W2W4 August 7-10

We are getting close... here's a schedule of the first days of competition.

Thursday, Aug. 7

MSNBC, 4:30-7 a.m. — Men's Soccer, USA vs. Japan (LIVE)
Just in case you don't know, in the Olympics, soccer teams are U-23, with 3 (I think) players above 23. However, with World Cup qualifying going on, most national team players are unavailable for the Olympics, so it's the U-23s who aren't quite good enough to be on the Senior National team, and 3 over-the-hill players who aren't good enough to be on the Senior National team anymore. The Olympics ladies and gentlemen!
That said, the men's team is good, led by Freddy Adu, but in a tough group with The Netherlands, Nigeria and Japan. The U.S. men MUST get a win against Japan if they have any hope of advancing out of the group stage.

TELEMUNDO, 4:30-7 a.m. — Men's Soccer, Honduras vs. Italy (LIVE) Italy, always a powerhouse, should beat up on poor Honduras, who snuck into the Olympics.


7:30-10 a.m. — Men's Soccer, Ivory Coast vs. Argentina (LIVE)
Heavy favorites to win the gold, Argentina will face a strong Ivory Coast that won their group to make it to the Games


UNIVERSAL HD, 4:30-7 a.m. — Men's Soccer, USA vs. Japan (Simulcast)
El equipo masculino es muy fuerte, pero en un grupo resistente con los Países Bajos, Nigeria y Japón. Los hombres estadounidenses DEBEN conseguir un triunfo contra Japón si ellos tienen alguna esperanza del avance de la etapa de grupo.
(or something... hahaha)

NBC OLYMPIC SOCCER CHANNEL, 5 a.m.-5 p.m. — Men's games

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Friday, Aug. 8

NBC and NBC HD, 8 p.m.-Midnight — Opening Ceremony

Always kinda boring, but a must-see. I sit around all night waiting for the athletes to enter, and I always somehow miss the US. I don't know why. I watch for 3 hours and my phone will ring during the US - it in inevitable. Let's watch China try to prove why they were chosen as hosts. That, in my opinion, was a ridiculous decision. I mean, what was the IOC (International Olympic Committee) thinking? "Yeah, I think it would be a really fantastic idea to hold the Olympics, the world's premier ATHLETIC EVENT, in the city with the highest amount of pollution, and air that is practically unbreathable. Congratulations Beijing!"

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Saturday, Aug. 9 -- LET THE EVENTS BEGIN!!!!!!

NBC and NBC HD, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. — Women's Volleyball - USA vs. Japan (LIVE); Swimming; Beach Volleyball - USA Match; Men's Cycling - Road Race; Women's Fencing - Individual Sabre Gold Medal Final; Rowing

PHELPS WATCH:
Day 1 of Michael Phelps mania. Going for the record of 8 golds, he is the highlight of the early events on Day 1.
6:50pm 400 IM prelims
Fittingly, Phelps is in the first race of the meet, and he can basically swim it like a workout and advance.


8 p.m.-Midnight — Swimming (LIVE): Gold Medal Finals: Men's 400-meter Freestyle, 400-meter Individual Medley; Women's 400-meter Individual Medley, 4x100-meter Freestyle Relay; Men's 100 breaststroke semifinals (LIVE); Women's 100-meter Butterfly semifinals (LIVE); Beach Volleyball - USA Match (LIVE); Men's Gymnastics Team Competition

Gymnastics, always a viewer-favorite. This year's U.S. men's team just got a whole lot weaker with Paul Hamm (2004 gold medalist) having to bow out with an injury. I love men's gymnastics, but I really hate when they interview them after and I see that they are 5'4 and have chipmunk voices. It just kills it.

12:30-2 a.m. — Men's Volleyball - USA vs. Venezuela (LIVE)
The US men are good, not medal favorites by any means (*Brazil, Russia, China), but never count the Americans out of an event in which athleticism rules.

