Quick Hits: Olympics, BYU football, USU football, and More

Some werid Olympic storylines, debate over the Redeem teams place in history, and a glance at college football...

IOC Looking Into Age of Chinese Gymnasts - Why? One thing that we learned about the IOC during the Olympics in Salt Lake City, they are a two-faced self-serving organization. They only care about making money. They perform actions that are dubious, and wrong. Only to follow up by trying to condemn those who they encouraged to perform the wrong acts. At the beginning of the competition it was obvious that the Chinese gymnasts were under aged. It didn't take a brilliant person to know. In fact, all you had to do is look at them and you could tell they weren't close to 15/16 they were required to be.Yet, when doubts were raised, by a CHINESE newspaper, the IOC said they wouldn't do anything. Why? The gymnasts had passport claiming their age to be correct to compete. That was good enough for the IOC. They were looking for a way to allow the Chinese to compete in their own Olympics. What a nightmare it would have been to disqualify the home team right before the competition. The IOC made their bed, they were more concerned with the Olympics being successful for the Chinese. They didn't care if they cheated or not, they were more concerned with making money. They have once again reversed themselves, now that all gymnastic competitions are over and there is no more money to be made. With no money on the table the IOC wants to take the high road, and start enforcing the rules. Will anything come of this investigation? You never know with the Olympic Committee. Yet, they have proven themselves once again to be scumbags. Although, would it really be an Olympics without a scandal?

USA Basketball:Where the Redeem Team Ranks All Time - The United States beat the Argentina national team and is looking like a sure winner of the gold medal. Spain is waiting for them in the gold medal round, and could still challenge them. Despite losing to the US team in a blowout during pool play. The US did catch a lucky break with Manu Ginobili getting injured early in the first quarter. The US allowed Argentina to catch up in the second quarter, and with Manu the Argentines might have made a game of it. Yet, they didn't have enough fire power to compete with the US team. The Redeem has been great throughout the Olympic tournament. So, where do they rank all time. I have all ready gone on record (surprisingly in front of a slew of media reports on this topic) that the Dream team would beat the Redeem team. I don't think it would be a contest, the Dream team, in the words of Patrick Ewing, "would kick their butts." So the Redeem team must be the second best all time...not so fast. The 1996 team was very good also, and head-to-head would give the Redeem team fits also. It would be a much closer game, but the 1996 team would beat the Redeem team by single digits. Here is how I would rank the teams since 1992:

1. The Dream Team (1992)
2. 1996 Olympic Team (called Dream Team II, but come on there is only one Dream Team)
3. The Redeem Team (2008)
4. 2000 Olympic Team
5. 2004 The LeBRONZE Team

BYU Football: Relax About Preseason Comments - BYU fans are upset because Kirk Herbstreit took a shot at BYU. He may have a point. Teams should be elevated above each other when everyone has a record of 0-0. If that was his point, then he was valid in saying it. Herbstreit though wasn't saying that the preseason hype should be thrown out for all teams, just non-BCS teams. Preseason poles and speculation is okay for the BCS conferences, because they have been given the title of a "BCS conference." There is only one conclusion, Herbstreit is a closet member of the IOC. Overall it might be a really good thing Herbstreit is talking down BYU chances this season. With all the positive press BYU has received, it is nice to get some bulletin board material.

USU Football: Don't Sleep on the Aggies - It is amazing how everyone is assuming that the Aggies will be terrible again this year. ESPN.com putting them in the preseason bottom ten again this year. This is the year that the Aggies put it together. Coach guy has been making the correct decisions on how to rebuild this team. Although the record might not show it, this team is in much better shape now than when Coach Guy took over. There is a vision of where this team wants to go. They now have talent at skill positions, and they were able to taste victories at the end of last season. Winning at the end of last season was a huge boast for this team. The Aggies suffered three close losses in there first four game. With sports small things make big differences. A few unlucky bounces and the Aggies lose, a few lucky bounces and they would have started the season 3-1. A big reason they didn't get the lucky bounces earlier in the season was because they weren't looking for them. Mentality in sports is huge, and if you aren't looking for game changing opportunities they will pass you by when they present themselves. With the taste of winning two games last season fresh in their minds look for the Aggies to build on that this season. The goal for the Aggies should be to make it to bowl eligibility. (Aim high) Looking at the schedule here is how their games will break down.

Could win games/Must win games if they want bowl eligibility-
At UNLV, Idaho, At San Jose State, At Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State
These are five games they would have to win to have a shot at hitting six wins. They were in every game last year against these teams, and should be in every game this year.

Tough win games/Need at least one of these to get bowl eligible-
At Nevada, Fresno State, Hawaii
These are the better teams in conference, but Nevada should be the best chance to get a win. Yet, Fresno State and Hawaii at home should also be a good opportunity to get an impressive win.

