Olympics

Yep, Usain Bolt Is Still Really Fast

CHN — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:42:00 -0400

This guy is seriously a freak of nature. Bolt and Asafa Powell were in Brussels today for the much anticiapted re-match to end the Track and Field season. ESPN awesomely decided to show it live during Sports Center and here's the race....

The guy almost fell at the start and still ran the third best time ever (tying Tyson Gay who withdrew from the event). Just unbelievable. I really hope he doesn't get caught up in all of that steroid mess that some of the Jamaican athletes are currently in because the Sport really needs someone as good as (and completely clean).

Bolt runs 9.77 in cold, wet conditions for win (AP)

China Journal #10

CHN — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:13:11 -0400

by Nick Rotunno

Well SLAMonline, this is the end. My last post from Beijing, the glittering city at the end of the earth. I write this with a heavy heart, because I have really enjoyed posting these journals and reading your comments. You have made my stay in Beijing a truly worthwhile experience, and I thank you all.

Now there is only one thing left to do: smoke that final victory cigar in honor of Team USA! After all the speculation, the trepidation, the great fears and minor worries, the Redeem Team at last brought home gold. It all came down to the final, an epic clash of Spanish flair and American brawn. We played a great game, and while the contest was a little close for comfort, the good ole’ USA came out on top.

I’m very proud of our team. All that superstar talent, all those millionaire egos, and yet Team USA played as a singular entity. They took teamwork to heart, and it paid off. Let the talkers jabber and the writers scribble; let the doubters eat their words. Dr. James Naismith can rest in peace – the world may have gotten better, but USA still rules the hardwood. We have once again established ourselves as kings of the basketball world, and while we Americans have never been fond of monarchies, this time I think I’ll let it slide. The kings of basketball…it has a nice ring. Look out FIBA, we’re here to stay.

Now, I would go into a more detailed analysis of the gold medal game, but unfortunately I didn’t watch one second of it. That’s because I was exploring the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, riding a horse across the plains. By the time I found a television, the buzzer had sounded and the handshakes had already started. But while I was disappointed that I missed the final, the grasslands were definitely worth the trip.

Inner Mongolia is wide open and limitless. The plains stretch forever toward the horizon, a vast and rolling ocean of grass. Shepherds tend their flocks under endless skies, and horsemen spur their mounts against the screaming winds. It’s a unique and forgotten place, where an ancestrally nomadic way of life has given way to hokey tourist traps and encroaching farmland. Just a few decades ago, almost all Inner Mongolians were herders, constantly leading their livestock to new grazing lands. They raised cows, sheep and horses, fended off hungry wolves, and their lives involved constant movement from one patch of grass to the next

Nowadays, the Inner Mongolian lifestyle is far more static. Most still raise small numbers of sheep and cows, and many still ride horses (though motorcycles and ATV’s are just as numerous), but there are no more nomads, and permanent housing is the norm. My friend Ana and I traveled by train from Beijing to Inner Mongolia, expecting to enter a primitive landscape of wild horses and herdsmen. What we found was a very modern city called Houhot (the capital), a friendly English-speaking hostel, and a touristy overnight trip to see the grasslands.

Horseback riding was an adventure. It was all gravy at first, when the horses were walking meekly along the trail, but then our guide snapped his whip and we started to really move. I was having fun for a while, but after we started galloping faster and I racked my marbles on the saddle a few times things got painful. Eventually I figured out a way to stand in my stirrups, effectively avoiding any further intimacy between my saddle and I. We rode for two hours, and when it was over I felt like a true Mongol horseman. Despite the soreness in my legs and rear end the next morning, the ride was a blast.

That evening we watched the Closing Ceremonies from a tiny house that looked adobe, though I wasn’t sure. We stayed with a generous Mongol family who made us dumplings and stew. I enjoyed staying at that cozy homestead; it felt real, unlike the tourist village where we had ridden horses. Though traditional Mongol life is all but gone, that little home was as close as I could get.

As the torch was extinguished after two weeks of Olympic glory, I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sadness. These Games had been on my mind for the past two years, and now, in one melancholy moment, everything ended. My trip to the Far East was nearly over, the Olympics were in the books, and my summer of adventure was about to be replaced by an autumn of uncertainty. Outside, the stars shone brightly in a sky devoid of smog, the lonely wind moaned across bleak Mongolian plains, and in faraway Beijing the Olympic torch burned its last fiery breath.

