Olympics Review

As the Olympics wrap up within the next day or two, I reflect on the entire events with positive thoughts. I used to joke with my mother that if you put any game on the TV, I’ll watch it and be an expert on it within a few viewings. I’m not an expert, but I’ll give any sport a chance. The Olympics is the ultimate test of this.

Everyone can watch basketball, but try watching Judo at 2 a.m. online! Fun times. However, good things must come to an end. Here’s my review of the events, along with some attractive Olympians in them.

I was not going to include the hotties, but that’s not how I roll. I am what I am. I appreciate the athletic skills of the women, however if I find them attractive, is that a problem?

To be fair, here's something for the ladies:

Let’s keep it moving.

Archery: I didn’t really check this out as much as I wanted to. South Korea and China won the most medals, just like I predicted.

Badminton: I couldn’t get into it like I thought I would. It looks cool to watch for five minutes, but to commit to an entire match is not the most enjoyable thing, to me anyway.

Baseball: It’s the final time that we’re going to see it in the Olympics and that’s a shame. There were some good games, including the testy game between China and the US. The Americans got bronze and South Korea shocked the world by getting a gold medal over Cuba.

Basketball: The US women took care of business and got another gold. Congrats to Lisa Leslie, who is probably the most underrated American basketball player ever, men or woman. Look at her resume. She has won at every level and changed the game. Candice Parker did well, but I won’t post her picture here again because she gets enough love from me. Never, ever trust a Tennessee Volunteer.

The US men face Spain for the gold and by the time you read this, they probably took care of business. I’ll elaborate more later this week with a post specifically on this team.

Beach Volleyball: This sport is an example of what I call the “lack of uniqueness” quality. I like watching it, but I can check out NBC on a weekend evening and watch it. This limits my desire to check it out in the Olympics.

Put it this way. I’ll make more of an effort to watch handball or table tennis in the Olympics than tennis, baseball or basketball.

It was good to see both American teams take care of business, especially after the eventual men’s team winners lost the first match to Latvia. Freakin Latvia! Do they have beaches in Eastern Europe?

It was good to see Keri Walsh, aka Six Feet of Sunshine and my girl, Misty May-Treanor bring home the gold.

This has become a solid debate among guys the past few years. Misty or Keri? Do you want the tall, thin blonde or the shorter and let’s keep it PG, “curvier” brunette. The picture should tell you who I would take, even though neither one would get kicked out of bed, if you know what I’m saying! I’ll see myself out.

Boxing: As I’ve mentioned here in the past, I’m not a big fan of Olympic boxing because of the scoring system. I’ve seen guys get clean shots to the head yet not receive a point. It’s terrible.

You know what else is terrible? The United States only having one medal so far and a bronze at that. There was a time when the USA was the premier country in boxing, but how times have changed.

Canoe/Kayak: Didn’t see a moment of it, but congrats to Togo for earning it’s first ever Olympic medal.

Cycling: Congrats to the USA for getting some medals in BMX, which I’m not sure if I’m down with it being an Olympic sport. X-Games, yes. Olympics, not so sure.

Diving: Same as boxing. That lady who does the announcing annoys the heck out of me. Someone will do a nice dive, but she’ll say something like their legs were spread or they arched their back on the second rotation, small stuff like that. To her credit though, she thinks like a judge and her predictions are usually correct. I just don’t like judges.

Yes, I know that I love mixed martial arts and there are judges in that, but it’s different.

Equestrian: No interest in seeing horses.

Actually, I take that back. Check this story out: http://www.nbcolympics.com/equestrian/news/newsid=242890.html#jumping+horses+suspended+doping

Four horses getting kicked out for drugs!?! This sport just got more interesting. I may have to give it more of a chance in 2012 in London.

Fencing: Finally, a sport that the USA represented in well. Six medals overall for our Yanks, including silver from my man, Keeth Smart of my hometown, Brooklyn, N.Y.

The NYC is taking it global!

Field Hockey: I checked out the male competition, because I didn’t think that they competed in the sport until I did my preview post about a week or two ago. My bad on that one, especially since I pride myself on knowing the Olympics pretty well and this is one of the oldest sports in the games. Congrats to Germany beating Spain on the men’s side.

Props to the Dutch as well for getting the gold on the women’s side.

Gymnastics: Ah, a biggie. I actually gave this one a chance, more than normal.

First, those Chinese women aren’t 16, I’m sorry.

Second, good job by the US men and women overall.