Marque win games/A win in these games would really make this an impressive season-
At #21 Oregon, Utah, #16 BYU, at Boise State
I know that Fresno State is getting more pub than Boise State in the preseason, but I except the Broncos to be more of challenge on the road. The Aggies do get both in-state rivals at home this year, which gives them a chance; however, regardless of the situation a victory over either BYU/Utah would be big for the Aggies. Also a win over #21 Oregon would be a huge leap forward for the program. These four games would really be a shot in the arm for the Aggies.

Utah Jazz: A Quick Glance Forward to the Post Olympic Jazz - It is going to be interesting to see how the Jazz react after their Olympic experiences. AK and Booz's experiences are not looking too good. Boozer never got off the bench, and that will put pressure on him to establish that he is one of the elite players in the league. Something that would lead to selfish basketball, or the Jazz offense equivalent of the black death. The team is built on team work, one player demanding the ball hurts the team as a whole. It would also negatively affect Andrei Kirilenko. AK is coming off a poor Olympic performance, and could really self-destruct in the wrong environment. Being excluded from the offense due to selfish play is the recipe for disaster with AK. Williams strong performance could also be an issue. D-Will has been a key player for the US team. He has taken more steps to establish himself next to Chris Paul as the elite point guards in the NBA. His positive performance and Boozer's negative could affect team chemistry in the locker room were both have been leaders in the past. Add to the mix that Memhet Okur intentionally sat out the Olympics to improve his game, and that leads to another conflict that could affect chemistry if he doesn't get the offensive touches he warrants. This is complete speculation, and this maybe completely baseless; however, these are storylines that will be interesting to watch as the Jazz prepare for the upcoming season.

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Mark's Thoughts: Olympic Gymnastics Judges

Judging the Judges(A happy Birthday to me edition)...

What does it take to be an Olympic Gymnastics judge? When you think crooked, lying, shifty, and self-serving; you think of politicians. Bill Clinton for example. (Another August 19th birthday, happy birthday Mr. President) Unless it is an Olympic year, in which case gymnastic judges take center stage. Think about these soulless men and women. Before them are mostly sixteen year old girls, (unless they are judging China's sub-16 or Germany's plus-33 gymnasts) who have dedicated their entire lives to competing at this level. They have been removed from normal life either voluntarily (US gymnastics) or for the betterment of the country (Chinese gymnastics). They perform amazing, other worldly performances, only to have to stand and wait for a score that is only partly based on the routine they performed.

Judges seem to base their scores on many different factors. Some judges base their scores on feelings towards the gymnasts nationality. This Explaining the Eastern-European/Eastern-Asian judges uneven scoring. There are judges that base their scores on where the competition is being held. This accounting for the major judging errors occurring in favor of the China in this year's Olympics. Then there are the judges that merely take money or have person vendettas that influence their scoring. In other words, the average gymnastic judge would say and do things that would make Simeon Cowell blush. The odd thing is the sport is built on the idea that controversy will occur, and that is one of the appeals of the sport. The soap opera like judging system keeping people watching waiting for the next disaster to take place.

This strict and unfair scoring system leads to more emotions from the gymnasts. The only thing the gymnast can do is try and perform their routine perfectly. They know that any little error in the routine, and they will be bashed to pieces by judges who are looking for opportunities to take points away. So when mistakes do happen the emotions and tears come to the surface of the gymnasts, making for great drama. Even when the gymnast perform their routine perfectly it still isn't a guarantee they will do well in the standings. The scores are based so much on the difficulty rating that gymnasts can make multiple mistakes/fall and still score better than a flawless routine at a lesser difficulty.

How can we stand for such injustice? Good thing this type of thing only happens in gymnastics every four years. Oh...wait. That's right we follow the BCS. It has all the same elements. It rewards teams with lesser records because they play "more difficult" competition. The rankings are filled with bias from coaches in the same division who are looking to inflate the difficulty of conferences to save their jobs; to sports writers that have school colored glasses on. (Dick Harmon is a great example of this) There is also the influence of ESPN over the voters, and the decision makers of the BCS. Why do they do it this way? They do it for the money. They want to build the drama during the regular season. If you have a system designed to help some and hurt others, it drives people to watch the polls more from week to week. It causes fans of the schools cheated in the BCS process to speak out. They know the system they have will cause controversy and that is why they follow it. It creates the drama that people crave in sports.

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Quick Hits: The Return of the Blog

So much to talk about in the world of sports...

Well school was pretty intense over the summer, and it took priority over writing. Also I needed to walk away from writing for a few days to reset for the next semester. Enough about the excuses of why I haven't been writing, here are a few quick hits...

