Planet Mikey's Olympic Update

I remember a few years ago. Which -- Saturday night watching TV and Allman. I literally stumble upon up a fight on HBO which I don't normally even think about looking at and I don't normally watch. And I stumbled upon a fight between Mickey ward and Arturo thunder got. And it was the first time these two -- And I sat there with -- mile fall for the entire fight. And even on not a huge boxing fan even I had no interest or known knowledge. Of this particular fight I couldn't turn it off it was the most amazing. Athletic event that I had seen in years it was unbelievable. I felt that way last night at about 1120. While I stumbled upon a swimming race at the Olympics -- I watched for the only reason. Because Michael Phelps is trying to win -- gold medals and I was curious you know whether he was going to have -- ended on you know not two of his competition. And the night in and I stumbled upon another one of those almighty god athletic moments and it was unbelievable last.

I were to stand -- do you want me to be that. The voice of doom -- an army that to be -- join -- not want to did not want to be the buzz -- yet about two enjoyable bit more. Then I'll come and be the buss -- just available more.

Well don't misunderstand what I'm saying here it's not like you know you could sit on all Sports Radio anywhere in the country. And it talks swimming he's seeking some cities. Is that logic and you couldn't you couldn't do it any. And is Jerry -- in pat myself and I overlapping last night because they were talking about tactics. At one point during the race nice at the tactics is there's the pool jumping to swim as fast as he kept. So so I mean it's not like you can discuss strategy here right now it's it's yeah right -- like discussing strategy. In the hundred meter dash run you'd just -- as fast as your legs can make you run. That's how you run.

Is there's no middle you know -- talking about ten seconds or aren't words sometimes. 99. With some of these guys you can't say well in the middle of the race in Sonoma and academia and now it overnight like come on. I got ten seconds to step up or not. And it the difference between great runners in the 100. And mediocre runners. Is less than a second.

Yeah -- there -- some sports for which strategy doesn't apply. Drag racing there is no strategy. The green light goes on your right foot goes this far down as it as it will go and you try to stay within the lines target. There -- some sports for strategy where strategy just isn't part of that. Yeah equation -- hundred.

I would love the run as fast as the last place finisher in the Olympics and -- tarnish a person who actually finish -- I'm not talking about you know you you pull up yeah pulled a hamstring in the and you just you can't finish it. You're riding on the track okay here's a Q.

But I'll. Just Kelly before Youkilis but the last part of this will be. If your sportsmen and we art what we do that you know we watched really doping stuff sometimes simply because it's competition and whether we talk about on the -- and -- another and another point. But accurate sportsman. The drama of watching that play out. I mean by the time. It got to began. I was standing in the middle of my family room -- my arms up in the mean and and looking stupid by the way but thankfully there was mice and it's. But in he was standing -- you just couldn't help yourself it was like. Always.

There -- some great Olympic moments Kerri strug you can do it -- In the Olympics. Great Olympic moments unfortunately Ben Johnson is one of them one of the things that stands out. Cathy Freeman running in Australia in 2000 is another big one for me. But I think I that's a good when I've forgotten about your caddie for him yeah great to but. Because of the Olympics have become so political and so dirty. On the I've become an Olympics. Becoming skeptic. So any thing I see that is great I always say. Without really great or was there something. Behind that it has something underneath that is that all on the up and up is that all legal as everybody five. When you see unfortunately. When you see somebody cut four seconds up their normal time. You say how'd that happen.

Well and and the reason I guess that that my skepticism doesn't go as far as yours. Are are gone now -- I'm I'm I'm way I had dark side the fifth place finishing team beat the world record. The team that finished. Finished faster than the previous world right now answer this question. Why did that happen. Well and and I am not. Intelligent enough to be able to talk about things like past polls and all let's stop hired John mentioning at this point I don't know enough to know. What makes a pool faster not supposedly this when he is. And and based on the numbers so far the you know I guess that would be true I have no clue. What's involved with that sort of thing but if you had one team -- mountain -- four seconds off the world record. I'm with you won the skepticism me right beat my beat kitten full tilt boogie yeah but when you got five teams. Who I mean Q that -- the fifth place team okay you broke the world record your fifth place that you get to step of the podium. It was just unbelievable.