That night was cold, and the wind was bone-chilling. But I was warm beneath my blankets, tucked inside a yurt in the front yard. A yurt is like an elaborate tent, rounded and tall, composed of a metal skeleton and synthetic fabric walls. The ones we slept in were permanent, with a concrete base and a carpet-covered bed. Old-school Mongolian yurts were like Native American tepees, disassembled and moved often. Their frames were lighter, and they were covered with animal skins or other kinds of fabric. The yurt I slept in was slightly more modern, and it was more than enough accommodation to give me a good night’s sleep.

So that was Inner Mongolia, in a nutshell. Beautiful, tough and forlorn, I will never forget those grasslands, nor the people that live on them.

I returned to a recovering city. All the cars are back on the road, and Beijing is returning to its haphazard normalcy. Yesterday afternoon I wandered around the Olympic Green one last time. The Bird’s Nest, Water Cube and National Indoor Stadium still impress me, especially now, when they stand as testaments to the greatness that occurred within. But even though the venues stand tall, everything else has changed.

The Green is like a ghost town. The athletes and spectators have gone home, the journalists have packed up, and even the once-innumerable volunteers are hard to find. The place is still beautiful, but very depressing. There’s no more Olympic excitement; the pageantry is long gone. All that’s left are ghostly stadiums, flapping banners and a gray breeze. It’s time to go home.

As a writer I tend to search for meaning in everything that I do, be it a pick-up game or a summer spent in China. Looking back on my experience here, I know that I learned a lot about sports reporting, the Olympics, Chinese culture, and basketball on the other side of the globe. Beijing was a wonderful city to live in. While it may be polluted and overcrowded, it still put on one hell of an Olympic Games, and the people here are terrific. If you ever get a chance to visit China, do it. You will not be disappointed, and I guarantee, it will be like nothing you’ve ever done before.

I hope you all enjoyed my journals, because I loved writing them. Thanks again for all the kind words, and I’ll see you on the court, fellas.

London Calling

CHN — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:00:12 -0400

by Adam Sweeney

It has only been three days since the Redeem Team took down Spain, bringing both international respect and the Gold medal back to the United States. However, if Americans have a tendency toward anything, it’s looking ahead to the next big thing.

It’s time to look ahead to London with the leaders of the new school, a band of brothers who will bring another gold medal to the U.S. in 2012.

We’ll start with the five players who should return from the 2008 Team and move on to 10 other players who should get the call when it’s time to head over to the old stomping grounds of London.

It will be a team of extreme size, extreme strength, and extreme skill.

Five Who Should Stay

LeBron James – While the peoples’ champ in Beijing was Kobe Bryant, the man putting in the work during film sessions was LeBron. This is one of the many reasons Team USA will gladly hand King James the captain’s crown in 2012. James was the equivalent to Scottie Pippen in the 1992 Barcelona games, giving the U.S. an incomparable match of size, quickness, and helped strengthen a team that was desperate for weak-side help and transition defense.

Chris Paul – The best point guard in the game put on a clinic as he broke down both man-to-man and zone defenses, opening the door for Kobe and company to light it up downtown. Paul has yet to hit his peak and could take the torch from Jason Kidd, a man who never lost in international play.

Deron Williams – The past year has placed Deron in CP3’s shadow, but there is no question that the Jazz guard is as coldblooded as Rick James. He’s a proven winner who lives for the big shot. Williams never shies from a 3-point opportunity, will continue to step up when needed, and also offers an intriguing double point guard lineup alongside Paul.

Dwyane Wade – Any doubts about Flash’s ability to compete at an international level after numerous injuries have been put to rest. Wade’s comfort level grew throughout the games, his ability to slash to the basket is back, and he is the man you want taking the shot at the end of the game. Sorry LeBron, but we haven’t forgotten Wade was an NBA Finals MVP, and soon enough the rest of the NBA public will remember too.

Chris Bosh – All due respect to Dwight Howard, but Bosh was the true Superman down low in Beijing. Bosh represents a better all-around threat, a more aggressive defender who understands and – get this – patents his game around the FIBA rules. Bosh will make free throws when it counts, continue to be hungry on defense, and stand up to the Luis Scolas of the Olympics games.

Ten To Consider

Greg Oden – The main question mark in the 2008 Olympics was the lack of big men. That won’t be an issue in London where the best center prospect since Shaq will bring unstoppable shot swatting and rebounding potential. Oden will also bring a fresh personality that Team USA had been lacking for quite some time.