Oh, Alicia, she had a rough go at it in the team competition. Falling on the balance beam, on the floor exercise and most likely costing your team a gold medal is not so good. However, getting a silver medal is nothing to be ashamed of.

However, the one who got screwed out of some golds is Nastia Liukin. She lost a tiebreaker for the gold medal TWICE. I don’t understand how she can have the same final score as the winner and not get a gold medal of her own. Even the commentators were unsure of the tiebreaker system.

Congrats to the US men for getting a bronze medal in the team competition without the Hamm brothers competing.

Rhythmic Gymnastics: This deserves a separate category. I watched some of this as well and I find this more entertaining than normal gymnastics. It involves ribbons, ropes, balls, rings and other props. I love props.

You know what else I love…


Yeah, when you have beautiful women like that (above is Alexandra Orlando of Canada) doing jumps in the air and having the sickest flexibility (look up some routines on You Tube if you want an idea), yeah, I’m a fan.

Handball: Such a darn cool sport. I’ve loved checking it out online.

I asked out loud in my preview why this sport wasn’t more popular in the US. It’s fast paced, includes elements of basketball, hockey, soccer and other sports that people recognize. Why no love?

I compare it to lacrosse in some way. When I was in eighth grade, our baseball team would practice on fields next to lacrosse games. My coach exclaimed to me one day, “How can someone like that sport, no defense is being played!”

Handball looks like some guys just running up and down the court throwing the ball into the net with no defense. Furthermore, when the save percentage of a good goalie is around 35%, this looks like lack of effort with the scores of games being 28-26.

We Americans like our sports to have scoring, but only to a certain point. We also don’t like too much defense. Like in football, we don’t like a 6-3 game, but don’t want a 45-42 game every time. Baseball is the same. We like the occasional 1-0 pitcher’s duel, but don’t want a 16-13 home run fest. Balance is the key.

There isn’t as much of this balance in handball.

Judo: Let me tell you how much I loved staying up till 2 a.m. every night the first week of the Olympics to watch this.

It’s convinced me to seriously consider joining a dojo and practicing it myself.

Actually, I was going to try to learn Jiu-Jitsu before the Olympics, but watching the Judo convinced me even more to explore these sports.

I like the balance of speed, strength and strategy. It’s very much a mental contest just as much as the physical. However, as someone I heard speak about it on one of the MMA internet radio shows that I listen to, the Olympic Judo is less action-packed because everyone is a black belt and so good.

Since there are no mismatches, the defense is so, so good. Many of the matches would end in a draw before extra time was needed. I’m still a fan though.

Japan got the most medals, as usual. However, congrats to Ronda Rousey for getting the USA’s lone medal, a bronze in the 70 kg.

Modern Pentathlon: Didn’t watch it, sorry.

Rowing, Sailing, Shooting: Pass, Pass, Pass

Actually, I did watch some of the rowing but didn’t dig it.

Soccer: I did check some of this out.


Congrats to the USA women, especially my girl Hope for getting gold. I wasn’t mad at her when she called out the coaches during the last World Cup. She should have played in that game and now she has redemption.

That’s Natasha Kai, my favorite player on the team. Hawaiian and rocking tats, gotta be down with that.

The USA men didn’t do badly but not great. I would have liked to see them at least make it to the medal round. Hopefully this got the guys some good experience to prepare for the World Cup in 2010 in South Africa.

Props to Argentina for getting the gold. Brazil, issues. How do you lose 3-0 to Argentina in the semifinals? Shouldn’t happen. The Nigerians made a nice run at it and hopefully this gives them momentum.

I’ve been on the Kaka train and then the Ronaldo train as being the best players in the world. However, Lionel Messi? If he was this consistent in club play with Barcelona, the debate wouldn’t be as clear. I’m still saying when all three are healthy, I’m taking Ronaldo, but Messi is making it really, really, really close.

Softball: We lost to Japan in the Gold medal game? How does this happen?

People like to throw out some hot softball athletes out there like Jennie Fitch or Taryne Mowatt, but how about this one…


Cat should get just as much love. Let’s see. She’s 6-2, dark hair, a lefty, a Texan and I’m two years older than her. She threw a no-hitter in the Olympics as well. I might have to make a trip to Houston.

Swimming: Michael Phelps, you reek of America. Everyone has spoken about him so you know about him.

The gold medals are cool, but this is even better



That’s Stephanie Rice of Australia and she won three gold medals. She also had a public breakup with her boyfriend before the Olympics. How does she celebrate after winning the medals?

By making out with our boy Phelps in the Olympic Village.

