Wow, softball lost the gold

I don't see any throwing! I see posing in the throwing position. I see, I see...wow, I seeee...

I think there were a few women who should have been sex-tested. The catcher on the USA women's team for one. And some of the sprinters are boobless with shoulders bigger than most men.

Wow MC you pay alot of attention to detail huh?

I'm watching the men's beach volleyball and it's USA/Brazil.
I like the abbreviation for Brazil is BRA

How pathetic, the men's and women's 4x100 relay teams drop the baton. This committee owes an apology.

Teamwork, coaching, leadership. Doesn't sound hard. The anchor sprinter, Lauryn Williams, who was involved in the dropped baton was interviewed and said it's like someone has a voodoo doll. Yeah, right. Just admit you lack teamwork, coaching, and leadership.

That was a very good match, and a great performance by the American team.

Did anyone catch the women's handball final. The Koreans made an amazing comeback in the final minutes and tied the match with about 6 seconds. Norway, which had been making mistakes, charged the length of the floor, and scored a goal at the buzzer to win the gold. The Koreans were stunned as they were still celebrating their comeback.

Taekwondo update...

Steven Lopez lost in his quarterfinal match on a VERY questionionable point deduction which tied the score with Italy in the 3rd and final round (Steven was leading 2 to 1 at the time of the point deduction). The match went into sudden-death overtime and Italy was able to sneak one in to score the deciding point. The US filed a protest re: the point deduction but the protest "was not accepted" (I don't know what that means - denied? not allowed to file papers?). The loss was his first since 2002 and in my opinion, the streak was just as amazing as the dominance of US Women's softball (and therefore, the loss was just as big an upset as the loss suffered by the softball team yesterday - at least in taekwondo circles).

Because of the way the tournament is structured, Steven was still eligible for the bronze and he won a couple of more matches after his loss to claim the bronze medal.

Although lacking in gold medals, the Lopez family made history by having medals from three siblings in the same Olympics (1 silver and 2 bronze).

Great job by all!

congratulations to your relateds DB!

You american brats don't know what an individual achievement means to these guys. By the time Phelps retires he'll have way more gold medals than Brazil ever had in the history of the Olympics. today we won our 2nd gold medal - women's long jump - and you don't have an idea what happens to the people who get gold medals in here. of course that's why we choke on every decisive moment. the atheletes have to carry the weight of the country on their shoulders, while the authorities are playing the mob.

Both volley finals will be Brazil X USA and although Brazil has the best teams I wouldn't be surprised if we lose both.

I'm surprised Brazil has only two gold medals. But if they truly have the "best" volleyball teams (and I don't follow volleyball), they should win. Being the best means raising your performance at the most compelling times. If they choke at decisive moments, as you say, then I don't think they can be called the best.

Also, what does happen to athletes that win golds. If they receive national adoration and praise, I don't know how that contributes to athletes choking as you say. Maybe I'm missing something. I don't know whether Brazilian athletes are under more pressure to succeed than , say, Michael Phelps.

How are athletes treated, who are expected to do well, but fail? I know some places have treated them and their families crouelly. I recall a Columbian soccer player, who accidently knocked the ball into his own goal, was murdered by a mob upon his arrival home. That's an extreme and uncommon reaction, of course. But I would be interested in knowing what the national mood is concerning the Olympics. Thanks.

Like, literally killed???

Colombia had a great team heading into the 1994 World Cup - Pele, in one of his many unlucky predictions, said they were one of the big favorites to win it - but the team was a big disappointment . they lost 1-2 to USA in the game that sealed their elimination and one of the american goals was an own goal by Andres Escobar, who later was killed but I remember hearing that it was proved that it had nothing to do with the own goal. wikipedia makes you think it did.

Yes. It was a true story. It wasn't a mob that killed him though. It was allegedly the Columbian drug lords that lost millions of dollars betting on the game that had him killed. I believe the game was played at Giants Stadium too. I'll have to search it.

