletes of Great Britain have certainly made an admirable showing. Yes, they have "home field" advantage, but who would have guessed before the games started that they would win as many medals as they have? And Andy Murray winning the gold in tennis? Perfect.
But when it's all over, either China or the USA will have won the most medals. Perhaps bragging rights will be involved on some level, though it shouldn't be that way. The Olympics are supposed to be a showcase of not only highly-skilled athletes from the world over competing against each other, but also peaceful, dignified and, win or lose, done with honor and respect amongst the competitors.
Some countries don't have the means to compete in all the events, but are world-class at what they take seriously. As examples, Jamaica is known for their sprinters, Bulgaria for weightlifters, and Kenyans for running long distance races, especially the marathon. I doubt you've ever seen a Kenyan weightlifter or a Bulgarian lining up against Usain Bolt. Many countries don't pretend to be good at everything, so they stick to what they do best. Of course, such "specialized" countries will never be in the running for the most medals.
Not so, the USA. America will always offer up athletes and teams for every event there is. Some will be great, most of them at least highly competitive, but others might not fare so well against world competition.
And there's the rub in the China vs USA medal battle. All the "track and field" events put together offer a whole slew of medals, but China doesn't seem to even participate in most of it. I can't remember ever seeing a Chinese sprinter, hurdler, or distance runner. Nor do I recall them competing in the hammer or discus throws, shot putt, long jump, steeplechase, and other events. It's almost like they don't even bother, but concentrate on what they do well elsewhere.
Who will win the final medal count is yet to be seen, but it tilts in the Americans' favor, given the events that remain -- some of which the Chinese won't even contest.
Bottom line? If a country's in the hunt for the most medals, and don't even participate in a lot of events -- they must be really good at the ones they take seriously.
Between China and the USA, who's better overall? Beats me.
But you won't see me at Wal-Mart.
As the games have gone on -- it's been a see-saw battle. One day China is ahead by a couple, and the next the USA has regained the lead. Meanwhile, the athletes of Great Britain have certainly made an admirable showing. Yes, they have "home field" advantage, but who would have guessed before the games started that they would win as many medals as they have? And Andy Murray winning the gold in tennis? Perfect.
But when it's all over, either China or the USA will have won the most medals. Perhaps bragging rights will be involved on some level, though it shouldn't be that way. The Olympics are supposed to be a showcase of not only highly-skilled athletes from the world over competing against each other, but also peaceful, dignified and, win or lose, done with honor and respect amongst the competitors.
Some countries don't have the means to compete in all the events, but are world-class at what they take seriously. As examples, Jamaica is known for their sprinters, Bulgaria for weightlifters, and Kenyans for running long distance races, especially the marathon. I doubt you've ever seen a Kenyan weightlifter or a Bulgarian lining up against Usain Bolt. Many countries don't pretend to be good at everything, so they stick to what they do best. Of course, such "specialized" countries will never be in the running for the most medals.
Not so, the USA. America will always offer up athletes and teams for every event there is. Some will be great, most of them at least highly competitive, but others might not fare so well against world competition.
And there's the rub in the China vs USA medal battle. All the "track and field" events put together offer a whole slew of medals, but China doesn't seem to even participate in most of it. I can't remember ever seeing a Chinese sprinter, hurdler, or distance runner. Nor do I recall them competing in the hammer or discus throws, shot putt, long jump, steeplechase, and other events. It's almost like they don't even bother, but concentrate on what they do well elsewhere.
Who will win the final medal count is yet to be seen, but it tilts in the Americans' favor, given the events that remain -- some of which the Chinese won't even contest.
Bottom line? If a country's in the hunt for the most medals, and don't even participate in a lot of events -- they must be really good at the ones they take seriously.
Between China and the USA, who's better overall? Beats me.
But you won't see me at Wal-Mart.
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