USA and USA HD, 2 a.m.-2 p.m. — Women's Soccer - USA vs. Japan (LIVE) and Canada vs. China; Women's Basketball - USA vs. Czech Republic (LIVE); Equestrian - Eventing Dressage; Beach Volleyball; Women's Fencing - Individual Sabre Gold Medal Final; Women's Shooting - Air Rifle Gold Medal Final; Badminton Singles Competition; Women's Weightlifting - Flyweight Gold Medal Final

USA women's soccer looking to make up for embarassing showing at the 2007 World Cup.
USA women's basketball is, of course, the team to beat, and I don't know much about Czech basketball... which I guess tells me all I need to know, doesn't it? Easy win for the Americans.

Equestrian Dressage? GIVE ME A BREAK how is this in the Olympics, but they are taking out baseball and softball? It baffles me. Any event you compete in a top hat and a jacket with tails is not a sport.

Not a huge fan of weightlifting, but watching how much "flyweight" women can lift will blow your mind.


CNBC and CNBC HD, 2-4:30 a.m. — Boxing 75kg, 81kg Competition (LIVE)
Olympic boxing is NOTHING like the boxing we see from Las Vegas. If you ask me, it's more fun to watch, with actual skill and not just beating each other to smitherines.

5-8 p.m. — Boxing 75kg, 81kg Competition

MSNBC, 5 a.m.-5 p.m. — Women's Soccer - Nigeria vs. Germany (LIVE) and Brazil vs. North Korea (LIVE); Women's Volleyball - Italy vs. Russia and Poland vs. Cuba; Women's Handball - France vs. Angola and Russia vs. South Korea; Badminton Singles Competition

Brazil won the Women's World Cup in '07, and they are looking to prove it wasn't a fluke. Germany is good as always

I didn't know handball was a sport, I thought it was something you did as a joke on a raquetball court.

In the US, badmitton is what we WASPS play after church on Sunday while grandma is cooking supper. In China, it was the first Olympic sport to see out of tickets. No lie.

TELEMUNDO, 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. — Women's Soccer - USA vs. Japan (LIVE); Beach Volleyball; Boxing; Women's Volleyball
Si habla espanol, mirar este programo

6-8 p.m. — Beach Volleyball; Boxing
Beach volleyball. In China. Really? The only reason anyone watching this sport is to see women in bikinis and no one can deny that.

Midnight-1 a.m. — TBA

NBC OLYMPIC BASKETBALL CHANNEL, 2:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. — Women's games

NBC OLYMPIC SOCCER CHANNEL, 5 a.m.-5 p.m. — Women's games

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Sunday, Aug. 10

NBC and NBC HD, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. — Men's Basketball - USA vs. China (LIVE); Swimming; Beach Volleyball; Men's Water Polo - USA vs. China; Women's Cycling Road Race; Women's Weightlifting - 53kg Gold Medal Final; Men's & Women's Badminton; Rowing

Hmmm let's see USA men's basketball (Kobe, LeBron, Dwyane, etc.) vs. China, a country of people who are 5'4". Oh yeah, they have Yao Ming... ok, so he'll score 20 of their 40 points in a 50 point loss.

PHELPS WATCH:
10am 400 IM final - Phelps is the WR holder in this event, and the reigning Olympic and World Championship gold medalist -- GOLD #1


7 p.m.-Midnight — Swimming (LIVE): Gold Medal Finals: Men's 100-meter Breaststroke, Men's 4x100-meter Freestyle Relay, Women's 100-meter Butterfly, Women's 400-meter Freestyle; Men's 200-meter Freestyle semifinals; Men's 100-meter Backstroke semifinals; Women's 100-meter Backstroke semifinals and Women's 100-meter Breaststroke semifinals; Women's Gymnastics Team Competition; Women's Diving - Springboard Synchronized Gold Medal Final; Men's and Women's Rowing - Eights Competition

PHELPS WATCH:

7:30pm 200 Free Prelims
The finals is 9 hours earlier, so Phelps will have plenty of energy for his best stroke. it's a prelim race, so he can coast and move on.

