Sonics Won't Be Returning to Seattle

The lawsuit that Howard Schultz launched against the new owners of the ex-Seattle Supersonics franchise has been officially dropped.

This was first reported on here

After two recent rulings in Schultz’s lawsuit went in favor of Bennett, the Starbucks Corp. CEO filed a motion for dismissal Friday in federal court.

“As a result of these developments, our legal team and I no longer believe we can be successful with this litigation,” Schultz wrote in a letter to former members of his ownership group, the Basketball Club of Seattle.

Howard Schultz was the previous owner of the Supersonics franchise and claimed that Clay Bennett violated the terms of the sale of the franchise. According to the terms Clay Bennett and the new ownership was supposed to exercise good faith in trying to keep the team in Seattle. But, it had appeared as if this was never the intention.

The suit has been dropped because Schultz and Seattle decided that it was not smart to get on the NBA's bad side. If they were to lose the case, they most likely would never be able to secure another NBA Franchise. Instead, they chose to make amends with the NBA and hope that the next team relocation will be to Seattle.

“We have received feedback that a continuing adversarial relationship with the NBA was not politically useful to the city’s ongoing efforts to secure a future franchise,” Schultz wrote. “Thus, the prevailing wisdom of many in the Seattle community and the advice of key members of the BCOS is that Seattle’s best chance for a professional basketball franchise is to end this litigation and allow the city, state Legislature and other parties to begin the necessary fence mending with the NBA.”

Personally, I'm pretty darn pissed. This was the ONE opportunity to make an example out of David Stern who seems to be omnipotent these days. I guess this is overall better for the basketball world because there's less overall volatility. And I'm sure fans in Oklahoma City would have been rather upset. Maybe I just like drama. Or, maybe I want someone to slap David Stern in the face! (He did do a good job promoting the sport however, hurrah hurrah for him)

Read/Discuss >>

UEFA Champions League Draw

The Champions League group stages draw has been released, and several story lines abound. Let's quickly run through each group and see what's what!



Group A: Chelsea (England), AS Roma (Italy), Bordeaux (France), Cluj (Romania)

The story of this group is the appearance of Champions League debutants Cluj. Who are they? Not very many people know, as Bucharest has won the Romanian top flight for the past 17 years.

Projected winners: Chelsea, AS Roma

Group B: Inter Milan (Italy), Werder Bremen (Germany), Panathinaikos (Greece), Anorthosis (Cypress)

This seems like an easy enough draw to predict, as Inter and Werder Bremen are the main clubs here, but don't overlook Panathinaikos. As Greece's successes in international football have proven, the Greeks know how to get a result. While Inter and Werder Bremen are the favorites, I have a gut feeling that Panathinaikos will pull off a stunning upset in this group.

Projected winners: Inter Milan, Panathinaikos

Group C: FC Barcelona (Spain), Sporting Lisbon (Portugal), FC Basel (Switzerland), Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)

Barca is handed arguably the most straightforward group in the group stages.

Projected winners: Barca, Lisbon

Group D: Liverpool (England), Atletico Madrid (Spain), PSV Eindhoven (Holland), Marseille (France)

This is a very tricky group, as all 4 are strong clubs. The storyline however, is the return of golden boy Fernando Torres to his Atletico Madrid stomping grounds. What kind of a reception will Liverpool's frontman receive from the fans who adored him for so long? Atletico appeared at the top of their game in knocking last year's surprise quarterfinalists Schalke 04 out of the CL qualifying stages, and Liverpool are a team that has consistently performed well in the European competition.

Projected winners: Liverpool, Atletico

Group E: Manchester United (England), Celtic (Scotland), Villareal (Spain), Aalborg (Denmark)

One excellent team and two solid teams, we can expect Man U to take top spot in this group. However, the battle between Celtic and Villareal for the 2nd qualifying spot for the knockout rounds will be fun to watch.

Projected winners: Man U, Villareal

Group F: Lyon (France), Bayern Munich (Germany), Fiorentina (Italy), Steaua Bucharest (France)

Lyon once again enters the Champions League as champions of France. Despite their dominance of the French league, Lyon has failed to do anything of note in the CL. Perhaps this will be their year? Unfortunately, I think Fiorentina will be the surprise of this group.

Projected winners: Bayern Munich, Fiorentina

Group G: Arsenal (England), Fenerbahce (Turkey), Porto (Portugal), Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine)

Ah, the group of death. Four powerful teams, travelling long distances to play against each other. This will be a difficult group to advance out of, and almost impossible to call. While it is difficult to go against the English dominance of last year, I think this year will see one of England's "big 4" crash out of the tournament with a poor showing in the group stages.

Projected winners: Porto, Fenerbahce

Group H: Real Madrid (Spain), Juventus (Italy), Zenit St Petersburg (Russia), Bate Borisov (Belarus)

The group of past giants. Real Madrid and Juventus have not performed admirably in the Champions League competition in several years. Being in the same group with each other likely ensures both of them advancing to the knockout rounds. Can Real and Juve recapture their former glory?

Projected winners: Juventus, Real Madrid

Read/Discuss >>

Bolt to Become a Bolt?

Lightning Bolt speed... A build like a doped-up gazelle... An attitude fully immersed in cockiness and the full belief in being the G.O.A.T... Hell, he even has a celebration dance. Usain Bolt is ready.

The NFL is the American league with football surpassing baseball as the American sport. With the passing of these Olympics, two superstars rose to the forefront above all others: Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt. Now eight gold medals is no feat to take lightly, but the Jamaican blur is the one that has more potential to affect the American sports community, for rumors have been floating around concerning a number of NFL teams' (including the San Diego Chargers) interest in the world's newly crowned fastest man.

A wide receiver needs speed, strength, and the confidence to go above and beyond to get what they want. They are the NFL divas, as the sprinters are in track and field. Not since Bob Hayes has a sprinter been so successful in football, but not since Bullet Bob has such a physical specimen been so otherworldly. If Bolt's 100 meter race time is applied to the combine-heralded 40 yard dash, he would blow out the competition with a time of 3.54 seconds (the fastest time at the 2007 NFL combine was Yamon Figurs, who ran a 4.3). His 6'5", 190-pound frame would tower over cornerbacks, and if he turned out to play for San Diego, how awesome would a Chargers' jersey with Bolt across the back be.

Though he would probably be better suited for a job as a punt or kickoff returner due to the extra amount of room he would be able to take off with, a spot as the slot receiver could work well. If he were to gain any separation, no one on the field could touch him. Though no one knows anything about his route running ability or catching and jumping skills, even if they were decent at best, Usain would still be amazing. So here's to hoping that LT finds himself teamed up with the explosive kid from Trelawny, Jamaica.

Read/Discuss >>

I'd Choose Dinner Over Gold Medals

There's a great article (as in very informative, the writing is so-so) out of the Los Angeles Times, detailing the sacrifices some Chinese athletes had to go through in preperation for the olympics.

Chen Ruolin, a 15-year-old diver, was ordered to skip dinner for one year to keep her body sharp as a razor slicing into the water. The girl weighs 66 pounds.

66 pounds! I know some 1st graders that weigh more than that!

At least they still have their sense of humor:

Guo Jingjing, a gold medalist in diving who weighs 108 pounds, pointed out as much rather ungraciously when she referred to competitor Blythe Hartley as "the fat Canadian."

I really wonder how long the Chinese Government can keep this up. As it mentions in the article, many of the gold medal winning athletes are envious of the way athletes are treated in America. All too soon the independent spirit inside everyone is bound to pop out.

I'm just amazed that they've been able to exercise the amount of censorship and information control that they have in the era of unlimited information.

Does anyone remember when anorexia and bulimia were chronic problems for female gymnasts? They even made that made-for-tv special with the Pink Ranger (from Power Rangers, AmyJo Johnson) about the very "pressing"issue.

How did we go from that, to this?

And, we still had the top 2 all-around gymnasts in the world! Maybe healthy is better! Maybe!

Read/Discuss >>

Blogging: Journalism of the Future

Where do you stand?

The internet has revolutioned the speed and manner in which information is delivered and received. Blogs have united writers of the world (talented ones and burger flippers alike), churning out articles by the day, by the hour, by the minute even. If you support bloggers, detest bloggers, or are a serious blogger yourself, you may have already seen this. If not, here's a short clip of Bob Costas conducting a discussion about blogging with Buzz Bissinger (author of the hit show Friday Night Lights), Will Leitch (editor-at-large of Deadspin.com), and Braylon Edwards (star receiver for the Cleveland Browns).

So I ask you again, faithful reader, where do you stand?

Read/Discuss >>

The All-NBA Gridiron Team

Even though ESPN’s Sports Center is overrun by the upcoming NFL season, I really want the NBA season to hurry up and start. In my attempt to celebrate the massive anticipation of both leagues, I’ve decided to create my own football dream team, composed of NBA players.

