Category: Smack Down

NCAA Men’s Hoops Final: A Celebration of “Hoosiers”

Truly a classic men’s college championship basketball game in Indianapolis Monday night with top-seed Duke hanging on to beat five-seed Butler, 61-59. Came down to the final second as Butler’s Gordon Hayward’s half-court heave for the win bounced off the rim. Oh, so close!

Ratings for this Final Four, and the entire tournament in general, were the highest in five years easily topping last year’s Final Four which saw North Carolina beat Michigan State in Detroit for the championship. Why? Plenty of upsets by underdogs over favorites like Kansas, Kentucky and Syracuse making the tournament wide open.

According to the blog Sports Media Watch, Monday’s game was up 31% in ratings and 36% in viewership (24 million to last year’s 18 million)from last year. SMW goes on to say Butler/Duke drew a higher rating than every Major League Baseball game since ‘04 and every NBA game since ‘02. Excluding the NFL and the Olympics mind you, the game ranks as the third-most viewed sports telecast of 2010, behind only the BCS National Championship Game between Alabama and Texas and the Rose Bowl game between Ohio State and Oregon.

The game interest obviously had plenty to do with Mid-Major Butler. Certainly not a Cinderella when you consider entering the title game, the Horizon League Champion Bulldogs were riding a 25-game winning streak and had resided in the national top 25 for most of the year. Butler was certainly the underdog against mighty ACC Champion Duke and justifiably so considering the tradition of Blue Devils Basketball in the Atlantic Coast Conference under head coach Mike Krzyzewski.

What the ratings and viewership numbers for this game tell me is, to be cliché, America always roots for the underdog. And there’s nothing wrong with that. It helps that Butler’s campus is less than eight miles away from this year’s Final Four site, Lucas Oil Stadium. You can’t script this but, also, the Bulldogs home-gym is Hinkle Fieldhouse, the gym where the state high school championship game in the move “Hoosiers” was filmed. OH, COME ON! How fun is that!

So, for the life of me, I don’t understand why some sports radio hosts believed if Butler were to win the national championship, it would set the game back 50 years and that having a mid-major like Butler just playing in the title game would sound the death knell for CBS and its ratings.

I take it back. I know why these guys would publicize this. For exactly that. Publicity. So, here you go guys.

ESPN radio’s Colin Cowherd, host of the show The Herd, and, also, co-host of ESPN TV’s Sports Nation, said Butler winning the national title was bad for men’s college basketball and would set it back 50 years.

Meanwhile, FOX Sports Radio host and FOX Sports Nets Rumors Reporter, Ben Maller, said if Butler made it to the title game, ratings would be at an all time low for CBS. Now, I’m not bashing Big Ben because he’s my boy. We both have worked together on radio and TV and we’re pals. But, COME ON, BEN! Turns out my buddy was, obviously, wrong.

For Cowherd, it’s inconceivable to believe Butler winning the national title would be bad for college basketball. Of course, the Bulldogs came up just short in their quest. But, they proved they belonged with the big boys extending Duke to the final second.

For Cowherd to say Butler winning the national title would be bad for college basketball is similar to saying Texas-Western beating Kentucky for the 1966 national Championship with TW coach Don Haskins starting five African-American players, for the first time in the history of the game, against Adolph Rupp’s Wildcats was bad for the game. Haskins’ starting those five African-American players was exactly what the game needed at that particular time in our history.

Butler’s performance the other night against Duke is exactly what the game needed at this particular time in the sports history. It says those mid-major programs belong with the so-called “Big Six” programs. That alone peaks the interest of the vast majority of American Society who want to see the underdog have his day against the big boy.

Hence the big television numbers, Big Ben!

Congratulations to the Butler Bulldogs for showing the mid-majors belong and playing a terrific game. Much congratulations to Coach K and the Duke Blue Devils for another national title and playing a terrific game. Thanks to both schools for putting on a tremendous show for us to enjoy.

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NFL Playoff Games Are Sudden Death No Longer.

