Free Republic

Hack the Olympics! There's been some widely publicized controversy regarding the competition age of the Chinese women's gymnastics team recently. Rather than be too CNN, I decided to take a page from my friend Johnny and investigate on my own. I have an Internet connection, that means I should be able to verify the age of the gymnasts in question with primary state-issued documents and find out for myself if someone's cheating, right? Right. Let's go to work.

Look, I don't know much about gymnastics, but I do know that landing a vault on two feet is better than landing one on two knees. Olympic gymnastics judges evidently disagree with me, as they awarded China's Cheng Fei a bronze medal yesterday even after she fell on her vault landing. American Alicia Sacramone finished fourth despite, you know, not falling.

I hope this is okay to post. But a couple of things. First what do you think of my Cubs? Second who's your team and favorite player? Third if you found out a player was a complete opposite of you beliefs wise would it affect your opinion of him? My answers 1. I thought they'd be good but this team is awesome. Despite what might be 2 losses in a row to the Marlins. 2. Cubs. Kerry Wood or Ryan Dempster. 3. I don't think conservatives are this way. We like to watch the guys play and don't care how...

It's pretty moving to watch a pampered professional jock show more patriotism than the Democratic candidate for president, more pride in his country than the democratic candidate's wife, and more awareness of this country's opportunities than a liberal NBC announcer. < > Kobe: Well, you know it’s just our country, it’s... we believe is the greatest country in the world. It has given us so many great opportunities, and it’s just a sense of pride that you have; that you say "You know what? Our country is the best!" < >

ANOTHER DRUDGE DIGEST OF THE BEST I don’t know how much of DrudgeReport.com that Matt Drudge actually writes or how he chooses articles for his site but for those who don’t go there I hereby save you the bother and present the best of the best, with my inimitable insights: The latest blast from the past is this scuttlebutt that Obama may tap Big Bad John Kerry for the VP slot: http://wbztv.com/politics/jonkeller/john.kerry.vice.2.796143.html. Now that would be an interesting pick! Just imagine John I-Served-In-Viet-Nam Kerry re-running his tired old shtick once again, with his former running mate, John I-Served-Rielle-Hunter Edwards acting...

It will come as a shock to many, but it turns out that those 13-year-old looking Chinese gymnasts, were, well 13-year-old Chinese gymnasts. But you don't have to take my word for it. The morons at the state run propaganda machine known as Xinhua, told everyone it was so back in November. For reference, I think He Kexin is the third from the right in the photo.

What if Major League Baseball was broadcast like the Olympics? First of all all games would be broadcast in prime-time from 8-11PM. regardless of when the game was played and how long it lasted. This would mean heavy editing of the game to fit into that time slot with all the commercial breaks. Perhaps we'd see about 6 full innings, reducing it to a defacto little league game. Also the suits at NBC would assume that male baseball fans are inelastic operators, and would watch no matter how long Bob Costas cut away from the 3rd inning to conduct an...

Attention will be riveted on the Olympic torch Friday during the opening ceremony of the 29th Olympiad, but in cyberspace, another torch relay is under way to promote visibility of a “sport” not yet ready for prime time in Beijing. It is the digital torch of the World Cyber Games, being passed from country to country, ultimately to land in Cologne, Germany, on Aug. 11. World Cyber Games? That’s right: pro video-game play. Before anyone snickers, remember that sports channel ESPN routinely showcases poker tournaments, which arguably involve even less athleticism than video-gaming. Indeed, competitive video-game leagues have contracts with...

A NEW CHINA SYNDROME IS ON THE HORIZON Give the devil its due: The People’s Republic of China put on one helluva show at the opening of the 2008 Summer Olympics: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080809/D92EDVD8J.html There’s far too much to detail so the reader is directed to the above link as well as to this for spectacular photos: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1042925/China-lifts-curtain-20billion-Olympics-extravaganza.html, and this for the video, which also includes a more sobering video on the Russian invasion of the sovereign state of Georgia and other video reminders about the true nature of the Chicoms: http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=88624&feedType=VideoRSS&feedName=TopNews&rpc=23&videoChannel=1&sp=true When the dust settles in Beijing, literally and figuratively, when...

