London 2012

A Games to Remember

The 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing are and forever will be pretty damn hard to top. The Opening Ceremonies might have been the most amazing, unbelievable display of choreography and entertainment the world has ever seen. Outside of the phenomenal job done by the Chinese hosting the event, the Games comprised of a remarkable amount of engaging stories. You had Michael Phelps asserting an all-time dominance in the sport of swimming, you had Usain Bolt claiming the title of fastest man in the world with the fastest 100m time ever recorded in track and field, and you had the darling of the games, Shawn Johnson, mesmerizing every male teenager on Earth with her grace and beauty in Gymnastics. Underdog stories, dramatic upsets, miraculous come-from-behind victories, record-breaking performances…Beijing had it all.

Following that act is comparable to the guy who hit after Hank Aaron after he broke Ruth’s record. (By the way, fun fact: that guy was Dusty Baker).

I am not sure if it was possible to top the games in Beijing, but let me say this: although the various social mediums in today’s world ruined the results before they were aired on primetime NBC, London came pretty damn close. Let’s run through the highlights, best moments, stories, and also take a closer look at the American dominance of the 30^th Olympiad.

Girl Power

More than anything else, the London games will be remembered for the mark left by American women. For the first time ever, the women took home more medals than the men. If the American women were its’ own country, they would have the 5^th most medals, more than the entire nations like Japan, Germany, and France. We had Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh take home an unprecedented 3^rd straight gold in women’s beach volleyball, when they beat fellow Americans Jen Kessey and April Ross. We saw the next American star in swimmer Missy Franklin. Women’s gymnastics won only their 2^nd ever team gold, and their first since 1996. Gabby Douglas won gold in the all-around final, women’s soccer avenged their World Cup loss to Japan, and women’s basketball won a gold medal for the 5^th straight Olympics. Allyson Felix added another three golds in Track and Field. You go girls.

Swimming

With the help of Michael Phelps, swimming has become the marquee event of the summer games. I also think Rowdy Gaines helps with his emotional commentating. Remember when Lezak ran down the French in '08 and you just heard him in the background, “He did it! He did it! He did it!” Commentating can make a great sporting event turn into the legendary one. What if we didn’t have Al Michaels’ “Do you believe in miracles??!! Yes!!!” call during the Miracle on Ice in the 1980 games? Wow, I got REALLY off track here. Let’s get back to London and Swimming.

Pure and simple, USA dominated. They won 31 medals, twenty more than any other country. Going into the games, Ryan Lochte was the big story. After years of being in Phelps’ shadow, this was supposed to be Lochte’s time. Lochte’s time for the spotlight. Lochte trained much harder than Phelps, but still couldn’t out perform him. Lochte did turn the tables and finally beat Phelps in the 400im, an event that Phelps had not lost in nearly 10 years. However, Phelps still won six medals to Lochte’s five, and four gold medals to Lochte’s two. That was probably my favorite headline of the entire London Olympics. Everyone talked about how Phelps was washed up, taking too many bong hits, not training hard, and Lochte was going to kick his ass in London. Some Phelps fans even abandoned ship and hopped on the Lochte train. Well (here comes my favorite part!!), Phelps gave the entire world the finger and then laughed in our faces as won four more gold medals, and still proved to be the best swimmer in the world. I love that man. 

Another thing I found so cool about Swimming in London was this: we witnessed the end of a legend, but also, perhaps the beginning of a new one. Phelps has said that this will be the last time he swims competitively, and he will leave as the greatest Olympian who ever lived, but we saw the birth of Missy Franklin. Franklin at 17 years old, won four gold medals and a bronze. For a comparison, when Phelps was 18 years old, he won 4 golds and 2 silvers at the World Championships. I can’t wait to see what she does in Rio.