FINALLY!! The NFL was the only league of any kind that had an overtime rule where it was not only possible, but probable, one of the two teams battling for the win in sudden death might not even see the ball on offense. The stat was true 60%  of the time since 1994.  Six out of 10 teams that won the overtime coin-toss, either, returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown to end the game, marched down the field to score a touchdown to end the game, or marched about 40 yards down the field to kick the game-winning field goal.

THAT WON’T HAPPEN AGAIN………at least during the playoffs.

The sudden death rule was ridiculous, especially when you consider both teams battled hard to the stale-mate and one team would be denied to match, or beat, the coin-toss winning teams score.

Here’s the new overtime playoff rule agreed to by 28 of the 32 owners Tuesday:

  1. Both teams must have the opportunity to possess the ball once during the extra period, unless the team that receives the opening kickoff scores a touchdown on its initial possession, in which case it is the winner.
  2. If the team that possesses the ball first scores a field goal on its initial possession, the other team shall have the opportunity to possess the ball. If [that team] scores a touchdown on its possession, it is the winner. If the score is tied after [both teams have a] possession, the team next scoring by any method shall be the winner.
  3. If the score is tied at the end of a 15-minute overtime period, or if [the overtime period’s] initial possession has not ended, another overtime period will begin, and play will continue until a score is made, regardless of how many 15-minute periods are necessary.

That works for me. Consider last year’s NFC Championship Game. Tied at 28 after regulation, the eventual Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints won the coin toss and marched about 40 yards. Saints kicker Garrett Hartley sent New Orleans to the Super Bowl connecting on a 44 yard field goal dropping the Minnesota Vikings, 31-28. Brett Favre and the Vikings offense, who had double the yardage of the Saints in regulation, never saw the ball again. Had this new rule been in effect, Favre would’ve had the opportunity to tie or win the game. A shot the Vikings earned.

I’ve got to agree with ESPN NFL analyst Mike Golic. He says this is quite an improvement over the old sudden death rule. But, according to Golic, not good enough. Golic suggested  a complete 15 minute quarter should be played until the final gun. The score at the end of the overtime period is the final…..unless both teams are still tied. In which case, you continue playing overtime periods removing three minutes for each extra quarter played until a winner is decided. In other words, after the initial 15 minute overtime is still dead-locked at its conclusion, the following O.T. quarter is cut to 12 minutes….and so on until a winner is clearly decided. If after five O.T. periods both are still dead-locked, then you go to sudden death. I like it.

Talk about “edge of your seat playoff excitement”. That sounds like the ultimate. Maybe, down the line that’ll be the O.T. rule. Now, at least both teams will have a shot.

Only thing I don’t like about the rule change is that it isn’t part of the regular season. Games tied after regulation will still be decided by the old “sudden death” format. That’s going to be a huge flaw if a teams playoff chances hinge on the one game decided in “sudden death”. That is, essentially, a playoff game.

Modify the new rule for the regular season. Have a complete, 15 minute overtime period. If both teams remain tied after the O.T. quarter, then go to the “sudden death” format with the first team scoring, be it a field goal or touchdown, winning the game. Maybe, down the line. We’ll see.

By the way, one of the four teams to vote against the new playoff overtime rule, the Minnesota Vikings. Go figure.

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It’s Madness!!

During this first day of MARCH MADNESS, upsets galore!! Midwest three-seed Georgetown out of Washington D.C., playing a Midwest first round game in Providence Rhode Island (what?) lost to 14-seed Ohio.

Meanwhile, West four-seed Vanderbilt out of Tennessee, playing in San Jose, California (makes sense) was upset at the buzzer by 13-seed Murray State.

After that game in the same gym, an East Regional game (huh?) pairing 11-seed and Pac-10 tournament champion Washington upsetting the East six-seed Marquette Golden Eagles.

Georgetown should’ve been in the East Regional playing in Providence, Rhode Island.

Vanderbilt should’ve have been in New Orleans instead of San Jose playing in the South Regional.

Washington, already playing in San Jose, but in the East Regional, should’ve been in the West Regional playing in San Jose.

