<p>^^Whenever I hear innuendos without evidence, I usually want to know more about the accuser than the accused. Almost without exception, that is where the real story is.</p>
<p>To me, it is interesting that a British, not American paper chooses to publish the story first. It is even more interesting when Katies achievement is buried in headlines on Michael Phelps, and not having one of her own. I get the opinion that the media simply do not want to go there.</p>
<p>If I am an editor and I know what John Leonard has to say about Yes accomplishment, I want to be first in line for an interview when I see Ledeckys even more spectacular achievement. I did not see that happening and I want to know why. I also want to know why the US Olympic Committee is distancing themselves from him. Do they know something that I dont?</p>
<p>My spider sense has proven to be correct once again. After a bit of searching, the answer becomes obvious even to someone as dense as me:</p>
<p>One had to feel bad for the loss of Canada in soccer. However, all good feelings are quickly eroded when Sinclair goes on with a such a crass statement </p>
<p>"“We feel like we didn’t lose, we feel like it was taken from us,” said Canadian striker Christine Sinclair. “It’s a shame in a game like that that was so important, the ref decided the result before it started.”</p>
<p>Had Canada won, this would not not have come up. Actually, the ref called a very good game, and actually seemed to have paid close attention to the whining of the Canadian before the game even started. Pretending this ref came out with the objective of favoring the USA is preposterous. </p>
<p>As far as the call, the fact that is rarely enforced is not relevant. The infraction for wasting time was correct as the goalkeeper was making no real effort to toss the ball within the time limits. Those calls do not just happen; the ref must have watched how the Canadian goalie tried to waste time on several occasions.</p>
<p>PS I think that the Chinese have a point that is much more valid than the Canadians. But then the judging in gymnastics has been it usual self at the Olympics. And that says it all!</p>
<p>I think it’s unfortunate that reporters stick their microphones in the faces of players when they are clearly very emotional and upset. A more timely interview after a disappointing match might elicit a more reasoned response. There is no such excuse for the comment by Hope Solo when asked about Christine Sinclair’s game - “we made her look good”. Unbelievable.</p>
<p>I don’t think it matters when the mic is stuck in front of Hope Solo. Heck, even if one isn’t it’ll just go on twitter…</p>
<p>On the rings, it was pretty obvious even to the untrained eye that Chen and Morandi were a tier above everyone else. Downright shameful scoring, but what can you do.</p>
<p>If she is going to express that sort of sentiment, Hope Solo would be more accurate if she said “I made her look good by letting three goals into the net. My lousy play as goalie made it possible for Canada to stay in the game and almost win a match the US should have dominated.”</p>
<p>Yes, the free kick given for stalling was very, very nipicky; and yes, the handball which followed was 50/50.</p>
<p>But</p>
<p>Has everyone forgotten the other two or three PKs the US easily could have been given in that game?</p>
<p>The commentators mentioned (something like) this often:</p>
<p>US player in the box with the ball at her feet… she is tackled recklessly, with varying success of the defender actually touching the ball. One such tackle was clearly from behind.</p>
<p>So… yes, two questionable calls, in succession, led to that third US goal. But that could easily have been their 2nd or 3rd PK of the game.</p>
<p>It was like watching Barcelona play at a mid-tier La Liga side that is clearly outmatched but which is, for whatever reason, really up for this game. Barca has beaten them 20-something straight times, but man, they’re fighting tooth-and-nail with their betters tonight.</p>
<p>But Barca is on another level in terms of overall class, and – via penalty or not – pull the game out in the end. Everyone from the home side whines about the PK, but they ignore the two other times Messi was pulled down in the box…</p>
<p>Coureur, although one might have preferred for Solo to keep her sentiments to herself, her statement is actually quite defensible in terms of … soccer. Again, it would have been best to say nothing or congratulate Sinclair, but Solo used the term “we” to reflect a team effort. Actually, she would have been entirely correct to point the fingers at the lax play of her defense of ALL THREE goals. Anyone who knows soccer must also know that the goalie is powerless against an opponent that dribbles past two defenders and is ten yards away, against a header that hits the post before entering, and finally one header that loops over the jumping player who guards a post. She is human, and no Spiderman!</p>