Gymnastics

Ah. My favorite. Sorry that sounded a little creepy.  But seriously, I love gymnastics in the Olympics. I don’t think any other sport provides as much tension. Waiting for the judges to submit their scores…watching your opponents compete right in front of you and then have them sit right next to you..it’s just great stuff. Not to mention, like many other 16 year old boys, I fell in love with Shawn Johnson in 2008 and have had a soft spot for the sport ever since. This year my crush was Aly Raisman (don’t worry Shawn, you will always have a place in my heart). God I got off track again, sorry.

Like I said before, the Women won the team final for the first time in 16 years, while Gabbie Douglas won the all-around and Raisman added gold in the Floor final. However, the biggest story coming out of the games may be McKayla Maroney.

Maroney is a vault specialist, and may have performed the greatest vault ever in the team final. But in the event final, after the commentators were making comments like: “Well quite frankly, her opponents know she is going to win. It’s just a matter of who will finish second.” Or: “If there was ever a shoe-in medal at these Olympic Games, it would be McKayla Maroney in the vault final.” And of course, Maroney sat down her 2nd vault and had to settle for silver. Her reaction to losing was the real story that sparked this social media phenomenon, when she failed to hug the winner of the event and then stood on the medal stand with a face of disgust.

Side note: Was anybody else worried about Maroney's future? Did anybody else get that vibe of a future...uh...I can't really think of a polite way to put this. But I think you get what I mean...

The men’s team was slightly disappointing, with only Danell Lleyva winning a bronze in the all-around final.

^^Hm, I guess that was a side note too. Moving on...

Women’s Soccer

I wasn’t going to give them their own subtitle, but I really just wanted an excuse to bring up Alex Morgan. God she is good looking. And what I didn’t know, supposedly she is on pace to become the best women’s soccer player in the world. I thought she was kind of just the “hey look at me I am hot and somewhat athletic type.” Wrong, she is actually really, really good. Her header in extra time put the US in the finals, where Carly Lloyd scored two goals to give America gold.

And can I just mention what a bad-ass Abby Wambach is? I don't care what sport I am playing, she is my #1 pick in the 1st round every single day of the week.

Track and Field

Usain Bolt proved he is still king of the mountaintop, sweeping both the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints, making him the first man to ever win both sprints in back-to-back Olympic games. The man knows how to put on a show. You know you are the man when the Americans would rather see you win then their own compatriots. Or was that just me?

I mentioned Allyson Felix and her gold medal exploits, but perhaps the most powerful moment came when Great Britain’s own Mo Farah took home the 5000-meter gold, and then followed that up by also winning the 10,000-meters. That was honestly one of the more surreal sports moments I’ve witnessed. A 10,000-meter race in track and field takes roughly about a half hour. I am not kidding, for the entire 27 minutes and 30 seconds that Farah was running, that stadium was going ballistic. Like absolutely crazy…the entire time. And when he came down the straight to finally win the gold, the place just exploded. Great stuff.

Tennis

Serena Williams added a gold medal for America and to her already outstanding tennis resume, but once again the best moment for me was when Andy Murray won gold in his own backyard of Wimbledon, finally breaking through in his troubled career. You can read my account of the gold medal match between him and Federer here.

Basketball

As I mentioned before, the American women won their 5^th straight Olympic gold, an unparalleled dominance in the sport. The men came in with a different sense of expectation. Led by Lebron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, and other NBA superstars, many drew comparisons to the 1992 Dream Team. Although they won the gold, those comparisons were thankfully put to rest. They did score a record-breaking 156 points against Nigeria…but c’mon, it was Nigeria. This 2012 team, although great and gold-medal worthy, proved that they are not in the same league as the Dream Team. Pau Gasol, PAU GASOL dominated the low post against this team. How do you think they would fare against Charles (I will destruct anything in my path) Barkley, Patrick Ewing, and David Robinson? 

I'll answer: They would get their ass handed to them.

First Time for Everything

Perhaps the most amazing story of them all, South African runner Oscar Pistorius became the first Paralympic athlete to ever compete with able-bodied athletes. Pistorius failed to make a final, but just being on the same playing field with artificial legs is a tremendously inspiring story.

