What Would a Washington DC Olympics Look Like?

Update: So this might actually have a decent shot of happening. I went back and looked over my plan and made a couple updates that will be signified by (UPDATES). I also had to suffer through some of the horrible jokes I made. Seriously, it was bad. 


On August 22nd 2002, after four years of planning, fund raising and politicking, Washington DC was eliminated from consideration to be the USA's bid city for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The United States Olympic Committee would choose New York, only to see the Big Apple lose in the second round of voting to Paris, Madrid and eventual host London in one of the most hotly contested Olympic bid races in history.  While New York was never considered the front runner (Paris was deemed by many to be in the lead until London beat them out at the end), it remains the closest the United States has come to hosting a Summer Olympics since Atlanta welcomed the world for the Centennial Games in 1996. While Chicago did bid for the 2016 Games, it was eliminated in the first round of voting, with an IOC/USOC revenue sharing dispute being the much speculated reason for Chicago's early exit.

Fast forward to 2012, and it seems that the United States is ready for another Olympics on home soil. The USOC has publicly stated that it will immediately start exploring the possibility of hosting either the 2024 Summer Olympics or the 2026 Winter Games. The USOC is motivated by the improvement that host countries have seen in the medal count as a result of staging the games. Clearly, the United States doesn't need a ton of help to top the medal count, but a home Olympics would strengthen fund raising for minor sports that still struggle with fund raising (Speed Skating for example). With the revenue sharing issue now resolved with the IOC, the USOC believes the time is now for an Olympic bid.

Speculating on what US cities would bid for a potential Summer or Winter Olympics is always an interesting game. The Olympics are a giant event, and while many US cities have the sports infrastructure to host the Olympics, other factors play a part. Currently, the rumored Winter host cities range from early favorite Denver (who could also bid for a Summer games), Reno-Lake Tahoe, prior host Salt Lake City and Bozeman. Rumored candidate cities for the 2024 summer games include Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, Tulsa (they formed an exploratory committee!) and Baltimore-Washington.

What? An Olympics in my home region? The official name of the games would most likely be Washington DC 2024, and while I don't identify at all with that city except for owning a Gilbert Arenas jersey, that sounds pretty awesome. Olympic events in Baltimore, most of them 15 minutes away from my house, would be kind of unbelievable. However, as with any dream, there are harsh realities. Any Olympic bid costs lots of money, with no guarantee you'll even make it to the final ballot, much less actually be chosen as the host city.  The Olympics are a massive undertaking. Infrastructure has to be strong, venues have to be pristine (for the most part), security has to be tighter than tight and everything has to go off without a hitch, or at least as few as possible. An Olympics in the Baltimore/DC region is probably a lot closer to not happening than happening, and would most likely receive some local resistance from people who points out the many instances of cities getting hurt by the Olympics.

With that said, my job isn't to dampen your spirits! An Olympics around the here would be great. Disregard all those books and papers written about how the Olympics financially hurts host cities (because it sort of does). For me, the local pride and just plain fun that an Olympics would provide trumps all of that. Then again, I don't want to sound ignorant to the problems that Baltimore and DC both have. Funding an Olympics would most likely hurt both city's efforts to fix some of these pressing issues and that's not good. However, I have been planning this thing in various school notebooks for like seven years. Sorry, but biology just wasn't as exciting as listing potential Olympic venues. Now, with a blog, a lot of free time, and a prior venue plan as a basis, I can finally reveal what my Olympics would look like.

Venue Plan

Athletics - New Olympic Stadium, RFK Stadium Site:

I really hate to say this, but a viable Washington DC Olympic bid could hinge on Dan Snyder and the Washington Redskins, which could be a really good thing, or a really bad thing. I think the general feeling is that Snyder wants a new stadium for the Skins, and that he wants it to be spectacular. Say what you want about Snyder, but he does put a lot of money, misguided or not, into helping the Redskins become a winner. He seems like the kind of guy who wants to be considered among the elite of NFL owners, and with Jerry Jones residing in his same division, Snyder has seen first-hand how a gigantic, state of the art stadium can raise the prestige of a franchise and it's owner. If the former Six Flags Chairman were to build a stadium within the DC city limits (which seems to be the preferred location for Skins fans), the RFK Stadium site is probably the most viable place. The former home of the Redskins now hosts DC United of MLS, who have been looking for a new stadium for awhile now. I assume that at some point in the next couple years, United will get the stadium they crave (UPDATE: THEY DID), and that RFK will be without a permanent tenant. This is where an Olympic Stadium comes into play. In the original 2012 plan, the main Olympic Park would have been centered around a new Olympic Stadium on the RFK site.

Meticulous

I see no reason to change this. However, stadiums are expensive, and when tax payers are forced to foot the bill, things can get dicey (UPDATE: This city has said it pretty much can't spend "one penny" on stadium construction). Getting Snyder involved could help solve a funding hurdle and get the Redskins back playing within the District again (UPDATE: Snyder is gonna have to be involved at this point). The stadium would have clear plans after the Olympics, something that is even more important to sell to locals after white elephant stadiums in Athens and Beijing tarnished those two cities' Olympic legacies. In addition, the way stadiums are being designed these days, it would be simple to convert the stadium from track and field to football. In fact, the Redskins lease with Landover ends in 2027, so there would be a three year period for the stadium to be converted. The stadium could potentially host a US or World Track and Field Championships (UPDATE: #pipedream) between Olympic and football use and could factor in to a US World Cup bid in the future. Is this stadium plan a bit of wishful thinking? Sure. However, you cannot tell me Dan Snyder wouldn't at least think about having a 110,000 (or smaller) seat stadium with an Olympic legacy as the home of his football team.  Jerry Jones can't say that.

Archery - Nationals Park:

This may seem like way too large of a venue to host a small sport like archery, but hear me out. I can only assume this Hunger Games thing will get bigger, so archery is bound to be like the fourth most popular sport in the US by 2024. At least over hockey. I mean, am I right Gary Bettman? Anyway, we need a place to put those 15,000 screaming fans. Enter, Nationals Park.

 ESPN

How awesome would that be? They could shoot from home plate towards the outfield and the atmosphere potential is off the charts. Nationals fans would be starving to see a winner perform in their stadium after three World Series loses to Manny Machado and the Orioles (A beltway series, imagine that) [SUPER BRACKETS UPDATE: Machado is the man].  In all seriousness, while archery is not the most popular sport in the world, I think it would work in this stadium. Could the sport be overwhelmed by the largeness of the venue, possibly, but I needed something to put in Nationals Stadium, and until baseball makes its Olympic return, that something is going to be archery. (UPDATE: Still think this is a decent idea, but I'm very interested to see what this bid does with this venue)

Gymnastics - New Baltimore Arena:

Our second, "glamour sport" of the games goes to Baltimore and it's new Convention Center/Hotel/Arena combination.  If you haven't heard, Baltimore wants a new arena and it finally looks like we're pretty close to getting one. Check out this awesomeness.

Baltimore Business Journal

Baltimore Business Journal

Oh. My. God. You have no idea how long I've waited for a Baltimore Arena that we (I) can be proud of. I understand that Baltimore will probably never be home to an NBA team. I'm at peace with that. The thing is, I hate First Mariner Arena an unhealthy amount and ridding the city of that monstrosity would be a life goal reached, even if I have nothing to do with it. While the arena project still needs to find funding, an Olympic bid would get the ball rolling if construction had not already commenced (UPDATE: It hasn't!).