Amare Stoudemire – Due to injuries and concern about his long-term ability to stay healthy, Amare had to turn down a golden opportunity with this year’s Redeem Team. That shouldn’t be an issue in 2012. Stoudemire’s ability to run the floor in an up-tempo game will make Team USA even more formidable. His recovery from micro-fracture knee surgery only made him better offensively, as he had to ditch the dunk and develop a mid-range game. Any center who can hit the FIBA three is a huge asset.

Al Jefferson – Any player who can make Minnesota fans feel ‘okay’ without the likes of Kevin Garnett deserves consideration. Not only is he one of only five players averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds a game, Jefferson is a quick scorer who will clear the defensive board. Yes, you will surrender a bit of defensive intensity when you put him in, but consider the fact that he could play next to Oden and things don’t seem so unstable down low. We would guess that Jefferson also would be motivated to step up his defensive prowess around the rest of Team USA.

Kevin Martin – The game’s most underrated scorer will answer the call when it comes to creating fast break chances and knocking down the outside shot. More importantly, Martin gets to the free-throw line 9.5 times per game in the NBA. His 87 percent free throw percentage is assurance enough that he will knock down the free-be’s. He could be an invaluable asset in close game situations.

O.J. Mayo – Imagine Dwyane Wade with deeper range and you have what Mayo might become. Mayo’s a great ball-handler who can play both guard positions and can light up the scoreboard from anywhere on the court. His solid defensive play makes him perfect in a half-court trap. His unprecedented work ethic will be key in motivating other players who may grow fat from the 2008 feeding frenzy.

Brandon Roy – A born leader, B-Roy will be the quintessential play-maker as well as one of the best all-around players by the time 2012 rolls around. Roy won’t flinch at any defense thrown in his way, nor will he hesitate to get in a teammate’s face. Like his Blazers teammate Greg Oden, Roy will serve as a positive influence and an ambassador to the game.

Al Horford – Arguably deserving of the Rookie of the Year award last season, Horford is the ultimate garbage man. Horford’s physical man-to-man post defense will help should any team muscle up against them. Foreign teams will learn – much like the Boston Celtics did – Horford’s tournament experience gained from two titles at Florida University make him a proven winner and fearless competitor.

Kevin Durant – By 2012, Durant will be one of the most versatile scorers in the game. Durant lives for the big game and will be a dead-eye from the 20 foot FIBA three-point line. Plus, if (a big if) Durant puts on some size and commits to playing solid defense he will be a nightmare for opponents to contain, a true all-around threat.

Rudy Gay – Gay will bring a tremendous amount of athleticism along with an expanding range. Gay attacks the glass, plays with a chip on his shoulder, and will get in the heads of defenders.

Joe Johnson – Another underrated player who shined brightest in the playoffs, Johnson is the smoothest scorer in the game, easily able to take any defender off the dribble. The importance Johnson’s size and shot selection could offer Team USA is immeasurable. He can spot up or shoot off the dribble, and will be a backbreaker when it comes to the 3-point line.

Adam Sweeney is a graduate of Texas Lutheran University. You can read more of his writing at SI on Campus, Talkhoops.net, and Filmschoolrejects.com.

Olympics: Team USA Wins Gold

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:30:41 -0400

Team USA defeated Spain in the Olympic Gold Medal Game on Sunday by the score of 118-107. With the victory, the U.S. completed an 8-0 sweep of its competition in Beijing and more importantly accomplished the "Redeem Team" mission of bringing gold back home to the United States.

Spain got off to a good start, taking a 22-17 lead after just six minutes. While Team USA looked to be pulling away into the second quarter, the Spanish remained in the game deep into the fourth. Spain began the 4th period with a 7-0 run, cutting the lead to just two points. But Kobe Bryant answered with 2 of his 13 4th quarter points to get the Americans back on track. With USA leading by just 4 with 7:30 left, Deron Williams hit a big three to extend the lead to 7 points. Spain made another late push, but with Team USA leading 108-104 with 2:37 left, Dwyane Wade hit another clutch three that sealed the victory.

Wade led all scorers with 27 points, including 4 of 7 from downtown. Overall, Team USA hit an impressive 13 of 28 threes. Rudy Fernandez (recently acquired by the Portland Trailblazers) led Spain with 22 points, despite being limited to 17 minutes due to foul trouble.