Among some of the other “firsts” I have mentioned, David Boudia took home a gold medal for American diving, the first since Greg Louganis in 1988. see his clinching dive here. Kate Ledecky, only 15 years old, the youngest member of the entire U.S. Olympic Team, won gold in the swimming 800-meter freestyle. And Kayla Harrison became the first American ever to win a gold medal in Judo.

To close the 30^th Olympiad out, London displayed their rich musical tradition, showcasing representation from multiple generations in an once-in-a-lifetime three-hour performance. The 2012 London Summer Olympic games didn’t carry any unsettled political conflict or audacious protest; however, they will be known for maybe the last performances of two legends in Phelps and Bolt, a noteworthy excellence in security, a tremendous lack of scandal or positive drug tests, and maybe most of all…American triumph in the world’s greatest test of athletic supremacy.

-Chris Collins

U! S! Eh?

Don’t get me wrong: I’m about as American as Big Macs and John Deere tractors. But as hard as I try, I can’t get myself to fully support USA basketball in these Olympic Games.

I had no trouble endorsing the “Redeem Team” in 2008. After a disgraceful performance in the 2004 Olympics, the goal was to come back, dominate, and prove to the world that the United States of America still has the greatest basketball players in the world. That goal was accomplished, and it was assumed that in these 2012 Olympics that the team would have a similar goal. Although the current team features many of the same players from 2008, the attitude has changed and for the worse. Before they even played one meaningful game, all that the players could talk about was how they were better than the 1992 “Dream Team.” The worst part was that these comments were coming from the so-called leaders of the team, such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Experts began to question which squad would win in a game, but I only had one question on my mind: Who the hell cares? Our focus should be earning our recognition as the greatest team in the world, not as the greatest team in American history. The purpose of the Olympics is to prove your excellence to the rest of the world, but most importantly doing so with honor, sportsmanship, and respect for the players representing the other countries. I have no issues with arrogance during the NBA season, especially if it can be backed up. But in the Olympics? It’s sickening, and it poorly represents the United States.

My feelings for this team were on full display during our match against Nigeria. I love a classic ass-kicking and have no problems whatsoever with running up the score, but our behavior during the game was unacceptable to me. Once the game was out of hand, all that our players seemed interested in was landing a spot on the Sportscenter Top 10. Come on guys; realize you are playing against citizens from one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world. If you are going to destroy them, please do so without laughing on the bench and attempts at ridiculous alley-oops. It’s just distasteful.

Then came the game against Lithuania, a team whose best player (Linas Kleiza) has averaged 8.8 points per game in his NBA career. The USA team came out onto the floor and initially looked like a drunken version of the Harlem Globetrotters. Three pointers looked like bricks flying towards the hoop, passes weren’t being completed, and we couldn’t make a free throw even if the hoop was a mile wide. Lithuania carried a lead deep into the fourth quarter, but LeBron James bailed out the American team in the closing minutes. Let me get this straight: I did not want USA to lose. I just think it would have been deserved. It would have been fitting for the Olympics. Lithuania is a team without any star players that actually play like a team. USA is the opposite of that.

The next game for the American team is tomorrow night against Argentina, a squad much more talented that Lithuania. Hopefully the close call in its last game taught this team a lesson. The egos need to be put aside, the stat sheets have to be ignored, and each player must start doing what’s best for the team without intentionally trying to embarrass the competition. Regardless of whether or not an attitude change occurs on this team, I still do believe that they will win the gold medal. No other country even sniffs the amount of talent that is featured on this American team. But Olympic gold medals are unlike NBA Finals rings or Most Valuable Player awards. They are symbolic of all of the values that go into being an Olympian, values that most of the players on USA basketball have lacked thus far. And if they do end up winning the gold medal without obtaining these values, I can guarantee you now that I will not be singing along to the “Star Spangled Banner” while they are standing on the podium.

-PJ Moran 

The Olympic Tennis Final

Chronicles with Chris

8:37- So I wake up with aspirations of seeing Federer and Murray warming up, giving me enough time to go to the deli for a pork roll egg and cheese. Wrong. I woke up to Equestrian on my TV, this didn’t go as planned. Back to sleep.