But let’s get back to the Marquette University Golden Eagles out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Back before being “politically correct” became the norm, her athletic teams were known as the Warriors.

Marquette was the Warriors in the early 1970s when Al McGuire led Bo Ellis and Butch Lee to a National Basketball Title beating Dean Smith and North Carolina.

I bring this up because of an episode of “That 70’s Show,” which takes place in Milwaukee, I recently happened to catch on FX. The episode was about the teens in the cast going to visit the University of Wisconsin and Marquette. The guys went to visit the WU in Madison, while the girls went to visit MU in Milwaukee.

In the Marquette scenes of the show, athletic posters adorned some of the walls. They read “Marquette Golden Eagles”. WRONG! In the 70s, Marquette was referred to as the “Marquette Warriors.”

Typically on shows revolving around a certain period of time back in our history, like “That 70’s Show,” have behind the scenes staff that’s required to make sure all posters, names, mascots anything that is used on camera coincides with what they were in the time period the show re-creates.

“That 70’s Show” staff either didn’t do their homework. Or, they felt, to remain politically correct, and not offend anyone, they let the “Marquette Golden Eagle” slide for this instance thinking no one would catch the mistake.

Sorry “That 70’s Show”. But, I’m the one who pays attention to details like that especially since it’s a sports name issue.

My thought is being a “Warrior” isn’t something offensive or politically incorrect. It describes a proud defender. Considering that is sometimes how we refer to our own Men and Women in uniform, I think “That 70’s Show” blew it.

With that said, I’ll still watch “That 70’s Show”.  I love that show!!

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Hey NFL! Did You Watch the Gold Medal Hockey Game and Learn!!

The National Football League should really take a long, hard look at the Olympic Gold Medal Hockey Championship Game and the way it was broadcast.

The Game is part of the Olympic Event. The game doesn’t exist without the event. No six hours of hype before the event. No analyzing the same thing over and over again. No looking for stories to fill time that border on tabloid journalism.

NBC said the game was going to be live in all time zones, noon Pacific, three Eastern time. Five minutes to set the scene. Then they drop the puck. Plain and simple.

Intermissions between periods were the standard 10 to 15 minutes tops, just like the other tournament games and the same as regular season and post-season NHL games. No doubling each intermission to accommodate a “mini-concert” featuring The Who, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney … and certainly no “wardrobe malfunction” to worry about either.

The game is about the teams and players … which the NFL seems to have a problem understanding when it comes to the Super Bowl. Every other game during the season, including all playoff games and the conference championships, don’t divert from the usual routine of 15 minutes at halftime.

Except for the Super Bowl which has a 45 minute intermission to milk the event for everything it can by putting on a mini-concert. That takes players and teams out of the routine each is used to based on the symmetry of halftimes during the season.

That’s unfair to the players and teams, especially the ones that have to dig themselves out of a two touchdown hole, to have to sit and wait an extra half hour to get used to the hitting and speed of the game again after that extended “down time” between halves.

Whereas the Gold Medal Championship Game is part of the “Olympic Event”, it’s the opposite with the Super Bowl. Without the Super Bowl Game, there is no Event.

The Event is the Game with the participating players and teams having priority over glorified “variety shows with over-the-hill bands“. Everything else is just a glorified “tail-gate party”. An expensive one at that.

NFL, just tee it up and play!!

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Olympic Men’s Hockey Final………GOLDEN!!!

Team Canada’s home-ice, 3-2 overtime win over Team USA in the Olympic Men’s Hockey Final was GOLDEN! It’s one of the greatest championship games I’ve ever seen. Really, there wasn’t a loser at the Canada Hockey Palace in Vancouver Sunday. Oh sure, the final score read Team USA didn’t win the game. But, it certainly didn’t lose it either.

The Canadian crowd, decked out in a sea of red jerseys with a smattering of Americans decked out in red, white and blue, made the atmosphere electric before the puck even dropped to start the game. It was a tense championship game from the moment the puck was finally dropped, because of the “North American bordering countries“ battling for the Gold, and the finality a game of this magnitude brings. The sense of urgency is always there until the final horn.

