The main reason any USA baskeball team in the last 20 years has managed to lose a match is simple: Up until recently, the US hasn't really taken international competition seriously. Teams from Argentina, Germany, etc take this stuff very seriously and practice and prepare together regularly. They play as a team.

Team USA matches tend to look like All Star games, with plenty of dunks and grand standing. They've won because their combined talent is just funny compared to any other team. But there has often been that missing teamwork component. Also, int'l teams are now loaded with players who also play in the NBA.

However, whenever Kidd (who is now 39-0 in international play) stepped onto the court, you saw how devastating USA can be. The talent is off the charts. Fortunately this time (according to reports) team USA also spent a lot of time prepping for the Olympics.

Unfortunately in the game against China, team USA's outside shooting stank. Once they start playing against teams with a real interior presence (and some semblance of defence) they're going to need the outside shot.

WOW that 400m swimming relay was amazing! Completely busted thru the previous world record!!
The anchor guy did amazing the last 1-2meters wow!

Anyone catch the men's relay just now? USA just pulled off a phenomenal win against France. Most exciting moment in the games yet. Congratulations to Phelps and the team. They deserve it. Incredible.

Unbelievable!!

Are there any restrictions on the basketball team? The football/soccer tournament is all under 25's and three older players so you never get a full international side. Plus it clashes with the domestic season in most countries so for weeks managers have been arguing with players not to go to China.

I think Messi for example is only playing the first few games then going back to Barcelona before the tournament is over.

Just caught this on the west coast. Amazing to watch. Just amazing!!!
So happy for those guys and proud that they could make the French eat their words.
Phelp's reaction was classic.

There's no way those Chinese "womens" gymnasts are 16 years old...

I don't like how they make the b team qualify through the heats and the a team stroll in to the final. It makes sense to do it so Phelps can carry on smashing records. But still shit for the guys who qualified for them. Same for the relay in running.

oh and

Kissinger is 85 and still world-hopping. Impressive.

channel 7 (australia) are a fucking JOKE covering the olympics. i'm so pissed.

bbc coverage is relatively awesome. 6 or 7 channels all the time i'm pretty sure.

no restrictions on the basketball parka. used to be until 92 i'm pretty sure, when it was the first 'dream team', who annihilated the 'competition', and then dream team II in 96. not sure why they changed, america flexed its olympic muscle maybe?

andy pretty much summed up the more recent history, where the european teams (and argentina) have caught up and surpassed the states. heck, even australia are a halfway decent team now. a lot of these teams have been playing together for quite a while and have great chemistry, which is what the states has been trying to do, get together a core group of guys with the intention of winning these games. They were shocked (and frankly I was too) when they were beaten by Greece in the worlds in the semis. I think they play them in their third match, should be interesting, although greece got well and truly beaten by spain.

It's only day three and there have already been a bunch of fantastic moments, Men's 4x100 Freestyle relay anyone?

That relay was AMAZING.

400-meter freestyle relay was insane.
I need to see a replay of that.

I'm here in beijing,

here is insane, the tickets ressellers are getting rich, I went to volleyball(beach and indoors) the beer is 5 rmb less than a dollar!!!!! for one beer!!!!!!

tomorrow i'm going to the tennis and in the 15th to athetics!!!

I just read online that the opening ceremony was largely digital and animated (fireworks were cgi)

And that the girl who sang the anthem actually lipsynched it because the REAL SINGER lacked "beauty and stage presence"
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/0 ... index.html

The WHOLE opening was Directed by Zhang Yimou(Hero, Flying Daggers), it was mentioned many many times, and of course its going to be his style cinematics.
I don't see why people are like *gasp* "part of it was faked"?!?!1!1!
It was never meant to be real...ANY major industrial city would not really want fireworks exploding all over densely populated areas. It was risky enough the real ones they did. (NYC would never have fireworks IN the city, as opposed to over the river)

The little girl thing...honestly who gives a shit. Don't we all know that this kinda stuff happens all the time in ANY country. I mean cmon just look at all the female talking heads on TV

It's China.

