Category Archives: Olympics

by

Why don’t we make H-O-R-S-E and Knockout an Olympic sport too?

Now if baseketball was an Olympic sport…

There have been discussions about possibly making three-on-three a possible Olympic sport. Yes, adding a game that we play on driveways and playgrounds could be an Olympic sport.

I feel that it doesn’t really showcase the top notch basketball ever. There are no three-on-three leagues, so how do we determine who are the best three players to make a team?

That’s like adding H-O-R-S-E and Knockout as Olympic sports too. These games are fun to play, but that’s not the sport of basketball. It’s not the five-on-five, what the professionals play.

But it is something to consider in a way. If swimming can have 10 different medal races, then basketball should feature at least more than one. Maybe a three-point contest?

by

I love the fact that Serena Williams is keeping it West Coast in London

So apparently Serena Williams went with an impromptu crip walk celebration and she’s getting negative publicity for it. Given the fact that she’s from Compton and it’s part of American pop culture, I don’t think much of it. The walk itself is so popular that I don’t associate it with gang violence now.

But somehow, someway, people are pulling for straws trying to find a reason to criticize her. It’s not even a big deal yet here we are talking about a non-issue.

That’s the same nonsense that came up a couple days ago with Gabby Douglas and her hair. What exactly was the issue with her hair? Hair is hair, who cares what it looks like?

Man, these Olympics bring out the dumb in people.

by

Michael Phelps is the “most decorated” Olympian ever only by chance

Great Olympian, but most decorated? Hold on there.

Last night, I think it was last night, or the day before, or whatever NBC’s tape delay wanted to show me, Michael Phelps won his 19th medal and everybody started to call him the “most decorated Olympian” of all time.

That needs to stop. Since last year, I have loathed all this praise of Phelps being the greatest Olympic athlete ever. He only won those medals because of chance.

Calling someone the most decorated because he has won so many medals takes away the actual reality of the situation. I am not taking away any talent he has in the swimming world, but it’s because swimming has so many different races, Phelps has so many different opportunities to win medals.

Continue reading →

by

I love the Olympics and I hope we have more great moments

Moments like these is what makes the Olympics so great. Sure it shouldn’t be about politics, but sometimes politics comes into it and makes it so much more important (Tommie Smith and John Carlos, 1968). But at the same time, politics makes it worse (Terrorist attacks, 1972).

As I had mentioned in a previous blog post, sports gives us a platform to make a difference in the world.

So as the Olympics Opening Ceremony open up today, I hope that this becomes a platform for athletes. I know that there are a lot of problems in the world and with these Olympics, we might be opened up to the world by athletes who care about real issues.

I usually don’t like to cheer for any country in particular, but I will be leaning towards my home (USA) and my family home (China). But it really doesn’t matter to me. This is a time celebration of for the world, for us to grow closer together, and this is what I hope we get out of it.

by

Dream Team uniform makes return to Barcelona

Saying you’re better than the Dream Team, then you dress like them?

With Team USA playing their game against Argentina in Barcelona today, it was decided that they should sport Dream Team throwbacks for the game. With the 20th anniversary of the greatest team ever in Barcelona, it was a very nice gesture (with the Chuck Daly patch).

Well, these throwbacks aren’t exactly replicas of the original uniform, but overall, it still looks really fresh and way better than the team’s current uniform.

And of course with this homage, the 2012 team struggled once again to dominate the competition — unlike the original Dream Team. Maybe Kobe should just shut his mouth.

by

The irony of Burger King celebrating the Dream Team

This cup can’t beat the 1992 cup.

As I was on my way doing my Back to the Future sight seeing spots on Thursday, I stopped by Doc Brown’s garage (1985) which is located next to a Burger King. I went inside the Burger King and found out that they are giving away limited edition Dream Team cups. They have five cups celebrating the five gold medal teams the USA has produced since 1992.

As you can see, these cups are modeled after the actual uniforms the teams wore for the Olympics (although I don’t recall the `96 team wearing red).

Unfortunately, they didn’t have the `92 cup available but would get them this weekend. I was hungry so I ended up settling for the `12 cup which is still pretty nice.

So what’s the irony of it?

Burger King sponsoring the USA basketball team is fine, but normally it’s McDonald’s making the big splash during the Olympics. And this year, McDonald’s has a monopoly vice grip at the Olympics with their french fry monopoly.

Continue reading →

by

My review of the new Dream Team book

A great book for you to read.

Last week, the new Dream Team book by Jack McCallum was released and I immediately got my hands on it. In fact, I actually pre-ordered it weeks prior and didn’t receive it until a couple days after its release.

When I first opened it up, I was ready to dive into a world of memories that I never really had. And now one week later, I’m glad I was part of the ride.

You see, I was only six when the Dream Team became a reality. I didn’t know much about basketball but as the years went by, I understood the importance of this team. My first memory of this team was the puzzle poster that my mom helped me construct. I still have that poster in my room and it’s one of those things that I will never ever want to get rid of.

Part of my desire to read this book is because I am a sports historian so reading up on something like this is right up my alley. Basketball was my first love of sports and the fact that the Dream Team almost seem like a myth to me makes it so much more unique. And I am so glad this book recaptured all of that for me.

Continue reading →

by

The USA’s Olympics opening ceremony outfits are OK

These outfits look OK.

Here’s the official information on the outfit:

Ralph Lauren, three time outfitter of the U.S. Olympic team, unveiled the uniforms athletes will don during the Opening Ceremony on July 27 in London.

Calling it an “updated take on old-world elegance,” David Lauren, son and executive vice president to Ralph Lauren, told the “Today” show the aim was to achieve a classic look that would look good on all athletes, from wrestlers to gymnasts.

The outfits consists of a white cotton sport shirt with a red and navy necktie under a double-breasted blazer for men, and a cream skirt with a white blouse under a red and navy scarf and a navy blazer for women. All athletes will also sport berets. More casual outfits were prepared for atheletes to wear within the Olympic Village.

I think it looks OK. It was inspired by the 1948 outfits worn to the Olympics in London. A part of me keeps thinking it’s French yet another part of me feels like they’re all stewardesses.

The jacket and tie look fine, but I feel that they just got off a yacht and are on their way to the annual polo festival.

What do you think of this outfit?