Well played, Michael, well played.

Seriously, Jason Lezak’s final leg of the 4x100 relay was one of the most thrilling sports moments I’ve ever witnessed live.

Also, let’s give props to another one of my favorites and legend of the cooking segment on the Today show, Natalie Coughlin.


She is a fantastic swimmer, as evidence in her six total medals in Beijing. However, in all of the stories about her, you see her swimming and cooking. I like sports and love food, so she’s a winner in my book.

Synchronized Swimming: Creeps me out.

Table Tennis: So awesome that this is an Olympic sport. I dig how the Asian countries take this so seriously. China dominated and South Korea notched some medals as well.

Taekwondo: Congrats to the Lopez family for getting three medals in the same Olympics, tremendous stuff.

I was kinda disappointed in it overall. It was the first time that I sat down and watched it and just couldn’t get into it. Not every sport can be a home run.

Tennis: Rafa continues his epic year. If he wins the US Open, where does that place him in the best individual tennis seasons ever?

Ana Ivanovic and Serena Williams for the fellas.

Track and Field: This can be its own post, but I’ll hit you with bullet-points.

-The Jamaicans are fast and the Africans can run distance races. That’s all.

-How long before an NFL team makes a play at Usain Bolt? You have to at least give him a tryout. I know I would in a second. Even if it doesn’t work out, you get some free international pub for it.

-Bad moment for potential bench player in my top-five, LoLo Jones. She was two hurdles away from winning the 110 hurdles and then she fell. LoLo handled it like a pro in the interview but you can see how tough she took it when she was alone and crying. I felt terrible for her.



-I felt just as bad for Sonya Richards. She had the 400 meters wrapped up and then gassed to finish third. She got some redemption in the 4x400 relay and got gold. BTW, not only is she amazingly hot (her eyes are amazing), she’s engaged to Aaron Ross of the SUPER BOWL WINNING CHAMPIONS, THE NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS!

Well played, Aaron, well played.



-Congrats to Allyson for getting gold in that same relay.

-What happened to Bernard Lagat? He didn’t even medal in the 1,500 and 5,000 meters, races he has won world championships in. For his sake, I hope he’s injured. That sound cruel but at least it’s a legit excuse.



-Congrats to Priscilla Lopes-Schliep of our friendly neighbor to the north, Canada for placing third in the same hurdles race LoLo raced in. The only reason she’s mentioned in this post is what you already know.



-That’s Katie Goucher of the USA. She ran in the 5,000 and 10,000 meter races and didn’t medal, but made some new friends. Read here: http://www.nypost.com/seven/08142008/gossip/pagesix/horny_hoopsters_124347.htm

Not well played, Carmelo, LeBron, Kobe and Jason Kidd. Let’s see, Carmelo and LeBron are in long-term relationships with their girlfriends who have children with them. Kobe, married but we know how much that means to him. That leaves Jason. He’s not married but was engaged to a model but I think they broke up. She’s married fellas.

Trampoline: No interest.

Triathlon: Didn’t check this one out.

Volleyball: Before the Games started, I was hoping that each US team could get a medal. Both teams exceeded expectations. It’s also been cool watching the live matches late, late at night. After watching a men’s match that lasted until 2 a.m., I went to work later that morning and the People’s Champion Sean Sawyer said I sounded tired. I was beat, but got my cup of coffee and grinded it out. Loved it all.

Congrats to the women for getting the silver and introducing me to my future wife, Kimberly Glass.



She’s also a model. I’m now a fan.

The men are facing Brazil at this moment and if they can pull off the win that would be sick. Great effort by those guys. If you have the chance, check out the semifinal match between the US and Russia. Thrilling match.

Water Polo: My expectations were similar to volleyball, a little higher for the women.

The ladies got silver, which is great, but the story of the men’s team is even more incredible. They came into the Games the ninth-ranked team in the world and are now in the gold medal game against two-time defending Olympic champs Hungary. The USA dismantling of Serbia in the semifinals was amazing to watch.

Congrats to both teams.

Weightlifting: I found myself watching this a lot. I love the focus that the lifters have when they approach their weights and the intensity of the coaches. They look like they are in a mental zone people rarely approach. Those men and women are strong beyond comprehension.

Wrestling: Congrats to Henry Cejudo of the USA for his gold. His reaction of tears and pure joy after winning the final match was great to see.

That’s the review kids. I’m going to get comfortable and hopefully see the USA kick the crap out of Spain for that gold medal in basketball. Good fight, good night.