Dear BCs,
I forgot to mention that while I was on vacation, I stopped by the USA Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for a tour. Seeing where the players train has made watching the performance of our USA basketball team even more exciting. I can't wait for tomorrow's Gold Medal match-up with the Aussies! I'll be parked in front of my TV at 10 AM to follow all the action. Go U-S-A!
Best, Petey
Of course, Petey, we know all about tomorrow's big game and we'll be watching (and cheering!) too. But for any of our readers who may not have been following Team USA as closely, here's a little more . . .
In the first of yesterday's semi-final matches, Team USA defeated Becky Hammonova's Team Russia, 67-52. In the other semi-final match, the Aussies crushed host China (coached by former Mystics head coach Tom Maher), 90-56. This means that the USA now faces Australia on Saturday to determine which team gets the gold and which the silver. So this is as it should be, the two best teams in the world squaring off in the finals at the Olympics! Go U-S-A!
* * * * * * * * *
As Petey mentioned, game time is 10 AM EDT. As best we can tell, the game should be shown live on NBC and NBC HD. Unclear whether NBC will interrupt coverage for other critical events like synchronized swimming. It is also possible that the game will be shown (uninterrupted) on NBC's special Olympics Basketball Channel, as well as webcast. [If you don't know whether you get the new Olympics Basketball Channel, go to this link, click on "change my location," and follow the instructions from there.]
posted by BasketCases @ 6:35 AM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Oh, don't be hatin' on Becky! These games are only for corporate usa to get to more consumers. As long as Coke, Nike, McDonald's et. al. are involved, it ain't hardly about the countries, it's about the green.
I can't blame Becky. She's an Olympian with the team who wanted her the most. It's not like she turned down Team USA to go play for Russia. That's what happens when you discard old players and pin your hopes on new blood. (Yes, I miss Taj, Muriel, Chasity, etc!). No picking on the Beck-ster.
Hey, it's our blog, we'll "pick on" whomever we want. Call us "old school," but we think the Olympics are about representing your country, not about free agency or just having a personal Olympic experience.
We like what Kara Lawson said yesterday when asked if she'd ever play for another country:
"I could never do what [Becky] did. I will play for the USA and that’s the only country I’ll play for. This is the only uniform I’ll ever put on. I had no idea I was going to make this team. I was on the bubble and I was one of the last three players named. I said to myself, if I made it, wonderful. If I didn’t, I know that I tried my best and I would cheer for my country to win a gold medal."
http://www.usabasketball.com/news.php?news_page=08_woly_07_quotes
-- BC
The U.S. imports Kenyan distance runners, Chinese table-tennis players and Moscow-born gymnasts. In fact, Mike Piazza played baseball for Italy in the Sydney Olympics. What's the difference?
Stewart, we've never been big fans of the two wrongs make a right argument. At least Piazza is Italian-American, his grandparents grew up in Italy. Becky grew up in South Dakota (check Petey's buffalo pix) and has no ancestral ties to Russia.
-- BC
I think Stewart's trying to say that why is it Becky's getting so much flack for something that's obviously taking place with other teams and other sports. I could see if she was the only Olympian doing that and especially if we were in the Cold War, still. I think she's being unfairly singled out.
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