BETTER WATCH OUT, BETTER NOT CRY! ISLAM IS COMING TO TOWN! I hate to sound like a male Cassandra but something smells in Beijing and it’s not just the “misty” air and the dissident crackdown. Rumors have been afoot for a long while now that those peaceful Muslims we hear so much about are plotting to wreak havoc at the Olympics and now there are reports that Muslims are being advised to make sure their kids avoid the Games: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080807171647.58r598sd&show_article=1. That seems to imply that adults will be just fine but with that group you just never know what they’re...

Mark Cuban’s Funding of Movies Criticizing U.S. Armed Forces Make Cuban a Poor Suitor for Chicago Cubs On April 2nd, 2007 the Tribune Company announced their intention to sell the Chicago Cubs baseball team following the 2007 season. This decision was made because shareholders compelled the newspaper (TRB: NYSE) to market itself for sale as well as divest certain component parts--including their baseball team. Like any smart seller in a buyer's market, they spruced up the old ballpark (the second oldest in the major leagues) to make it more saleable. The long overdue rebuilding of the playing surface at Wrigley...

NON-NEWS FROM DRUDGE: A MELANGE OF THE TRITEPublished in The following items appeared on DrudgeReport.com today: Oil plunges $4… Anyone really think it would hold at $147? What goes up always comes down. It’s now at $120 a barrel and will probably break $100 when OPEC realizes you can’t get blood from a stone and Congress gets back from its 5 week vacation after doing nada. RECORD 107-DEGREES BROILS DALLAS… Hot? Yep! But it is August and the average daily high in Dallas is 95 degrees. Did I mention it’s August and that the last time it was this hot...

"For those of you who routinely follow Nicanor and his progress, this post may not contain any new information. However, because I continue to get general knowledge questions about the colt and his family, I thought it might be nice to do a review post that lists facts about him. That way, newcomers to Nicanor will be able to get answers to some of their questions all in one place. Enjoy!"

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is just one more stupidly delusional international organization. Reporters aren't much better. Both groups are mad because the Chinese government has censored their internet access. News Flash: China is a Communist country. They deny their people basic freedoms that we here in the free world take for granted, like criticizing the government and watching YouTube. Was the "We are the World" globalist crowd really so naive as to think that granting Red China the Olympics would transform them? This is how international organizations and their fellow travelers in the press gain a reputation for naivety...

Press Restrictions in China by: Melinda Zosh, July 30, 2008 In 2001, when Beijing won the fight for the 2008 Olympics, the Chinese government promised that it would guarantee total press freedom. However, China did not keep its promise, according to Shirley Wu, Ph.D. “Journalists, scholars and observers have been expecting that the Chinese government [would] fulfill its pledge for seven years,” said Wu. “…[Yet] China is still the country which jails the largest number of journalists.” China’s press freedom was 84 on a scale of 0 to 100, 0 being the freest press and 100 being the least free....

There are some animals that I don’t want any part of. Big snakes, big spiders and big ninja monkeys. If I ever become famous, I’m going to hire this guy to protect me. If times get tough, he can double up as my organ grinder. It’ll help make ends meet.

If you ask me, China is the last place that the Islamos should think of starting trouble. But I guess they are not that smart. Five days ago Muslims bombed several buses in the Kunming region of China.(1) Apparently they did not learn their lesson from the past executions of Islamic separatists in 2000 and 2007 (2&3). Their beef is.......the usual, we want our own state with in another state.

Advertising Age reports that “Sen. Barack Obama's campaign will be among the TV sponsors of NBC Universal's Olympics coverage” and “has taken a $5 million package of Olympics spots that includes network TV as well as cable ads.” The Associated Press notes that ‘[s]uch an extensive purchase of ad time would give Obama wide exposure before the Democratic National Convention, to be held the last week in August” and that “the expenditure is as significant for its reach as for the bold statement it makes.”This would be the same Barack Obama who lectured President Bush to boycott the opening ceremonies....