Offense:

Quarterback: Allen Iverson. (pictured right) Considering his toughness, speed, and dominance as a high school quarterback, he is arguably the most qualified quarterback in the NBA. He’s the NFL’s Michael Vick… pre-dog-fighting.
Back-up: Kevin Love. First of all, good luck trying to sack a 6’10” 270 pound beast. And secondly, no one throws a quicker and more accurate deep ball than Kevin Love.

Running-back: Lebron James. You cannot bring down Lebron James. He’s too big, too strong, too athletic, too quick, and too fast for you and anyone else. I think every NFL team should try to convert 6’8” 240 pounders into running backs; championships guaranteed.
Back-ups: Baron Davis. Played high-school ball. Has an awesome beard.
Chris Paul: He’s quick, crafty, and has amazing vision. No one else works better in traffic than the elusive CP3.

Full-back: Derek Fisher. With his muscular lower body and dedication to getting low on defense, D-Fish will clear out some major space for the running backs. He is freaking buff.
Back-up: Tyrus Thomas. There’s nothing quite like brute strength to get rid of defenders. He also attended LSU where all students are required to understand the ins and outs of football, so he should know a thing or two about the sport.

Wide-receivers: Kevin Garnett. At 6’11”, very few people are better than him at catching lobs and alley-oops. His speed, athleticism, and focus should make every bomb and fade seem like a walk in the park. And if you do manage to get in the way, he will scream at you.
Dwyane Wade: Probably the best route runner in the NBA. His explosiveness and ability to change directions make him the most difficult player to defend without the ball. Unfortunately, the expiration date on his ankles is rapidly approaching.
Back-ups: Jamario Moon and Rudy Gay. The concept of football is simple. Throw the ball high in the air and Moon or Gay will jump and come down with it.

Tight end: Dwight Howard. If you’re the quarterback and Dwight Howard is your 6th blocker, you’re going to feel safe. Also reassuring is how well the 6’11” monster catches.
Back-up: Andrew Bynum. Not as intimidating as Dwight, but he’s a bigger body with softer hands.

O-line: I wanted to take the most physically gifted players with mass and put them on my offensive line. I highly doubt that you would feel confident in your pass rushing abilities when my seven guys averaging 6’10” 270 pounds know a thing or two about holding their ground.
LT: Jason Maxiell. Frightening powerhouse with sufficient speed to pick up blitzes and protect my potential quarterbacks’ blind sides.
LG: Kendrick Perkins. Big body and a filthy face.
C: Shaq O’Neal. Playground football; put the fattest kid as the snapper. Plus, he loves being the center of attention.
RG: Glen Davis. The last person who tried spent 3 months trying to get around “Big Baby.” Good luck getting to the QB.
RT: Matt Harping. WTF Matt Harping? He’s probably the most physical player on my line and he plays with a chip on his shoulder. His intimidation alone earns him a starting gig.
Back-ups: Jason and Jarron Collins. These big seven-foot brothers are terrible basketball players and most likely terrible football linemen; but 260 pounds should be somewhat effective.

Kicker: Steve Nash. Canadian.
Back-up: Kobe Bryant. His ability to speak Italian comes with soccer talent.


Defense:

D-line: Ben Wallace. Something about his mental capacity seems to match perfectly with football.
Marc Gasol. Seven feet tall and he reminds me of a hardcore outdoorsman. In my head he should be wielding an axe in a red flannel and Wrangler jeans when he’s not playing football.
Elton Brand. I see him as a brute force type of guy.
Mark Madsen. Every coach loves a Mark Madsen type player, even if he does lack athleticism, skill, speed…. But somehow he’ll make the play.

Linebackers: Ron Artest. He will probably win a fistfight versus anybody in the league, and that is because he probably hits really hard. Receivers and backs would most likely do "the quarterback slide" to avoid getting toppled by Artest.
Corey Maggette. Corey is the most chiseled man in the NBA and he wants to hit you hard.
Lamar Odom. LO is a notorious for his lack of inspired play, but when he is inspired, WATCH OUT.
Back-up: Maurice Evans. Think Corey Maggette, but not as buff. Mo Evans understands this and will take out his frustrations on the opposing team.

Cornerbacks: Kobe Bryant. There’s a reason he was called the Doberman during the Olympics, football shall not be any different.
Bruce Bowen. He does have the quickness and footwork to stay in front of any player, but really, the dirtiest player in the NBA should fit right at home in a full-contact game.
Back-up: Raja Bell.

Strong safety: James Posey. He’s quick and strong. But the deciding factor was his mouth-piece, which demonstrates that he’s prepared for violence of the gridiron.
Back-up: Kenyon Martin. Similar to Ben Wallace, he’s not very bright, but he is damn strong and athletic. I wouldn’t mind having a blue-collar guy like him knocking some sense into unsuspecting ball-carriers.

Free Safety: Nate Robinson. You should first be recapped on the NYK vs. Denver scrap a couple years back. You should notice how at 5’7” he is right in the middle of the squabble, not backing down to anyone. And even after his mini-altercation with JR Smith, he’s still punking Carmelo for sucker punching his teammate. Nate Robinson, you are the man.

Punter: Steve Nash. Canadian.

I just created an NFL dynasty team, now only if salaries were not an issue...

Read/Discuss >>

ATA's Fantasy Football Post-Draft Analysis

Well folks, the NFL preseason is rapidly drawing to a close and the NFL season is about to kick off. What does that mean? It's time for some FANTASY FOOTBALL! My cohorts here at After the Anthem created a league for the writers and a few friends, and here we will go over the draft with some comments and added anlysis. Of course, one caveat - our league only included 8 teams, so the depth of our league might be a bit misleading. That said, let's jump in to our round by round break down!




Round 1 Thoughts:
This was a fairly textbook first round. A few notable picks might be ATA's David P. taking Tom Brady with his first pick, and the inclusion of Marshawn Lynch in the first round. With top rated fantasy performers like Gore and Portis still on the board, it would be interesting to see why r2ro opted to go with Lynch and Moss over any combination of Gore, Portis, Manning or Romo. Lynch certainly had a promising debut season, performing well when he played, but he certainly has to answer some questions about his durability. If Buffalo's passing game doesn't perform (highly likely) Lynch may justify r2ro's decision to take him with his first pick.

Best pick: LT. It's LT, nothing to say here.
Worst pick: Lynch. There were several RBs on the board with proven track records - taking a sophomore back with your first pick is risky, so while it may turn out well, the first round ought to be a sure thing. Considering that, I don't like taking risks with the first pick.



Round 2 Thoughts:
In the 2nd round we saw the fantasy dominance of RB's continue, as 12 of the first 16 picks taken were RBs. Textbook fantasy drafting strategy is to take two RB's with your first two drafts, and it seems that several of the drafters in this draft got that memo. No real surprises here, as each pick was fairly solid value.

Best pick: Clinton Portis. Great value pick here, starting a team with LT/Portis is very solid.
Worst pick: Reggie Wayne. Considering draft position, I believe this was a bit of a reach



Round 3 Thoughts:
In the third round we see all the elite level WRs come flying off the draft boards, along with a few owners trying to flesh out their RB situation with all the top tier RBs taken in the first two rounds.

Best pick: Tony Romo
Worst pick: T.J Houshmandzadeh. We do not know just how healthy Housh will be, and considering all the turmoil surrounding the Bengals this season, we do not know what kind of stats Housh will be posting. With players like Colston, Fitzgerald, Holt, and Marshall still available, the Housh pick here leaves me scratching my head.



Round 4 Thoughts:
This was a round with a few head-scratching choices, like Darren McFadden and Steve Smith. McFadden is just a rookie on a terrible Raiders team. McFadden would have been available 2 or 3 rounds later, and what makes the pick even more confusing is that r2ro already has two RBs in Lynch and Maroney.

Best pick: Torry Holt. Getting Holt with that pick is solid.
Worst pick: McFadden.

Analysis of the remaining 11 rounds to come.

Read/Discuss >>

Francisco Rodriguez on pace to crush the saves record.

Yesterday with against the Minnesota Twins, Francisco Rodriguez notched his 50th save of the season, and it's still August!

He reached the magic 50 with the Angels having only complete 129 games. That's the fastest ever. Secondplace, Eric Gagne reached 50 after the Dodgers completed 143 games.

He is now on pace to crush the single season saves record held by Bobby Thigpin (57 saves). K-rod is on pace to have 62.7 saves, to be exact. Yet, K-rod is far from being one of the greatest closers of all time.

This season K-rod's whip has been a worst ever 1.27 and far from the closer ideal of sub-1.0. He is also only averaging 1.12 strikeouts/inning, his worst since his rookie season 1.10. K-rod is also on pace to give up the most walks of his short career...

By comparison, in 2003 when Eric Gagne saved his NL record 55 games, Gagne had a whip of 0.69, and averaged 1.66 strikeouts/inning.

So if K-rod is having one of his worst pitching seasons of his career, why is he about the stand alone atop the single-season-save rankings?

The Angels are rollin', and the its starting pitchers routinely set up the game perfectly for K-rod.