Line of the Night: Luis Scola

CHN — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:36:42 -0400

by Shannon Booher

Line Of The Night:

Luis Scola – 28 points, 11 boards, 2 steals, 2 blocks

Every single Houston Rocket needs to watch the tape of this game to appreciate what Scola can do. He abused all types of varying USA defender’s, showcasing a vast array of post moves. Give that man the rock, Rick Adelman!

Worst Of The Night:

Clocks in Argentina may still read 11:21 A.M. At roughly that moment, Manu Ginobili – the de facto king of his country – dropped to floor clutching his ankle and the hopes of a nation were dashed. Kids with crushed hoop dreams sobbed, and even the most stone-faced shed a tear. It was enough to make a hard rock cry.

It wasn’t only Argentinians that were upset. USA/Argentina was one of the potential marquee match-ups heading into the 2008 Olympics, so anybody that loved basketball had to be disappointed. Argentina put up a good fight, keeping it within 8-10 for much of the 2nd quarter, but their undermanned squad could not get over that hump, perhaps marking the end of a memorable era in Argentinian hoops. Quite possibly a whole ‘nother type of scenario if Manu had been around for the whole game, though.

13 Shots To The Dome Of The Night:

Carmelo Anthony – 21 points on 13-13 from the FT line, 4 boards, 1 steal, 1 block

While Melo was a horrid 3-14 from the field, including 2-8 from three, he got it done from the other line, looking at least a little bit like the guy that lead the team during Olympic qualifying. Once Melo and the rest of his teammates went back to the lab at the half and figured out it is usually idea to shoot more 2’s than 3’s, especially when you are 6 of 20 from the outside, this game was a wrap.

And even though Mike Breen broke out his over-the-top self-righteous tone to criticize Melo for getting in Andres Nocioni’s face after a hard foul on Dwight Howard, the little skirmish actually seemed to break Team USA out of it’s malaise and get the guys fired up. Game after game a new guy leads Team USA in scoring, which really serves to under score this group’s acceptance of the international team concept.

Conspiracy Theory Of The Night:

Jerry Colangelo runs USA Basketball. His son, Bryan, runs the Toronto Raptors, who were locked into a lengthy insurance/legal battle with Spain’s Jorge Garbajosa after he played injured for Spain’s team against the organizations wishes. Jose Calderon now plays for both the Raptors and Spain’s national team, Team USA’s last obstacle to the gold medal. He was held out of the semi-final game by Toronto’s medical staff due to a partial tear in his abductor muscle.

Hmm… you make the call. Spain pulled out the tough 91-86 win despite Calderon’s absence, as Lithuania’s offense sputtered towards the end. If Calderon is out for the Finals though, it severely hurts their chances.

Eat Your Breakfast Of The Night:

Spain’s Rudy Fernandez had already proven himself to be an athletic, NBA-ready player – just ask Portland, who signed him to a contract this off-season – but who knew he was an on-call chef? When Rudy got word that Simas Jasaitis needed a little nourishment after hitting all those threes, he drove down the right side of the lane and broke out his specialty – breakfast. Have some of these magdalenas and torrijas, Simas! With a cup of cafe con leche!!!

Eat Your Breakfast Part II Of The Night:

Did all the Lithuanians skip the pre-game spread? As it turns out, as the end of the third quarter approached, Lithuania’s Ksistof Lavrinovic was a little hungry too. The ever-accomodating Pau Gasol wasted no time putting in an order with his man Rudy, then BOOSH!!! Try these churros, Ksistof! COMER SU DESAYUNO!!!

Young Moola Of The Night:

Ricky Rubio – 6 boards, 4 assists, 4 points, 1 steal

The line does not look all that impressive, but with Calderon out, Rubio stepped up and led his team to victory. Last round we commented on how wild Double-R was compared to Calderon, but this time around Rubio was the calming force. Back-up Raul Lopez made a lot of raggedy, ill-advised plays, while the young gun got the ball where it needed to be and made several key defensive and hustle plays. That’s not to say he didn’t bring some flare to show – just recall the ridic one-handed, off-the-dribble oop he threw to Gasol with the score close, late. He definitely has some flop in him, too, and an uncanny ability to always get in the way and force the refs to call fouls, ala Sam Cassell. Bottomline, kid has inate instincts for the game, and yes, he’s only 17! Young mooooo-la, baaaa-by!