That’s how it’s supposed to be in a one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-lifetime Title Game with two evenly matched teams that have a common border. NBC Olympic host Bob Costas pointed out a championship game like this probably won’t happen again. Team Canada, with the weight of an entire country on its shoulders, playing for the gold medal at home against the United States in a sport that defines Canada: Hockey.

Fighting back from a two-nothing deficit to tie the score on Zach Parise’s (New Jersey Devils) goal with just 25 seconds left in regulation with an empty net and six skaters, it looked as if Team USA was destined to avenge the Gold Medal Game loss to Team Canada at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics … another of those one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-lifetime game’s with Team USA having the home-ice advantage. I guess that would make it twice in a generation.

Alas, it wasn’t meant to be when Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) lasered the biscuit through the wickets of USA goalie Ryan Miller (Buffalo Sabres) seven minutes in the OT for the true definition of a “Golden Goal.” Only one team was going to come away with it. Happened to be Team Canada. It scored the one and only goal needed in sudden death for the win. No loser in this one. Could’ve gone either way. Team USA didn’t win the gold. It didn’t lose it either. Look at it this way. The United States earned the Silver Medal and huge respect from the rest of the Hockey Playing World.

This incredible game was played 50 years to the day Team USA beat Team Canada for the Men’s Hockey Gold Medal at the 1960 Olympics in Squaw Valley, California … another one of those one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-lifetime championship games with the United States having home-ice advantage. At least this one was a couple of generations, and a lifetime, ago. Canada versus the United States has become quite the hockey rivalry.

“Bloop Singles”

  • USA goalie Ryan Miller made himself a lot of fans and money during the two-week tournament. Miller was the tournament most valuable player. You can bet he’ll get a huge ovation, as he did from the appreciative and hockey-savvy Canadian fans during the medal ceremony, in Buffalo and every NHL arena the rest of the 2010 season.
  • Of the four major sports (hockey, football, basketball & baseball), hockey is the least popular for a couple of reasons:

1. You have to know how to ice skate.

2. All the equipment needed to play is pretty pricey.

3. It needs to be really cold inside, or out.

4. It’s not played with a ball that’s easy to spot either in person or on TV.

5. The game’s so fast, people complain you can’t see the tiny puck racing around.

  • All of the above is true. But, if you’re into the game, it sure is fun and exciting to watch. As far as playing it?
  • Well, I can’t ice skate.I can’t run a 4.5, 40. I’m too small to block and tackle. I can’t catch a ball or run a fly-pattern. Too short and slow to play basketball(however, I do have a mean outside jumper………when left unguarded). I can’t hit, catch or throw with any precision. I can chew gum well and, occasionally, scratch myself………………but not in front of the camera.
  • So, no matter what the sport and equipment needed, we’re all better off with me talking about sports. Although, some of you may believe I’m wasting my breath doing that too.

Just a thought.

One last thing…….

I still am experiencing the occasional “internet issues” which have caused lapses between new stories. I’m fixing the problem. So, keep checking in to the blog. THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT!

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THE PUCK STOPS HERE! USA! USA!! USA!!!

Just a day short of the 30th anniversary of USA Hockey’s greatest victory, a 4-3 semi-final win over the Soviet Union at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Games, Team USA stunned heavily favored Team Canada, 5-3 Sunday night in preliminary pool play at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Last time Team USA defeated Team Canada in olympic hockey, 50 years ago at the 1960 Winter Games at Squaw Valley California. That Team USA took the Gold.

The “Young Americans” were the quicker, faster and hungrier team quieting the Canadian fans who want hockey gold more than any other event at the games.  Team USA’s Brian Rafalski (Detroit Red Wings) scored two goals and goalie Ryan Miller (Buffalo Sabres) stopped 42 of 45 shots by Canada. The USA was able to get five of their 22 shots by Canadian legend, goalie Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils).  Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) led the “Canucks” with two goals.

With the win the USA grabs the tournaments top-seed gaining a bye and will face the winner of the Switzerland/Belarus game in the quarter-finals Wednesday. Team Canada gains the six-seed and will play 11-seed Germany Tuesday for a quarter-final berth against Russia on Wednesday.