Lost in the mix is the fact that already K-rod has entered 61 games. He is on pace to enter 76.6 games, again the most of his career.

Still, with all of this, K-rod has been able to save 82% of the games he has entered. Gagne by comparison saved only 71.4% in that historic 2003 season.

Gagne, however had ZERO blown saves in 03, while K-rod already has 5. That equates to a 10% failure rate. He better clean that up by the playoffs, otherwise it'll be a nerve-racking 9th inning for Angel's fans.

Side note: don't you love how Baseball articles almost always turn into stat fest??? I sure do!

Read/Discuss >>

The World Conforms to the NBA

FIBA recently announced three big changes in international basketball, that will make it look a lot more like the money/power hungry NBA.

1. 3pt line will be 22 ft. 1.7 in. (currently the line is 20ft. 6in. The NBA 3 is 23 ft. 9in.)
2. The key will be a rectangle (currently the key is trapezoidal. The NBA key is rectangular)
3. There will be a no-charge circle underneath the basket (currently there is no such thing. This exists in the NBA)
   

So all that arguing between ATA editors about how certain NBA players fit the nuances of the international game will be moot come the 2012 Olympics. Personally, I like the trapezoidal key. But I very much support the other two rule changes.

The players are simply to big to have the three point line at 20.5 ft. And the no-charge cicle should promote more athletic and exciting fast-break plays. Thoughts??

Read/Discuss >>

ATA's Olympic Power Rankings

Remember that post on the "Olympic Medal Count Controversy" ? Well, in that post I outlined how nations should be ranked according to "points" rather than total medals or total golds. Each gold medal would receive 3 points, a silver 2 points, and a bronze 1 point.

Now that the Olympics are completed here are the final rankings of nations. It ended up being a viciously close match between China and the USA for the top spot, with China edging the US by 3 points. We will wait for the results of the gymnastics investigation for a finalized list, but as of now, those botched relays are looking like they did us in. Click "read/discuss" for the full chart.

Read/Discuss >>

LiveBlogging - Redeem Team Gold Medal Game

There was a technical complication. At least we got the liveblog applet on the our website! The next step will definitely be to actually use the applet successfully. It's going to happen the next time. Really! Anyways, here's the "live" blog for the gold medal game.

• Okay for some reason the internet decides not to work when I finally get a liveblogging service up.
• But anyways it’s starting from 22-20 Spain is in the lead. Right now Deron Williams is shooting free throws.
• The US was down early but is now up 26-25
• Dwayne Wade is amazingly fast, he’s gotta be one of our most valuable players.
• Ricky Rubio has amazing talent but isn’t really polished. Sometimes he’ll drive through the lane and cut the defense up but won’t know where to go.
• Marc Gasol is turning into quite the post player. He really does look like a frackin redneck. He looks like he weighs 280 of pure thickness.
• I hate Tayshaun Prince, but I’m so glad that he’s on our team right now.
• Why is it that some of Spain’s players have their last name on their jerseys and some have their first names??
• After the first quarter its 38-31 USA-Spain. Team USA’s defense has been horrible.
• Where the f did Jimmy Kimmel come from, why does he get to do all the DirecTv commercials. But it’s rather hilarious when Jimmy’s running across the screen. He’s not trying to be funny but the image of him lugging himself across the screen!! LOL!
• Why isn’t Kobe Bryan’t on Ricky Rubio – Says
• How is that a flagrant?!!?!? F- that sh- - says Adriel
• I, however, think that Dwight Howard clearly had a flagrant against Pau.
• I think Kobe should step back 3 ft when he takes a 3. He is just too talented for this jv game.
• Lebron James is most definitely a football player. He just stiff-armed his way to a lay-up.
• Chris Paul made a half-court alley-oop pass. He is absolutely amazing.
• Poll of the week, are some of the Spanish players wearing superstars?!?!
• Dwayne Wade has what 999 steals??
• Dwayne Wade needs to be the MVP. NOW. F-. My associates are telling me there’s no MVP in the Olympics. In that case, ATA will have it’s own MVP vote at the end of this game.
• The Spanish Coach is the spitting image of Christopher Walken. Anybody??
• Even though the US ended the half up by 8 69-61, this was an atrocious half of defense.
• Wade is still being superman in the 3rd quarter, but USA’s defense is so porous.
• There is no no-charge zone in international ball. I hear that’s gonna change for the next games though. Still that really changes your approach when you drive on the fast break.
• Jimenez, has some outrageous hair. He’s bald, but he has a little island of hair in the front of his head.
• This is getting crazy, Spain is within 2 right now, because of USA’s sloppy defense and sloppy offense. We are playing too fast for even our skills.
• Spain has the hottest cheerleaders ever. Men cross-dressed as beer-maids. So hawt! So hawt!
• Kobe is actually coming through, instead of forcing a shot he drove for the assist.
• Now Kobe again didn’t force the 3, he drove for another assist to Dwight Howard.
• Wade is great and all, but he and James are playing out of control , Kobe loves the half-court
• Dwight Howard is not playing well right now. He isn’t making his free throws (he never does) but he’s not being the defensive presence he needs to be either. Rudy just dunked in his face, and Pau took him to the post.
• Kobe Bryant is my god. Kobe Bryant owns China. The Game is over. Kobe with his 4pt play finished the game. I’m calling it. I’m not blogging anymore because the game is Kobe’s. I’m gonna let Kobe blog from now on okay?
• Spain is outrebounding the US 36-29 with 1 minute to go! Perhaps Memphis didn’t get as robbed as everyone was so quick to assume??? Marc Gasol is a beast..
• Kobe comes through in the clutch again, with a layup and now my vote officially goes to him.
• Kobe and Coach K are having a flirt fest right now. That was so cute! Kobe dunked water over his head and then spanked shevski in the ass!!
• Kobe has to leave now to celebrate his gold medal.

Read/Discuss >>

Olympians want gold, will settle for orgasms

Ex-Olympian Matthew Syed describes to us his sex-capades as an Olympian. According to him, the Olympic village is practically built to be an orgy.

I am often asked if the Olympic village - the vast restaurant and housing conglomeration that hosts the world's top athletes for the duration of the Games - is the sex-fest it is cracked up to be.

My answer is always the same: too right it is.

I played my first Games in Barcelona in 1992 and got laid more often in those two and a half weeks than in the rest of my life up to that point.

Good thing Chinese authorities distributed 400,000 free condoms. Who says the Chinese government isn`t looking out for his fellow bro?

Read/Discuss >>

Against Unfair Laws, We Must Protest

Let's exercise our cerebral selves shall we? Hopefully, by the image above you'll know what this post is about.

So now, let's digress.

In your best imitation of a overtly political, liberal extremist: what would you do when faced with a law that is clearly unjust, and unsuccessful in creating anything positive for humanity?

Take for example, the racial segregation laws in the good ol' U-S of A in the 1960s. Who is old enough to remember "separate, but equal"? I'm sure not. (Ladies, that's a hint.)

Well, for those who have forgotten, the notion of creating something separate, but equal developed a sort of inherent contradiction. We silly Americans would come to realize that separate, almost meant not-equal by default. What was separate would come under the forces of separate and disparate environmental factors, and therefore would become not-equal in a mere nano-second.

Are identical twins, truly identical? Genetically they are. But in development they experience different phenomena that cause them to diverge from one another.

But where would we be as a nation and world society if those little black school children in Arkansas didn't try to attend an all-white elementary school? The very fabric through which free-society and democracy is weaved is based upon the notion that we should "question the convention" and dispute that which is believed to be unjust.

Now let's jump out of political-science class and back into our manly sports world. What is the Olympic rule that China is almost surely breaking?

• A gymnast must be at least 16 years of age, or turning 16 within the calendar year to compete in the Olympics

Why is this so? Why is it that the only sports in the entire Olympics to have any sort of age restriction is gymnastics and men's soccer (an equally idiotic restriction)? What sort of purpose does this serve?

Proponents of the age restriction claim that it is necessary to protect young girls' bodies from the extremes associated with gymnastics training. This claim is absolute rubbish. Girls don't wait 2 extra years to begin training just because they can't officially compete until 16. Training still starts as young as ever, they just wait for a chance to compete on the big stage.

For example, Nastia Liukin has been a world class gymnast since the age of 15. It was said that if she were eligible, she would have definitely made the US Olympic squad. But she wasn't. So instead she trained as hard as ever and competed in junior tournaments in the mean time.

It is said that younger girls, with less developed hips have a slight advantage in gymnastics. They are more able to do twists and flips as a result of their slimmer bodies. But then again, there is always an advantage associated with maturity and experience. With more practice, gymnasts are better able to control those twists and flips into clean fluid performances which would garner the highest scores.

If a younger gymnast mixes her agility with breathtakingly exquisite body control, and defines herself as the best gymnast in the world, shouldn't she be at least allowed the chance to compete for gold?

Here's a quote from swimming legend Gary Hall Jr. via the LA Times:

I don’t understand why a 14-year-old can’t compete in the Olympics. It’s supposed to be the best in sport and He won. Who cares if she’s 14?