Baltimore hosting gymnastics also works from a balance point of view. DC is going to be hosting track and swimming (more on that later), so Baltimore deserves to have one of the "big three" Olympic sports. In addition, if you're trying to find a local athlete to include in the organization of this bid, look no further than retired Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes. The Maryland native is universally loved by everyone, graduated from the greatest university in this country and is the current co-chair of President Obama's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. She's a star, plain and simple. (UPDATE: Still a viable option. More viable then some of the jokes I made in this. Good lord I think I'm really funny)

Basketball - Verizon Center: 

Formally known as the MCI Center, the now 15-year-old arena (that's crazy to think about) is the natural host for the basketball competition. The arena revitalized DC's Chinatown and is a frequent destination for big events. It has hosted huge concerts, an NBA All Star game, the NCAA basketball tournament, the NCAA Frozen Four, a Stanley Cup Finals, the 2003 World Figure Skating Championships and numerous WWE events. I mean the place has had to deal with the hooligan Wizards and choke artist Caps for the last 15 years. The Olympics would be a walk in the park. Sorry, Washington sports fans, I kid because I love (UPDATE: Bad Joke Alert). (UPDATE: Verizon is still the best option for hoops)

Boxing - DC Armory:

Located just near RFK Stadium, The DC Armory would figure into the new Olympic Park as the host for the boxing competition.  The multi-purpose venue currently has a max capacity of 10,000 and hosts everything from trade shows to concerts. The place would have to be modernized, but it looks (I've never been there) to have the potential to be an electric boxing venue. Another solution would be to tear it down, and build a new arena on the site.

Once again, boxing has a legacy in this region that could help an Olympic bid. Former five division world champion and 1976 Olympic gold medalist Sugar Ray Leonard grew up in Maryland and would be another great figurehead for an Olympic bid. I would put Leonard up there with Dominique Dawes as two of the main athletes promoting the games locally. People in this region respect both individuals, and they could be key in helping gain public support. (UPDATE: I don't know about this one. There are so many arenas around the area. I think I messed this one up)

Beach Volleyball - Temporary Venue, Olympic Park: 

Let me just say this right now, it's going to be really tough to beat Copacabana Beach as a beach volleyball venue. That place is going to be insane in Rio. I'm so pumped for it. In fact, London's venue was incredible as well, and was apparently one of the most fun venues to visit during the Olympics. With all that in mind, a temporary venue in the Olympic Park would be a nice way to keep beach volleyball in the center of everything. It would help provide the venue with the party like atmosphere that it has enjoyed the last two Olympics.  Alternative spots could be the Naval Academy or even Ocean City (that would never happen, I just wanted to mention it and make you think about how great it would be) [SUPER BRACKET UPDATE: It wouldn't be that great], but I think its in the best interest of the games to keep as many events close to DC and Baltimore as possible.  So when Misty May and Kerri Walsh go for their sixth straight gold in Women's BVB, it will play out in Olympic Park.

Beijing Temporary Venue 

Aquatics - New Aquatic Venue, Olympic Park:

I'm including water polo in aquatics, which would mean that the water polo arena would be connected to the swimming venue. The 2012 bid plan called for water polo to take place at the Arlington Aquatics Center, but not only do I have no idea where that is, I don't know if it's capable of hosting an Olympic event. With that in mind, a new venue would be constructed in the Olympic Park to host all of the indoor aquatic events. Other than the Olympic Stadium, this would be the biggest opportunity the organizing team to create a memorable design for the rest of the world marvel at. Post games, this venue would be downsized and made into a public center/training venue for local swimmers much like what is happening to London's Aquatic Center. I think there would be strong argument to place the swimming events in Baltimore because of the legacy of Michael Phelps and the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, but it just makes more sense to build this venue in the Olympic Park. (UPDATE: Yep)

Rugby Sevens - New DC United Stadium:

If you asked my friends about my thoughts on the sport of rugby, their responses would range from, "he hates it" to, "he's mildly disgusted by it". I'm not sure what my problem is with rugby, but it probably started with being introduced to the sport by watching it at the high school level. If you ever want to show someone a sport with the aim of having them enjoy it, don't start them with high school games. Trust me, it won't work. Watching the most recent Rugby World Cup and some of the College Seven's National Championship has changed my tune on the sport a bit. Good time for that too, because Rugby debuts as an Olympic sport in 2016. The perfect venue would the New DC United Stadium, which I'm assuming will get built between now and 2024. Although, the way it's been going, the team could be in San Antonio or something by then (UPDATE: LOL).

It's looking like Buzzard Point is now the top choice as the site for the stadium, but as anybody who has followed this saga will tell you, it's a very fluid situation. (UPDATE: a situation that has now been resolved)

Volleyball - Comcast Center, University of Maryland:

Oh yeah, Terpnation! The Olympics are coming to CP, and it's bringing volleyball. If you are unfamiliar with the Comcast Center, it holds 17,950 fans and plays host to the greatest college basketball program ever (I might be biased) (UPDATE: I'm really biased).  The Comcast Center would be great venue for any indoor Olympic sport. While I contemplated putting the final in Baltimore, I just couldn't take it away from College Park, if only because I want the place that housed the basketball stylings of Mychal "Slash" Parker, Ekene Ibekwe, Dave Neal and Bambale Osby to host an Olympic final. (UPDATE: I see no reason to change this, although it could host basketball prelims if they put gymnastics at Verizon)

umterps.com

Tennis - William Fitzgerald Tennis Center

Located in Rock Creek Park in Washington DC, the Fitzgerald Tennis Center plays host to the Citi Open, a joint ATP/WTA tournament that's part of the US Open Series. It's really the only place to put the tennis competition, unless a new venue was built. The problem is that during the 2012 bid, residents surrounding the Center opposed the Olympics coming to the site. They cited the disturbance that the event would cause as the main reason for this. I really don't know how to rectify this complaint, but I'm going to assume that this problem would be resolved with the start of a new bid. (UPDATE: still the only viable venue)

ATPWorldTour.com

Sailing - United States Naval Academy/Chesapeake Bay:

This was the proposed venue for sailing in the 2012 bid, and I really see no reason to change it. Although, wouldn't it be cool if this was in Ocean City? Hell, Ocean City should just bid for the Olympics. Put the Olympic Stadium on the beach (the Dew Tour did it) and build a basketball arena on top of an Old Pro Golf Course. They could host the swimming events at my grandmother's house and canoeing at my cousins' house. How could this not be a success? (UPDATE: Stop, bro. Stop with the jokes) I'll stop before proposing badminton on the boardwalk. Speaking of badminton...