Breaking news: Jason Kidd misses a shot… FREE LINAS KLEIZA!!!… Any excuse (this time the basketball broadcast intro) to play Juelz Santana’s “The Second Coming” is alright with us… We constantly are thinking the patches on the shirts of NBC’s basketball announcing team are Marlboro logos. How many Marlboro Miles for one of those joints?… Really? The Baltic Pippen? Scottie gets no respect… Snapper Jones is either the most loyal cat in the game, or he’s locked into a Ras Kass-type contract with NBC. He actually sounded forlorn as the Lithuania/Spain game started. Either Bill Walton is like his coffee, or maybe Walton owns dude’s publishing!… Come on Pau, NEVER FOUL THE THREE POINT SHOOTER! Momentum killer at the end of the third right after he had served up the most important meal of the day… Chris Paul had this to say following the game: “Reporters, I’m ill, not sick/And my finish ok but my spin-move sick/Yea my dimes sick/Yea my Jordans sick/And my steals thick/I’m it/A goldie, a goldie, a goldie, a goldie, C-P-3″…

Links: Team USA 101, Argentina 81

CHN — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:15:55 -0400

by Lang Whitaker

Today against Argentina, Team USA learned the importance of not settling. At least, they should have learned.

Team USA played their best first quarter of the Tournament, taking a 30-11 lead into the second quarter. They looked dominant at times, but they also showed their gold medal opponent, Spain, that they remain beatable. All you have to do is zone them, and you’ve got a shot. It’s simple, I know, but zone defenses remains Team USA’s Achilles heel. If Team USA is a cobra in a basket, zone defense is the music that puts them into a trance.

It was a little troubling to me to see how easily the USA lost focus, and I blame that as much on the coaching staff as I do the players. For whatever reason, Team USA refused to keep pushing the ball inside, and every time they started falling in love with the outside jumpers, Argentina made a run. And the USA coaches seemed to encourage this, even calling plays for three point shots out of timeouts.

Argentina was banged up coming in — Nocioni was told not to play by doctors but played anyway. And even Ginobili was injured, Team USA seemed content to stay on the perimeter and fire up jump shots throughout the first half. Dwight Howard had the first shot of the game when the US worked it to him under the basket, and then he didn’t get another shot in the first half. Not sure why Coach K seemed content to let the US keep jacking up 3s, but that outside-in stuff doesn’t work in international ball.

Argentina lost Manu Ginobili early, and after he went down, Team USA went to a full-court man-to-man and immediately went on a 10-0 run. Team USA was playing fiery defense and pushing the tempo. But the second quarter went completely opposite. When Argentina went to a zone defense, they were down 24-7, and it worked like a charm. While playing zone, Argentina outscored the US 33-25 for the rest of the half.

The USA created some breathing room in the third, though Argentina cut it to 14 at the end of the third (and missed two three pointers that could made it a 11 point game). Then Bron got hot to start the fourth, banging in consecutive threes over the Argentinean zone. Team USA led by around 15 for most of the fourth quarter, and won it going away, 101-81.

Notes…

• Pregame, Team USA came out and presented Argentina with Team USA baseball hats. Argentina presented Team USA with little pennants that would look good hanging in your bedroom when you’re 13.

• The refs were from Italy, Australia and Serbia. I don’t know which ref was which, but one of the refs (with graying hair) attempted to make every single call throughout the game. He was calling stuff from across the court, running in when it wasn’t his call. I bet he was wearing a Bavetta t-shirt under his ref jersey.

• Bron and Wade have been Team USA’s two best offensive players, but they combined for just 2 points in the first half. Wade played just 5 minutes. Thanks, Coach K!

• Ah, Kobe. He hit a couple of big shots and made a few defensive plays, but he also shot 2-for-7 on threes in the first and took a couple of terrible threes. The worst was on the play where Ginobili got hurt and took a seat on the sideline. With a 5-on-4 advantage, Kobe fired up a contested three early on in the shot clock, negating the US advantage.

• USA started the second half going inside, as Dwight scored 4 fast points. Then they started jacking up threes again. Sigh.

• Early in the third, Melo and Scola had a little dust-up, and from the one angle NBC showed (they didn’t even show a replay of it), it almost looked like Melo threw a punch. Stu Jackson will probably try to fine and suspend him. Then, a few minutes later, Nocioni and Oberto both clobbered Dwight inside, and Melo got in their faces. Mike Breen kept saying that Team USA needed to avoid getting in any kind of situation like that, but I completely disagree — it’s OK for Team USA to show some spirit and, more importantly, it’s imperative on any team that guys stand up for each other. it’s not OK to be stupid and get a T, but it’s OK to show your opponent that you’re not going to stand for cheap play.