Yes -- headed -- it was a good moment but. I hate him but about on so I'll just say this in the -- now move away from the I can imagine somebody out there you had -- great moment watching the Olympics it was awesome and here's somebody wanted to say well. With any -- anything that happens in the Olympics I'm telling you I'm -- I do is wait until after. Put it this way I make come back. Make -- here in December and say and that race. In. August was incredible wasn't. Sure all of the tests go through. All. -- driver all this scandal last results haven't come back yet I was so silly it was socially I -- in 2000 changed for me. I'm sitting -- I'm looking at Marion Jones right and ten feet away from Mary Jones. It from all these guys all these great athletes on on caught up in the moment. On the made okay may be shooting get as many gold that he wanted to get went to replica picture of the great college back up player you and -- Mary Jones marriage -- it was dirty. Distracted by all the other things like -- asked. She ran. As you look at all a matter of fact number ever at a press conference. I was probably in the second grow. She was right there and she's so charismatic. At at one point. --

don't know what number. I don't. -- Portland a Boston Globe DeSagana I don't know right on that aren't accurate that like. -- but okay.

I I understand you skepticism I really do and it's it is not misplaced or anything like that. Like I said if if the American team and out shaved four seconds off the world record. And everybody else was way back there at the other end of the pool I'd be right with you but when I when I watched it. And and the evidence that I see and what may be -- get the crap kicked out of me here and as you said. The drug test results that they -- get drug tested after they they finish and the results will come back and you know two months from now they'll be taken the gold medal away from Michael Phelps in the Americans.

I hope -- I -- out yeah it would be terrible stories that up and you report but you you have to be aware of it because it seems like every games he had some. You have a great performer and then after the fact you find out something was --

For me it was the sub plots to. I mean the French -- talking trash which in and of itself just cracks me as good but the French you're saying you know we're gonna we're going to trash them we're going to kill him. And and you know you got a 32 year old guy. Who's bringing up the anchor leg who cultures himself you know -- kind of -- by himself right he's 32 I mean this -- the sport which is old age of 32 -- coaching somebody but it -- yourself. And you know he'd he had disappointed in Athens and all the sub -- all came together. And the guy who would die on the trash talking as the world record holder and and you know he looks like he -- raising. In the final like and then all of a sudden it's like he threw you know at least -- just -- rope around. Kelly started them back -- and and just see it and the way it did it the for me it was just like that Saturday night when I watched ward -- Totally by accident. And just went this is the greatest athletic how you -- up watching -- got by accident how's that accident. I just do you sit on Saturday night flip the channels literally just. Point point point I'll look like there's nothing else on. In all I know Micky -- a local guy and I don't watch Saturday night boxing on HBO. Almost never. And have almost never at and I just happened to hit it stopped. And the next thing I knew you know I couldn't turn it off and and and I remember watching him thinking. No two athletes in the history of sports. Have ever given more of themselves than what I just watch these two guys that. I I and I couldn't believe what I just wanted to great parts about my pain and and people who know the sport rowdy Gaines among others. Ours are all saying now. That was the greatest relay race in the history of the Olympics. And it was likely the greatest single leg in the history of the Olympics. -- you know I mean it was just. I'm I'm I'm probably going on and on too much but it just it transfixed -- last.

None of that there there are a lot of people who who feel that way you do and I wish it wasn't such a cynical person in this case because. I -- I can be as bad as excited as you are but I think him. I I remember that the memorable Olympic moments just pure Olympic moments. Are starting to view -- get a lot of competition. From the memorable moments that. Have a masters -- next tomorrow Michelle Smith another.

Yeah Irish swimmer right -- Doing all right although I gotta be honest. Kind of thought she was thirty from the time I saw more you know she just looked in and I don't mean. I don't mean anything be a smart Alec I mean her build. She just looked like. A steroid abuser you know when you when you watched her standing up there. Now you know you look at somebody like Michael Phelps now human growth hormone may be involved I don't believe there's any steroids and that body that's got about. % body fat and it.