Badminton - Charles E Smith Center:

Don't worry, George Washington University, I didn't forget about you. 4,000 seat The Smith Center was just renovated and would be a great venue for the badminton competition. (UPDATE: I'm happy with this, although the statement by the 2024 people that Richmond will host events means that any of the sports I put in small arenas could get moved to the Richmond Coliseum)

Cycling - New Baltimore Velodrome/Streets of Baltimore:

In my all of my previous DC/Baltimore Olympic plans, Baltimore was to be the home of cycling, both track and road. I almost changed this plan when I heard there was interest to build a velodrome in DC near the new DC United Stadium. A city with people that actually want to build a velodrome? I wasn't sure if I could pass that up. However, I will stick with my plans of hosting both road and track cycling in the greatest city in the America. The Inner Harbor would be scenic end to the cycling road race, although, wouldn't it be cool for it to end on the beautiful Route 50 bridge in Ocean City??? (UPDATE: Yikes) Alright, I'll stop. (UPDATE: I'm thinking the velodrome would probably be in DC)

Golf - Congressional Country Club:

It's hosted three US Opens and one PGA Championship. Nuff said. (UPDATE: I won't go against my own "Nuff said")

Shooting - Prince Georges Trap and Skeet Center:

This was the venue for shooting in the original plan, and I won't mess with it. I almost put shooting in Oriole Park just for fun. In fact, I almost put about eight sports in Oriole Park. I almost did a lot of things. (UPDATE: This sounds good)

Soccer - Lincoln Financial Field, Metlife Stadium, FedEx Field, Soldier Field, M&T Bank Stadium (Final):

GOLAZO, GOLAZO, GOLAZO. (UPDATE: That's supposed to be funny) Honestly, you could put this competition in a bunch of nearby NFL stadiums and I wouldn't have a problem with it. I would have a problem with the final being in FedEx over M&T Bank Stadium. FedEx is bigger, but it's a dump and located in an inconvenient spot. The home of the Baltimore Ravens is smaller, but is in a nicer location that is accessible through public transportation. That's what puts it over the top as a venue for the final. The atmosphere would just be superior. An alternate scenario would be holding the women's final in Baltimore and the men's final in the Olympic Stadium in DC. (Update: Yep)

Modern Pentathlon -  PG County Sports and Learning Complex:

This was the venue that the 2012 organizers had designated for the modern pentathlon. I had never heard of this place, but it sounds pretty nice. Modern Pentathlon's weird array of sports makes it a weird sport to find a venue for. This will work. (UPDATE: I still have no idea where to put the Modern Pentathlon)

Handball - Patriot Center:

"Restore the Roar! The sport that the USA is inexplicably awful at comes to the big TU. The beautiful Tiger Arena would be a perfect host for the handball competition. Could we find or build an arena in and around DC that could host this? Possibly, but I want Olympic events in Towson. So this is how it's going down. Doc approves." 

This is what a wrote before I realized I forgot to put an event in the 10,000 seat Patriot Center. Sorry Towson people, I'll make it up to you later. (UPDATE: still think George Mason would host at least one event)

Equestrian - Laurel Park/Pimlico/Great Meadows:

Look, we have places to put equestrian and I'll let the people decide whether they want Laurel Park or Pimlico to host. Apparently, the 2012 organizers chose Laurel Park as the venue for the jumping and dressage events, but I really don't know why. Did they think people would still be hungover from the Preakness in Pimlico? Anyway, Great Meadows was the proposed 2012 venue for the endurance events and it looks like a pretty appropriate venue for these types of things. I've never been there (my polo skills aren't up to par yet), but it seems like a winner, so we'll just go with it and hope there's not some local uproar against it as a venue.

Field Hockey - Johnny Unitas Stadium:

There are a couple different possibilities to host the field hockey competition. Homewood Field on the campus of Johns Hopkins University is a potential site, but there is a lack of room for expansion and quite frankly, I don't like it's location in Baltimore. The second potential site is UMBC Stadium, but that location is sort of out of the way. While it looks to have good expansion prospects (I haven't been there in a long time so I can't confirm), I don't really like the idea of Field Hockey sort of being out by itself. Solution? Put an Olympic competition at Towson University so I can make up for stripping them of handball! People will say that parking/congestion could be a problem around Towson, but I'm not worried about it. 

Canoeing - Beaverdam Reservoir: 

The reservoir, located in northern Virginia was the venue for canoeing in the 2012 bid plan. Honestly, I don't know enough about Maryland/Virginia reservoirs to justify changing this. I'll trust that the 2012 organizing committee did their due diligence on this one.

Mountain Biking - Patapsco Valley State Park:  

The 16,000 acre park is another 2012 bid venue, and after my own research, seems to be the best place to host the Mountain Biking competition. (UPDATE: I don't remember researching that at all)

Taekwondo, Fencing, IBC - Walter E. Washington Convention Center:

Everybody wants to know where Bob Costas is going to be when NBC rolls him out at age 72. Well that place is the nine year old Walter E. Washington Convention Center, which will be home to the international broadcast center, in addition to taekwondo and fencing. The place clearly has space to host major events, as it was the site of the controversial Lamont Peterson/Amir Khan world title fight in 2011. Sounds like a perfect host for the fighting that will go on in fencing, taekwondo and the media rooms. (UPDATE: I still like that joke)

Table Tennis, Wrestling*, Judo*, Additional Media  - Baltimore Convention Center:

Home of car shows, anime conventions and the backdrop of the occasional Indy Car race, the Baltimore Convention Center would host table tennis, wrestling and judo, along with being a secondary media hub to supplement the IBC in Washington. I put an asterisk next to wrestling and judo because I'm unsure of what the Convention Center would look like from an exhibition space perspective after the arena/hotel expansion. If the BCC couldn't host the wresting/judo combination, it would be moved to either the Howard University Arena or a temporary venue somewhere else. (UPDATE: I'm pretty sure they would find different venues near DC to host these sports)

Triathlon - Inner Harbor/Streets of Baltimore: 

This site really excites me. The Inner Harbor would serve as a fantastic venue for the triathlon. It offers everything that is needed to run an effective triathlon competition, along with a great backdrop that would look good on TV. Would the water have to be cleaned up? Yes. (UPDATE: sure, why not?)

Marathon - Streets of Washington DC

Awesome scenery? Check. Lots of different cool spots where the race could end? Check. I think that's all we need. Site established. 

Well, that's it. The venue plan for my 2024 Washington DC Olympics has been laid out for all too see. If you think I should change a venue, or just have any general thoughts on an Olympic bid in this region, leave a comment below. By the way, I would have the Olympians housed in University of Maryland dorms. No place would be more ready for energetic, partying and possibly disruptive young people.  We've got that down. (UPDATE: the best idea)

Top Olympic Moments: Part Three

#14. Aly Raisman Wins Floor Gold

A couple weeks before the Olympics began, I stumbled upon a documentary series on Comcast Sportsnet called, "Aly Raisman: Quest for Gold". Being the Olympics nut that I am, I made sure to catch each of the three episodes, which profiled US Gymnast Alexandra Raisman's road from the 2011 World Championships to the Olympic Trials. Raisman came off very well in the documentary. She was hard working and down to earth. While Raisman declared that her goal was to be on the Olympic team, there was no pretension about it. She believed her ability, but seemed happy and humbled to even be in the position to make the Olympic team. From that moment, she was not just another Olympian, but someone I wanted to root for.

Fast forward to the second week of the Olympics, and life was going pretty well for Aly Raisman. She was an Olympic champion, a surprise all around participant (finishing fourth) and was qualified for two event finals. After finishing third in the balance beam final (by petitioning her lowered start value), Raisman competed in finals of floor exercise. Considered a favorite going into the competition, Raisman put together one of the best floor routines of her life to take the gold medal. While the routine was fantastic, the thing I'll always remember was the smile Raisman displayed when she finally claimed victory. At the risk of sounding over the top, or even a bit weird, the thing I liked about that smile was the purity of it. It was from an athlete who had put in all the work to be a champion, and finally was able to do it on an individual level. You can't fake a smile like that, it just comes out of raw emotion. After being the leader, the rock, the surprise, just on the outside and then just on the inside, Aly Raisman was finally, golden.

Quest complete.