I remember being 14. There is no advantage in the world to being 14, unless you are competing in a pimple contest. When I think of being 14, I think weak and awkward, not Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics. I would imagine that being 14 would be a terrible disadvantage.

I guess I don’t know very much about gymnastics.

Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if a 14-year-old beat you at the Olympics though, just a little?

The world we experience is all about how we perceive what we sense. So what if instead of a communist country rife with censorship and human rights issues trying to cheat the system, we see these events as a nation so enamored with the beauty of its "underage" gymnasts that it sees injustice in their ineligibility to compete. And against this injustice, it must protest.

Sadly, that scenario only works if those being wronged are righteous in their actions. China, if you are lying about their ages, admit falsification as soon as possible. Only then can we get behind you, in protesting this blatantly useless age restriction.

Read/Discuss >>

Unfamiliar Territory

Quick. Take a glance at the top of the Premier League table. Yes, you saw that correctly - it reads "Liverpool". While it is still early, Liverpool is off to a great start in their quest to capture their 19th Premier League title, and to end their 18 year drought.

The last two results, 1-0 at Sunderland, and 2-1 home against Middlesbrough, have left much to be desired. Both matches were victories snatched out of thin air, 80 minutes of poor, uninspired play giving way to moments of sheer luck and brilliance to end the day with 3 points in the bag.

It is clear that Liverpool is lacking threatening wide men, as every attack goes through the middle. Perhaps Barry would resolve this issue considering his versatility, but at this point I think Liverpool fans would be satisfied with the signing of a player like Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing.

However, it isn't all doom and gloom at Anfield. The return of three key players from the Olympics (Babel, Lucas, and Mascherano) is sure to bolster their at times weak midfield play, and with an attack minded fullback like Dossena bombing down the touchline, Mascherano's destructive presence in the defensive midfield would be a welcome addition, freeing Dossena up to be even more aggressive going forward providing width.

The mark of a champion is the ability to pull out a win even when you are not at the top of your game, and thus far Liverpool has passed that test with flying colors. Of course, we are yet to see just how good Liverpool's best can be, as the Keane + Torres partnership is still working out some chemistry issues and the lack of any true wide threats cripples the Liverpool attack. In the coming days, look for Liverpool's board to pony up the cash and provide the funds for a left footed midfielder to move to Anfield (Barry and Downing are both still in the mix, as Riera has been labelled as too pricy). Could this be the year that Liverpool finally gets it done? With Man U and Arsenal seemingly struggling, the mantle is there for the taking. I expect this season to be a two horse race between Chelsea and Liverpool, with Liverpool making a push near the end as Chelsea shifts its focus to Abramovic's coveted European Championship.

Read/Discuss >>

Google and Baidu say He Kexin is 14.

If you haven't heard already, a man by the name of Mike Walker (under the alias Stryde Hax) recently did some digging through internet search engines Google and Baidu and uncovered documents from China's General Administration of Sport stating He Kexin's age as 14.

This is rather damaging (for the Chinese) proof from non-other than the controllers of our information universe - Google and Baidu.

Essentially, what Walker did was:

• through a Google and Baidu search he found 2 documents that would reveal the ages of the gymnasts
• however, those documents have been deleted (or moved to a different web address)
• Walker was able to access the documents through the search engines "cache"
  
• Cache literrally means "hide" in french. In computer-speak it represents a temporary storage location for data.
• In the cache, the documents are formatted a little differently, but display He Kexin's birth date as January 1, 1994.
  

For a detailed recount of his journalistic efforts go here:
Hack the Olympics!
Olympic Hacking Part II

Read/Discuss >>

Fantasy Forecast

Before I go into this week's fantasy discussion, let's do a quick recap of last week's picks. Since advising the world to pick up Washington outfielder Lastings Milledge from waivers, Milledge has been caught in somewhat of a power slump, going homerless in 11 straight games. However, his 2 stolen bases and steady batting average during this stretch gives me enough reason to stick with him, and I advise you to do the same. His power will come back, and so will your roto points. Chris Carpenter, the Cardinals ace I dubbed the 'less risky' pitching alternative, somehow wound up on the disabled list again. This time it was a shoulder injury. While I was wrong on this note, Francisco Liriano's stellar pitching in his last two starts (0 earned runs in 12.0 innings pitched) should help quell your disappointment. And now, onto this week.


DROP OF THE WEEK

Matt Kemp (Los Angeles, OF): Kemp's season stats (.298 average, 15 home runs, 28 stolen bases) suggest that I am out of my mind for dumping such a solid contributor in so many fantasy categories. However, when a team acquires a goliath such as Manny Ramirez, many things are bound to change, either for better or for worse. And in Kemp's case, it definitely was not for better. Kemp's most valuable fantasy asset is his exceptional speed around the bases. Since the Dodger's acquired as consistent a run producer as Manny, there has been less necessity to send Kemp running. In 20 games since Manny's arrival, Kemp has stolen just 2 bases (0 in last 10 games). Without his speed, Kemp's decent batting average and power is no longer worth occupying an outfield slot. Drop him immediately.



PICK UP OF THE WEEK

Mike Cameron (Milwaukee, OF): How convenient that the pick up for this week is also an outfielder, which makes reorganizing your lineup breezy. With Mike Cameron, you know exactly what to expect: solid power, solid speed, and a poor average. However, Cameron has produced above expectations in the past month, putting up solid power, solid speed, AND solid average numbers. In 91 at bats this past month, Cameron has 7 home runs, 5 stolen bases, and is hitting .291. If you have some breathing room in the batting average category, or are already so far behind that it doesn't even matter anymore, Cameron is a perfect replacement for Kemp in your lineup. He will provide more power, and speed numbers on a much more consistent basis.


ON THE RADAR

Alexei Ramirez (Chicago White Sox, 2B SS OF): Ramirez's recent onslaught of production from a variety of infield positions has me salivating at the possibilities. Ramirez has hit safely in eight straight games, with 5 home runs, 15 RBI, and a .333 average in 33 at bats during that stretch. However, with only 10 home runs in his previous 320 at bats, I'm reluctant to put my reputation on the line by declaring him as a hot pick up just yet. We'll wait until next week to see if this recent power surge continues.

Read/Discuss >>

Olympic Medal Count Controversy

Nobody has made a really big deal out of it, but murmurings have persisted throughout these Olympics about how the USA always seems to put itself on top. If you look at the medal count table over to the right of this webpage, you will see the USA ranked 1st and China 2nd because the USA has a significant lead in the overall medal count.

The first to question this will most definitely be the Chinese who must be thinking that their 47 golds are clearly superior to the USA's 31. In fact the International Olympic Committee (IOC) would agree with them, because the IOC ranks the countries according to how many golds they have won.

The whole controversy then is that almost every single outlet of American Media (including us btw) portrays the USA as the top dog still, while almost every single outlet of World Media will rank by gold medals, and place China on top. It's the classic USA vs. the World scenario all over again.

Now let me say something to all the critics of either method of ranking:
Shut up. You are stupid. You fuel a useless debate.
You are worthlessly creating superfluous international (as in among different nations) tension.

One could easily argue the situation either way. For example: The countries should be ranked by total medal count, because what if a nation has 100 medals with 2 gold and 98 silvers and another nation has 3 medals total all of which are gold. Do you really believe that in those Olympic games the 3-gold medal country performed better? NOPE.

Then I can twist the absurdity around and ask what if one nation has 50 total medals all of which are bronze and another nation has 49 total medals all of which are gold? If we rank by total medals the 50 bronzes win out. But again, do you really believe that in those Olympic games the 50-bronze nation performed better? NOPE.

It's outrageous to critique either method of ranking because they are both decidedly retarded sophomoric efforts to rank and compare countries in an quattro-annual? event that is intended to unify rather than divide and define nations of the world.

The medal table is a relatively recent addition to the Olympics because the competition was considered to be against the spirit of the Games, and the IOC, although it orders countries by gold medals won, does not endorse one method over another.

There is no official ranking of countries. Even though the IOC happens to rank by gold medals, they admit that this is not an official ranking system, and that countries are free to interpret the medal results as they wish.

The argument that the United States only recently switched to a total medal count ranking is spurious. All of you sports fans will be able to join with me in recounting the days in Atlanta when Dominique Moceanu and Kerri Strugg and the rest of the crew won that team Olympic gold in Women's Gymnastics. (Isn't it sad how we don't remember anyone else?? Shannon Miller was actually the powerhouse of that team, and Dominique Dawes played a large role too, but little old Kerri Strugg had to steal everyone's mother-frackin thunder.) Anyways, when I opened the newspaper in 1996 I clearly remember the nations ranked by total medals, which then seemed reasonable because there wasn't a China dominating every single event that involves flipping and twisting in it.

And now, my critics will be thinking, good one! Arguing based on the "facts" provided by your own memory! Take a few seconds to suck it, kay? Proof!

