Olympic Chatter

[King Cucaracha 0]

Well, didn't take long for "Tiger" Tim to fluff it in the tennis. And he's the UK's best tennis player, sadly.

 

And I really can't get into the soccer competition. Greece are the European Champions and Portugal the runners-up...and neither of them are playing well. Yet Iraq are? Apart from maybe Argentina everybody's performing against expectations.

[Hogan Made Wrestling 0]

Well, didn't take long for "Tiger" Tim to fluff it in the tennis. And he's the UK's best tennis player, sadly.

 

And I really can't get into the soccer competition. Greece are the European Champions and Portugal the runners-up...and neither of them are playing well. Yet Iraq are? Apart from maybe Argentina everybody's performing against expectations.

Well, it's a BS tournament anyway because of the age restriction, and the fact that it carries little prestige compared to the World Cup and the Euro. If given the choice, Christiano Ronaldo would be playing for ManU, not playing for Portugal in this nothing tourney.

[The Electrifyer 0]

This is a total indictment on how bad the NBA is right now. A league that is too young, full of one-one-one players, who can't shoot worth a damn.

What the NBA sent this year was far from there best. Grouping a bunch of young guys and giving them 2 weeks to train is not gonna beat teams who've been playing together for years. Don't look at Team USA as a reflection of the NBA.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

This is a total indictment on how bad the NBA is right now. A league that is too young, full of one-one-one players, who can't shoot worth a damn.

What the NBA sent this year was far from there best. Grouping a bunch of young guys and giving them 2 weeks to train is not gonna beat teams who've been playing together for years. Don't look at Team USA as a reflection of the NBA.

Why not? The exact same problems are visible when watching the NBA game. Of course, there are better players than the group they sent over, but these are the guys (except for Iverson) which symbolizes what is wrong with the game today. Players are coming in too young, they don't learn how to shoot and play defense properly and the game is suffering. You see it in the NBA all the time.

[Highland 0]

What the NBA sent this year was far from (their) best

 

Is that the excuse we're going to hear if they don't win the gold?

[Jobber of the Week 0]

What the NBA sent this year was far from (their) best

 

Is that the excuse we're going to hear if they don't win the gold?

It's pretty much the truth. This is a far cry from the Dream Team. I suspect a bunch of multimillionaire basketball players decided against representing their country because Gold Medals don't buy a new Caddy Escalade and a bling bling necklace.

[Art Sandusky 0]

They wanted to send the best. Most of the best couldn't or didn't want to go. No one's fault but the team's.

 

The Olympic Gold in soccer may not be as prestigous as the World Cup or Euro tournaments, but if a country like Iraq is going to do well, I'm all for it.

[Guest Nanks]

Another good day for the Aussies with Petria Thomas finally scoring her first individual gold medal in the pool in her 3rd Olympics. Inge de Brujin went out hard but Petria managed to rope her in for a well deserved win

 

Race of the Century in readiness in the 200m. I'm tipping 1 - Van Den Hoogenband 2 - Ian Thorpe 3 - Michael Phelps

 

"Lethal" Liesel Jone set an Olympic Record in the semis of the 100 breast & Brooke Hanson qualified 4th.

 

Sara Carrigan came from nowhere to take gold in the Cycling Road Race from never having medalled in a World Champs when it was more expected our men would be the ones to have an impact after holding Green & Gold jerseys throughout the Tour recently.

 

Overall we're sitting in 2nd with 4-1-3 on the Medal Tally behind the Chinese who always get away fast early with the diving.

 

Our men's basketball team got towelled by the Greeks today, however, never underestimate the power of the home crowd, our pool is getting very interesting all of a sudden after that US-PR result also.

[Guest GreatOne]

I guess David Stern has no reason to be concerned right?

 

What the hell it's just the same team they pasted by 25 in the exhibition match, they just had a bad day, yeah.....................

[Hogan Made Wrestling 0]

I guess David Stern has no reason to be concerned right?

 

What the hell it's just the same team they pasted by 25 in the exhibition match, they just had a bad day, yeah.....................

I don't think David Stern's opinion should matter at all. USA Basketball needs to totally separate itself from the management of the NBA.

[Guest Vitamin X]

USA Basketball needs DEFENSE. And actual team play.

 

You'd think Larry Brown would have been good enough to keep their heads straight. Well everyone except for Iverson, of course.

[Guest GreatOne]

I don't think David Stern's opinion should matter at all. USA Basketball needs to totally separate itself from the management of the NBA.

Yes but if NBA players make up the roster he SHOULD. You know it's kind of hard to call the NBA 'the best basketball players in the world' if they either aren't winning the gold or not even playing to begin with.

 

And yes all-star teams do not a champion make, but an NBA coach should be able to handle it--especially one that's just two months removed from an NBA title himself.

[razazteca 0]

USA Basketball needs DEFENSE. And actual team play.

 

You'd think Larry Brown would have been good enough to keep their heads straight. Well everyone except for Iverson, of course.

Defense is not the problem the major problem I seen from the game against Puerto Rico was that they could not make a jump shot period. Nearly every shot rimmed out and were rebounded by PR. Also I seen several stupid plays such as the slashing and cutting to the paint only to turn it over while trying to pass it to the center. If Team USA is going to attack the paint then they better go for the dunk and forget the fancy passes.........THROW IT DOWN JEFFERSON THROW IT DOWN!

 

Also they better tell Iverson to stop shooting the 3 and let Lebron or Odem be the designated 3 point shooter.