Women's gymnastics begins, and they are saying the gold is the US's to lose, which of course means they will choke and the Chinese will step up on home soil.

Synchronized swimming is another "sport" that baffles me. Yes, I understand that it is difficult and takes athleticism, but really. They wear makeup and costumes. That is ballet in water, and not a sport.

Synchronized diving is another one that pisses me off. I mean, all they do is put two good divers from the same country together and have them do the same dive. Again, they are taking away Olympic baseball, but synchronized diving is an event. I will watch it of course, but it still grinds my gears.

12:35-2 a.m. — Women's Volleyball - USA vs. Cuba (LIVE)
Cuba = volleyball powerhouse

CNBC and CNBC HD, Midnight-4:30 a.m. — Tennis (LIVE); Boxing 64kg, 69kg Competition (LIVE)
I like tennis, but Grand Slams are 100 times more important in the sport than the Olympics. For women, Maria Sharapova is competing for Russia (even though she is about as Russian as I am) and will be a favorite, along with the Williams' sisters. On the men's side, it's Federer's tournament to lose.

4-7 p.m. — Boxing 64kg, 69kg Competition

USA and USA HD, 2 a.m.-2 p.m. — Men's Soccer - USA vs. Netherlands (LIVE) and Argentina vs. Australia; Men's Basketball - Lithuania vs. Argentina (LIVE); Tennis (LIVE); Beach Volleyball; Equestrian - Dressage; Women's Archery - Team Gold Medal Final; Men's Weightlifting 56kg Gold Medal Final

The US men's soccer team is led by Freddy Adu, who is finally showing the talent we all knew he had 4 years ago, and Brian McBride, who should be playing on the master's team, not with the U-23s. There isn't a masters team? Ok, then he should retire. The only reason he made the team is because the teams get 3 over 23 players, and all of the senior national team members have World Cup qualifying committments, which means the only players available are cast-offs. Anyway, the US is playing The Netherlands, where soccer is, quite literally, life. I'm gonna go ahead and say Holland wins this one.

MSNBC, 5 a.m.-5 p.m. — Men's Soccer - Italy vs. South Korea (LIVE); Men's Volleyball - Serbia vs. Russia and Bulgaria vs. China; Women's Field Hockey - USA vs. Argentina (LIVE); Men's Shooting - Trap Gold Medal Final; Men's Water Polo - Hungary vs. Montenegro and Croatia vs. Italy; Badminton; Men's Handball - Croatia vs. Spain

Italy will rout South Korea in soccer.

Russia and China will win in men's volleyball... is it just me or does anyone else find it weird that CHINA is so good at volleyball, where players are 6'4 and taller?

I didn't even know field hockey was in the Olympics. Hm. Color me suprised. I bet this is one of those sports where India is good or something random.

Okay, men's water polo... Do I care about the sport? No. Will I watch? HELL YES. Why? I think you ladies should just take a look at this: http://www.usawaterpolo.org/NationalTeams/MensNationalTeam.aspx
Seriously, just look at them, then tell me you won't be watching them, in the water... in speedos. I'm just sayin'.

Badmitton, handball... I can't even talk about these. These are the Olympics, not "Games you play drunk cause it's funny"

TELEMUNDO — 4 a.m.-2 p.m. — Men's Soccer - Argentina vs. Australia (LIVE) and New Zealand vs. Brazil; Men's Volleyball; Swimming - Gold Medal Finals; Men's Basketball; Men's Gymnastics; Beach Volleyball
6-7 p.m. — Boxing Elimination Bouts
In case you care.