So now we have gotten out of the way the whole idea that American Media is suddenly twisting things around to favor ourselves. We in fact have been doing things this way for the life of me (Those 2 sentences are a double entendre in a sense. High-five! if you get the joke!)

If you ask the New York Times they'll tell you that:

We use for our medal tables a feed from the Associated Press, which ranks countries according to the total number of medals won.

Before the IOC even started providing a medal count table, the AP was the only place to go. By being first, the AP was given the privelege of deciding how it wanted to rank things, and they decided on total medal count, back when it had absolutely no effect on the USA's ranking.

Anyways. I'm no mathematician, but a very simple solution to all of this is to give each type of medal a "point value" and then rank the nations by points. I propose 3 pts for gold, 2 for silver and 1 for bronze. It creates some sort of harmonious symmetry being that 1st place gets 3 points, 2nd place gets 2 points and 3rd place gets 1 point. Humanity at it's finest!

So based on that point system here's the top 5 as of right now:

Tied for 1 - USA, China (200)
3 - Russia (109)
4 - Great Britain ( 93)
5 - Australia (80)
6 - Germany (73)
7 - South Korea (60)
8 - France (57)
9 - Japan (49)
10 - Italy (48)

Just so you guys know, we only rank by total medal count, because we got that widget from NBC for free. So they get to do it any way they want.

Read/Discuss >>

Why Do I Love USA Basketball?

So I'm sitting here, awake at this ungodly hour watching Spain and Lithuania battle it out for the opportunity to lose to the USA in the finals. I'm contemplating whether or not I should live blog the upcoming game between the USA and Argentina (I won't, partly because it's David and Adriel's job, but mostly because I'm lazy and I have a headache). In fact, I'm not even supposed to be writing this article, but I promised someone bubbly that I would, so here it is. As my headline indicates, I will briefly go over the reasons why I love USA basketball.

1. THERE IS NO GARBAGE TIME. Since 11 out of our 12 players are or have been at one point All-Stars, even when we're up by 30+ points, we are still witnessing the best that USA basketball has to offer.
2. JASON KIDD. It's hilarious (not endearing) watching this guy play alongside handfuls of All-Stars. Half the reason why I actually stay up to watch these games is to see if Jason Kidd will actually attempt a shot that day (he scored 4 points against Australia! Maybe I should have bought a lottery ticket that day). My co-writer Robert Z. Lee said it best: he looks like an inferior JV point guard trying so hard to make it seem like he belongs with the Varsity squad (keep trying, JKidd).
3. AUSSIES. The unholy schedule of game times means that I can stay up and watch the games with my homies across the Pacific (shoutout to Qi and Julz for staying up and watching the USA Australia game with me).
4. LEBRON JAMES. Enough said.
   
5. NASTIA LIUKIN. I realize the women's all-around gold medalist has absolutely nothing to do with USA basketball, but I thought it was imperative for my readers to know how in love I am with this nimble beauty.

Read/Discuss >>

David Neville does the dive!

David Neville gave it his all, and gave the Americans a 1-2-3 finish in the 400m. David Wariner, the favorite and 2007 World Champion was upset by newcomer LaShawn Merritt in a personal best 43.75 sec.

The amazing thing was that Neville was in 4th until the very end of the race when he literally dove for the finish line. DOVE!!

I always wondered why more athletes don't do like David Neville did. If you're going to train your whole life for one race you better give it your all.

I salute you David Neville in the process of cracking me up you've also gained my wholehearted respect.

"When you can slide, it does make the fall a lot better,'' Neville said with a big grin.
"Sometimes we have to sacrifice our body and mind and spirit for what we really want,'' Neville said. "In a split-second, I said I have to dive in order to get a medal.''

Read/Discuss >>

LiveBlogging - Women's Beach Volleyball Gold Medal Match

Kerri Walsh and Misty May compete against Wang Jie and Tian Jiain the gold medal match for Women's Beach Volleyball.

• no time for an intro, because it's starting RIGHT now
• This rainstorm is going to wreck havoc for both teams, but the sand never seems to get wet, wth??
• May and Walsh are struggling against Tian and Wang, USA should be a little worried
• the last time May and WAlsh lost internationally was to these guys
• by the first technical timeout it's dead even at 10-10
• Misty may struggled at the beginning but, is picking it up
• even in HD I can't see the rain drops. Is it even raining?!?!
• 2 aces in a row for China and the lead is theirs again
• pouring rain and White bikinis do not go together...
• I think the rain makes Misty May look like the meanest mama jamma ever, I'm scared as hell right now
• Even though there's game stoppage after every point, beach volleyball is a pretty damn fast sport
• 19-17 now in the first set and the Chinese are getting a little flustered. The defensive calls are off and they just RAN into each other on offense.
• Even with the early scare, Walsh and May get the first set 21-18. May is a beast, I think her mascara is dripping a bit too much.

Set 2

• Wait just ONE MINUTE. NBC reported that Misty May sprinkled her mom's ashes over the olympic sand after they won gold in Athens and plans to do the same if they win today. Does anyone else find that just a LITTLE bit weird? Misty is scaring me more and more
• China is still acting confused
• The rain really seemed to affect USA alot. When it was pouring at the beginning of the match they were struggling a lot.
• May's digging seems a bit subpar. She's digging the balls, but not placing them very well. Walsh is an amazing setter though, so it'll be okay
• Tian and Wang are moving a lot more slowly
• I wonder if Chinese fans talk smack. For most of the olympics they've been so polite. Americans must seem so damn obnoxious.
• Karch Kiraly seemed surprised that the Chinese weren't serving Walsh. They listened to him and served her twice. And twice they got owned. Lesson? NEVER LET WALSH HIT. In fact, the only way to win is to not let her touch the ball at all. Karch Kiraly is silly
• Now Tian served Misty May twice in a row and what do you get? 2 aces.
• USA was in control, but China took a brief lead at 9-8.
• I wish I could watch Karch Kiraly play again. Damn I loved that pink hat.
  
• Everytime I watch a May/Walsh match NBC talks about Misty May's super close relationship with Jason Kidd. I wonder if they're doing it... Scratch that. They must be.
• Rain is starting to pick up, and Tian/Wang are back up 12-11
• Do you guys prefer beach volleyball wet or dry? I think all the horndogs will say wet. It's okay, just be honest.
• If I were China, and I just got a lead, I would absolutely not serve Walsh. Never let Walsh hit.
• For sure, if there is one clear cut advantage for China, it's their serving. Usa doesn't get nearly as high on their jump serves.
• I apologize for the uneven updates in this "LiveBlog". We just got a LiveBlogging service up, but I haven't configured it yet. I promise for the next LiveBlog it will actually be Live. I promise!
• This match is turning out to be faster than anticipated.
• 2 sets and its done. This has got to be one of the closest 2 set sweeps I've seen.
• And even before I could finish that previous sentence, Walsh spikes it for game point. You know what that means. Misty May's mom is now going to be all over China.
• This was way too fast. Even the celebration came fast. I didn't really like this.
  
• Man Misty May is dancing with the beach volleyball cheerleaders. Isn't that random. Should I liveblog the celebration too. OKAY!
• Even the cheerleaders don't get to wear clothes in the RAIN.
• Okay I guess that's the end of the liveblogging because Bob Costas had to crash the freaking party. Thanks Bob. Thanks.
• Yay it's back. This is awesome, I wish Michael Phelps was as excited as May and Walsh are right now.
• Kerri Walsh sent shout out to Georgie Bush. All I can think about is this picture. Misty May getting her butt smacked will live forever as one of the greatest moments in Olympic History. As long as this blog is alive at least.
  

Read/Discuss >>

Questioning the Convention

Should this be the face of Team USA?
Read more after the jump


Throughout the coverage of the Olympics basketball tournament, the pundits have all raved about the way Kobe Bryant has played defense, about how dynamic Dwayne Wade has been, and about just how dominant an athlete Lebron James is. If we were to go to the public for a vote on the MVP of the Redeem Team, it would likely come down to one of these three players (actually probably just between Lebron or Wade).

Lost amongst all the love for the marquee stars is the consistently solid play of one Chris Bosh. According to danielcz from the APBRmetrics forums, Bosh has been the best USA player in terms of production per 40 minutes (offense and defense). After watching all of the team USA games, I (along with most other observers) would have pegged Wade to own this honor.

What these stats say is that when Bosh is on the floor, the team USA offense is much, much better than when he is not on the court, and the defense has not dropped off. Now, I have never been a fan of looking only at statistics to tell the whole story, as we must consider why these statistics say what they are saying, and what the numbers are trying to tell us.

I have said in comments on this blog that Bosh is an extremely effective big man in the international game, especially on offense. He has quickness and a good face up game, as well as an ability to consistently knock down the mid range jumper. With the trapezoidal lane limiting the amount of time big men can linger around the basket, big men who are able to step outside for the midrange jumper are invaluable. In the NBA, Bosh does not get a majority of his points in back to the basket situations, so it is fair to assume that he prefers to score facing the basket even with a rectangular key. The other options for Team USA on the other hand are Boozer and Dwight Howard, two more traditional back to the basket big men more suited for an NBA style game. So it is fairly easy to see why Bosh adds to the efficiency of the Team USA offense when he's on the floor - it is because he is a better fit for the international game than any of his alternates, Boozer and Howard.

