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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.''

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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.
  

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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."

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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?

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