Midnight-1 a.m. — TBA

UNIVERSAL HD — 24-hour MSNBC & CNBC HD Simulcasts and Coverage

NBC OLYMPIC BASKETBALL CHANNEL, 2:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. — Men's games

NBC OLYMPIC SOCCER CHANNEL, 5 a.m.-7 p.m. — Men's games

Countdown to the greatest two weeks of every four years

Yes. I am obsessed with the Olympics. I mean, literally obsessed. In 1996 I was staying with my grandparents in Mexico and I got the dreaded curse. Luckily, the Olympics were on to save me from my misery. I watched morning-noon-and night. Track and field, swimming, basketball, gymnastics, rowing, archery, I DO NOT CARE. I catalogued all of the medal winners (I was 13 get off my back).

I really can't get enough of the Olympics. I even went out and got a bigger tv (I had a 19 inch because I'm cheap). I would DIE for HD, but, alas, can't afford it :(

ANYWAY. I will be writing a lot about the Olympics. I'll start my preview asap (unfortunately I have "work" I have to do first).


USA! USA! USA!

I am a Champion

If this speech doesn't get those kids motivated to go kick *ss in their championship football game, I don't know what will!


p.s. It DID motivate them -- they won the game!

Jaded

I have become jaded.

As I watched Kevin Garnett celebrate his first NBA title, and the Celtics first since 1986, I couldn't help being almost jealous of KG's complete elation. I've been spoiled by the past six years of Boston sports domination.

It began back in 2001-2002 with the Patriots first Super Bowl win. Now THAT was excitement. It was the first time I'd ever really seen one of my teams win a championship (I was only 3 when the Celtics won their last in 1986), so it was elation like I'd never felt.

In February 2004, when the Pats won their second Super Bowl, it defintely lost a bit of its luster. By 2005, it was practically old hat.

Then 2004 happened, and the Red Sox won their first World Series since 1918. I have never been so happy at a sporting event, not even the first Patriots title. I was watching at the Dugout in Boston, crying, cheering and hugging strangers. Hearing Joe Buck say "Red Sox fans have longed to hear it: the Boston Red Sox are world champions!" still gives me goosebumps. And no matter what I think of Joe Buck from now on, or what I thought of him before 2004, I will always love the way he called the last play of that game.

But then our teams kept winning. The Pats won again in 2004, the Sox was again in 2006, and it just wasn't the same. I was happy, sure, but not the euphoria of the first Patriots Super Bowl, or the 2004 Red Sox.

When the Celtics won their 17th NBA title Tuesday, it was that same almost hollow-happiness. I can't believe that I, a Boston fan, is actually used to winning. Boston and winning had been almost contradictory for my entire life. Now, all of a sudden, people are sick of Boston winning all the time? How did this happen?!

I have to think it's cyclical, and New England sports domination surely can't last forever. In 10 or 20 years I'll be looking back on this decade as "the golden age," and not believing that I took it for granted.

So I need to try to be like KG and be on top of the woooooorld!!!! while it lasts. I'm starting to feel like... shudder... a Yankees fan in the 90s, who thought they would win every year, and therefore winning it all isn't exciting, it's just expected, which takes a lot of the fun out of it.

My teams can still lose, trust me I know that... I'm still not over the Patriots loss to the Giants... actually, that never happened so I don't know what I'm talking about. Never mind.

But I long for the 2004 World Series, when my team winning brought me to tears, and ended my lifetime of suffering. I wish the Celtics win had tugged at my heartstrings in the same way as Vinitieri's game-winning field goal in 2002... but, alas, I've become jaded.

New England is now the city of Champions... I never thought I'd say that, but I've certainly gotten used to it.

We need more people like Caleb Campbell

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nfl&id=3371045

After I read that ESPN post a few weeks ago, I decided that I really wanted to put my two cents in, as someone who is close to the Army, and to football. So here goes...

Former United States Military Academy (Army) defensive back Caleb Campbell was selected by the Detroit Lions as selection #218 in the NFL Draft. For Campbell, basically, this means that he heads to Detroit instead of Iraq.