Top 16 Olympics Moments: Part Two

#15: The King Leads USA Men to Gold

I've said some nasty things about LeBron James. The words, "selfish", "jerk", "conceited", "arrogant" have been used, along with much more colorful language, in my discussions with people about LBJ. After his apparent no show vs Boston in the 2010 playoffs and "The Decision", I just couldn't stand the guy. The problem with my anger towards LeBron was that he never really did anything to me. While,"The Decision" was a horrible idea and a total PR disaster, its not like LeBron really hurt anybody by going to Miami. Did he hurt Cleveland by publicly shoving a knife in their back? Maybe, but its not like other beloved hometown athletes haven't left their cities. The reason we hated LeBron was because we had already planned his career out for him. He was the hometown kid, the savior, the once in a generation talent who would lead Cleveland to their first title in any major sport since 1964. It wasn't supposed to go any other way. When James left for Miami, we revolted not against LeBron the basketball player, or even LeBron the person, but rather against the fact that LeBron had changed the path that he was supposed to take. Throughout the last two NBA season, people were watching Heat games to cheer for or against LeBron, not the team. Rooting for James to fail was weirdly enjoyable. However, after watching him rip through the NBA season/playoffs, pulling off great game after great game, being unselfish, and defining the word, "clutch" (screw you, ESPN) LeBron accomplished something I didn't think he could accomplish.

He made us fans again

As a result, the Olympic basketball tournament became the LeBron James show, but one that everyone could enjoy. Watching this guy play basketball is just beautiful. I don't claim to be a basketball historian, but these, "combination of Mike and Magic" comments that everybody makes seem to be right on. LBJ doesn't have the insane competitive drive like Mike, or the unbridled flare of Magic, but he's advancing toward that level of player. He did everything for Team USA. Whether is was scoring late, getting guys involved or shutting down someone on defense, LBJ was up to the task. When he made that three late in the gold medal game, my dad and I just let out a huge collective "WOOO". It was such a huge shot, one that people have been saying the guy couldn't make. I was so happy for him and his teammates. This, "Dream Team" was not a basketball team constructed in the traditional sense. They were a small-ball, "run and gun" team that struggled at times to defend and were in trouble when the three balls didn't fall. Man, they were fun though. So congrats, LeBron and Team USA. We expected you to win, and you did. While other teams conducted themselves poorly, you represented the United States with absolute class. I hope that their showing draws even more people towards the NBA. If you're one of those new fans, don't watch if you dislike LeBron James. It's a lot less fun that way.

My Top 16 Olympic Moments: Part One

Over the next couple days, I will countdown my 16 favorite moments from the 2012 Olympics. I'm not really sure why I picked the number 16. It could be because I wanted to get Kayla Harrison in this list at all cost, or because a have weird affinity for Joe Montana. Anyway, here are the honorable mentions and #16.

Honorable Mentions:

• Allyson Felix finally wins individual gold in the 200m
• Serena Williams continued her quest to gain total revenge for her 2004 Wimbledon Final loss, destroying Maria Sharapova to win gold. Honestly, Maria never looked like she had a chance, and hopefully the only thing she remembers from these Olympics is carrying the Russian flag in the Opening Ceremony. Sort of quietly, Serena is on the verge of a pretty historic run. If she wins the US Open, the Compton native will be the second player to ever win Wimbledon, the Olympics and the Open in one year, duplicating her sister Venus' run in 2000. Pretty good for someone that is supposedly uninterested in tennis.   
• Missy Franklin wins her first individual gold in the 100m backstroke.
• The Men's Bars final happened (skip to 2 hours 5 min). It was insane.
• 15 year old Katie Ledecky wins the 800 free in dominating fashion and takes over Janet Evans' American distance swimming crown in the year of the latter's final comeback.

Number 16: Kayla Harrison Wins Judo Gold:

On July 5th 2008, in San Diego, California of all places, I purchased my first MMA pay per view. The event, known as UFC 86, featured the ever-howling Quinton Jackson versus Forest Griffin for Jackson's UFC Light Heavyweight Title. The underdog Griffin took a close decision victory in a fantastic fight that was later named fight of the year by some outlets. Ever since that summer night, I have been a manic MMA fan. My interest in MMA has sparked a curiosity into learning about the many disciplines that make up the world's fastest growing sport. During these Olympics, I watched wrestling, judo and tae kwon do with much more interest than I ever had in the past, because many of the athletes, especially the wrestlers, are potential MMA prospects. All of that, combined with the incredible personal story surrounding it, made Kayla Harrison's gold medal run in Judo one of my favorite Olympic moments. Harrison, who was sexually abused by a coach when she was younger, went through her rounds with controlled ferocity, throwing and arm-barring people like it was nothing. Her gold medal was the first by an American judoka in history, and temporarily put judo in a spotlight that it doesn't normally enjoy in the United States. I would love to see Harrison transition to MMA, where her world class skills combined with built in name recognition would give Women's MMA another marketable star. Putting aside my own selfish thoughts, Harrison's story of personal reclamation is remarkable, and she should be a role model for all victims of abuse. Bravo, Kayla.

Photos Courtesy of the Washington Examiner and onthemat.com.

The Best and Worst of the Closing Ceremony

It's all over. After 16 great days of action, the Games of the 30th Olympiad has come to an end. I don't know about you, but this was my favorite of the eight Olympics I was mentally aware of. I might have been six, but I swear I watched some of Nagano. It was the last Olympics not shown on NBC. Remember? It was on CBS and Jim Nantz took a break from smelling the azaleas in Augusta to perform hosting duties. Seriously, check this out.

Unbelievable. No Bugler's Dream and no Costas. Andrea Joyce co-hosted the Opening Ceremony, which is... interesting. I might have to do a best and worst of CBS' Olympics coverage because there are definitely some things that need to be discussed. Anyway, the Closing Ceremony was last night and it was a damn party. Seriously, the amount of partying that probably went on after must have been insane. However, since I was not invited, I will sit on the outside and be judgmental. It's time for the best and worst of the Closing Ceremony!  

Best

• Costas/Seacrest: This pair made a lot of sense for this broadcast. Seacrest is an entertainment guy, so having him in the role of describing what was essentially a huge concert was a well thought out decision. Costas is untouchable at NBC (or at least, that's what my lack of insider knowledge tells me), so he has the potential to say just about anything. The interaction they had after the One Direction song was pretty funny and their overall chemistry was solid.
• London Gold: The segments summarizing the competitions were nice, although I'm a sucker for a good montage. I especially liked the gymnastics one, if only because they used the, "dreams" angle that I used in my post about J-Wiebs. Look, having the same editorial direction as the NBC fluff piece production crew is sort of my dream (YIKES). While I liked the use of Phil Phillips, "Home" in the piece, I would have had different songs for each gymnast. For example,  Aliya Mustafina's would have been "Icebox" by Omarion, which pretty much sums up the relationship we formed by through TV stares. Gabby Douglas' song would have been "Fly Like an Eagle" (if only to beat this greatness). McKayla Maroney's would have been a combination of, "Picture Me Rollin" and "Swagga Like Us". Honestly, I had about 100 song ideas for Maroney's montage, and that probably wasn't the best combination. I'll work on it for my gymnastics review post.
• The Good Music Performances: Not everything was good last night, but the organizers did a very solid job trotting out just about everyone they could find for this thing. Liam Gallagher didn't sound very good, but I love, "Wonderwall" so he gets a pass from me. The Spice Girls clearly haven't lost a step. They put on a very solid performance. Eric Idle was awesome. Take That's song at the end was nice. Jessie J tried to destroy the Queen tribute, but the song and crowd were to much for her to overcome. You know what? That reminds me, the best part of this ceremony was...
• The Crowd: Pardon me for this overused phrase, but the crowd was absolutely off the hook. They sang along with everything and their clapping during, "We Will Rock You" saved it from Jessie J's horrible Freddy Mercury cover. It was a fitting end for the great crowds that were prominent throughout these Games. Well done, London.
• The Credits: Some might not have seen NBC's always awesome credits montage because it was after the Peacock Network tape delayed the tape delay of The Who's performance, but my God it was awesome. I won't admit to shedding a tear, but I also won't deny it. Got pretty emotional in my basement at 12:30 last night.