[nogoodnick 0]

The US Basketball team (I refuse to refer to them as the Dream Team) lacks so many things this year. No shooters, no big men, and no experience. I dont know what some guys like Okafor are even on the team for. If you're gonna select him at least let him play. They need shooters like Mike Redd and they shouldve invited some decent big men that are actually big like Brad Miller and Rasheed. I just see something wrong with Boozer as a backup center and Marion playing PF.

[Guest MikeSC]

What the NBA sent this year was far from (their) best

 

Is that the excuse we're going to hear if they don't win the gold?

It's pretty much the truth. This is a far cry from the Dream Team. I suspect a bunch of multimillionaire basketball players decided against representing their country because Gold Medals don't buy a new Caddy Escalade and a bling bling necklace.

So, guys who are in the top 1% of players in this country can't compete with Puerto Rico --- but because it's not players in the top .%, it is not that bad?

 

Hardly.

 

The NBA has had shit shooting for YEARS now. It's a one-on-one league with horrible shooting --- and internationally, it gets shat on.

 

This shouldn't be a huge shock, considering how crappy we looked in the World Championships 2 years ago.

-=Mike

[alfdogg 0]

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer04/bas...tory?id=1859825

 

The Americans shot only 35 percent, finished 3-for-24 from 3-point range and had nearly as many turnovers (22) as field goals (26).

*Remembers backlash received at the suggestion that Michael Redd should have made the team ahead of Carmelo*

 

*laughs in their face*

[Guest MikeSC]

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer04/bas...tory?id=1859825

 

The Americans shot only 35 percent, finished 3-for-24 from 3-point range and had nearly as many turnovers (22) as field goals (26).

*Remembers backlash received at the suggestion that Michael Redd should have made the team ahead of Carmelo*

 

*laughs in their face*

Silly --- Carmelo probably sells more jerseys.

-=Mike

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

So, guys who are in the top 1% of players in this country can't compete with Puerto Rico --- but because it's not players in the top .%, it is not that bad?

 

Not to single out Mike here, but this is indicative of comments I've seen. That the quality of NBA players is poor because they fare poorly in the international game. Carlos Arroyo is a backup guard in the NBA, and nothing special. And he dominated this game. That indicates to me the problem is with the setup, and not the quality of the players.

 

To me, the problem is threefold. First, a team that has had little time to practice playing against players who have trained together for quite awhile. Two, the differences in rules between the NBA and International Games. Three, the international players have vastly improved over the last twenty years.

[Red Baron 0]

4.

 

Ego's collide as the team is playing for themselves, not for their country. If anything, it should be a team that represents the best that they have as a team not just individual achievments.

[Guest MikeSC]

#3 is the top reason. Our players, simply, are not the best players in the world any longer. Our younger players are simply not terribly good or solid players. Keep in mind that these players would do EXCEPTIONALLY well with some time in college, actually learning how to play basketball.

-=Mike

[Guest Nanks]

Well I obviously can't speak for other countries, but The Boomers (Aussie mens' team) hasn't had a massive amount of time to train together, several of our players play in European leagues.

 

As for the rule changes, exactly what are the differences???

[alfdogg 0]

They should have just sent the Pistons over.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

4.

 

Ego's collide as the team is playing for themselves, not for their country. If anything, it should be a team that represents the best that they have as a team not just individual achievments.

 

I think that is nonsense. I didn't see a bunch of egos. The players were more than willing to pass, and play a team game.

 

#3 is the top reason. Our players, simply, are not the best players in the world any longer. Our younger players are simply not terribly good or solid players. Keep in mind that these players would do EXCEPTIONALLY well with some time in college, actually learning how to play basketball.

-=Mike

 

How exactly is learning in college better than learning in the NBA? Perhaps the similarity to the international game would help, but I think fans rush to judgement against players who skip college, when there's really no indication that these players are worse off than the ones who attended college.

 

This is of course allowing for the failures, who would have been weeded out of the process in college.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

As for the rule changes, exactly what are the differences???

 

There are differences in the defensive rules, what zones are allowed, the paint is different, and several others. Someone more versed in basketball than myself could probably give better examples.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I love hearing the announcers explain the lack of a crowd.....

 

"Well its a Sunday, its a religious holiday....."

 

Ok then. So why the hell did they schedule the damned event on this day?

[Hogan Made Wrestling 0]

I'm pretty sure the best-attended event so far was the men's road race, which of course was free.

[Red Baron 0]

Sorry but Team USA is nothing more than a bunch of ego's running on the court, its more of desperation after realizing, that there is no I in Team.

 

Sorry, but its an all-star team, trying to market the players, not a team who can adapt to the international rules.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I REALLY hate that cliche. So that wasn't passing I saw today?

[Red Baron 0]

their only option was to pass and score, they couldn't run down the court and lay it in, or drive to the hoop. Pueto Rico held them to the outside, which they had trouble scoring. USA does not have 2 consistant 14-20 ft. shooters.

[KingPK 0]

Redbaron stole my thunder.

 

That's what completely irks me about this team, the total reliance on parimeter shooting. If they aren't making 40-50%+ of those shots, then they get behind and don't have the tools to go inside and make plays. Plus, they're turning over the ball WAY too much. And gee, isn't it kooky that the quarter where Iverson and Duncan sat (2nd) was the one where they had the most anemic offensive production (9 points)? That just won't fly.

 

I link again to Bill Simmons' article a week or so ago.