9:13- Let’s give this another shot…yes! Two times a charm. I am awake and Federer is giving Murray some overhead smashes in warm-ups. I don’t think I have enough time to get a pork roll egg and cheese though…damnit. Mom where are you??

9:15- Warm-ups are almost over and there is enormous tension brewing in Centre Court at the All England Club, the crowd is timorously awaiting the start. It’s almost as if they don’t want it start. They are torn between supporting a historic champion who is starving for a gold medal to fill the last empty space in an otherwise flawless resume, and their withering hopes in a man that has failed them so many times before. Andy Murray has never won a major, he has lost a Wimbledon final, a final in which he played one of the best matches of career and still lost in four sets. I feel awful for the man. In any other of era of tennis he would have multiple majors to his name, but he was born into an age of arguably the three greatest players of all time all playing at once. He has been on the outside looking in for his entire career. Today, the greatest player of all time, a player who has won seven titles on this very court, stands opposite of him.  God help him.

9:46- Set 1, 6^th game, Andy Murray had gotten the first break of the match. Murray seems to be taking more chances of the two, hitting more unforced errors but also hitting more winners. Both players are serving well. The crowd has been slightly aroused. They still don’t want to fully commit. The cheers after each point are escalating, but in the back of their mind they also know that they have gone through this tantalizing story before, only to see their countryman succumb to the overwhelming pressure.

9:53- Murray hits a backhand that scrapes the top of the net and elegantly drops in out of Federer’s reach. Murray waves his hand up and apologizes for the stroke of luck. I have always found that phenomenon interesting about tennis, apologizing for winning a point.

9:55- Murray gets another break. He has taken the first set. The crowd is still tentative, but emphatically giving their compatriot a standing ovation as he walks to his chair. On Henman Hill, which rests just outside of Centre court, flags are waving and the roars are erupting with greater volume. However, once again, they have done this before. Murray won the first set of the Wimbledon final, only to lose the next three.

10:03- Murray has hit another two winners that scratched the net, giving him his third break in a row and a two games to love lead in the 2^nd set. Murray is moving with reckless abandon, he is flying over the court and chasing down excellent shots from The Great One.

10:19- Murray survives six break points to go up three games to love. The crowd has deserted their commitment to cheer for both players. It’s a one sided crowd. Commentator John McEnroe comments, “Even Andy Murray isn’t accustomed to this type of support, not even at Wimbledon. And certainly Roger Federer is not accustomed to this little of support.”

10:27- Wow. Roger Federer, the great Roger Federer, has just double-faulted to give Andy Murray another break, and a four games to love lead. Andy Murray, the Scotland native, is dominating the most prolific tennis force to ever graze the grass at Wimbledon. Federer has no answer for the barrage of backhands down the line and forehand winners. He can’t get anything past Murray, who is moving and playing like a man possessed.

10:41- A stat just came on the screen: the fewest number of games Roger Federer has ever won in the first two sets of Wimbledon is eight. He just lost the first two sets to Murray, 2-6 1-6.

10:55- Murray gets another break and is up 3-2 in the third set. He has turned for home and is now alone in the homestretch, alone with an entire nation begging him, imploring him to finish. As long as he doesn’t fall off his horse, Andy Murray will be an Olympic champion. McEnroe is making his case that the Olympics should be considered a major. That may not be the actual case, but if Andy Murray were to close the deal, I think this will be better.

11:00- 4-2 Murray. The crowd has lost it. They are almost unconscious. Is this really happening?

11:08- 5-3 Murray. It’s been 73 years since a British man has won the gold medal. Henman Hill has exploded. The crowd chants “Mur-ray, clap clap clap, Mur-ray…”

11:10- It takes Federer about a minute and a half to hold his serve. 5-4 Murray. Andy Murray will be serving for the gold medal, a title he has craved and sought for so long. He gets up from his chair, and the crowd detonates once again.

