AP: America's teams struggling across board (Uh...better check out MotoGP, Eddie)

Yahoo News ^ | July 14 2006 | Eddie Pells

[BlueOneGolf]

On the Fourth of July, a 160-pound Japanese man overcame an American nearly 75 pounds heavier in a hot dog eating contest. Silly? Sure. Symbolic, too.

Whipped at Wimbledon, whomped in the World Cup, beaten in baseball, Americans can't seem to win much these days — whether it's on the pitch, the court, the diamond or a ridiculous eating contest.

Coming soon: The World Basketball Championships, where the U.S. team is in rebuilding mode after an embarrassing bronze-medal performance at the Athens Olympics. And the Ryder Cup, where the Americans lost badly on their home turf two years ago and will probably be even bigger underdogs in Ireland in September.

What to make of all this underachieving from the world's only superpower, the country that invented half the sports it gets beaten in and that used to strike fear in the hearts of overmatched opponents from South America to Siberia?

"It is our next great challenge and it should alarm us, because we have to intensify our efforts to support our athletes," said Jim Scherr, head of the U.S. Olympic Committee...

[BlueOneGolf]

There is one international sport where Americans are doing quite well and that's MotoGP. Consider it the two-wheeled version of Formula One and nearly as popular overseas.

MotoGP is the pinnacle of motorcycle racing and showcases the talents of nineteen of the world's top riders. Among them are four Americans: Colin Edwards, Nicky Hayden, John Hopkins and Kenny Roberts Jr. After nine races in the seventeen race series, all but Hopkins are in the "Top Ten" in the points standings. But it is Hayden, 24, of Owensboro, KY who has set a blistering pace toward the Series Championship by posting a phenomenal SEVEN "Top Three" finishes including a win at the Dutch TT on June 24th. His three year MotoGP career has certainly been impressive; being named "Rookie of the Year" while finishing 5th overall in '03, finishing in 3rd place last year and a career total of six wins. His most impressive win came last year at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, CA in the Red Bull US Grand Prix. It was the first time in a decade MotoGP has held a race on American soil and Hayden dominated by starting from the pole and leading the entire race.

For an in-depth look at that race (and a great addition to any racing fan's DVD collection) I highly recommend THE DOCTOR, THE TORNADO & THE KENTUCKY KID.

When you read American sports Doom-and Gloom articles like this or hear the same on Sports Talk radio, just remember this success story from the international sports world and remind those writers and radio hosts about our American MotoGP racers.

The easiest source to keep up to date on the schedule and current standings is SPEED Channel's MotoGP Schedule and Results Page. Or go to the MotoGP Official Website:

The MotoGP Red Bull US Grand Prix returns to Laguna Seca, CA this year on Sunday 7-23-06:

Clickable links to Nicky Hayden's website:

[BlueOneGolf]

PING!!!

Thought the FReeper bikers would like to see this.

This is the Motorcyclists Rights PING List. FReepmail me if you want on or off this list.

[StarCMC]

WOOOOHOOOOO!!! GO NICKY!!

Got hubby's plane tickets and his bike reservation -- he'll be there for hopefully a repeat of what he saw last year!! :o)

[Teacher317]

Only two Americans in the top 50 or so in men's tennis... it's getting ugly out there!

[Teacher317]

Womens' tennis... also only 2 Americans in the top 50... matched by the likes of Israel, China, Belgium (2 in the top 3), Japan, Switzerland and Serbia-Montenegro... and 9 Russians, 6 Frogs, and 4 Czechs.

[operation clinton cleanup]

I bet USA still rules at video games (I hope!)

[Jameison]

"On the Fourth of July, a 160-pound Japanese man overcame an American nearly 75 pounds heavier in a hot dog eating contest. Silly? Sure. Symbolic, too."

Um...that particular small Japanese guy has been wining that hot dog eating competition for years.
He is a freak of nature.
Plus when did being able to consume vast quantities of hot dogs become a real sport?
And aren't Americans supposed to be trying to eat less and reduce weight?

[Proud_USA_Republican]

http://www.torino2006.org/ENG/IDF/MDL/MDL_Big.html

Yahh, we just suck at sports. Look how poorly we did at the last olympics.

[mountn man]

So lets see. Every country in the world can enter the same number of athletes into events. For example Israel 10, China 10, Russia 10, Jamaica 10, England 10, and so on and so on. Now I don't know how many countries there are in the world at this second, but I'm sure it'll be different in the morning. But if we take all the countries of the world and put their athletes up against ours, statistics alone would say that the chances of the US, or any other single country, dominating any one sport are slim. Unless of course that is the only sport that country focuses on.

But what the author seems to fail to realize, is that though we aren't "winning" everything, we do have a tendency to be major players in most all sports.

The author is just another of the hate America crowd.

In NASCAR, a lot of people hate Jeff Gordon. But no honest fan or any driver on the track ever discounts him from a race.

In baseball the Chicago Cubs have a tendecy to be pathetic losers. Oh forget that analogy.

The point I'm trying to make is that an honest person would view the US sports achievements, not by our so called failures, but by our many successes.

This author obviously isn't honest.

[staytrue]

Despite the impressive medal totals, we bombed in the glamour sports.

alpine skiing= bodie, the bomb, miller

men's hockey=zero

women's figure skating=a very fortunate silver

men's figure skating=zero

the speed skating team bagged 7-9 medals
women's hockey won gold I think
the snowboarders and the moguls scored a bunch of medals

[staytrue]

I think the author has a valid point. 1/3 of the MLB players are foreigners, about 1/2 the NHL is foreign, increasingly the foreigners are playing in the NBA.

I see the kids today and they are nice, but they don't have the competitive desire of yesteryear.

[Jameison]

"Womens' tennis... also only 2 Americans in the top 50... matched by the likes of Israel, China, Belgium (2 in the top 3), Japan, Switzerland and Serbia-Montenegro... and 9 Russians, 6 Frogs, and 4 Czechs."


Oh puleeze.
Since 2000 American women have woman far more grand slam titles then any other country.
Just last year we won two of the 4 women's grand slams when Venus won Wimbledon and Serena won the Australian Open.

How many slams have Israel, China, Japan, Switzerland and Serbia-Montenegro women won this century or any other century again?

[Perdogg]

Nuff said.

[BlueOneGolf]

Could you please add " AP: " at the beginning of this post's title. I found it at Yahoo News but going back I saw the AP symbol and would like it properly credited.

[packrat35]

What about Lance Armstrong 7 straight wins?

[Proud_USA_Republican]

Glamour sports? Whatever.....
I thought we totally rocked in the winter olympics.

women's alpine we did just fine. So did our speed skaters.

It was a great all around olympics for us. Many countries that are known purely for their winter sports didn't win as much as we did.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

Soon to be 8 in a row for america if Landis keeps up his pace.

[packrat35]

That would croak the frogs

[NaughtiusMaximus]

Plus when did being able to consume vast quantities of hot dogs become a real sport?

At least you can quantify it, which IMHO, gives it a better claim than figure skating. Although, frankly, I hold the two in about equal esteem.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

That's the plan.