EDIT: Although Giants Stadium hosted World Cup games in 94, that game was played at the Rose Bowl.

no klydon it has nothing to do with violence to the athletes - I know I didn't explain it well in my previous post and the line "the authorities are playing the mob" may have linked it to Colombian drug lords and such. but hey, every now and then there's a newspaper or opponent politician linking the Brazilian government to the FARC. and that's what I'm talking about. I know you have your issues in the US Government but in Brazil the consequences of corruption and deviation of public funds are way bigger. every week there's a new case of a politician who stole 500 million bucks that were destinated to public health or something like that, and NONE of them went to jail. the Supreme Court is a shame. the government is a mob. and that translates to sports. Brazil host the Pan Amaerican Games last year and the expense still haven't been approved by the Court of Audit. even so, the government authorized I-dont-know-how-many billion bucks to be invested in the Rio 2016 Olynpic program.

I don't even know where to begin. if you want to get deep in this subject, let's do it!

I believe brazilian athletes have to deal with a different kind of pressure than americans for instance, because if an american fails in the dinal round, some fellow countrymen will win another gold medal within half an hour. a brazilian who wins a gold medal becomes a celebrity and his sport gains never before seen coverage, because in Brazil we live, eat, drink and breath soccer and only soccer. especially in these 2008 Beijing games I'm sensing desperate brazilians choking against cold americans (beach volleyball, both men and women and women's soccer are a big example). Brazil had 12 world champions in the last 4 years among its atheletes and almost all of them choked badly. the brazilian women's soccer team has got to be better than USA's. but those girls have to work another part time job because there is no female soccer tournament in here. the Brazilian Soccer Confederation, among the Mob that exists here, is the Corleone Family. and those girls are buttonmen in suicide missions.

concerning to volleyball, Brazil male team may be the winningest team of the past 10 years in any sport. and the female team has not lost one single set so far in Beijing. again, it will be NO surprise if we lose both.

Very interesting, Tony. Thanks. I got a good picture. I guess the US Women's soccer team won the gold? I missed that somehow.

I'll have to make a point to follow the volleyball finals.

I didn't mean to imply that I thought the Brazilian athletes, who fell short, were subjected to mean-spirited treatment. I knew that wasn't the case.

I didn't know about the extent of governmental corruption and the Soccer Confederation. That was an intriguing analogy.

I would guess that national attention to the World Cup exceeds that of the Olypics?

This armstand diving is pretty amazing... wow

Bolt... again. In a relay yet, and another world record! Yah, mon!

Yeah, I saw that last night and can't remember that ever being done before. Is that something new since the last Olympics or did I just miss it somehow?

I've never seen it before... sure beats ping-pong as an Olympic event!

...and this 14-year-old Thomas Daley (UK)?? Why do I feel like I've wasted my life? lol

Water polo is boring. I had to change the channel.

Wow. I just heard/recalled the name Bruce Jenner... I was 10! Was that when McDonald's was giving away Leroy Neiman prints from the Olympics? I wonder if I still have them somewhere, but I doubt it...

How old is he now?

Jenner? He's gonna be 59 in October

see what I'm talking about? it was a national commotion in here.



The 2014 World Cup is set to be here too. that is just insane. do you want an example? in the final game of the Second Division National Soccer Championship last year the stands of one of the biggest stadiums of the country just BROKE and 8 people FELL OVER 40 feet IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET and died of course. that shows you that FIFA is a joke too for allowing Brazil to host the World Cup.



no doubt. the country really stops to see the World Cup.

I actually like Water Polo. At least when the U.S. is playing.

I didn't watch any of the taekwondo but couldn't believe this when I heard it

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Matos banned for life after kicking referee following match

I'm watching Rhythmic Gymnastics now. They are dancing using a hula hoops. Since when is this a sport?

Liked to see you try it.

I'd fall and break my neck