A USA/Canada rematch is possible in the Gold Medal game. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Defending Gold Medalist Sweden and Silver Medalist Finland are still in the tournament as well.

Team Canada beat Team USA in the Gold Medal Championship at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. You know what they say about payback. We’ll see. 

Winter Games “Bloop Singles”

  • Congratulations to U.S. Alpine Skier Bode Miller. He added the Super Combined Race Men’s Gold Medal to the Silver and Bronze medals he earned earlier in these Olympics. Miller’s now in a four-way tie for most medals won by an American  individual in a single Olympic Games.
  • Miller’s redeemed himself for his pathetic performance in the 2006 Winter Games in Turin where he garnered no medals in the Alpine Skiing Events. He would’ve garnered gold had “heavy partying” been an Olympic event in Turin. Let’s just say, Turin embarrassed him. That’s forgotten.
  • Here we go again. Another champion pouting after coming in “second”. Brace yourselves. I’m writing about Men’s Olympic Figure Skating.
  • Russia’s Yevgeny Plushenko, the defending Gold Medal Men’s Figure Skating Champion, was visibly angry during the medal ceremony while the Star-Spangled Banner was bellowing in honor of the USA’s Evan Lysacek, who knocked  Plushenko from his gold medal perch.
  • Plushenko, who won the gold in at the last Winter Games in  Turin, came out of retirement to take another gold with his signature move, the Quad Toe. For those of you , like me, who are wondering what a Quad Toe is. It’s a move involving the skater stopping himself with the toe of one of the skates and launching him, or her, self in the air for four aerial spins. Well, Plushenko performed the move to perfection immediately following the Quad Toe into, a more conventional, Triple Toe.
  • Lysacek, of course, didn’t attempt anything close to the Quad Toe. He did do some of the Triple Toe maneuvers spreading out his aerial spins whereas Plushenko bunched his aerials early in his routine leaving him, as NBC Figure Skating Ananlyst and American Gold Medalist in the event, Scott Hamilton pointed out during the broadcast, with a bunch of skating around without any jumps with a minute left in his routine. That seemed to make the difference. Later, two-time men’s figure skating gold medalist and analyst, Dick Button, added Plushenko did do the Quad Toe. But, Lysacek’s routine was better choreographed in it’s distribution of skating moves.
  • Plushenko, later, said he was surprised the skater who didn’t perform the Quad Toe won the gold medal blaming some new Olympic scoring system for his silver medal. I’ll refrain from attempting to figure out the new and old scoring systems.  He did say Lysacek skated well and congratulated him on the medal podium.
  • Plushenko, really, was less than gracious in defeat during the National anthem. But that’s the competitor in him. He lost by the slimmest of margins and should be upset he lost, especially, considering the time and dedication it takes to become an Olympic Champion and that the games are only every four years.  He’s won one gold and two silver’s in his Olympics career.
  • It’s just like LeBron James leaving the court, last season, before congratulating the Orlando Magic on winning the Eastern Conference Championship over his Cleveland Cavaliers or Peyton Manning running off the field before congratulating Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints on their Super Bowl Title after beating his Indianapolis Colts.  They both eventually congratulated their opponents within a few hours of losing.  All three are competitors that don’t like to lose.  If all three were indifferent about losing, they wouldn’t be great champions and competitors. That’s how it should be.
  • Seriously! I can’t believe NBC is also showing weekend Olympic events TAPE DELAYED on the West Coast.  In this day and age of the internet where results are immediately posted, it makes no sense to show the games tape delayed….especially on SATURDAY & SUNDAY!!! Shouldn’t be too surprising considering it’s the same network that completely botched its “Late Night Show” schedule.
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Frankly Tiger, I Don’t Give A Rat’s &$%!! Now, Get Back On The Links!

Watching that Tiger Woods press conference Friday morning, I became just a bit disturbed and disgusted by the fiasco. Not because Tiger was reading a 13 minute, prepared, apologetic statement directed towards his family, employees, co-workers, sponsors, fans and me/us. But because he had to read one at all.

