"Build the Game" - Day 3 Review/Day 4 Preview

"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. 

More after the jump



Soccer's (football's) fight for relevancy in the United States is on going, but is a battle that seems to have gained major steam in the past ten years. MLS is on national TV at least twice a week, and has been able to improve its quality of play by combining young talent with aging world stars. Whether they know it or not, Americans have tons of access to leagues around the world, with the English Premier League appearing on network television this year for the first time. Interest in both US National Teams is up, with the 2010 and 2011 World Cups both being unifying patriotic moments are few and far between in modern sports.  Ratings are up, salaries are growing and merchandise sales, both of MLS and foreign clubs, are trending upward in the US. While the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) folded this year, it was more the product of a lack of investment (hey, the economy is bad) and a lunatic owner, rather than lack of interest of the sport and it's players. From however low it started from, women's soccer is rising.

One of the problems that has always plagued soccer is the lack of respect it gets from the general sports media. I think everybody who has ever watched SportsCenter or PTI or any other popular mainstream sports show has heard some of the jokes made at soccer's expense. More maddening for me is the way the media treats the American soccer viewer. It's like we're are the dumbest people people in the world. They're are numerous examples of the coverage being, "dumbed down" but no moment more egregious than Fox's pregame show before the 2011 Champions League Final, which featured Michael Strahan's "Futbol vs Football" atrocity and an entire segment dedicated to Barcelona defender Gerard Pique's relationship with Shakira. While soccer is always fighting for eyeballs, one of its biggest problems is getting the people with those eyeballs actually treated with some respect.  What Hope Solo doesn't understand is that in order for soccer to be taken seriously, its players have to be scrutinized with the same level of high level analysis that takes place in the NFL, NBA or NHL. Brandi Chastain's job is not to sit in the booth and suck up to the US team, it is to give fair, unbiased analysis on what she sees on the field. If she panders (and honestly, she does sometimes), she hurts the growth of the game.  If she thinks Rachel Buehler's weakness as a defender is defending (Marcelo can relate) she had to say that, not mask it in a cheap attempt to grow the game. People will say that Solo needs stop talking because she needs respect what Chastain has done for the sport. While that's partly true, its more important for Solo to realize why she and her sport need people like Chastain now. She should be happy every time a negative thing comes out of Chastain's or anybody else's mouth because for her growing sport, it means somebody actually cares. 

Things you Should Know:

• After a qualifying round on Saturday that made the sports world (including myself) believe that they may be human, the Chinese Men's Gymnastics Team came out and destroyed the field in the team final on Monday. With inspiring flare and remarkable precision, the Chinese men once again proved that as a team, they are head and shoulders above the rest of the world. What happened to the rising USA team, a team I described as "gamers" after their spectacular qualifying performance? They faded to fifth, probably the first time we have actually been disappointed by a US Men's team. This team had all the talent to medal and failed to preform when it mattered. Really surprising for a team that seemed to have it all together.
• Ryan Lochte is mortal! After a weird performance in the 4 x 100 relay that could have maybe been chalked up to some fatigue and a wonderful French final leg, Lochte finished fourth in the 200 free last night at the London Aquatic Center. While the 200 field was very tough, Lochte's inability to medal was fairly shocking. We'll see how he responds, but this Olympics could not be going how the Floridian would have wanted after his booming start on Saturday.
• I want everybody to try something. Go to your local pool and swim freestyle 200 meters as fast as you can. Then, get out of the pool, warm down for ten minutes, get back in the pool and swim backstroke 100 meters as fast as you can. Hard, right? Well, 17 year old Missy Franklin did just that yesterday, only with the pressure of the Olympics and the best competition in the world facing her. Franklin defeated a very good field in the 100 back to claim the first gold medal of her potentially incredible career. You want a visual on how my body would respond to what Franklin did? Think UFC heavyweights at altitude. Not pretty at all.
• The Misty May-Treanor/Kerri Walsh-Jennings train just keeps moving along with another two set victory. While the wins are not going to be as easy to come by for beach volleyball's two biggest stars, their streak of Olympic set wins is very impressive. A third straight gold would be a massive achievement.
• Please find time on your schedule to watch archery at least once. It's so intense. I can't explain it.
• The USA women's basketball team decimated Angola with Charles Barkley like ferocity (Dream Team jokes!) in a 52 point win. While I have no real analysis on this other than nobody is beating the USA Women (what a revelation!), I found some fun watching this. My friends and I bet how many points Angola would score in the fourth quarter. Now while I'm not sure what watching a USA/Angola women's basketball game says about my friends and I, the guesses ranged from four (they had a six point second quarter) to fourteen. They scored nine and I won. So if you want to make random Olympic events fun and appreciating the great athletes or cheering for your country doesn't get you going, there's always prop bets!

Day 4 Preview

What to Watch:

The "Fab Five" (sorry Jalen Rose) compete in the Women's Gymnastics Team Final (11.30 am ET, nbcolympics.com).  The USA and Russia enter as the favorites to occupy the top two spots on the podium, with Romania and China trying to both capitalize on those team's mistakes and trying to avoid complete self destruction... The swimming competition rolls along with Michael Phelps taking on the fairly unaccomplished, but willing trash talker Tyler Clary, along with a host of other in the 200 fly final (2:30 pm ET, nbcolympics.com)... USA Field Hockey takes the field against regional rival Argentina (2:00 pm ET, MSNBC)... USA Basketball beats Tunisia later (5:00 pm ET, NBCSN)... USA Women's Soccer plays North Korea. Kim Jong Il's incredible golf game ain't walking through that door team PRK (12:15 pm ET, NBCSN)... Judo of any gender is awesome, same with badminton.

Storylines to Follow:

• The Amanar: This vault, named for former Romanian great Simona Amanar, is one of the biggest keys to today's gymnastics final. The skill, which holds a start value of 6.5, is one of the biggest reasons why the US is favored for gold. The USA has four girls, ON THIS TEAM, that can throw this vault.  They don't just throw it, they are excellent at it, with McKayla Maroney having the ability to garner a ridiculous score if she sticks. Some countries don't have four people in their entire program that can do it. Russia needs to just mitigate its losses on vault if it wants to win. Victoria Komova showed her Amanar during qualifying on Sunday and performed it very well. If Aliya Mustafina pulls her's out (and its rumored she may have it) than Russia may have found enough vault points to stay with the US and perhaps take the gold.
• USA Psyche: I want to say something here about how the US needs respond to the Jordyn Wieber situation, but I'm getting way to nervous about it. Just know its there. 
• TFA TO WATCH: Alex Morgan, Kyla Ross, Kevin Durant, Katie O'Donnell. 
• PGA TO WATCH: Tyler Clary (I want him to win a medal, just not beat Phelps)

One Last Thing:

• Missed primetime coverage last night so I can't give NBC a complete coverage grade again. Doc Emerik is awesome in the water polo booth and makes me wish he called a sport that I watched more (sorry hockey people).
• I'm so pumped for Al Trautwig today. No, not really, I'm just trying to not get so nervous about this gymnastics final that I have to hide behind my couch every time the USA messes up. COME ON GIRLS, MAKE ME PROUD.

Once again thanks for reading. Would love some comments and I swear I'll respond unless I die from either happiness or depression after this gymnastics final. Follow me on Twitter @TaylorSmyth10 unless you know, that whole spoiler thing. 

Hope Solo quote courtesy of nbcolympic.com