Lots of people love venerable Tiger Stadium. Few love it more than I do. I attended hundreds of Detroit Tigers games there – from the day in 1975 when I saw Hank Aaron just miss a home run as a Milwaukee Brewer, to the day in 1999 when Todd Jones, the Tigers’ closer then and now, struck out Carlos Beltran to finish off the Kansas City Royals and close the door on Tiger Stadium’s tenure as home of my favorite team. But just because people love it doesn’t mean it’s a priority of the nation to preserve it. Don’t try...

OLYMPICS PART THREE: CHINA–LET THE GAMES BEGIN, BUT WHY THERE? Published July 24th, 2008 If all the hype about the meaning and reasoning behind the Olympics ever meant anything, (See Part One), why, just a few generations after the inception of the modern Olympiad, was Hitler’s Germany awarded the 1936 Games? Why were the 1980 Olympics held in the U.S.S.R., a nation which had an obscene record of terror, international intrigue, militarism, and repression in Eastern Europe, and which had invaded Afghanistan less than a year earlier. And why in the name of God were this summer’s Olympics bestowed upon...

Undisclosed sources have suggested that more is going on in the NFL than Brett Favre’s faux retirement. It seemed worth investigating, and believe it or not, there is a wealth of information to back up this claim. For starters, there will be an NFL season, including both a preseason and a postseason, not to mention 17 weeks of football in between. For the Maddenites who probably wouldn’t even realize football beyond Favre, you should probably stop reading. For real football fans, perhaps the following NFL preview will whet your appetites. The Super Bowl is still the New England Patriots’ to...

If U.S. network censors banned the Secret Obsession scent ad campaign, will they ban the Calvin Klein Underwear ad, where Eva is also semi-nude?

OLYMPICS PART TWO: SCANDALS AND CONTROVERSIES Published July 20th, 2008 Idealism is an admirable quality. The reality is, despite the idealistic dreams of the founder of the modern Olympiad and the current members of the IOC, the Games have never even approached the “equality of sports which are international and democratic” nor have they ever come close to their goal of contributing “to building a peaceful and better world.” Would that it were so, but it isn’t so. In fact, for many decades now, the Olympics have been a venue for nationalistic propaganda, racism, boycotts, drug use, terrorism, and just...

THE OLYMPICS PART ONE: BACKGROUND Published July 19th, 2008 As we approach the August 8th opening of the 2008 Summer Olympics, the XXIX Games of the Olympiad in Beijing, People’s Republic of China, it seems fitting to try to understand exactly what these “games” are. Their history may be examined on various websites, one of the best being http://www.musarium.com/kodak/olympics/olympichistory/. The Official Website of the Olympic Movement declares: “Olympism is a state of mind based on equality of sports which are international and democratic. It is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body,...

R.I.P. YANKEE STADIUM Apocryphal or not, one YogiBerra-ism I’ve always liked was his line about where Yankee players went for R&R. Referring to one particular hangout, he was supposed to have said, “Nah, no one ever goes there anymore; it’s too crowded.” One place no one, Yankee players or fans, won’t be going anymore is Yankee Stadium, not because it’s too crowded but because it won’t be there. Of course, technically, there will be a Yankee Stadium next year, just across the street from the old ballpark, but it won’t be THE Yankee Stadium which is scheduled to be torn...

The BAM Racing team that offered Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign a potential sponsorship deal in the Sprint Cup series disclosed that the Illinois senator declined the opportunity. BAM team spokesman Rhett Vandiver said that Bill Burton, an Obama campaign spokesman told him there would be no sponsorship. “The Obama campaign will not be sponsoring a car in the Sprint Cup series,” said Burton. “Sponsorship would be interpreted as an endorsement of this mindless sport and its fans.” Burton called NASCAR a “significant source of air pollution” and labeled its fans “mostly ignorant rednecks who probably tote guns everywhere they...

Former professional wrestler and Minnesota Governor, Jesse “The Body” Ventura has cast his hat into the ring as an Independent candidate for the Senate seat currently held by Republican Norm Coleman. Ventura said his candidacy was mainly inspired by a desire to “body slam that smirking, obnoxious twit—Al Franken—into political oblivion.” Franken, the Democratic candidate for the seat, is perhaps best known for his years on the “Saturday Night Live” skit comedy show that has aired on NBC for over three decades. “The ‘Al Franken Decade’ was over more than 20 years ago,” said Ventura, needling the comedian for one...