• Right after Mike Breen admonished Melo for being a team player, with 5:50 left in the third, Oberto and Nocioni each lost their composure. Oberto picked up his fourth foul on a drive by Melo, and then Nocioni picked up a T (which counted as his 4th personal foul). Melo made all four free throws and made it a 67-49 game.

• Dwyane Wade had a quiet game early, but really turned it on in the second half. He’s proven himself adept at causing mayhem inside, but Coach K apparently wanted to try and beat the zone in the first half by firing up threes over and over. In the second half Wade played more an played better.

• Still, Wade made my favorite play of the first half, and it was a play where he didn’t even touch the ball. Team USA came down and Bron dribbled at the top of the key. Argentina showed a double team, and Chris Paul floated to an open spot on the corner of the floor. While the ball was in the air, Wade snuck over and picked off a defender in the middle of the lane. It left Chris Paul wide open for the three (which he nailed).

• Doug Collins wins today’s nepotism award for the speech he gave in the second quarter about how Team USA “doesn’t get credit for scouting and preparation,” how the coaching staff is “watching tape until 4 in the morning,” how there’s so much “success behind the scenes” by the USA coaches. But he didn’t mention that his son, Chris, is on the staff that’s in charge of watching tape and scouting and preparing. Mike Breen pointed it out, thankfully.

• My favorite player on Argentina has to be Roman Gonzalez. Just look at him. He reminds me of Red from “Pineapple Express.”

• Chris Paul gets the Mixtape award for the 360 he put on Prigioni in the third.

• Creepiest information I learned today is that Misty May-Treanor has a roman numeral “V” tattoo on her lower back as “a tribute to Jason Kidd.” But is it really a tribute if it’s a tramp stamp?

• Here’s your final box score. See you back here live Sunday morning at 2:30 a.m. EST for the gold medal game.

Team USA vs. Argentina Open Discussion

CHN — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:39:12 -0400

Let’s discuss the United States/Argentina Men’s Semifinal match. The United States looks to clinch a gold medal round birth against the 2004 defending Olympic champion Argentina!

West Coasters, a special welcome - is tape delay really necessary for a 10:15 a.m. ET game?

Links: The Etymology Of A Redeem

CHN — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:32:43 -0400

by Lang Whitaker

We’re less than 24 hours away from the big USA/Argentina game, with the winner advancing to the gold medal game. (And check back here in the morning to talk about the game live.) Talk about a shot at redemption: It was USA vs. Argentina in the quarterfinals in 2004 when Team USA got knocked out of the tournament.

Reee-wind! Actually, speaking of redemption, we got an email last week with some interesting news…

To whom it may concern,

My name is Rhys Anderton and I am a long time SLAM reader…….I hate it when people boast in Trash Talk but have to mention I have every issue except LJ’s no. 1 and Chamique in the Knicks jersey. Not bad for a 26 year Australian in the most isolated city in the world, Perth.

The reason I am writing is I need confirmation that the term “Redeem Team” was derived from right in little ol’ Perth, Australia.

When I was at college (we call it uni ‘Down Under’), one of the highlights of my day was to read Lang’s links every morning. Lang ran a comp on-line after the US lost in the 2002 World Champs in Indianapolis along the lines of finding a new name for the Dream Team as they could no longer be called that. I submitted Redeem Team and Lang published my name on-line and has used it ever since.

I had originally saved the Links page as a screen shot but my parents upgraded their computer and it was lost into cyberspace forever.

Is there anyway (ANYWAY AT ALL!) that we could find that particular page? If it helps, it was the old school Links page where Lang put all the links on the one page and did a brief recap around the League from the day before. I would say it was late 2002 early 2003.

Your most loyal Australian SLAM subscriber,

Rhys Anderton

Well, I went back and went digging through The Links, and sure enough, look what I found.

This is from The Links on August 6, 2004…

Yesterday I asked you guys to send in any ideas for a new name for the Dream Team, and we got a bunch of responses. Most people suggested The Cream Team, which is what we used in SLAM a few years ago when we did an article about how they should put Iverson and Marbury and those guys on the team. I don’t like that game so much right now because the Wu-Tang is kind of in hibernation, and the name can sound a little bit, uh, perverted. In other ideas…

Tommy Patron writes…
To replace the term “Dream Team”, there are several directions you could go in.
1) Derogatory — Pipe Dream Team, Media Hype Squad, Bling Team, No Shot in Hell, Sleep Team, or simply Bad Dream Team.
2) Accurately Descriptive — The Square Pegs, Same Player-Different Positions, Green Team, Players who will never be in the Three Point Competition, Zoned Out, The Line of Succession.
3) Tangential — The Wean Team, The Second Choices, My (Our) Non-Three Sons.