11:12- Murray may never win a major, he may forever be regarded as the best player to never win a major, a title no player wants, but this title may be sweeter than any gratification a major has to offer. This may be the moment that sparks a turnaround in a truly great player’s career who was born into the wrong era of Tennis.

11:14- After four grand slam final losses, after five years of suffering under the wrath of three superior players, after two hours and three sets of dominating tennis, Andy Murray is finally a champion. Congratulations Andy, you earned and deserved it. Final Score: 6-3, 6-1, 6-4.


-Chris Collins

Michael Phelps

Cherish What We are Witnessing

Every day for the past week I have made my best efforts to avoid twitter, ESPN, and any sort of social medium that would spoil the primetime Olympic results for me. Well, I have pretty much failed everyday.

I didn’t get home from work until late last night, and even though I already knew the results to most of the major primetime events and because I am weird like that, I still stayed up to watch my recording, which led me to this thought and column…

I remember being too young to appreciate what Michael Phelps accomplished during the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, I remember watching ESPN and seeing reports of his record-shattering swims. He won six gold medals and two bronze medals in Athens, he set two world records and three Olympic records…at the age of 19. I am 19. I work at a summer camp in the morning and bus tables at night.

Let’s go to 2008 in Beijing. I remember thinking to myself: “What the hell, it is only swimming but this guy is getting a lot of hype. May break Mark Spitz record? I’ll tune in.” So the first event I watch is the 4x100-meter freestyle relay, Phelps 2^nd event after already winning gold in the 400-individual medley and shattering the world record by more than two seconds. In the 4x100 free relay with Phelps swimming the opening leg, Jason Lezak ran down the heavily favored French in the final 50 meters. Lezak swam the fastest 100m relay split in Olympic history. The rest is history. That swim was an omen. Something special was about to happen. Something magical. Something inconceivable.

And it did. Phelps competed in 8 events, he won gold medals in all of them, breaking Mark Spitz’ 32 year old record of 7 golds in a single Olympic games. His 7^th and record tying medal, was done in miraculous fashion, out-touching Serbia’s Milorad Cavic by one one-hundredth of a second. Seven of his eight golds were done so in record-breaking fashion. The other was a new Olympic record. He did this at the age of 23.

After Beijing, Phelps celebrated, took some time off, and downsized his intense training. Criticize his preparation all you want, condemn his out-of-the-pool behavior all you want, what Michael Phelps is accomplishing in London right now is still unbelievable. It’s mind blowing. Legendary.

Phelps failed to medal in his first event, the 400-individual medley, losing to fellow American Ryan Lochte. It was the first time he failed to medal in an Olympic event since the age of 15, when he finished 5^th in the 2000 Sydney games. Since that swim, he has added four more medals in four events, the third of which surpassed the all time record for Olympic medals won, previously held by Russian gymnast Larisa Latynina. The fourth of which was his 3^rd consecutive 200-individual medley Olympic gold. That too, has never been done before. Phelps is scheduled to compete in two more finals, the 100-m butterfly and the 4x100im relay. Gold medals are certainly realistic for both. Phelps has said that this will be his last Olympics. If that is indeed true, when it is all said and done, Phelps could and should end up with 22 Olympic medals, 16 of which are already made of gold.

What Phelps has accomplished in the last decade of swimming is one of the most astonishing, dominant athletic feats in the history of sports. Phelps is to swimming and the Olympics as Ruth is to baseball, as Jordan is to basketball, as Gretzky is to hockey. He captivated the entire world in the greatest two-week spectacle of athletic achievement in Beijing, and is now taking a victory lap in London. He is doing so training half as hard as his competitors, and not nearly in his best shape. He has accomplished all of this before his 28^th birthday.

I wasn’t alive when Babe Ruth was hitting more home runs in a single season than entire teams. I wasn’t old enough to understand Michael Jordan’s dominance of professional basketball or Wayne Gretzky’s supremacy over the National Hockey League. However, I am and will forever be proud to say I witnessed a living legend, the most prestigious athlete of our time, and the greatest Olympian who ever lived. 

-Chris Collins