The Green Bay Packers' general manager and coach don't plan to grant Brett Favre's request for his release. If he does rejoin the team, they told The Associated Press this morning, it won't be as the starting quarterback. And Favre is unlikely to accept a backup role, GM Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy acknowledged in their first public comments since the 38-year-old Favre demanded his release this week.

As a woman who loves sports, I've always found the concept of breasts bothersome. If all goes according to plan, they will fulfill their intended function for about three of the 70 years that I have them. The rest of the time, they alternate between getting in my way and embarrassing me. They are a favorite target of Frisbees and soccer balls. Finding sports bras is a chore. {snip} The idea of an energy-generating bra isn't as crazy as it might sound. A company called Triumph International Japan recently unveiled a solar-powered bra that supposedly will generate enough energy to...

Citing extensive United Nations research as well as personal observations, former Mets manager Willie Randolph has concluded that last year's historic late-season collapse of the New York Mets was caused by anthopogenic global warming. "This is a settled issued," declared Randolph. "The Intergovermental Panel on Climate Change has investigated every possible explanation for our cataclysmic stretch run choke. The only logical conclusion is that global warming caused severe imbalances in the microclimates in and around Shea Stadium." Pressed for details Mr. Randolph explained that temperature readings in left field were .0002 of a degree (Celsius) higher than readings in right...

As a canine, there’s something satisfying about watching this video. I have to say, these are folks that see the water bowl as half full instead of half empty. Maybe there’s hope for humanity after all. Let the games begin…Click more to watch the video....http://boknowsonline.com/2008/02/29/doody-olympians/

Exclusive: The International Olympic Committee, or, the Five Rings of Hades Satire by Shawn Goodwin The International Olympic Committee - you remember them after their brilliant decisions to hold the Olympics in Soviet-era Moscow, Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, and Beijing, China - has decided upon their final four contestants to host the 2016 Summer Games.For some reason, this story has usurped the Brangelina Twins debacle from the headlines, and pushed that idiotic movie starring The Horse-Faced Woman - Sarah Jessica Parker - to the Classifieds section. No one is exactly sure why being awarded the Olympic Games is such an honor, since...

From: MidwayUSA Web Management Team Sent: Monday, May 05, 2008 11:45 AM To: Everyone; Battenfeld Everyone Subject: Scholastic Shooting Trust May 5, 2008 Dear MidwayUSA and Battenfeld Employees: Today I’m pleased to announce the official launch of the Scholastic Shooting Trust Fund, a mission of the newly-created MidwayUSA Foundation. The Scholastic Shooting Trust (SST) Fund is a web-based fundraising program designed to help support shooting education at every high school, college and university in America. Alumni who would like to see shooting programs offered at the school or schools they attended can help make that a reality by contributing to...

SANYA, China (AP) -- After a much-protested journey, the Olympic torch reached this southern Chinese seaside resort Saturday night, beginning what organizers and Chinese citizens promised would be a trouble-free national tour.

The Kent Gardens Elementary School in McLean, Virginia has placed a ban on the school yard game of tag—alleging that it “sends the wrong message.” “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to comfort a weeping child who didn’t want to be ‘it,’” said Vice-Principal Pat Keister. “The game is too stressful and competitive. This contradicts the message of love and affection we are trying to convey through the free condom distribution program for our fifth-graders.”

Danica Patrick became the first female winner in IndyCar history recently, winning the Indy Japan 300 by 6 seconds. Some women's advocates and Patrick herself are complaining about a new rule which feminists claim is "aimed at the women in Indy." The rule says that lighter drivers have to carry ten more pounds on them. Race car driver Robby Gordon has a different perspective, saying that Patrick is at an unfair advantage over the rest of the competitors because she only weighs 100 pounds. Because all the cars weigh the same, Patrick’s is lighter on the race track. He says:...

UConn grad and diehard Husky fan in Japan asking a favor . I would of course pay you for the disc and postage . Also , IF , the Huskies should win tonight's game , I'd also like that on DVD . I'd be eternally grateful ! Somebody on FR helped me out 4 years ago when UConn won the championship but I forget who it was . Game starts in an hour - yikes !