Welcome to the real world where looks justify EVERYTHING. A lot of commotion over this little girl and don't see the big deal. Just a kid singing for entertainment. For the record it wasn't a secret, this news was revealed by the musical director over a broadcast.

Does China have 8 year olds on their gymnastic team??

Meanwhile Phelps keeps being a monster in the cube...

I wish I caught the fencing. Maybe find it on the Intertubez somewhere.

That's not the only faking China's getting flack for. Isn't there a whole thing on how they're lying about their gymnasts ages?

AH here's an article but I don't know if there's been any updates, too tired to look.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/sport ... ref=slogin

After watching a few events, synchronized diving was my favorite so far. I am a big table tennis fan though.

I was watching the synchronized diving.
I can't imagine how they line that up and synch it.
Amazing.

u had to let dudes play - best team ever!!!
me thinks it was more like bringing in some hip cool "sport" to the olympics -
not taken too serious - same as maybe snowboard made it to the winter games



they just played weak period, maybe not as bad as germany in their loss yesterday.
not to forget a lot of nba stars didnt participate past few years.
more international players in the nba as part of marketing concept,
usually making it to their team only short before tournaments.
u.s. team knows each other very well from playing
same league, even from playing against each other.
kidd knows where lebron wants the ball.

i think different rules might not be easy for u.s players,
travelling, fouls, then
three point line is half a meter away,
for the past years being defended by zone defense
might be hard when u are used to illegal defense.

im big fan of nba ever since & hating european way of playing,
but u may not underestimate euro players -
especially from former yugoslawia -
being fxxking hard trained in sport schools from childhood on
with hardly any weaknessnes when it comes to basics
like shooting, defending, tactics.

me thinks talent could be u.s. teams biggest enemy.
dont think it will, but if it should get close in the end
there is 3 players the least wanting the ball to make the shot.
looking forward to the final game!!!



no reliable tests, no steroids.
me dont mind it players using it as it seems to be quite normal anyway.
but the way david stern denies advantage of performance-enhancing drugs
for nba players - "it would make em bulky & slow only
and not make em shoot the ball better" - too funny.

you seriously think nba players use steroids? i would be disappointed if they did, although I don't think they do. nothing to back that up though, heh.

yeah i see your point about letting the pros play, definitely made it more exciting.

I disagree with them knowing each other from playing against each other, there's nothing like practicing and playing together to get to know your teammates, their strengths etc. They've been together what, three years now? (well the majority anyway). Kobe needs to find his stroke but man he's tough on defense.

looking forward to the spain/usa game... good to see fernandez and rubio play!!

oh yeah what happened to germany?? kaman was a non-factor (well 5 turnovers so a negative factor)! Crazy!

been playing bball for 10 years low amateur leagues,
on each team i was on few friends were using it - no big deal at all.

i think its pretty obvious who does take additional ...
if u see skinny big breasted beauties on south beach
u wont argue tits could be real either.

for playing together in nba,
dirk for instance didnt know a lot of new players before.
he never saw them play on tv or real.
as point guard of u.s team u know the moves of every other
teammate - from playing against em, together @ allstar game,
watching em play on tv or even from nba´s highlight dvd´s...
but i agree with u, i was totally stoked about fast transition game
of u.s. team - a pleasure to see - sure something that is impossible without
great coaching & practicing together!!!

me was happy like a child when kaman made it to the german team.
really love to see him play, very aesthetic player, great hustler,
fxxking fluid moves for a big man his size!
will be interesting to watch clippers in 08/09 with all of their latest additions.
but its like wrong time - besides him and dirk
the rest of german team is not good enough this year:
point guard doesnt have an outside shot,
most athletic player only tries to shoot threes.
former starting center is pissed sitting on the bench,
shooting guards complaining to media they dont get the ball,
nowitzki does it all.

its great they made it to the olympics!!!
against all critiques, nowitzki was carrying german flag @ opening ceremonies.
as german basketball fan - u cant ask for more!