Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games

[Derwood]

USA has the makings of an incredibly talented olympic gynmastics team in 2012. Not only would Liuken and Johnson make for a solid top end, there was another 16 year old girl (can't think of her name at the moment) that competed this year as well.

 

maybe, but in 4 years Liuken and Johnson will be 20 and there will be a 1/2 dozen 16 year olds who are probably better

[Outshined_One]

if phelps trained for the 50 and 100 free, would he win them? he's not as large as bernard or vandenloogenhoogen or popov or hall, but he gave sullivan all he could handle in the first leg of 4x100.

 

i doubt it. he's not a great sprinter; he pretty much always has to come from behind in the 100 fly (which scares me, he's going to have to go 50.5 or under to win tomorrow morning, i think). he's a great mid-distance swimmer and i think he could be great at distance if he worked on it, but the long, lean body generally does not lend itself as well to sprinting. those are usually the shorter, more muscular swimmers.

 

plus, phelps works too hard to be a sprinter.

 

but i thought that the greatest sprinters of all time were rather tall.

 

Phelps' lower body is not proportional to his upper body. His legs are actually on the short side. That would really hurt him when it comes to strides.

[TruffleShuffle]

But perhaps this is not Johnson's final chance at individual gold.

 

After the meet, both gymnasts retracted earlier comments that this Olympics would mark the end of their careers.

 

"Now she is thinking to keep going," Valeri said of his daughter.

 

Then, during the news conference, Johnson said she'd changed her mind, too.

 

"A month ago, I would have said I was done," Johnson said. "But after being here, I would give anything to feel this way again."

 

this is kind of depressing, that a 16 year old was going to end her "career" in gymnastics. but i guess they might want to do things like eat food and have friends.

[Guest]

Awful:

 

The U.S. and Cuba have had many thrilling games in international play, but they've never had one that ended like this.

 

And baseball purists everywhere may hope that they never see another one like it.

 

In the first test of the new international tiebreaker rules, Cuba scored two runs in the top of the 11th off of Jeff Stevens (Indians), then held the U.S. to one run in the bottom of the inning to hang on for a 5-4 win.

 

In an attempt to make baseball more "Olympics friendly," any game that goes to the 11th inning now involves putting men on first and second to start the inning, while the manager picks where in the lineup he'll start the 11th. It was an anti-climactic ending to what had been a thrilling back-and-forth game, but it did serve its purpose, as the game didn't go to the 12th.

 

"The whole extra-innings thing, I think, is bogus," U.S. first baseman Terry Tiffee (Dodgers) said in the Associated Press' account of the game.

 

And apparently the commies are as cool as the Atlanta Braves:

 

But on the first pitch of the inning, Jayson Nix (Rockies) fouled a ball of his face while attempting to bunt.

 

The pitch angered [manager Davey] Johnson, who told reporters after the game that he thought Cuba's Pedro Luis Lazo was intentionally throwing at Nix. "Lazo's a great pitcher. I'm sure their game plan was to throw right at the guy's head," Johnson told the AP. "It bounced up and hit him in the eye. No game of baseball is worth that . . . I told my guys, 'They're going to do something crazy, and that was their crazy play.' In my wildest imagination I didn't think they'd throw right at my player's coconut."

 

Lazo rushed to home plate to check on Nix after the play but disputed that he threw at Nix. "It's one thing if the ball hit him in the face, but it hit the bat first," Lazo said, according to the Associated Press. "This is not right (what Johnson said). This is not correct." Backing up Lazo's contention, it wasn't a situation where one would normally try to bean a player—as it would have put the winning run on first base and loaded the bases.

 

If Nix is unable to play in the rest of the tournament, which was being reported as he walked off with a bloodied face, the U.S. will be down to a skeleton crew of position players.

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/olympics/2008/266699.html

[TruffleShuffle]

i am very, very nervous about the 100 fly tonight.

[shnsajax]

i am very, very nervous about the 100 fly tonight.

 

I just wonder if he is tiring at all. He seems to be at the turn slightly below the leader, then blows past them on the last 50. He doesn't have much margin for error tonight. 100 is just real short for all of these guys.

[The Voice of Reason]

i am very, very nervous about the 100 fly tonight.