Men's 4 x 100 Relay Best Swimming Race Ever - The race had everything. The US men's team set a world record in the preliminaries. The record lead the French team's anchor Alain Bernard to announce they would "smash" the Americans in the finals. A finals team that would include Michael Phelps, who didn't swim in the preliminaries when the US set the world record. Phelps gave the United States a lead over the French (although the US trailed the Australian team, who would later fade to third). Over the next two legs of the race the US lost the lead to the French, and in the first half of the fourth and final leg the French swimmer, Alain Bernard, had a full body length lead on American anchor Jason Lezak. Then Jason Lezak turned it on. In the final 50 m he ran down the French anchor, who is also the world record holder for the 100m free style. Leading to a split-second finish as both swimmers hit the wall within .08 of a second of each other. What amazed me more was how pumped up I was during, and following the race. Watching it at my parents house it sounds like, from what I've read this morning, we repeated a scene that happened in houses across America. Anger over the French quote. Worry that Phelps didn't give the US a large lead going into the second leg of the race. Dread as the French took the lead during the next two and a half legs of the race. Then pure passion as we scream at the TV as Jason Lezak made his move on Alain Bernard, trying to will him to victory from the other side of the globe. A moment of silence as the two men touch the wall, waiting to see who touched first. Then pure joy, rivaling the joy experienced after a Jazz playoff victory, as the results show that Jason Lezak touched first and the US took home the gold. Amazing doesn't do the race justice, it will be a race remembered for quite a while.

HA HA The French Lost - Man it is great to beat the French. I think that is why we, as Americans, enjoy Lance Armstrong so much. Not only is he an amazing athlete that beat cancer, but every time he won the Tour de France, he was humiliating the French. In the 4 x 100 relay, the same thing happened again to the French. The smugness was washed away, as the Americans celebrated the victory. Alain Bernard, not a good idea to pump up the Americas by dropping smack talk before the race. Next time you want to do something like that, go grab a stick and poke a bear the same results will happen. This was another classic French blunder, and it was great to watch.

Who Has Control of the i-pod in Beijing? - Beach Volleyball has been great to watch. Although, if you get a chance listen to the music in the background played between points. It is hilarious! The music is the oddest assortment of songs. Ranging from hip-hop to classical. From Techno to the Beach Boys. It wouldn't be as odd, if the music at the other venues didn't follow suit. The venues are amazing, but the music could be improved.

How Old are the Chinese Gymnasts? - I don't really care; however, there is no way that half of the female Chinese gymnast team is over 16. (The age requirement to compete in the Olympics.) It is also funny that the IOC, notorious for claiming to be so strict on rules, is turning a complete blind eye when the age difference is obvious. Especially after the huge scandal that occurred during the 2004 Olympics with Paul Hamm and his individual all-around gold medal over a complete technicality. Gymnasts and ices-skating the two most corrupt parts of the Olympics people just can't watch enough.

Brett Favre - Wow! I just don't get it. I understand that Favre put the Packers in an awkward position with his retirement/un-retirement. Yet, if would be like Stockton saying he was finished after the Kings series, retiring, and then saying he wanted to come back right before training camp the following year. Only to have the Jazz tell him, and the fans of the Jazz, no we decided it is time to move on and Carlos Arroyo is our future. Kevin O'Connor wouldn't make it to his car after that press conference without an armed escort. That is what happened in Green Bay. They decided to let go of the quarterback that took them to the NFC championship, and within one pass of the Superbowl. Instead they are going with Aaron Rogers, an unproven commodity that is in a lose/lose situation. It is only a matter of time before Rogers has broken down in a fetal position on the fifty yard line, while Packer fans boo him into oblivion. Rogers really is the only man that I really feel bad for in this whole situation, because he seems like a good guy and he is facing the end of his NFL career. Good luck Rogers, you are going to need it, and get out of Green Bay ASAP.

O'Neill Chambers Speaks Out - Fall camp for BYU is going strong. Besides injuries (which may be cause for concern) and the terrible student ticket policy (which I am reserving judgment on until Aug 20th when the seats are assigned), Chambers comments is the talk of the fall drills. The blue chip recruit when interviewed by ESPN.com made some critical remarks of the other receivers/secondary on the team. http://myespn.go.com/blogs/others/0-0-134/Chambers-learning-BYU--playbook.html I don't have a huge problem with the remarks. I am a little more concerned with the reporter who wrote the blog entry. Does she have the right to report what Chambers said, of course she does, and it was a good lesson for Chambers to know when to keep his mouth shut. Yet, I agree with Dick Harmon's view on this story. http://deseretnews.com/blogs/1,5322,19,00.html?bD=20080806&sc=dmn (Which is odd because I am a devout BYU football fan, and even I think Harmon is over the top in his Cougar bias.) As a reporter you need to understand that you are dealing with an 18 year old athlete. Not a professional athlete! You should give the 18 year old time to collect themselves, and inform them of what is and isn't on the record when you get an interview.

Fantasy Football Season is Here - It is again time to prepare for another fantasy football draft. Here are some videos for motivation.

NFL Fantasy Football File: Chris Chambers


NFL Fantasy Football File: Marques Colston


NFl Fantasy Football File: Braylon Edwards


NFL Fantasy Football File: Andre Johnson


NFL Fantasy Football File: Neil Rackers


NFL Fantasy Football File: Mike Nugent


NFL Fantasy Football File: David Akers

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