I have Miami Heat season tickets for the remainder of this year and all of next year. I can't make it to many of the games so I wanted to donate most of them to military veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. I would love some recommendations on good charities. Thanx FReepers. :-p

  Please Support the Homeschool Football League in Greensboro this Weekend!!!Items are listed on eBay for Auction!!! Type in the words "HFL auction" in the title on eBay.   By typing these words in the search, you can access the items on-line and start bidding!

Texas Hold'em is a great game of skill and widely popular for good reason. It's easy to learn, you don't have to remember any cards (the downfall of 7-Stud) and since there's rarely a split pot situation dealing the game is relatively undemanding. But there is a price for poker's newly found fame. Texas Hold'em has managed to destroy every single other form of poker played in American card rooms. It seems that Hold'em's popularity has come at the cost of nearly every other single form of poker in America. Omaha, Low-Ball, 5-Card Dutch, 5-Card Draw, Chicago, 7-Stud, Pineapple --...

Those planning on attending the Olympics have been warned that the Chinese government will be keeping close tabs on them while they’re in the country. The U.S. State Department advised that “All visitors should be aware that they have no reasonable expectation of privacy in public or private locations. Visitors should anticipate that they will be watched, taped and recorded wherever they go.” “We must guard against slander and immorality,” said Chinese Minister of Morality, Lo Wang. “Those who would speak ill of the Chinese government or attempt a ‘Spitzer’ in one of our hotels will be dealt with harshly.”...

We've boycotted Olympic games before-usually for human rights abuses. Considering what's happening in Tibet-AND-the levels of pollution in Beijing- it's time to do it again!!

Well, the votes are finally tallied, the lawsuits settled, and the Highest Court has finally ruled on what to with the uncounted ballots. Finally, three months later, we have a clear winner. Before we get to the story, we would like to pass on that we were very discerning in our choice of Best Article. We looked for a story with significant social impact, as well as "newsworthiness". We felt that our choice not only met those benchmarks, but far exceeded them. There were many stories to choose from, over 500, and certainly some deserve more than honorable mention. But...

For a time in 2007, the New England Patriots appeared to be the very definition of a superpower. After achieving an undefeated regular season and arriving at the Super Bowl 18-0, the Patriots seemed poised to make history and become the first team in the history of the NFL to have a perfect 19-0 season. On the eve of Super Bowl XLII, few predicted anything but a Patriot victory. Pre-game analysis didn't focus on the question of whether the Patriots would win the Super Bowl, but rather on whether the Patriots were in fact the greatest football team ever to...

All these year's Muslim females have faced the problem of finding an appropriate swimwear which adheres to the Koran, which requires a woman to cover everything except her face, hands and feet. The swimwears available in the market were either not targeted for the Muslim women as they led to show of skin or were unpractical for swimming. To aptly describe how uncomfortable the swimwear designed for Muslimahs was I shall quote Aheda Zanetti who wrote to the National Geographic News stating "As an active Muslim girl, I found it difficult to participate in most sports, because of all the...

The fourth/fifth (at least) version of this freep leauge needs two more teams. Our beloved commish is in love (great for him) but not taking care of business. I have become the dominant creature of this league the last few years. There are some real players. Freepmail LonePalm on freereublic or email me at jjchierich1@aol.com. If you ain't a playa, don't email me (Lone may let you in)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=D99NHb6B03s

Sir Charles has been catching some serious flak from the conservative blogosphere for his comments about conservatives being "fake Christians." Frankly, conservatives should cut him some slack for saying he's voting Democrat because he doesn't like the direction Republicans are taking the country. Especially since many conservatives, and registered Republicans, feel the same way and are doing the same thing this next election to "prove a point", and that is exactly what they did the last congressional election. Conservatives were fed up with Republicans abandoning their principals, and they didn't like the direction Republicans were taking the country. If you...

ROTFLMAO!!

Freeper fantasy nascar league on nascar.com needs two more participants. this will be a LIVE DRIVER DRAFT scheduled for 2/10/08 at 1 p.m. eastern time. pick your own drivers. You have to open an account on nascar.com (free) and join the private league (free).. if interested, please freepmail me; I'll give you instructions on how to join. it's time to GO RACIN...