 

 

A half-hour after winning another gold, Phelps was second-fastest behind Milorad Cavic of Croatia in the 100 fly, setting himself up to tie Spitz's record in Saturday's final. World record-holder Ian Crocker of the U.S. bounced back from a disappointing swim in the prelims to post the third-fastest time.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/swimming/news/story?id=3536097

 

Cavic is the concern, Crocker has the WR but he set it three years ago.

[shnsajax]

USA has the makings of an incredibly talented olympic gynmastics team in 2012. Not only would Liuken and Johnson make for a solid top end, there was another 16 year old girl (can't think of her name at the moment) that competed this year as well.

 

maybe, but in 4 years Liuken and Johnson will be 20 and there will be a 1/2 dozen 16 year olds who are probably better

 

Not to mention the 4 12 year olds China will bring with passports fresh off the printer.

[abuck1220]

USA has the makings of an incredibly talented olympic gynmastics team in 2012. Not only would Liuken and Johnson make for a solid top end, there was another 16 year old girl (can't think of her name at the moment) that competed this year as well.

 

maybe, but in 4 years Liuken and Johnson will be 20 and there will be a 1/2 dozen 16 year olds who are probably better

 

Not to mention the 4 12 year olds China will bring with passports fresh off the printer.

 

liukin is a month shy of being 19. so johnson doing well at 20 isn't so far-fetched.

[Derwood]

USA has the makings of an incredibly talented olympic gynmastics team in 2012. Not only would Liuken and Johnson make for a solid top end, there was another 16 year old girl (can't think of her name at the moment) that competed this year as well.

 

maybe, but in 4 years Liuken and Johnson will be 20 and there will be a 1/2 dozen 16 year olds who are probably better

 

Not to mention the 4 12 year olds China will bring with passports fresh off the printer.

 

liukin is a month shy of being 19. so johnson doing well at 20 isn't so far-fetched.

 

she'll compete, no doubt. But there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of carry over from one Olympics to the other.

 

2004 Women's Olympic Team:

 

Carly Patterson: 16 years old in 2004

Terin Humphrey: 18

Annia Hatch: 26

Courtney Kupits: 18

Mohini Bhardwaj: 26

Courtney McCool: 16

 

4 of 6 were under 20 years old and none are on the team this year

[TruffleShuffle]

i am very, very nervous about the 100 fly tonight.

 

I just wonder if he is tiring at all. He seems to be at the turn slightly below the leader, then blows past them on the last 50. He doesn't have much margin for error tonight. 100 is just real short for all of these guys.

 

i don't know that he's tiring... it's not like he has been struggling to finish; he's starting out slow and then reeling everyone in. i don't think phelps can afford to go out at 24.24 or 24.41 like he's done in the heats and semis. cavic is gonna go out somewhere around a 23.5 and you don't want to have to make up nearly a second deficit in a sprint event. last year in melbourne he went out 23.99 and finished in 50.77, barely touching out crocker. i think he will have to be faster than that to win tonight, so i think he needs to go out around 23.8 and keep the sprinters within reach.

 

i said all along that 100 fly and 400 free relay were the biggest threats to not winning 8 golds... one of them we eked out a miracle win, and now comes big challenge #2.

[The Voice of Reason]

Alicia Sacramone - Hot or not hot?

 

http://www.foxnews.com/photoessay/0,4644,4829,00.html

 

http://

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,404382,00.html

 

She may have cost Team USA the gold medal in the women's gymnastics team competition, but Olympian Alicia Sacramone can still stake claim on top honors for Internet attraction.

 

In the moments after Tuesday's heartbreaking loss to China, Google searches for "Alicia Sacramone is hot" were at volcanic levels, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. Olympics viewers logged on to find photos of the 20-year-old Massachusetts native.

 

According to the Times, Facebook pages created in the hours after the defeat promised photos of Team USA's eldest women's gymnast, with one fan site gaining 1,000 members.

[Viral al Maximo]

Alicia Sacramone - Hot or not hot?

 

http://www.foxnews.com/photoessay/0,4644,4829,00.html

 

http://

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,404382,00.html

 

She may have cost Team USA the gold medal in the women's gymnastics team competition, but Olympian Alicia Sacramone can still stake claim on top honors for Internet attraction.

 

In the moments after Tuesday's heartbreaking loss to China, Google searches for "Alicia Sacramone is hot" were at volcanic levels, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. Olympics viewers logged on to find photos of the 20-year-old Massachusetts native.

