Now for the last couple of days, I've been paying attention to the Beijing Olympics. Really, I have. So far I've been impressed with the Men's Basketball Team beating China on Sunday. This is not "The Dream Team" from 1992, but Kobe Bryant and company have labeled themselves as "The Redeem Team". And so far, they are redeeming themselves from Athens four years ago. All I can say if they can keep up the tempo and momentum against the other countries and to get an advance to the finals, gold medal round mind you, I think USA Basketball would not be reveared as the team that lost badly, like Athens in 2004! No doubt the squad does have some quality players like Lebron, Dwayne Wade, Jason Kidd, and yes, Michael Redd. From my standpoint, they should have Michael Redd playing four years ago, but anyway he's playing now and help the squad getting the Gold Medal. Now, even though that the men's b-ball team are paid athletes, maybe they want to have that Olympic Experience, not just winning NBA Titles or playoffs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enough basketball for a moment. I want to summarize the Men's Swim Team. I am not a fan of the Men's Swim team, but in the last two days, they were impressive. Take for example the story that everyone's talking about. The men's 4X100 relay finals for the medals. France, commented about the American's chances in the relay: "The American's? We're going to smash them. That what we came here for." Really? Now, I would expect any member of the U.S. team saying this, but France? So, I did reviewed the footage from NBCOlympics.com, and I saw the entire relay. The Americans won! I'm saying myself, as well as the commentators, "Who's talking now?" With that motivation of hate, in my view the team just went out and played their part and simply put the competiton to rest. That simple. And I know the French swimmers had to look embarrased, or in this case "salty" after the loss. The American Swimmers: Michael Phelps, Jason Lezak, Garrett Weber-Gale, and Cullen Jones, the only African-American swimmer on the team. All of them won the gold. (Phelps' second). Let me just add, that when I mentioned that Cullen Jones is African-American in all, it's make me glad that a person like him of my ethnicity is doing positive things like olympic swimming. This is my take on him. Now, I don't know much about him, nor his interest and despite of other comments about the "it doesn't matter scenarios" That can be true. But, when I see, a person of my ethnicity, doing positive things as I mentioned earlier, it makes me glad that there are African-American men doing great things for this country such as going out with his team, with positive aspect of winning in the Olympics. I can see him as a inspriational factor of the next decade and he could say that "I was there when France was going to smash the Americans, and we went out there to prove them wrong in Beijing". That inspires me! I just had to put that in there. There's been lots of talk about Black men being locked up, shot, doing drugs, gangs, impregnating females and all the other negativity we see and hear mostly. But when you read about a person like Cullen Jones, or Tyson Gay or any other African-American athtete competing, and yes I'm including some of the US Women's Basketball team as well, all doing positive competitive things, it really shows there are some good, not always bad. Also those like Carl Lewis, Michael Johnson, Vonetta Flowers, Jackie-Joyner Kersee, Venus and Serena, and I know she's not living, Flo-Jo.
Just to be fair, I have looked at the women swim team. And the only person that caught my eye is Dara Torres. Remember the song that Aaliyah once sung: "Age Ain't Nothing But A Number". And already she has a Silver medal in the games so far. And to me she's breaking down barriers like Janet Evans. Got to respect that, even at the age she is now.
To summarize, so far this Olympic Games has been enjoyable. And I can't wait to see what's next.