The Tiger Woods we know, “The Tiger Brand”, the Tiger Woods Money-Making Corporation, is the one that hits golf balls far and well, creating scholarships for the under-privileged, other philanthropic ventures to help others, is the one who makes money for his sponsors………and a lot of it. None of that would happen if Tiger weren’t able to hit a tiny ball off a tee better than anyone else in the history of golf. That won’t change, at least until he leaves the PGA Tour a couple of decades from now. Tiger off the course, off the public stage, in his home, or someone else’s, the private man, is his, and only his, and his family’s  business.

The only thing Tiger has to explain to employees, co-workers, sponsors, fans, me/us is why he isn’t doing his thing (sorry) on a golf course (he probably has…but that‘s his business) and when he’ll be back to doing that “voodoo he do so well“………that would be PLAYING GOLF.

All he had to say to employees, co-workers, sponsors, fans and me/us is something like this;

I’m not right at the moment. I’m taking care of serious issues that completely affect my private family life forcing me to take a break from my professional one. Please understand I have to work on my private family life before getting back to the professional one. I’ll be back to entertain you with my driver and putter striking my balls (uh……sorry) as soon as my private family business is worked out. Thank you.

I read that out loud. It took me 19 seconds. That would’ve saved him 12 minutes, 41 seconds of prepared rhetoric and my/our time.

Don’t get me wrong. I certainly don’t condone the inappropriate behavior, infidelities, indiscretions Tiger, the man, is guilty of doing in private. Honestly, I don’t care. It’s his and his immediate family’s business.

Tiger’s let employees, co-workers, sponsors, fans and me/us down by not being on the golf course. THAT’S IT. That’s the level of intimacy we have with him…………a professional one based on what he does for a living and how his expertise on the links makes us happy and helps others off it.

Tiger didn’t cheat on us. He’s, absolutely, let his wife, Elin, his two young children and immediate family down with his inappropriate behavior, infidelities and indiscretions. That would be true if Tiger were a janitor at Sawgrass instead of one of its more revered members (again……sorry).

Who are we to judge what he did behind closed doors especially since what he did hasn’t killed anyone, affected our economy or national security? I’m pretty sure some janitor somewhere, an attorney, a doctor, a fireman any “regular Joe” has behaved inappropriately cheating on a wife/husband, significant other and family. They just aren’t doing their professional thing under the public microscope. What goes on behind closed doors…………

This isn’t something new. Athletes, entertainers and politicians, with very public lives, have been engaging in forms of inappropriate behavior, in their private lives, since man/woman began recording history on cave walls. Same with “regular Joe’s”.

Friday, Tiger spoke for ALL PUPLIC FIGURES who’ve behaved inappropriately stating;

I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that NORMAL RULES DIDN‘T APPLY.

Quoting Mel Brooks, portraying France’s King Louie the 16th, in the comedy, The History of the World Part I;

It’s good to be the King!

Until you get caught with your pants down that is. Right, Tiger?

I’m not judging, but, off the top of my head, here’s a short list, among others, of public figures in the last, oh, half century, we know could’ve uttered Tiger’s, or Louie’s line:

They all live/lived by the creedo, NORMAL RULES DON’T APPLY TO ME because of who they are and what their place in the grand scheme of things is. Tiger continued by saying,

I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy the temptations around me. I felt I was ENTITLED. Thanks to MONEY and FAME, I didn’t have to go far to find them.

I’m not alerting anyone to anything new when I say these public figures live in a completely different culture than you and I. You and I saying, “I have to make every penny count” is to these public figures saying, ”I have to make this thousand dollar bill count.”

A few years back, former NBA player and millionaire Latrell Sprewell, during negotiations of another certain multi-million dollar contract, was insulted by an offer a team looking for his services presented him. He said, and remember negotiations are in the millions of dollars;

How am I supposed to put food on my table and feed my kids with this?

Most of us are offended by a millionaire spouting off like that when unemployment is in double-figures. But, that’s the nature of his culture, that of the pro athlete/entertainer, and we can’t relate to it.