I was lucky enough to interview Caleb twice at the Army-Navy game in Philadelphia in 2005 and 2006, and I remember being very impressed by him - not primarily because his stature, which is very big for a Cadet (6-foot-2, 229-pounds), but by his maturity in the face of adversity and defeat (Army had lost on both occasions to Navy - and by lost, I mean BIG). To see how he reacted in the face of defeat - humbled, but strong. And though he took the loss hard, you could tell he knew it wasn't the end of the world. In other words, the perfect Army officer.

Campbell "embodies what the academy is all about, and that's what everyone in
this country should be trying to be," Millen said. "He's got skills, he's got
desire and he's going to get a great opportunity."

But Caleb is taking a different course that his fellow Cadets, for now at least. It is rare that a (former) cadet or plebe (from the Naval Academy) play in the NFL - it is even more rare for one to be selected in the draft, prven in the fact that Campbell was the first (and only) non-kicker in Military Academy history to be invited to the NFL Combine.

But Campbell going to the NFL isn't so cut and dry. The Army has regulations, and graduates of the Military Academy owe the Army five years of active service after their graduation in return for the free education they received.

So then, many of you may be asking how Campbell can even do this, go right to the NFL, since graduates of the Military Academy owe the military active service in return for their free education. Well, there is a very new Army regulation that offers its top athletes a side door to professional sports - West Point has implemented an alternative service option program that allows cadets to turn pro – and play – right away.

Cadets accepted into the program "will owe two years of active service in the Army, during which time they will be allowed to play their sport in the player-development systems of their respective organizations and be assigned to recruiting stations. If they remain in professional sports following those two years, they will be provided the option of buying out the remaining three years of their active-duty commitment in exchange for six years of reserve time." The Air Force Academy and Naval Academy do not offer such a program. Both academies require two years of active service upon graduation before presenting the option of swapping the final three years of active time for six years in the reserves.

So, if Campbell can get into the program, it's a simple choice, right? WRONG.

It seems like an obvious choice, that he would be thrilled that he doesn't have to go overseas... but for a man who chose to attend the Military Academy in a time of war, it certainly isn't so black-and-white.

Meanwhile, his former teammates and classmates all face the prospect of going to
war in Iraq, where more than 4,000 servicemen and women have been killed in the
war that's been going on for more than five years with no end in sight. Campbell
wouldn't hesitate to join them. "I didn't come to the academy to play football,"
he said. "I came to the academy to become an officer." He initially had
misgivings about passing up on the chance to lead a platoon."

Campbell CHOSE to attend Army, over many other schools, he knew that he would likely be going to war after he graduated. He didn't go to Army just to play football - he went to be a Soldier who played football on the side. Well, God gave Caleb athletic talent, and it is beyond that of almost anyone else who has ever donned a Army football jersey, and that in-and-of itself is a burden on Campbell's shoulders.

There are those who don't think he should get out of his active service, and there are those who don't think his recruiting mission equals that of what the other Cadets will have to do. While I agree that it isn't equal, I think the mission - recruiting - is just as important. In being a public figure, Campbell will help the Army in a very important, though different, way that he would have leading a platoon.

E:60 on ESPN did a package on Campbell before the draft... it's a good story, but I personally don't like the spin they took. it's almost like they're saying that is Campbell isn't drafted, he's heading to his death sentence in Iraq. Yes, he would likely, as a young lieutenant right out of West Point he would be heading overseas to Operation Iraqi Freedom or the Global War On Terror, but that is far from definite.

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3361402&categoryId=3060647

With the new Army regulations, Campbell, if he makes the Lions squad, will not be (literally) fighting for his country, but he WILL be actively serving the Army, through recruiting - and what young man thinking about going into the Army wouldn't listen to a professional football player, who also happens to be a Soldier?

It's not the typical Cadet route, but then again, Caleb Campbell isn't the typical Cadet.