Worst:

• Russell Brand: Oh man, that segment was just off putting. First of all, if I'm the organizers, I'm not sure I want Russell Brand representing my country on a world stage. Second, the whole thing was just weird. It was like Willy Wonka on LSD. I'm sure some enjoyed it, but it just wasn't my thing.
• Annie Lennox: The woman is extremely talented, but I just didn't like how they used her. Not much else to say really.
• One Direction: I actually thought they were decent. My problem came when I realized they might have been lip syncing the chorus and then singing the verses. I have no problem with them lip-syncing, and  they might not have been. The chorus just sounded so much more clean than the rest. It was weird.
• General Boredom: TBS counter programmed the Ceremony with The Hangover. Honestly, during some of the CC, my Dad and I would sort of just come to the conclusion that the Hangover was better than watching Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell walking down fake runways or whatever else was going on. Honestly, the CC was solid, but wasn't nearly captivating enough to keep me away from the Wolfpack. Opening Cermony > Closing Cermony which is how it should be.

Well, part one of my Olympics Review is down. Be ready for different types of London 2012 review as the week goes on. Lists, in-depth reviews and long winded NBC related opinions should be expected. Try to deal with your Olympic withdraw the best you can. I was dealing with it pretty well until I mentioned, "Icebox" in this post. Since then I have just been repeating, "I'm so cold.." over and over. Follow me on Twitter @TaylorSmyth10 where I may or may not be live tweeting last Monday's Olympic events (I'm not).

542 days until Sochi.  

USA vs China and Jamaica - Day 13-15 Review

As I sit and watch the marathon, I have come to the unfortunate realization that my 16 days of obsession is about to become 542 days of anticipation. The Olympics are coming to a close today, and with that the waiting game begins until sport once again permeates through world culture like it only can during the Olympics. When you revolve your life around these things like this as I do (man, hope that doesn't sound too pathetic), the feeling of disappointment that the Closing Ceremonies bring is not necessarily one that comes from the individual games being over, but rather that the positive feelings and emotions that the Olympics provide will not be felt for an extended period of time. The Olympics brings countries together, allowing us to root under out flags in events that do not harm us, but instead uplift us. More than that, the Olympics unify us as one world and one people. I know that sounds corny, but it really is true. VISA doesn't totally have it wrong with their, "Go World" slogan. My brother Sam could care less about sports, and with the possible exception of fantasy golf (Best Ball!), doesn't actively pay attention to anything in the sports world. I normally have a hard time sitting in a room with him while I'm watching sports because I can never understand why he stares at his computer with his headphones in, instead of watching. Sports enthrall me to such a level that his complete lack of interest baffles me. During the last two weeks however, he looks up a lot more at the TV screen.  He probably has no idea that I noticed his small peeks and he probably doesn't even remember them, but I guarantee he wouldn't be looking if it was an Orioles game. He could probably have a decent conversation with someone in Belgium about the Olympics. The fact is that everybody is in tune with the Olympics, which makes them in tune with sports. Say you love collecting coins, and for two weeks everybody was jacked up about coins. They talked to you about the coins, stayed interested when you described the different types of coins, and even bought and collected coins of their own. When everybody is interested in the thing you love, its the greatest feeling in the world. That's what the Olympics are for me, a two week love affair with sports where I'm not the only one participating for once. When it ends, I'll go back to a world where no one really cares about talking gymnastics, track or anything else. I can wait though, the feelings I get for those two weeks are more than worth it.


Day 13-15 Review 

• "Greatness has been found" was the slogan emblazoned on the USA Women's Soccer team's custom Nike shirts worn after their 2-1 victory over Japan on Thursday. Believe me, the greatness was always there. They're not always the most technically sound, well organized or even the best team on the field on a given day. Japan might have been the better team Thursday. The problem for the World Champions was that the US wasn't going to be denied. I'm pretty sure they would have run hard for 90 hours if it meant reclaiming the throne they believed they deserved after last year's World Cup final. While they were shaky at times, two great Carli Lloyd goals combined with some Hope Solo heroics saw them through. Shoutout to US Coach Pia Sundhage who is three for three making major tournament finals in her tenure. She was a penalty shootout from winning all three. Pretty impressive
• If it wasn't widely apparent four years ago, the USA/Jamaica sprint rivalry is going nowhere. Jamaica, led by Usain Bolt, dominated the men's sprints, winning six out of a potential seven medals they could have won in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay. The women's sprints were more even, with the US taking the 200m and 4x100 titles and Jamaica winning the 100m.  While Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake give Jamaica the clear upper hand in the men's events for the foreseeable future, the US women may have surpassed the Jamaican women this Olympics. Should be a fun story line to follow leading up to Rio.
• By the way, how arrogant is Usain Bolt? Keep in mind, I love the guy. I wrote a glowing post about him the other day and the story about him stopping an interview out of respect to the US national anthem shows his good character. However, declaring yourself a legend? Using press conferences to take down past greats? I mean, I love candor as much as the next guy (I understand the motivation for the Carl Lewis comments), but can you imagine if he was American? Just something to think about.
• Props to Allyson Felix, who reversed two Olympics of individual heartbreak to win three gold medals, including her first solo gold in the 200m. Quietly, Felix is building a resume that will put her among the greatest American track athletes of all time, male or female. At 26, she already has six Olympic medals and ten World Championship medals. Felix is world class in three events (100m, 200m, 400m) and she will most likely compete in four years at Rio, where she could add to her medal haul. That AP Women's Athlete of the Year award? That should be Felix's too. She deserves it.
• The USA Volleyball game vs Brazil was tough to watch. After a dominating first set, I really thought the US was going to take it. Well, I'm still sort of pissed about it. Before I insult Brazil, lets move on! I mean its not like their potential inability to securely host the two biggest sporting event in the world is a big issue or anything. I mean, Brazil and security REALLY go hand in hand don't they? STOP TAYLOR.
• The USA Women's Basketball team won. Nothing to see here.
• This Aly Raisman deleted tweet story is interesting. First of all, the guys over at Bleacher Report think it might be fake, and they make some interesting points. Also, she used "were" instead of "we're". DAMMIT ALY. Anyway, this brings up a bigger issue. Why is Aly Raisman communicating to people through Twitter DMs? Does she not have this person's phone number or email address? Why are you even risking mistakenly tweeting your direct message to the masses? It kind of boggles my mind. Aly, take it from a person who has 103 followers and who's every tweet is carefully dissected and magnified (that sarcasm is coming through, right?), texting is your friend. I mean, they won't hack your phone.  This is the British press we're talking about. Class, through and through...
• Here's what we know for sure. If they did go to that club, McKayla was ready.
• Jordan Burroughs is a guy you need to pay attention too. The Nebraska alum took home one of the two USA wrestling golds of these games, winning the 74kg division. Burroughs, who's Twitter handle is @alliseeisgold (easily my favorite Twitter handle of these games) gave an awesome interview to NBC after his gold medal performance. I really liked Burroughs personality and I hope he switches over to MMA after wrestling in Rio. 
• Mexico beat Brazil in a gold medal match I admittedly gave them little chance to win. How could I have known that the moody, highly emotional Brazilian superstars would implode?  Did you know the Brazil only won three gold medals this Olympics? That's the same amount as the Oklahoma City Thunder! Crazy, right? I've moved into full on attack mode against Brazil. I'm the Chael Sonnen of Olympic blogging! I got to stop before Anderson Silva comes to my house and hurts me. Whatever, its all about CONCACAF supremacy! 
• David Rudisha's world record in the 800 meters was pretty cool. In what's being called, "The Greatest 800m race of all time", Rudisha blew away a historically fast field. If you missed it, I urge you to watch it, as Rudisha is now one of the greatest middle distance runners of all time. His feat deserves your time.
• I really enjoy rhythmic gymnastics. Can't say the same about synchronized swimming.
• Finally, we (the USA) beat China in the overall and gold medal count. While my natural inclination is to figure out as many ways to say, "Suck it" in English and Chinese, I will restrain myself. China put up a valiant fight, but was simply outgunned by our Americanness (I know that makes no sense). Anyway, we really don't compete against China directly that often. They're good at events we're not as good at and vice versa. Most of the duels this yeah came in the pool where as a wrote about last week, they seem to be an emerging force. However, the most joy I got from beating the Chinese was when David Boudia won the 10m platform diving competition. It was just awesome to beat China in a diving event.  They just seem to never lose. Also, I've been hating on diving among my friends the past couple weeks, but that was an exciting final. Boudia, Tom "Golden Boy" Daley and Qiu Bo put on awesome performances. It took awhile, diving, but you finally produced excitement. So thank you China for the good fight. Having a rival makes us better and you're a worthy opponent. See ya in Rio.