Rhys writes…
G’day Lang. Just a quick one about what Team USA should be called. Ever since they lost the World Champs, my mate has been calling them the “Redeem Team.” What do ya reckon?

Austin writes…
- Dream Individuals
- Bronze Bombers
- That Dream Where You’re On Stage In Nothing But Your Underwear Team
- Dream (Deferred) Team
- The Eastern Conference All Star team
- All-NBA 5th Team
These suck but I don’t care.

Blake writes…
How about:
- The Second Stringers
- The Third Alternates
- The Carmelo Should Have Been Picked Over Dwyane Wade’ers
- Where’s Shaq?
- Dream Team My Ass!
- The Scream Team
- The We’re Better Than Two Years Ago at the World Championship Team
- We Lost to Italy
- At Least We’re Not Coached by Del Harris
- AI’s nightmare
- Even Oympians Don’t Go to High School
- The Last Year Before Free Agency Squad

So, I’m thinking we’ll go with the Redeem Team. Has a good ring to it, and it’s not as suggestive as the Cream Team.

And so yes, Rhys, it does appear that you (and, in turn, SLAMonline) coined the phrase “Redeem Team.” I am willing to accept, however, that it may have been used elsewhere first. If anyone else can find evidence of Redeem Team being used in the media by anyone else prior to August 6, 2004, please send in the evidence. Otherwise, SLAM wins again. We shoulda trademarked that ish.

• In other Redeem Team news, Ryne and I went by McDonald’s the other day, and I received a commemorative Dwight Howard bag. But at what point did Dwight wear number 17? I don’t think you’re even allowed to wear numbers higher than 15 in International play, are you?

• Khalid passed along this link the other day, which purports that the frozen Bigfoot found in Georgia a few weeks ago was actually just a Halloween costume. But as I told Khalid, that story comes from Fox News, and we all know that means.

As for me, I still believe. I’m not sure why everyone’s so quick to write Bigfoot off a hoax. Why can’t there be 8 foot tall half-man/half-ape creatures running around the mountains just an hour outside of Atlanta?

• Here’s a great interview with the official illustrator of The Links, Joel Kimmel.

• For SI.com today I did my top five television sports theme songs. You can probably guess what’s number one.

• Back to the Olympics…here’s the top 20 Olympic gymnastics falls (via gawker). Number 16 is my fave…

• And finally, shouts out to Sho Nuff!

What It's Like To Be A Caucasian Reporter In China

CHN — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:27:00 -0400

The Sporting Blog came across this hilarious video of BBC reporter Steve Parry walking around with a cardboard cutout of Michael Phelps. Watch as people go crazy thinking he's actually Phelps himself....

That whole scene reminded me of the New Era commercial where everyone thinks the dude in the airport is David Ortiz. Parry does say he feels like a "fraud" but tell me you wouldn't try the same thing just to see what it was like. Too funny.

China Is Going Crazy For Tall, White People (The Sporting Blog)

China Journal #9

CHN — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 08:00:12 -0400

by Nick Rotunno

What’s up SLAMonline? Greetings from the five-ring circus of the Far East, Beijing. In case you missed my last journal, you can read it right here.

The Olympics have been amazing thus far, with countless world records set, unprecedented feats accomplished, and gold medals won. It’s hard to believe that I’ll be leaving on September 1st.

Beijing has been my home for the past two months, and even though the accommodations have been cramped and the weather stifling, I’m going to miss this place. The food, the people, the sights, and of course the Games have all been spectacular. I’ll also miss playing ball out here – but I admit, shooting around in an air-conditioned gym back home will be a welcome relief from the dust of Tsinghua.

My Olympic News Service duties at the Olympic Green Tennis Center have now concluded. Rafael Nadal won the Men’s Singles gold medal, beating Fernando Gonzalez of Chile, while Russian underdog Elena Dementieva took home Women’s Singles gold.

I was on hand for the last point of the Nadal match, when the pirate-haired Spaniard collapsed in the middle of center court, flat on his back and gazing skyward, exhausted and victorious. The cameras popped and the crowd erupted; it was all very exciting.