All these famous and rich people do work hard to make all that money. There’s no question. That doesn’t entitle them to make their own rules. But the wealth and public notoriety they’ve achieved doesn’t entitle us “regular Joe’s” to meddle in their private lives behind closed doors…………only their public ones.

So, shame on Tiger for his inappropriate behavior, infidelities and indiscretions behind his closed doors. But shame on all of us who, I’m sure, have made regrettable mistakes, and “can’t cast that first stone” at Tiger.

El Tigre, take care of your “addiction” and get your private life right so you can get back to hitting that golf ball a mile, winning some more majors and contribute to society helping under-privileged kids and teaching them the merits of hard work. That’s all we should be caring about.

Oh. By the way, thanks for, also, teaching kids that look up to you how not to disrespect and treat immediate family members and loved ones behind closed doors. That lesson was priceless.

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USA’s Biggest Winter Stars Put On Olympics Show

Now, that’s what I call a triple-treat attention grabber!! USA! USA! USA! GOLD! GOLD! GOLD! Forget Figure Skating, and Curling. These events ARE the Winter Games.

Pin-Up Girl/Alpine Downhill Skier Lindsey Vonn, Speed Skating Pioneer Shani Davis and Snowboarding’s most recognizable star, Shaun White, all took Gold Medals for the USA in their respective events on Day 6 of the 21st Winter Olympic Games Wednesday in Vancouver.

Vonn began the gold rush flying 65 miles an hour down Whistler Mountain in one minute, 44.19 seconds, a half second faster than her opponents, winning the Women’s Downhill…the Winter Games signature event. Vonn struck gold just a few days after her participation in the event was questionable because of a badly bruised right shin she suffered during a practice run a few weeks ago. She, reportedly, could barely walk. Well, I’m pretty sure Lidocaine Creme stock is Golden as well today after Vonn numbed her swollen and aching shin before racing to Olympic glory.

The USA went one-two in the Women’s Olympic Downhill for the first time since the 1984 Games. Julia Mancuso grabbed the silver medal with Austria’s Elisabeth Gorgel taking the bronze.

After becoming the first African-American athlete to win an individual gold medal taking the 1,000 meter speed skating gold at Torino in 2006, Pioneer and 1,000 meter world record holder Shani Davis became the first man in Olympic history Wednesday to win consecutive 1,000 meter speed skating gold medals taking top honors over at the Richmond Olympic Oval. How about that! The only color that matters is that of his gold medal.

Davis wasn’t the lone American on the podium. Texan Chad Hedrick, who won three medals in Torino, grabbed the bronze. South Korea’s Mo Tae-bum, Monday’s 500 meter gold medalist, took home the silver. Next up, the 1,500 meter event later this week.

How about Californian Shaun White, maybe the Winter Games’ marquee athlete. The Halfpipe Gold Medalist in Torino is the World’s greatest snowboarding star and gave spectators a “totally rad show” Wednesday. The $10 million a year man toyed with his competitors at the Halfpipe event. With his Gold Medal defended, White worked some “showtime” doing, what he calls, the Double McTwist 1260 (McDonald‘s has to, as the slogan goes, be lovin’ it! A huge endorsement deal can‘t be too far behind), twisting and turning his body in some big air during his victory lap. DUDE!!

Two Americans on the podium at the Halfpipe as well. Joining White, Scotty Lago taking the bronze while Finland’s Peetu Piiroinen took silver.

Six medals in three events for Team USA, the biggest single-day winter games medal haul the U.S. has ever had.  It vaulted Team USA past  Germany into the medal count lead with a 14-10 advantage, five of them gold.

Thursday’s Day 7, more Women’s Alpine Skiing featuring Vonn and, woo hoo!!,  Figure Skating and Curling. Might be movie night after the skiing. Oh wait! The Lakers host the Celtics Thursday at Staples Center. Movie night will have to wait.

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Winter Olympic Games: Sports or Event, or Sports Event? It’s All Good Cheer!