Well, while I've probably not written about all I would have liked to in terms of reviewing the last couple days, this post will still come to a close. I mean, I need stuff to talk about in my Post Olympics Report. Over the next week, I'll give my final thoughts on these games. It will include my overall opinion of NBC, my top moments of the games, a best and worst of the Closing Ceremony, some in depth reviews of certain American programs, including predictions for their progress over the next four years, and something relating to Samuel L Jackson. We'll see how it goes. Thanks for reading. Follow me on Twitter @TaylorSmyth for my thoughts on everything. Well its mostly about sports, but I have tweeted about The Challenge (sure that piqued everyone interest) and other important things! Unless you don't want... Wait, there are no more spoilers. The Olympics are over. Ugh.

Almost Home - Team Sports Report

Property of Sports Illustrated

Would you look at that? There are only four days left in the 2012 Olympic games. I'll be honest, when NBC rolled the Bugler's Dream intro at the beginning of the primetime broadcast tonight, I started to get a little emotional. The end of the Olympics means I have to venture back into a world where live sports doesn't consume entire days and live in a sports world where football and baseball are once again king. Now, before you football fanatics hunt me down, I do love football. Go Ravens! It's just not the same as the Olympics and that's because nothing is, or ever will be like the greatest stage in sports. Dammit, we're not even finished with London and I'm already counting down to Sochi in 2014.

As the Olympics wind down, the focus turns toward the team sports. Now while track is still plugging along, the fastest man and woman in the world have already been crowned and the majority of the events have finished. The only marquee events left are the decathlon, the marathon and the Men's 200 meters, which is elevated in status because of the Usain Bolt factor. Besides those, the rest of the individual events get put on the back burner and we turn our attention to the completion of the team sports competitions.

During these games, the team sports competitions have been really entertaining. Everything has been fun, from the sports I watched a lot of (Men's Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball, Field Hockey) to the ones that have received less of my attention (Handball, Water Polo). It's been a great Olympics for the team sports. With that in mind, l'll take some time to review each sport, and try to give my best guess on who will win. Let's do it!

Men's Basketball

Teams Remaining: Argentina, Russia, Spain, United States. 

Prediction: Gold - USA, Silver - Spain, Bronze - Argentina 

Overview: Quite simply, the US has the best team and I would be a shocked if they didn't take home a second consecutive gold. They have the best player (LeBron), the best pure scorer (Durant), the best point guard (CP3) and the best coach (Coach K). I could really go on, but I think you get the idea. The rest of this tournament has been filled with alleged tanking, upsets, flops, Yi Jialian offensive explosions and groin punches. Spain, Russia and Argentina all have nice teams and all three can challenge Team USA in different ways. Challenging isn't the same as defeating though, and none of teams will beat the US unless they get ridiculously hot shooting or the US lays a huge egg.

Women's Basketball

Teams Remaining: Australia, France, Russia, United States.

Prediction: Gold - USA, Silver - Russia, Bronze - Australia

Overview: The United States will win the gold medal going away. Russia has Becky Hammon, Australia has Lauren Jackson and France has, well, it doesn't really matter. Gene Auriemma's crew has run rampant through this competition, and the next two games should be no different.

Women's Field Hockey 

Teams Remaining: Netherlands, Argentina

Prediction: Gold - Netherlands, Silver - Argentina - Bronze - Great Britain

Overview: I haven't watched many of the Netherlands' games in this tournament, but I have seen a lot of Argentina, especially their loss to the USA. Their performance didn't scream gold medal favorite by any means. The Netherlands is the reigning gold medalist and apparently the best looking team in the Olympics (time for some research), so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt here.

Men's Field Hockey 

Teams Remaining: Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands

Prediction: Gold - Australia, Silver - Netherlands, Bronze - Great Britain

Overview: I have watched none of this tournament, or at least not enough to makes a wise prediction. FIH World Rankings, don't fail me now!

Men's Volleyball

Teams Remaining: Bulgaria, Russia, Brazil, Italy

Medal Prediction: Gold - USA, Silver- Russia, Bronze - Italy

Overview: I'm still bitter about the US just giving up against Italy yesterday. Good luck, Brazil.

Women's Volleyball 

Teams Remaining: Brazil, Japan, Korea, United States

Medal Prediction: Gold - United States, Silver - Brazil, Bronze - Korea

Overview: The USA and Brazil are pretty clearly the two best teams left and it would be a big upset if either of them lost their semifinal matches. That would lead to a tasty final between the two countries that seem to be emerging as the best overall volleyball playing countries on the planet. The USA already has gold and silver in Women's beach with Brazil taking the bronze. The Brazilian team of Emmanuel and Allison is favored to win the men's beach gold today. Brazil is also favored to win the men's volleyball competition. In a USA/Brazil final, I'm taking the USA because I'm patriotic, and because Destinee Hooker is a winner.

Women's Soccer

Teams Remaining: Japan, USA

Medal Prediction: Gold - USA, Silver - Japan, Bronze - France

Overview: Well, there goes my medal prediction. Just as I was typing in France, Canada scored late in the bronze medal match. I picked France before the game, and they dominated play. Whatever. The USA and Japan play later today in a rematch of the 2011 World Cup final. This has the potential to be a high scoring game given both teams potent attacks and shaky (especially the US) back lines. I'm picking the USA here, but I don't feel comfortable. 3-2 to the Yanks.

Men's Soccer

Teams Remaining: Brazil, Mexico

Medal Prediction: Gold - Brazil, Silver - Mexico, Bronze - Japan

Overview: It looks like Brazil is finally going to get their first Olympic soccer gold. They have the best team with Neymar, Hulk and Pato just giving them too much attacking power for Mexico to handle. El Tri is a nice team (curse you, Gio Dos Santos), but they are going to have to put on a great performance to win the gold. Let's go CONCACAF!