<p>Solo might not be the sharpest tool in the box, but she is has no direct responsibility on the goals, and by using WE considered the goals to be team errors.</p>
Apparently Abby Wambach, genius that she is, was shadowing the ref and counting the seconds when the goalie had the ball. She got to ten when the ref made the call (confirmed by video):</p>
Carli Lloyd got her head deliberately stomped on in the box by Melissa Tancredi, which should have been a red card and forced the Canadians to play a man down for the rest of the game.</p>
<p>"“I think you are probably going to be right. I am surprised it is not equaled today.”"</p>
<p>I suppose many would consider that inept judges robbed China of 2 golds, initially in Women’s Team Sprint and then Men’s Ring.</p>
<p>There canbe generation change in the gymnastics team and provincial politics in the weightlifting team. And there are only so many medals in badminton, table tennis, etc. Project 119 since a decade ago, has offered the diversification outside the traditionally strong events and buffered the overall outcome, as canbe seen in Beijing and now London.</p>
<p>Lee is going to marry the former No.1 Women’s badminton player of Malaysia. Much like Lin did in China. What a duo… :-)</p>
<p>"Under huge criticism from its readers, scientific journal Nature published an apology on Monday to Chinese Olympic swimming sensation Ye Shiwen, after a controversial article claiming that Ye used performance-enhancing substances.</p>
<p>In an Editor’s Note, the magazine admitted a “combination of errors” and “the absence of a more detailed discussion of the statistics” in the story written by Ewen Callaway. The magazine said that it had no intention of supporting the accusations against Ye.</p>
<p>“For that we apologize to our readers and to Ye Shiwen,” the magazine said.</p>
<p>The note was co-authored by Tim Appenzeller, Chief Magazine Editor of Nature, and Philip Campbell, Editor-in-Chief."</p>
<p>Here is another golden opportunity for me to do a little testing to see if the Chinese are simply crying wolf. They lost the ring unexpectedly. They also lost the mens 3 metre diving unexpectedly. Looking at the same publication, I find the following:</p>
<p>Solo’s comment, while poorly worded, was most likely not intended to take away from Sinclair’s talent. I don’t think she was saying that Sinclair isn’t incredible - I think her point was that the United States’ poor defensive play allowed Sinclair to effectively walk into the box for several goals. Did anyone see the Japan-Canada game? The Japanese were able to make the Canadians look like amateurs at times, because the Japanese defense and counterattack was so good, even though Canada is an immensely talented team. Solo’s comment reflected the opposite sentiment - that, although it was a hard-fought game, the U.S.'s own poor defense made the Canadians look much better because it allowed Canada to score on them. None of the goals were related to Solo’s poor play, but rather to the poor defensive play of the team overall.</p>
<p>I’m not in any way excusing some of Solo’s previous comments, especially her comments against Chastain. But Solo’s sentiment, while poorly-worded, is not wrong nor uncommon. The US knew that they were the better team and that their own mistakes nearly cost them the match, despite outshooting Canada 27-7.</p>
<p>In terms of the actual reffing, I don’t think it was a great call - the six-second call is hardly ever called - but it wasn’t incorrect. Reviewing the game, there were several other questionable non-calls that favored both teams. I don’t think it was a well-reffed game; I think the ref lost control of the game. But to accuse her of bias and of throwing the match is laughable, especially in light of Tancredi’s very obviously stepping on Lloyd’s head in the penalty box, which could have caused serious brain damage or worse to Lloyd.</p>
<p>I predict the Algerian winner of the men’s 1500 will be disqualifited at some point in the near or distant future for drugs. That gives my boy Leo Manzano gold. Just wait!</p>
<p>The Algerian already got deeked for lack of “best effort” in an 800m prelim (to save his strength for the 1500m final) but got reinstated by claiming he was injured in the 800. He was shown walking off the track rubbing his hamstring. But his hamstring somehow miraculously healed in time to win the 1500m gold.</p>
<p>I don’t know why he just didn’t scratch from the 800 and say he didn’t feel well. Why the charade?</p>
They are familiar characters since kids’ time.</p>