"I think analysts and commentators should bring energy and excitement and passion for the game, and a lot of knowledge, and I think it's important to help build the game, and I don't think Brandi has that." - Hope Solo
USA Goalkeeper Hope Solo has never been immune to controversy. The extremely talented and outspoken Richland, Washington native was kicked off the 2007 World Cup team after she made pointed comments regarding then Coach Greg Ryan's decision to drop her for the semifinal vs Brazil in favor of veteran and World Cup 1999 hero Briana Scurry. While Solo was proved right (Scurry was ineffective), she had established an identity of someone who would say anything at any time, even if it potentially hurt her team. This, along with Solo's great ability as a player, has made her the biggest star in women's soccer. Solo appears in reality shows, magazines and has become on of those athletes who only needs her first name to be used as an identifier. What goes along with this stardom is a major increase in scrutiny. This has not stopped Solo from continuing to be a loose cannon, which continued this week when she launched a twitter rant against former USA Women's National Team player and current NBC soccer analyst Brandi Chastain. Solo criticized Chastain for her negative analysis of the US team after her team's 3-0 win vs Colombia, more specifically Chastian's comments toward defender Rachel Buehler, although Solo never really identified the specific statement she was talking about. After a couple days to decompress, Solo did not back track at all yesterday, saying essentially that the game had passed Chastain by and that her presence was bad for the sport. Solo had once again spoken her mind in the middle of a major tournament, but this time she was not right, in fact, she was absolutely wrong.
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Courtesy of Yahoo Sports
October 13th, 2011 was the day that Jordyn Wieber became the favorite to win the Women's All-Around title at the 2012 Olympics. The DeWitt, Michigan native defeated fellow 16 year old up and comer, Russian Victoria Komova in a thrilling final, that saw Wieber come back from a low score on bars to overtake Komova in the end by a mere .033. "Jo" as her teammates call her, was thrust into the spotlight, with the skill, work ethic and winning smile necessary to assume her rightful place as the new face of USA Gymnastics. Alexandra Raisman was there too, finishing fourth, otherwise known as right where she should be and where she would always would be. Aly was steady, Aly was the team leader, Aly kept everybody calm, but Aly would never be the star.
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The phrase, "passing the torch" is thrown around a lot in sports. It normally defines the event of an older, very accomplished and many times legendary athlete ceding his place on the sport landscape to a young, hungry and extremely talented up and comer. It also can simply be the changing of an sport's top star, no matter the age. We all know when it happens and we understand the implications of it. While most times it sticks, sometimes the athlete passing the torch makes one last "I'm not finished yet" stand. Roger Federer has done it like four times since 2008. The phrase is very apt for the Olympics (torch!) and many of the most high profile passing's take place here. On Saturday at the London Aquatic Centre, the marquee rivalry (or at least the one NBC wants you to watch) of these games had its first confrontation, but what happened was not a passing of the torch. Ryan Lochte ripped the torch out of Michael Phelps hands and beat him over the head with it, his stunning 400 IM victory becoming the first major statement of these Olympics. It was so profound, that my dad, brother Burk and friend Pat (all of whom will no doubt appear again in these pages) had no idea what to say. When we could finally muster up the words to describe the race it started with, "starched", "destroyed", "he had nothing for him" and "beat down". I never thought I would describe a race that involved Phelps losing with those words. The "Baltimore Bullet" was untouchable, a man that not only could do no wrong at the Olympics, but was also a huge source of pride to a Baltimore community that would defend its athletes to the ends of the earth. I'm convinced 90% of this city would take a bullet for Ray Lewis. What happened on Saturday not only humbled the sometimes standoffish Phelps, but also brought down our guy, the guy we thought couldn't lose. Over the next week, the greatest Olympian of my lifetime will be examined, analyzed and picked apart around the country, but for now, the only thing the he wants, that we want, is that torch back.
It's baaaaack. Four years after an Olympics defined by the emergence of a world superpower, it all starts anew in a former one. The world’s biggest sports extravaganza returns to London for the third time, with stars, story-lines and rivalries that are sure to entertain the world in ways only sport can. London will not be like Beijing, because nothing will ever be like an Olympics that featured an Opening Ceremony, so unbelievable, that many believed it rendered future opening ceremonies obsolete. One that showcased perhaps the two greatest athletic performances of this century, Phelps’ ridiculous and perhaps under appreciated 8 gold medals and Usain Bolt’s demolition of both his opponents and the limits that we had set on how fast a man could run. London will counter this with the presence of raw emotion, that always seemed to be lacking in a country that was so in control, they almost sucked it out at times. The venues will be more raucous, the support for the home team (known as, “Team GB” which I love saying) more genuine and a surprising lightness, that was already present in the Opening Ceremony. The two main stars from Beijing are back, but may be eclipsed by names like Ryan, Yohan, Jordyn, Gabby, Neymar, Kōhei and Missy among countless others. London’s excited, the world’s excited, I am way too excited, lets get this thing going.