Women's Water Polo

Women's Teams Remaining: USA, Spain

Medal Prediction: Gold - USA, Silver - Spain, Bronze - Australia

Men's Teams Remaining: Croatia, Italy, Montenegro, Serbia

Medal Prediction: Gold- Serbia, Silver - Croatia, Bronze - Italy

Overview: This tournament has been awesome. Between the USA's thrilling tie with Spain in pool play and their nail biter against Australia in the semis, Water Polo has produced some of the better games of the Olympics. I'm still bitter about the US men losing, so Men's WP doesn't get their own overview. I showed you, Croatia!

Handball 

Overview: I have no predictions. Just watch it and wonder why the USA doesn't have a good handball team.

Seriously, why aren't we good at handball?

"I Just Ran Fast" - Long Weekend Review

I have a dirty little secret. The first sport that I was ever captivated by or wanted to attend, was NASCAR.  "Well Taylor", you might say, "why is that so bad? Lots of people love NASCAR, you have no reason to be ashamed of that". You'd be absolutely right. NASCAR is a league loved by millions of people, with a hardcore fan base among the most rabid in all of sports. The problem is that many don't even consider NASCAR, or in a more general sense, auto racing, a sport. It's seen more as a competitive activity and because of the supposed lack of athleticism involved in driving, not worthy of being in the same category as basketball, football or soccer. Then why do so many people tune into for Dale Jr, Jeff, Smoke and Darrell Waltrip catchphrases every Sunday? Because NASCAR is the most definitive type of competition we have; a race. Everybody understands a race. Point A to point B. No scoring, judging, or refereeing. A race determines who's the fastest, no questions asked.  It's the reason I started to love NASCAR when I was five. The winner was the one who got there first? Easy. Races bring us together because we don't have to understand, we just have to watch.

On Sunday afternoon, through the buffering of my video feed, I watched the greatest race I've ever seen. It only lasted 10 seconds (unless you're an Asafa Powell fan), but it was one of the most compelling events I've ever seen in sports. The eight competitors involved all brought very interesting stories, but more importantly, incredibly fast times into the race. Ryan Bailey, the 23 year old who was living in a car a few years ago, ran a personal best 9.88 in the prelims and may be the next big thing in American sprinting.  Powell was trying to breakthrough for his first individual Olympic medal, having been the bridesmaid of elite sprinting for the last eight years. American Tyson Gay, the second fastest man in history, coming off a year away because of injury and one of the classiest guys in all of sports, just wanted to be the fastest man that ever lived. Justin Gatlin, the disgraced 2004 Olympic Champion, was trying to make everyone forget about the four year doping ban that turned him from a star to an outcast. Finally, Yohan Blake, the youngest 100m world champion of all time, attempted to unseat his legendary training partner and create his own legacy. So many great stories were involved that the race felt more like a title fight than a sprint. Even with all that, only one guy mattered, the man they all came to see, the guy that always seems to get to the line first, "the great man," Usain Bolt.

I had an interaction regarding Bolt on Sunday that helped me understand how he has touched people in a way no other sprinter has since Jessie Owens. My grandmother, a pretty spry and sharp 94, has reached the point where she needs constant, around the clock care. Her caretaker on Sunday was an incredibly nice Jamaican woman named Kimone. When Kimone heard I was watching the semifinals of the 100m on my phone, she wanted me to update her on the races. After Bolt cruised to a semifinal victory, making world class sprinting look easy as only he can, I went to inform Kimone of his victory. Upon hearing the news, she pumped her fist and exclaimed "Yes!" with a joy that couldn't have been more obvious even if she tried. She asked how he looked in the race. I said simply, "He's incredible" to which she replied, "He's the best". At this point, we both couldn't stop smiling.  For me, it was watching a man who I was supposed to root against because of his nationality, but couldn't because of his talent. The wonder that he brings to running is nothing like I've ever seen. For her, it was the continued success of the greatest icon her country has ever produced. A man who has probably brought more honor and prestige to Jamaica than anybody in their history. I don't think that American's completely understand what these great athletes mean to the smaller nations. The popularity that Bolt has in Jamaica or that Kirani James enjoys in Grenada are completely different than what we feel toward our Olympic heroes like Phelps or Douglas. The performance that all nine men put on in the final were immense. I mean, it was the fastest race ever. However, Bolt was in a class by himself. He was a man among boys in the greatest 100 meter race in history. An athlete who has eclipsed being a phenom and become a legend.

I heard that after I left, the people still at the house had asked Kimone if she wanted to know the outcome of the final. She resisted for a bit, how I don't know, because she wanted to watch it on TV later. After hearing that Bolt had once again cemented himself has the fastest man who ever lived, she asked that no one to tell her how Bolt celebrated after the race. How he celebrated? No one in America has ever cared how Michael Phelps celebrated. That's Bolt's effect though. It's what the 9.63 seconds he's on the track can do to you. It doesn't matter whether your from Jamaica, America or Great Britain. He makes a race that's supposed to be easy to understand, a concept that is simple, into something extraordinary. Jamaica's treasure brings people together to cheer as one, because during the race on Sunday he did more than just make us watch. He made us wonder.


Weekend Quick Hits:

• After their game against Colombia, I talked about how the USWNT was going with a, "kill of be killed attitude" in their effort to defend their Olympic title. Well, that 4-3 extra time thriller against Canada on Monday was the epitome of that. It was the best soccer match I've ever seen because it had everything. Stakes, drama, goals, bad refereeing, physicality and feats of individual brilliance.   Hats off to Christine Sinclair and Megan Rapinoe who put on a show over the course of about 25 minutes in the middle of the second half. The Fiver named it the best knockout match in major tournament football since 1982 and Grant Wahl of SI called it one of the best games he's ever seen. I don't have the same depth of knowledge about soccer as them, but I readily agree.
• Lost a little in Bolt's triumph was the amazing comeback story of Justin Gatlin. As you probably know by now, Gatlin served a four year doping suspension after winning the Olympic and World titles in successive years. Give it up to Gatlin who reclaimed glory in a sport where he made himself an outcast. 
• Spare a moment for Tyson Gay, who didn't medal even after running a blistering 9.80. He is the second fastest man of all time, running 9.69 in 2009, but has had injuries bring him down the last few years. Gay, who is not as boisterous as guys like Bolt, Gatlin or Yohan Blake, tweeted this after the race. The guy is so classy its ridiculous. I hope that Gay, who turns 30 on August 9th, can get through his injuries and stick it out a few more years. The sport of track and field is a better place with him in it. 
• This Kirani James story is one you need to know. The 19 year old from Grenada won the first medal in his country's history when he dominated the field in the 400m final on Monday night. He is the first non American to ever run sub 44 seconds in the event, which is notable considering no Americans were in the 400m final for the first time in forever. The fluff piece NBC did about his connection to Grenada was touching, and James' act of sportsmanship toward double leg amputee Oscar Pistorius after their semifinal race was noble. Bravo, Kirani. Looking forward to seeing more of you in the future.
• Aly Raisman is finally golden. After years of sitting in the shadows of more hyped teammates and opponents, Raisman is leaving these games with two golds and a bronze after winning the floor competition and placing third in beam finals. I'm so happy for Raisman who by all accounts, works as hard as anybody and thrives in her role as team leader/anchor. Not sure she'll be back for Rio, but like Gay with track, gymnastics is a better sport with class people like Raisman around.
• Everybody seems to be jumping on the McKayla Maroney train right now. I don't like to do this, but I've been there for awhile. Just saying.
• Shout out to Sanya Richards-Ross who finally got her individual gold medal at the Olympics in the 400 meters. Also, props Jenn Suhr who beat pole vault queen Yelena Isinbeyeva to win  gold. Isinbeyeva was interesting to watch. Her reactions to everything were so unique. I can see why she's compelling 
• The two USA men's beach volleyball teams were both knocked out over the weekend. Unfortunately, I missed both matches, but its very unfortunate that neither pair was able to grab a medal. Weirdly shocking to be honest.