The more head-scratching figure is the defensive one. At first glance, it would make sense that Dwight Howard would sport the highest +/- on defense for the big men, considering that he is the only big man with the height and strength to match up with the bigs of other countries (eg Bogut, Gasol brothers). So we must ponder what the statistics are telling us a bit more, and delve deeper into the specific matchups.

The exact breakdown goes as follows:


So we can see that Bosh posted his worst defensive +/- against three teams with legit bigs - China's Yao Ming, Germany's Chris Kaman/Dirk Nowitzki, and Spain's Gasol brothers. Where Bosh excels defensively is against teams whose bigs are not as big a threat where he is able to help and use his quickness and length to bother penetration.

In any case, the next time someone asks you who the MVP of team USA is, let them know it's a two horse race. They'll ask you, "Kobe and Lebron?" to which you will reply, "Nah, Bosh and Wade."

Read/Discuss >>

G'Day and G'Bye Mate, Aussies Fry On the Barbie

One down, two more to go.

A rematch of what had been the Americans' most challenging game so far amounted to about 19 minutes of slight tension, followed by 21 minutes of what turned out to be a Dream-like romp. The USA Men's Basketball team skewered the Aussies 116-85 in a second half performance reminiscent of the old days.

The game started off tight, the lead only at one after the first quarter. The Aussies looked competitive, as they came out fast, strong, and accurate; Patrick Mills was a blur tearing around the court while Saville and Newley were consistent and active. The US were goaded into taking bad shots, trying to answer back every shot the Australians made with something more impressive, making it seem like a giant game of "Top That". They shot free throws poorly and had to use too much of their athleticism and strength instead of their skill and accuracy. The second quarter started slowly but ended with a bang, honors going to Mr. Deron Williams and his ridiculous aptitude for clutch shooting. Other writers are saying that this shot was the turn around of the game, but what really hurt the Aussies was the American intensity and the relentless pressure. And I also have to add that the small speed team where Lebron was at center was great. But still, the game was close, and the twelve point half time lead wasn't nearly as large as it seemed.

The later quarters showed more efficient and even outstanding scoring by the Americans. The threes started to fall, the fast break was running, and the wrecking balls also known as Kobe and Lebron were tearing through the Australian defense with ease.

Frustration lined the faces of the men from down under, as they looked more lost than Nemo during the American flurry that was the third quarter. When Andrew Bogut "left due to injury" around halfway through that period, it signaled the waving of the white flag, as the only green jerseys left fighting were the frisky little gnats Nielson and Worthington. Though James Ingles and Patrick Mills could be seen as silver lining, the game overall was not only a storm cloud, but a full blown hurricane. The depth of the US bench was too overwhelming, the constant pressure waterfalling onto the Aussies uncontrollably.

Up next for the Redeem Team is Argentina, who snuck past Greece to set up a full top-seeded final four. The door to the gold is still through the Argentinians, and no matter how banged up their stars may be, they have the personnel and intangibles to repeat. If the Americans can't impose their style from the get go, there's going to be some high drama come Friday.

If Manu, Delfino, and Luis Scola are on, Kobe, Lebron, Wade, Melo, CP3.... ok nevermind. The only fear for the US is their own inconsistency. As long as these NBA All-Stars have enough left in their tanks, they are both more beautiful and more terrifying than any other opponent in any other sport EVER. The battle between Manu and Kobe will be the key, a miniature of the Lakers/Spurs rivalry packed into a single sitcom-sized time period.

Oh, I almost forgot.

PRACTICE YOUR FREAKING FREETHROWS. 58%? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Read/Discuss >>

How can Usain Bolt NOT be taking Steroids??

This is getting a little ridiculous. A couple days after demolishing the field a 100m jog, Usain Bolt held nothing back in capturing the 200m gold and creating a mockery out of all other humans. Bolt finished the race in a world record 19.30 seconds.

To put that race in perspective, let's recount Michael Johnson's almost unbeatable 12-year world record of 19.32.

Nobody, including Johnson, could believe the time, which according to the IAAF's decathlon scoring tables equates to 9.72 for 100 meters. Johnson's 200m race in Atlanta is believed by many to be the single greatest track and field performance in history.
- USA Track and Field

Usain Bolt had the biggest margin of victory ever for an Olympic 200m. Before this race Bolt's personal best was a mere 19.67. Even he couldn't have predicted this superhuman result.

"I have a great feeling. It's a dream come true," Bolt said.

"I'm shocked. I am still shocked. I have been aspiring to the world record for so long.

"I never expected this. I knew the track was a fast track, but I didn't think this was possible.

"I worked so hard to become the champion and I will work harder to stay on top."

Bolt is only just turning 22. Johnson on the other hand, was 29 when he set his astounding world record. When asked before the games if Bolt could break his record, Johnson didn't believe it was possible, saying Bolt has to perfect his mechanics over the years.

If this is what imperfection is like, what will Bolt do to us come 2012?

Assuming tonight's race wasn't a fluke, Bolt should only get faster. And the rest of the field will only seem that much slower.

Read/Discuss >>

Deviation in Dodger Direction

For the first time in 8 years, the Dodgers seem to be making the right moves. Since dismembering a respectable team built around Gary Sheffield and Shawn Green, the Dodgers were stuck in a cycle of questionable and disappointing signings. They brought in the ever-underachieving Jeromy Burnitz. They took a chance on two talented but injury-prone players, Milton Bradley and J.D. Drew. They wheelchaired in two has-beens clearly on the decline, Jeff Kent and Nomar Garciaparra. They grossly overpaid Rafael Furcal and Juan Pierre. They took a swing at a no-longer-on-steroids-and-thus-no-longer-effective Luis Gonzalez. And who can forget the most recent blunder, Andruw Jones. Andruw Jones...what more needs to be said? These mind-numbing acquisitions would result in almost a decade of the Blue Crew struggling just to make the post-season.

For some reason, this year is different. With a handful of young talent keeping the Dodgers neck and neck with the Diamondbacks for the NL West lead, Ned Colletti seems to have realized that a few safe additions might just push the Dodgers over the edge.

With youngster Blake DeWitt slightly lagging in big-league development, Colletti took a gamble on Casey Blake (not really a gamble, Blake is a solid bet for 20 home runs and 80 RBI every year). Then came the surprise acquisition of Manny Ramirez, who's slugging .746 in 17 games thus far with the Dodgers LOL (LOL = laughing out loud), really a no-risk no-brainer for Colletti when you consider that Manny is in the last year of his contract, and that Boston, not LA, will be responsible for the majority of Manny's remaining salary this year. Even with the Arizona acquisition of Adam Dunn, the Dodgers seemed poised to take over the NL West.

But Colletti still wasn't satisfied. In fact, he was determined to make the Dodgers 4 sizes better ('sizes,' in this sense, is spelled Cy's). Deviating away from the time-tested (time-tested for failure) strategy of gambling on injury-prone stars, Colletti decided to invest in a tank. I use the word tank reluctantly, because even tanks experience more technical and mechanical problems than Greg Maddux. In his 23-year career (let me write that out for those of you who may have misread that: TWENTY-THREE YEARS) and 22 years as a full-time starter, Maddux has notched less than 30 starts just twice, and has not ONCE notched less than 20 starts.

Even at age 43, Greg Maddux gets the job done. In his last 5 starts before coming back to the Dodgers, Maddux is 3-1 with 4 quality starts, and a 17:1 K:BB ratio. In his prime, Maddux was the greatest. At age 43, Maddux is still better than most. If only for this year, the Dodgers are destined for glory.

Read/Discuss >>

US Gymnast Alicia Sacramone Knocks a Dude Out

Read/Discuss >>

In China, Shaq Statue Represents Fatness

Curiously out of the LA Times today was an article by head sports Columnist Bill Plaschke. With all that is going on in the sports world, Bill Plaschke decides to write about a flippin statue??

But who am I to complain, I was quite amused, so I guess it served it's purposed. Apparently, everyone Bill Plaschke met at the statue was dumbfounded about its reason for existence.

I'll be honest, I'm not the greatest Shaq fan. In America, my dislike for Shaq often meets resistance from folks who respect his post moves and overpowering presence. Whatever. In China, at least, my opinions seems like the consensus.

"Shaq is a good player, but, look here, he is little fat," Chen said.

"I walk past him every day and I think, he is just so-so," said playground player Lei Shi, 26, as he walked to his game. "We're not sure why he's here."

"Kobe is younger, and that Shaq over there is fatter," said Tony Zhang, 24. "Kobe is today. Shaq is too old."

Young athletes pass him on their way to and from their basketball games. Almost every time, they look up at him. And almost every time, they shrug.