Yeah I I think what we're what will find. And what we're finding from the Olympics is that. Politics and doping. Is universal yeah I mean -- you can you can be a small country and you can sale of the US. Are you guys are all about access and materialism men up and you think you're better than everybody else okay. There is the US is not doing anything that. Any other country. In the -- amid -- all going every country it is not like. Yet there there Chinese so. There about it they're Americans there about it -- friends there about the Germans -- buddies about it -- I know I -- don't some crazy stuff in it to you just hope. That your favorite performers in your favorite sports aren't --

But I watch swimming every forty years I'm not going to pretend otherwise. I mean I know who Phelps says because everybody yet. But that I watch once every four years I don't watch the world championships when they're on in those odd you know Olympic I don't watch I don't care. I I don't. Really care about swimming in the Olympics but there's something about the -- that make you watch it there was interest in last night that and and watching the US basketball team. Chris Bosh is going. With the Michael -- short reds look at McConnell like back -- today and he immediately when when -- first I thought that it it's like that caricature in the Boston Globe used to -- of my friend over there. But it was like you know men and boys and it's going to be like men and boys. I think probably the entire -- all the way through the redeem team is their being called just looked like they are men on a mission.

You know what is so easy I mean that we we've all heard the stories about. Basketball the rest of the world catching up to the US and you know it's not as easy as not going to be as easy going forward as it was in the past him if you take away the disputed. I mean just of the robbery that happened and I she's 72 right at the the US team should've won that one. The game I mean little to gain over years and years and they were dominant US basketball team Olympic basketball team there was there was never questioned. Now when you start getting to the point I think they were they ran into problems. I had a couple of a couple of doctors one. The 88 team some good talent that team but I still believe that John Thompson didn't take the right guys. So. I 92 -- crazy then the dream team. But right around -- 962000. Even 2004. Giving guys who don't necessarily want to be there or not necessarily fired up about being olympians. You don't have -- tryout process when you're picking the teams cannot make and make the -- by invitation only cat you know at that. Not not going to happen probably not going to have of a very cohesive. Very motivated basketball team -- easy on the players American born players. Who weren't good enough you get a collection of those guys were good enough to go out and beat anybody in the world. I am sorry I don't believe that the world has caught up I think the world has advanced dramatically. -- I have a lot of good basketball players. Across the globe but I still believe that the best players in the world. Are in the United States -- America.

I agree with you end and -- Somewhere right now Billy Clarice -- my problem but said. I don't think NBA players should be X. I don't think NHL players should be in the Olympics. I don't think Major League Baseball players should be in the Olympics I don't -- football but but that the larger point here is. Part of me likes to see the US the other wearing the right laundry so I'm wrote in forum and -- out there you know Qichen China's three random or around the court. But part of me is thinkin' it's almost unfair. And it's almost you know to grow -- the --

Let the whole argument is everybody else is doing it -- wire we going to handcuff ourselves and everybody else's is hat has their pros out there and you talk about you've still love. The the 1980 Olympic team all US hockey. Okay.

And they beat pro right I mean they arsenal they were kids they were amateurs. Beating pro --

Point is there -- professionals in the Olympics. From other countries in the US did. So why should we now have pros in the Olympics and everybody else that.

I agree and and and I would rather I would rather none of them do I I would rather see the same disparity in talent. But on an amateur level as opposed want -- professional level. I mean look I think I think you could put together you know twelve. Of the best college basketball players in the country in in this day and age there would probably include a few high school players to. I think you could probably put together a team that would be pretty tough to --

I don't think so now not 1212. College basketball players now. I don't think I don't think would would beat. The way the game has that's lamps in the game has advanced right across the world have they caught up no it. They're good enough now where if you'd take. You know a kid from DC and kid from Duke giving kids from North Carolina and -- out of UCLA now that they lose. With the pros and are ready. I just they might lose two -- radiology at all in college basketball is now. Is different. From from twenty years ago like it's when -- is -- they -- years all right if you're talking about a college team. And that's what you had in 84. Got you know Michael Jordan on that team. A junior. From North Carolina. And in you've got Patrick Ewing okay. Now sure like my chances. Patrick Ewing Ewing was a senior Michael Jordan was -- junior. Now yeah it if you say college players you're taken freshman and sophomore.