That's where I'm going to leave it. Thanks for reading as always. Going to do a team sports report because most of this post featured individual athletes. Also planning a couple other things for the next couple days. Follow me on Twitter @TaylorSmyth10. Man, the Olympics are fun! Can't wait for the last few days, and I hope you feel the same.

Halfway Home - Team USA Stock Up/Stock Down

Where has the time gone? Unbelievably, one week of the 2012 Summer Olympics is already in the books, and what a week it's been. We've had highs and lows, triumphs and tragedies, winners and losers, and I'm just talking about the jokes I've tried to make in this blog... < Case and point. Anyway, as we move into the second week of the Games of the XXX Olympiad (yes I'm including this this Sunday in the first week, don't kill me), it's necessary to look back at the week that was. It's time for a new and unique sports writing ploy! Yep, you guessed it, its time for a little stock up/stock down.

Stock Up:

• Missy Franklin: I have not talked about Ms. Franklin at length in these virtual pages because I honestly wasn't sure the 17 year old deserved the massive hype she was receiving. I talked about Phelps and Lochte, made definitive one liners about Dana Vollmer and led one of these posts talking about how awesome Allison Schmitt. I even had a paragraph dedicated to Yi Jianlian. The Chairman!  The truth is, Franklin deserves all the praise her 6'1 frame can absorb because she is a phenomenal swimmer. Four golds as a 17 year old Olympics rookie is a remarkable achievement and nobody would have blamed her if she wanted reaped the immense financial rewards. However much to the chagrin of Kelloggs, "The Missile" wants to go to college. I'm not going to get on my high horse and mark this as some win for amateurism because its not, and I don't really care. With that said, it's cool that Missy Franklin wants to compete in college. Join the party, Missy, we'd love to have you.
• The Future of American Swimming: Franklin's obviously in this group, but the rest post-Phelps era clan looked really exciting over the last week. Katie Ledecky, all of 15 years old, looks to be the long awaited heir to Janet Evans' American distance swimming throne. 19 year old Elizabeth Beisel gator chomped her way to two medals in her second Olympics. Check the day five post (in blog, blog plug!) for all the superlatives I threw Schmitt's way and then contemplate that she's just 21. Nathan Adrian looks to be America's new sprint star and Tyler Clary backed up his big talk to win a surprise Gold. Olympians Lia Neal, Caitlin Leverenz, Conor Dwyer, Alyssa Anderson, Lauren Perdue, Shannon Vreeland, Ariana Kukors and Rachel Bootsma are all under 23. If even half of them improve, combined with the new blood constantly being produced by the US of A, our high places in the pool will be secured for the foreseeable future.
• USA Gymnastics: While I'm still reeling from McKayla "Swag" Maroney's loss in the vault final today, I will pull myself together long enough to note what a great Olympics this has been so far for @USAGym.  I don't really need to say anything about the Women's team (you know what I think about that group), although it will interesting to follow how many of these five stick around for Rio. I think all of them will in some capacity, and that's something I hope to get into in more detail at some point. The "Fab Five" won't have any shortage of challengers, with Sarah Finnegan, Lexie Preissman, Simone Biles and Katelyn Ohashi being some names you should to know going into the next quadrennial.  The men are in good shape as well. John Orozco and Danell Leyva are not going anywhere, and they're numerous talented guys behind them. All and all, USA Gymnastics is on the up and up. Get excited, Bela is.
• Carmelo Anthony: MELOOOO (shout out to TBJ) has to be loving life right now. His reputation suffered this last NBA season after he was deemed a coach killer (partially deserved), selfish on the court (deserved) and the destroyer of Linsanity (unforgivable). He's the second worst defensive player on this team behind Kevin Love and he really doesn't fit in to the whole, "be unselfish" thing that USA Basketball is trying to champion. None of that matters though, because all Carmelo has to do on this team is score, and he's fantastic at that. He lets better defenders defend, better passers initiate the offense and more suited leaders, lead. 37 points in 14 minutes? No big deal, because that's all this team requires of the former Towson Catholic (Baltimore!) star. When he goes back to being an offensive black hole on the Knicks, you'll forget about this, which sucks, because this version of Melo is fun.
• USA Judo: When you win the first gold medal in your program's history, you're getting a big "stock up" from me. Kayla Harrison's story was incredible and her bouts were very fun to watch. I don't how much judo is ever going to permeate the American sports landscape, but if there was ever a time, this would be it. The rise of MMA has put niche martial arts in a spotlight they didn't enjoy before. I can tell you that I wouldn't have watched nearly as much Judo this Olympics had I not been a huge MMA fan. That's a fact. With Strikeforce Women's Champion Ronda Rousey being a former Olympic judoka, along with being marketable as hell, Judo could see at least a little jump in popularity. For a sport that probably hasn't received this much attention in it's history in the US than it's gotten in the last week, that's pretty cool.

Stock Down:

• USA Boxing: Look up the phrase, "jumping the gun" and you'll find the statement I made about USA boxing last Monday. I mislead you all and I'm sorry. What can I say? I love boxing and just wanted it to get some positive press in a time when it's only relevance occurs when one of two guys fight (because they won't fight each other), or the release of a good boxing movie. At this point, you know that the USA has one boxer left on the men's side going into the second week of competition, the worst result in forever. That's just pathetic, not to mention the entire tournament has been marred by bad scoring, boring fights and just general confusion. My last effort on behalf of USA Boxing is to  shamelessly promote female fighters Marlen Esparza and Clarissa Shields. Esparza has a great smile, with the skills to match and Shields punches with bad intentions, with a story that is made for NBC fluff pieces. Ladies, please represent your sport well, because it needs you now more than ever.
• USA Field Hockey: Look, I didn't want to put them here. I understand that this is a program on the rise and that the win over Argentina was one of the biggest wins in USA Field Hockey history. I really wouldn't have put them here either, until they got popped 7-0 against South Africa today. That's a scoreline that screamed, "we gave up". When your goal is to advance to crossovers and perhaps even medal, winning one game and losing some tough close ones is fine with me. Let's be honest though, many times they just didn't look up to the challenge, and losing 7-0 in a game where your playing for pride is just disappointing. Sorry USA Field Hockey, I like you, I really enjoy your sport, but your stock is down.
• Hope Solo: Great goal keeper. Fun personality. I love when athletes speak their mind. Would root for Hope to the ends of the earth. However, this act is getting old.
• NBC: As the only broadcaster that allows us televised access to the Olympics, they are an honorary member of Team USA. I'll go into all my complaints about NBC's coverage later. If I did it here, this would become way to long. Let's just say their stock is down. 

There are many other USA Team/Programs that will get their due in my final review of the games. Many of their stories are just not complete enough to determine whether they have succeeded or failed at these game. Don't worry USA Equestrian, I will get to you! 

Follow me on Twitter @TaylorSmyth10 unless you are still trying to watch Primetime without spoilers. Don't worry, Samuel L Jackson is trying to do the same thing, with varying success. Give that guy a follow, he's hilarious. Might have to write something about him. Hmmmm. Until next time, happy Olympics!