"One good thing about this," Minghas Li said. "Shaq can't sing in real life, and here he will not be able to sing."

Read/Discuss >>

Footballs

So, football season is about to kick off. The world breathlessly awaits as we wait to see whether or not the superstars of last season can return to their world-beating form, and to see which newcomers will step up and make the jump from obscurity to A-list celebrity.

Of course, what I am referring to is the English Premier League! Not to say I am not eagerly anticipating the beginning of the NFL season (I am, but I am way more excited for College Football), but as a fan of the beautiful game, I cannot help but be psyched for the new season of the EPL, not with so many intriguing stories abound.

For all of you who haven't been paying attention (I would guess that's all of you), the offseason for soccer really wasn't an offseason, as Euro 2008 took center stage. However, a few stories have certainly dominated the headlines. Here is a quick rundown:

Liverpool, with 18 Premier League titles, leads Manchester United by only one title in their claim as being the greatest English club in history. Their last title came in 1990, 18 years ago. The risk of losing their status atop English football is simply unbearable for Liverpool's fans, and the possibility that Manchester United could tie them is leading many Liverpudlians to claim that this is their year. With the offseason addition of Irish international and former Tottanham captain Robbie Keane, Liverpool sends out a strike force as fearsome as any in all of Europe - could this be the year their wait comes to an end?

Chelsea has fully moved on from the Jose Mourinho era. After a season in limbo under the unwanted and unloved Avram Grant, the Blues appointed former Brazil and Portugal coach Luis Felipe Scolari to the helm, in an effort to instill the flowing, attack-minded football owner Roman Abramovic prefers. With the offseason addition of midfield magician Deco, and the retention of the mercurial Didier Drogba, could this be the season that Chelsea can finally hoist the European Championship for the first time?

Arsenal continues to sell their established players, and bring in unproven youngsters to take their turn in the Arsene Wenger factory of football superstars. New faces Karim Benzema and Samir Nasri hope to offset the undoubtedly damaging losses of Alexander Hleb and Mathieu Flamini. Former Chelsea coach and current Inter man Jose Mourinho has ruled them out of the title hunt, but every season people write the Gunners off as being too young, Arsene Wenger is able to pull another rabbit out of the hat. Will Arsenal prove their resilience yet again, and show that last season's run at the title was not a fluke?

The story of the summer had been Cristiano Ronaldo's purported switch from Man U to Real Madrid. That noise has since died, as Ronaldo, Madrid, and Manchester United have all confirmed that the player will be staying at Manchester for at least one more season. The failed attempt at signing Tottenham want-away Dimi Berbatov has not dampened manager Alex Ferguson's outlook on the season, but with both Chelsea and Liverpool improving, and the ever dangerous Arsenal adding fresh new faces to the mix, will Manchester United be able to hold on to their spot atop the footballing world as Premier League and European Champions?

With so many story lines just among the big 4, the Premier League season, which kicked off on Saturday, is must see TV. Too bad it's only shown live if you have Setanta or special TV programming (satellite), or on replays on FSC.

Cmon American TV, get with the program! Euro 2008 was a massive success for ESPN! There's an audience for good football, so get with it!

Read/Discuss >>

Surprise! Olympic Controversy

The spirit of competition in Beijing has awoken the beast of controversy throughout the various events. Whether it be about synchronized swimming costumes or a Swedish wrestler's protest to the refereeing, controversy has plagued the Olympic scene. But none has aroused more uproar than the suspect new scoring system in women's gymnastics. A system which changed the 10-point system into the sum of a difficulty and a 10-pt execution score.

In one such case, Alicia Sacramone was robbed of a bronze medal in the individual women's vault competition by China's Fei Cheng, who scored a 15.562(+.025). Sacramone's two vaults were of 6.3 and 5.8 difficulties, which she executed to get an average score of 15.537. Unfortunately, Cheng, the leader after the first vault, attempted only 6.5 difficulty jumps, giving her a .90 advantage from the get go.

And of course when a person has that kind of huge advantage from the start, one would expect that any gymnast that lands on her two feet would come out on top of Sacramone. Fei Cheng landed on her knees.

I do not know what they were thinking with this new system, but it has to go. A gymnast that completes two well-executed vaults should always outscore a gymnast who lands on her knees. The higher difficulty was a risk that Cheng took upon herself, which she proceeded to royally screw up, she should have payed a more significant price. To make it worse, she was hardly docked for her crooked entrance, low elevation, and poor aerial execution; good job judges.

In another example, all-around champion, Nastia Liukin, was subjugated to silver after tying for the highest score on the uneven bars. Liukin and China's Kexin He were tied at 16.725; but in a result of a tie, of the 4 indivudal scores, the lowest is dropped and the remaining three scores are averaged. Unfortunately for Liukin, her lowest execution score was 9.0 and He's was 8.9.

The way I see it, Liukin's scores were more consistent, proving that the judges were in agreement of a very solid performance. He's execution scores were slightly more sporadic, giving the notion that they were not too sure on how to correctly judge He's routine. One could account this to their contrasting styles, but there should have been a better way of dealing with a tie; removing the next highest execution scores would have given Liukin the gold.

What really bothers me about the uneven bars fiasco was seeing the disappointment in Nastia Liukin's eyes. She sat beside her father after her performance, eagarly awaiting her scores. There was a moment of excitement that quickly faded into a look of confusion. She looked to her father after seeing the scores light up, "Why am I in second?"

From that moment she sat arms crossed and stone faced. Her entire life she practiced to become the best and on that night, the scores said that she was. The rules said she was second. Second to a 13-year old girl who's age was IOC verified by the Chinese communist government. Hrmmm?

Amidst all this controversy, these two young women maintained their poise and integrity. I am not exactly sure how they were able to remain so calm, but then again, I'm not an Olympic athlete representing my country.

Read/Discuss >>

NBA Update

There exists a small community on this expansive planet called the NBA. This small collection of ~450 people has typically been characterized as the home of the greatest basketball players in the world. However, this community is at a serious risk of being completely forgotten by an attention-whoring organization known as the IOC; led by none-other than the attention tyrant, Michael Phelps.

Phelps utilizes the destructive forces of 8 gold medals to brain-wash every employee of the NBC media company, resulting in a sweeping mania over swimming and all else related to the Olympics.

However, as the basketball-preservationist leader of the local ATA sports foundation, I took up on a journey to determine how this community was progressing (/deteriorating).

Here are the key findings from my recent journey:

• In a recent 6-player trade involving three teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers gave Joe Smith to Oklahoma City and Damon Jones to the Milwaukee Bucks to acquire Mo Williams. Oklahoma City also received city-favored Desmond Mason while the Bucks gained Luke Ridnour and Adrian Griffin. Williams, after averaging 17 points and 6 assists a game, is expected to significantly relieve some of Lebron's offensive burden; a task Larry Hughes previously failed to do.

• The front office of the Philadelphia 76ers have been particularly busy. They recently re-signed a budding Louis Williams (11.5 ppg) and also we're able to lock down their incumbent star, Andre Iggy Iguodala to a 6-yr $80 million extension. They also offered the shot-blocking guru, Theo Ratliff, a one year veteran minimum's salary.

• Michael Finley re-signed with the San Antonio Spurs after being courted by a number of teams such as Boston.

• The Atlanta Hawks immediately matched the Memphis Grizzlies' 5-year $58 million offer to restricted free agent, Josh Smith, showing the world that they failed in their attempts to low-ball the high-flyer. However, they also made a key acquisition in signing the talented NBA nomad, Ronald Murray.

• Brandon Roy of the Portland Trailblazers recently had successful knee surgery to repair a tear on his left meniscus. The third year star should recover in 4-6 weeks from his minor surgery, in time for the season opener.

• Josh Childress's move to Greece has truly impacted the NBA, inspiring mid-level players to also make the jump to Europe. The most recent athletes to cross are Carlos Arroyo (Israel - $2.5 million), Earl Boykins (Italy - $3.5 million), and Jannero Pargo (Russia - $3.5 million). They will be joining Childress, Jorge Garbajosa, Primoz Brezec, Juan Carlos Navarro, Carlos Delfino, Dan Dickau, and Bostjan Nachbar as NBA defectors.

Read/Discuss >>

Random Ramblings: USA vs. Spain Men's Basketball

Saturday morning's are best spent with friends (& fellow ATA writers) watching USA basketball. Nothing would make this moment better than some delicious Spanish food and a ciesta(Spanish lunch nap).

• Kobe just checked Pau to the ground, I thought they were buddies. It's even more hilarious that they had a pre-game special on the bond between Pau and Kobe on the Lakers.

• What is Dwight Howard doing? He doesn't play help defense, he picks up a silly foul, and he just goal-tended a ball that Lebron James already blocked... on the other hand, that was an amazing goal-tend. (7 rows deep is not bad)

• With 3:41 left in the first, 17-year old Ricky Rubio just entered the game, all hype or is he the modern day Pistol Pete. Well, he just turned the ball over on a bad pass and now he just fouled Chris Paul on the drive. Not looking good, Ricky. Nevermind. In the last 2 possessions he just picked up fouls against Paul and Deron, hit all 4 free throws. Not bad, Ricky.