 

According to the Times, Facebook pages created in the hours after the defeat promised photos of Team USA's eldest women's gymnast, with one fan site gaining 1,000 members.

 

A lot of this stems from her being 20 and the other gymnasts being pretty young...but yes, she's hot.

[sneakypower]

mos def hot

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I'm a fan

[C.C.]

She can punch me out anytime.

[Derwood]

Germany and Sweden have some hotter Olympians. What Would Tyler Durden Do? has some, ahem, nice photos (NSFW). I won't link to the, but i'm sure you boys can figure it out

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Germany and Sweden have some hotter Olympians. What Would Tyler Durden Do? has some, ahem, nice photos (NSFW). I won't link to the, but i'm sure you boys can figure it out

I'm a fan

[The Voice of Reason]

Another reason to root for Phelps - Cavic.

 

Cavic swims for his parents' homeland, though he was born in Orange County and goes to Cal. Cavic would like to be remembered as the guy who won Serbia's first swimming medal. Better yet, he'd like to be remembered as the guy who ruined Phelps's quest for eight gold medals.

 

"It would be kind of nice that one day historically they will speak of Michael Phelps winning seven gold medals and having lost an opportunity to win eight gold medals, and when they talk about that, they'll talk about that guy who took it away from him," Cavic said.

 

"I would love to be that guy."

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olympics/2008/writers/kelli_anderson/08/15/phelps.day6/index.html?eref=sircrc

[Andy]

shawn johnson is so cute, i want to adopt her like a puppy or something.

there's a waiting list

Remember Dominique Moceanu in 1996? Shawn Johnson is even cuter.

[Derwood]

shawn johnson is so cute, i want to adopt her like a puppy or something.

there's a waiting list

Remember Dominique Moceanu in 1996? Shawn Johnson is even cuter.

 

cute in a chipmunky sort of way

[Andy]

USA has the makings of an incredibly talented olympic gynmastics team in 2012. Not only would Liuken and Johnson make for a solid top end, there was another 16 year old girl (can't think of her name at the moment) that competed this year as well.

 

maybe, but in 4 years Liuken and Johnson will be 20 and there will be a 1/2 dozen 16 year olds who are probably better

 

Not to mention the 4 12 year olds China will bring with passports fresh off the printer.

 

liukin is a month shy of being 19. so johnson doing well at 20 isn't so far-fetched.

 

she'll compete, no doubt. But there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of carry over from one Olympics to the other.

 

2004 Women's Olympic Team:

 

Carly Patterson: 16 years old in 2004

Terin Humphrey: 18

Annia Hatch: 26

Courtney Kupits: 18

Mohini Bhardwaj: 26

Courtney McCool: 16

 

4 of 6 were under 20 years old and none are on the team this year

Patterson could've competed again but she decided to go make a pop album instead.

 

I wish I were kidding.

[TruffleShuffle]

Another reason to root for Phelps - Cavic.

 

Cavic swims for his parents' homeland, though he was born in Orange County and goes to Cal. Cavic would like to be remembered as the guy who won Serbia's first swimming medal. Better yet, he'd like to be remembered as the guy who ruined Phelps's quest for eight gold medals.

 

"It would be kind of nice that one day historically they will speak of Michael Phelps winning seven gold medals and having lost an opportunity to win eight gold medals, and when they talk about that, they'll talk about that guy who took it away from him," Cavic said.

 

"I would love to be that guy."

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olympics/2008/writers/kelli_anderson/08/15/phelps.day6/index.html?eref=sircrc

 

you'd think that people would stop giving phelps bulletin board material. he's swim 6 races and broken 6 world records; doesn't sound like someone you'd like to give extra motivation to.

 

i'd give phelps a 60% chance of winning tonight. likely but it's certainly not stunning if he loses. his other races i would've given these chances:

 

400 IM - 90%

4x100 free relay - 40%

200 free - 95%

200 fly - 99%

4x200 free relay - 98%

200 IM - 90% (would've been lower if lochte didn't have the tough turnaround from 200 back)

100 fly - 60%

4x100 medley relay - 94%

[dew1679666265]

us women finally get their act together and stun the defending olympic champions at volleyball.

 

That was definitely the best they've played the entire tournament.

 

I really like Heather Bown.

[hardcorecubfan]

come on Lopes