Like all Olympic Games, the 21st Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver is an event featuring a collection of athletic competitions. But are all the events sports competitions, or are some just events unto themselves? Maybe some are just games? Maybe disciplines?

It’s like that age-old question regarding cheerleading. Is it a sport or a discipline?   I did a two-part feature to find the answer to the question while working at KIDK (CBS) in Idaho Falls a few years back. Let’s just say, I’m still searching for the answer.

Most parents told me cheerleading is more of a support group for athletic teams to escalate the crowds spirits. The cheerleaders told me the cheerleading team is, just that, a team just like the football or basketball teams they cheer on.  They went on to say they, physically and mentally, work just as hard as any athlete at their school. They required practice to fine-tune their routines just like a basketball or football team requires practice to be successful on the field of play.

Many of you parents have a child that’s on a cheerleading team spending thousands of dollars per year so your child can be out-fitted properly and make all the cheerleading competitions around your area. A competition? Then cheerleading is a sport!  My research indicated it’s become a billion dollar industry with some athletic gear companies dropping the “usual sports”, like football and basketball, to focus solely on cheerleading. Imagine that.

Here’s what I think. Cheerleading was an athletic support group that became an athletic discipline requiring excellent physical skills….like any other sport.

So, back to my Olympics question. The reason I asked….what, in humanity, is the winter sport known as Curling?!?! In an athletic sort of way, I thought curling involved a bar with two weights at each end to, when used properly, curling the bar up using your hands to strengthen biceps. The winter sport version involves slowly gliding a huge stone across ice while somebody sweeps the ice in front of it. If you’ve ever witnessed Curling, the participants look like they practice with pitchers of beer near by. A beer-belly seems to be a pre-requisite to be a Curler. And where’s the actual “curling” anyways? If this is an Olympic event you can medal in, why isn’t “janitorial sweeping & mopping“? For that matter, why isn’t Shuffleboard an Olympic discipline? That would enable senior citizens and/or ocean cruise vacationers to become Olympic Champions.

To me, participating in sports involves using muscles and physical skills you really don’t use in your everyday life. Hence, the endless hours of practice and working out. Skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey, bobsledding, luging, speed skating…….and figure skating fit the bill. Wait a minute. Figure Skating? That’s dancing on blades on ice. Why isn’t “Ballroom Dancing” a Summer Olympic medal sport?  Didn’t Olympic Figure Skating Champion Kristi Yamaguchi win “Dancing With The Stars“? So, did Olympic Short Track Speed Skating Champion Apolo Anton Ohno. Why isn’t Bowling an Olympic sport?  You can have a beer-belly and pitcher near by, just like Curling, when you bowl. The Professional Bowlers Association is bigger than the Professional Curlers  Association. Does the PCA even exist? There is a CCA and USCA.

How about No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em Poker?!? That’s a physically and emotionally demanding discipline, especially when you have to sit at a table for hours, even days, on end. That’s become a billion dollar sports event broadcast on ESPN, the Entertainment & Sports Programming Network. Yup, that’s what ESPN stands for.  What about chess?

If it involves big money, any game can become an Olympic sport or discipline. The issue is, most of these Winter Olympic disciplines, as well as some of the Summer ones, take seconds to complete. It’s not like basketball or hockey games which take many minutes to complete. Snow boarding and skiing are other examples of disciplines that take little time to complete. But, anyone can play those games for recreation. That’s why everyone watches every four years. Shaun White, Bode Miller, Apolo Anton Ohno, Lindsey Vonn. Couldn’t recognize them in a crowd. I can recognize Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. All of these names are those of Olympians.

Don’t get me wrong. I love watching, among others, the long and short track speed-skating, the snow-boarding, luging and the Winter Games signature event, the Downhill Skiing.  Thank goodness the Olympic Games, Winter or Summer, are only every four years. That’s the novelty.

Can’t wait for the “Cheerleading Disipline” to become a medal sport….at least at the Summer Games. Can we just forget the Curling thing? By the way, I’m on my way to do some “curling”. That would be the one involving the bar and two weights on each end. Go figure.

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