• Ricky update: 1 defensive, 1 offensive rebound, stole the ball from Lebron, and then proceeded to trash talk Lebron. Ricky, you the man, but Lebron will end your life.

• If you get your ass grabbed and fondled by a big black man (Chris Bosh) and get called for an offensive foul, I would be pissed. It's okay Rudy Fernandez, referees suck wherever you play in the world.

• Spain should stop throwing alley-oops. They have converted zero out of three in the first half. Okay wow, let me proceed to take my foot out of my mouth. Ricky Rubio just threw a sick one handed alley-oop.

• Carlos Boozer is pure trash, everyone on team USA is going to foul out, but team USA is leading 61-45 at the half. Amazing.

• Carmelo's made four 3-pointers this game, this guy is on fire. I need to stop blogging this game, Carmelo just threw up a brick.

• CP3 is by far the best point guard on the US team. He uses his speed and strength so well to break down opposing defenses, not to mention his superior passing and defensive skills.

• Marc Gasol is a pretty solid player for Spain. But he looks like a 7 foot bear hunter who should be wearing a red flannel and Wrangler jeans.

• Dwyane Wade is a walking highlight reel for Team USA. He literally cooks up dunks that would put your mama's best dish to shame. And he's literally everywhere, loose ball? D.Wade is there. Who blocked that shot? D.Wade. D.Wade D.Wade D.Wade. Without a doubt the team MVP.

• If Chris Paul and Dwight Howard were ever on an NBA team together, I would be very very scared, and so should you. Their alley-oop together was slam-dunk contest worthy, and it would score a 50 too.

• This game has been over for a long time now and I can prove it. Not only is the score 113-78, Michael Redd threw down a slam dunk, Carlos Boozer and Prince are on the court at the same time, and Prince even scored a few times. Dear lord.

• America totally destroyed Spain this game. Let's just hope that if they meet again, America continues to play suffocating defense and actually make a few 3-pointers like they did this game. And maybe one day, Kobe will actually make some shots and not be in foul trouble all game long.
  

Read/Discuss >>

Lezak gets individual bronze, becomes human.

Jason Lezak, competing in his only individual final of the games, secured the bronze medal in the 100m freestyle. He finished the race in 47.67 seconds.

World champion Alain Bernard of France somewhat got revenge for losing the 4x100m relay by winning the gold with a time of 47.21 seconds. The final results of the 100m freestyle:

1. Alain Bernard (France) - 47.21 sec
2. Eamon Sullivan (Australia) - 47.32 sec
3. Jason Lezak (USA) and Cesar Cielo (Brazil) - 47.67 sec
4. Pieter van den Hoogenband (Netherlands) - 47.75 sec

This race really puts Lezaks historic relay race into perspective. Lezak dove into the water almost a full body length behind Alain Bernard, the world record holder in the 100m freestyle. At the turn Bernard still had that same lead. And when it was all said and done Lezak had overtaken Bernard for the gold finishing his anchor leg in 46.06 sec.

Sullivan currently holds the world record at 47.05 seconds. Remember Lezak swam a 46.06. He all but crushed the world record. Sadly, it doesn't count for the record because Lezak swam it as part of a relay team. Although, the leadoff leg of the relay does qualify for records because it has a traditional standing start. Rest assured, it will live on in the annals of inhuman performances.

46.06?? Gimme a break!!

Read/Discuss >>

Random Ramblings: USA vs. Angola Men's Basketball

It's 5 AM here in California, and here I am, excited and up for Team USA's second game. I fully expect the game to actually be broadcasted live this time, and hope for the sakes of NBC's executive cabinet that the event actually is on. After cruising through the first fifty channels on my television (anger slightly boiling over after the absence of any Olympic coverage over the first two known Olympic channels) I was relieved to see that the game was actually playing on USA. NBC, thank you for granting my request (threat, request, tomato, tomatoe). So here goes:

• I turned on the television to see an athletic breakaway dunk and felt quite happy with myself. Turns out it was an Angolan by the name of Morais, not an American. Wow. Great way to start the day.
• Angola actually looks pretty athletic and shoots well. For a team supposed to be losing big, they aren't doing too badly through the first quarter so far.
  
• Wow, the Angolan coach just admitted that his goal for the game was to not lose by forty. Modest, mocking, or serious? Who knows, but I am sure that we better win by forty.
  
• OK, I have seen the woman referee call at least five travels within eight minutes. She has made no other call so far, so I guess that's her mission. Keep the world travel-free. Good job lady, just miss all the shoves and flops going on. Female Donaghy, I swear.
  
• They just played a flashback of the original Dream Team's first meeting with Angola. Sir Charles has been officially documented as a global-grade jackass. Man, what a bully. It's turrible.
• Kobe's really not shooting too well. I hope this not taking over too much thing doesn't carry over into the NBA season, because if I see Kobe dishing consistently to Mr. Machine and Sun Yue instead of going Black Mamba, I'll have an aneurysm.
• Look for this around the 5 minute mark of the 2nd quarter. Lebron just turned on his inner Kerri Walsh and tried to permanently implant an opponent's shot into the Beijing basketball gym floor.
  
• DWade was just called for a foul while jumping in the air on an alley oop. I don't think I've ever seen someone on the receiving end of an alley oop get called for anything before. I must admit, that was strange.
• I don't want to say it again, but COME ON NOW, PRACTICE YOUR FREE THROWS.
• At the half, they lead by 18. Not horrible, but could be a lot better. It is about half way to 40 though, so sucks for the Angolan coach.
  
• After watching a recap of the Spain vs. China game (which looked like a great game and should be watched on all accounts), I'm really starting to hope that the Lakers team doesn't get too tired out over the course of this summer. Pau and Kobe should both travel deep into this tournament, and I really hope fatigue doesn't play too much of a factor.
• I'm happy to see that the NBA on NBC theme song is still being played. John Tesh's best work, no question.
  
• I think Jason Kidd should be played alongside either Chris Paul or Deron Williams more often. Having two amazing passers on the court works wonders for the fastbreak and the overall ball movement.
• Start of the second half, and Kobe misses another three. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU DOBERMAN? Just as I've said that, I realize that the nickname Doberman sucks. Why Doberman? What's with Kobe and Animal Planet references?
  
• I'm not sexist, I swear. BUT I HATE THAT WOMAN REF. SHE IS RIDICULOUS.
• The US has come out very, very flat in the second half. And Kidd's refusal to shoot the ball is getting annoying... maybe he is getting old. Just kidding, just kidding.
  
• Kobe Bryant on fast breaks is just so beautiful. Too bad he's missed like five threes. I really don't understand where his shot is right now. Animorph into Black Mamba, Doberman isn't needed this game.
  
• It doesn't look like the USA was properly prepared for this game. The matchups that they're creating don't favor them whatsoever. Why not put in a team of Boozer, Howard, Lebron, Wade, and Paul? They would dominate rebounding while still being quick enough to run. This Angolan team is fairly physical, so push back.
• With 3:30 left in the 3rd, it looks like the USA has woken up, and Angola is finally falling apart.
• Oh man, Chris Bosh being the regular old American tourist is great. That giant man getting so excited with his camera and snapping picture after picture along the Great Wall reminds you that these guys are just normal people. Well, really talented, really rich, and really famous "normal people".
• I love the two-man game of Deron Williams and Chris Paul. There are no words for how well they seem to mesh. Either that, or they're both just so baller that its beautiful.
• The lead has ballooned to 28 after three. This game is on it's way to being what I expect from the Redeem Team.
  
• Dwayne Wade just saved the ball off of an Angolan player, and the player jumped up immediately to protest, only to be stared down by Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. The Angolan stopped mid sentence and proceeded to run away. He looked like a chihuahua cowering away from a pair of rottweilers. Too bad the Doberman was on the other side of the court.
• As soon as I started being proud of them, The US team started getting sloppy. They no longer impress me.
• Morais of Angola is really impressive. Yeah, he has double digit turnovers, but that's because he has it in his hands almost 80% of the time while being hounded by Kobe and DWade.
• With a final score of 97-76, the Americans cruised to victory, albeit not up to my personal expectations. Wade was perfect in Beijing for 6 quarters still having missed only 2 shots total and Lebron has been overpowering anyone that dares come close to him. The US team is winning easily, but the blowouts just aren't what they used to be.

To conclude this game, it must be stated that the US team shot ridiculously poorly. 24% from the three and 64% from the line is horrible. Had they shot a more reasonable 43% from the arc (which is more or less a twenty foot jumper) and 80% from the line, they would have won by thirty-seven instead. And that's being generous. Kobe and Redd need to start hitting their threes with more consistency and Lebron really needs to learn how to make a freethrow. So far, Dwayne Wade has been the star of these 2008 Olympics. By far.

PRACTICE YOUR FREAKING FREETHROWS

Read/Discuss >>