I picked up flash quotes from Dementieva after her final match. She was beaming, of course, sputtering sentences in fast-paced Russian and slower, choppier English. She’s really a sweet girl. I thrust my tape recorder over the bulging mass of television cameras and picked up a few useable quotes. Mostly the usual stuff: “I’m just so thrilled, this is amazing, I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a little girl,” etc. Definitely the most crowded mixed zone (the area where the athletes are interviewed after their matches) that I had been a part of all week. Of course, the Nadal mixed zone was even bigger, but I didn’t get the chance to record his quotes.

While those matches were climactic, James Blake was the player we volunteers all pulled for. With little more than a puncher’s shot at winning a medal, Blake was an inspiration that week, an American hope. His quarterfinal victory over Roger Federer was an upset of monumental proportions, and when he lost to Gonzalez in the semifinals the following day every red, white and blue heart at the tennis venue was irreparably shattered. I personally felt like crying. With Blake out my journalistic motivation disappeared, and I stumbled through the rest of that dismal day in a funereal daze of disbelief. Sad times.

Luckily, even though Blake fell just short of an American tennis medal, Michael Phelps won enough golds to go around. His performance in these Games was just unreal, and while I never saw him swim live I could turn on the TV every morning and watch him stroke his way into immortality. He made me proud to be an American.

Now, before I give you my meager analysis of Team USA and our ever-increasing chances of basketball glory, bear with me for one more digression. This, like all the stories I tell, is a story that needs to be told (not really, but I’m going to write about it anyway). On Saturday night, I was at the Bird’s Nest for the men’s 100 meter final.

BOCOG pulled some strings and got us tickets for the biggest event in track and field. While I had seen the exterior of the Nest countless times, the interior is a sight to behold. We walked through Gate A, a narrow opening in the stadium’s spindly exoskeleton, and took our seats on the western edge of the arena. I stared at a colossal scene – a massive green infield, the red curves of the track, the shifting brightness of a billboard-sized jumbotron. Fans filled row upon row of seats, thousands of murmuring voices blended together in a monochromatic roar.

We watched Usain Bolt casually sprint a new world record, 9.69. When the starting gun fired a million flashes burst from the grandstands, like a burning line of firecrackers on the Fourth of July. It was over in a hurry. The race ended far from where we were sitting, on the other side of the infield, but it was easy to tell who won. Bolt didn’t look like he was trying all that hard, blowing past the field and pumping his chest before crossing the line. I was thoroughly impressed. The fastest man in the whole world – now that’s a prestigious title.

On to basketball, finally. Team USA, what can I say? They’re looking pretty damn good.

We’ve been rolling everyone, and the games haven’t even been close. I thought Greece and Spain would be tougher challenges; I thought Dirk would never let Germany go so quietly into the night; I thought Australia might figure out a way to keep things close. I thought wrong. This team is simply too good, and when it comes down to it, no matter how much you might prepare to stop these guys – no matter what you practice, what your tactics are, what kinds of schemes you have in the playbook – no matter what you do, the Americans are just better. At every position. More athletic, more skilled, more polished on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. I love what I’m seeing.

Last night was close for a quarter or two, and then we blew it wide open. The perimeter shooting has improved (Kobe figured out it’s better to shoot when he’s open), the defense is rock-solid, and our big men have been rebounding like fiends. LeBron gets to the rim whenever he wants. Coach K barely needs to coach, he can just watch. All good. The only thing I fear now is complacency. I fear that perhaps this tournament has gone a little too well, that we have never been truly tested. Maybe we never will be. But Argentina will bring it tomorrow, and whoever we play for gold won’t roll over and die. This is the Olympics, after all. Hopefully our guys will stay focused and keep their hands hot. If they do, it’s all over but the cryin.’

Unfortunately I won’t be in Beijing for the last two games. I’m going on a little side trip to Inner Mongolia for a few days. A Chinese autonomous region, like Tibet, Inner Mongolia is a land of grasslands and deserts, nomads and wild horses. I’m pumped to visit a new place – Beijing is great, but it’s gotten a little stale. I plan on still tuning in for the Olympics, though, especially the basketball. I imagine the scene will go thusly: I’ll sit in a smoke-filled bar somewhere amidst the wilds of Mongolia, watch Team USA win a resounding gold-medal victory on a scratchy TV, then fiendishly high-five the dark and swarthy descendants of Genghis Khan. Ah, Mongolia. Here I come.

Enjoy the rest of the Games everyone, and go USA!