Former President George Bush tosses out the first pitch before a softball game between Japan and Australia, at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, August 14, 2004. Photo by Pool/ReutersPosted on 08/14/2004 8:22:20 PM PDT by Destro
Bush Sr. Throws First Olympic Pitch
Sat Aug 14, 2004 12:15 PM ET
By Jon Herskovitz
Former President George Bush tosses out the first pitch before a softball game between Japan and Australia, at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, August 14, 2004. Photo by Pool/Reuters
ATHENS (Reuters) - Former President Bush, father of the White House incumbent, tossed out the first pitch to open the Olympic softball competition in Athens on Saturday.
Bush senior, who played baseball at Yale, is in Greece at the head of a presidential party. He was cheered by the crowd, though few came to watch a sport little followed in Europe.
The high floater from the 80-year-old former president was cleanly snagged by Japan catcher Noriko Yamaji as the first game against Australia got under way.
Bush offered words of encouragement to the U.S. team before their subsequent game against Italy but pitcher Jennie Finch said that just added to her nerves: "I was a little nervous."
"This was created by Bush. He told us, 'Let's go, girls.' And then I just wanted to throw strikes," she said.
Despite the butterflies, Finch pitched three scoreless innings, striking out five, as the United States won 7-0.
U.S. presidents regularly take to the mound and toss out the ceremonial opening pitch at Major League Baseball.
Bush senior is widely respected in Europe - even in Greece where he vacations almost every year on the islands.
He could not have pulled off the coalition in the first Gulf War if he was not a respected statesman. It was a mistake geopolitically not to have re-elected him.
Very cool to see.
Especially after seeing what was done to our Mens Gymnastics Team.
I cannot believe the IOC is sitting by and letting it happen. It will cost our Men the gold.
What happened?
Figures it is Reuters - he is not Bush Sr. Write his whole name or call him former President Bush. Ignorant liberals. Sorry for be redundant.
What?
BAWAAA!!! Even G.W.'s 80 year father can reach the plate, unlike "The Dork".
Two days ago.....(YEAH, TWO DAYS BEFORE THE OLYMPICS)...the officials tell the US Team that they decided that some of the stunts they use in their High Bar routine will not be scored or scored as high as they were originally set. THEY JUST SCORED THOSE STUNTS HIGH AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS!
As a result...the US guys...with only two days..(Keep in mind...gymnist don't take a routine unless they are comfortable with it for at least 6 months)...Blain and one of the others had to change their high bar routine.
AND AS A RESULT...Blain missed the bar on one of the 'new' stunts and hit his head on the bar and came crashing down.
NOW he is dizzy after each routine. They have to give him smelling salts and everything. Scratched him from one of the events during qualifying.
ITS TOTAL BS. It is just convenient that Japan, China, and some others did not have the stunts in question down.
The stunts scored very high at the World Champ. just recently.
And the head judge...who had the final decision....IS FROM JAPAN. JAPAN has been saying they would win this for a week now.
The US team was picked to be one of the Gold choices.
The men qualified...but not on top as of now..they are #2.
THey should have been #1.
Japan qualifed #1.
They interviewed Blain after their rotations...and they asked him why he thought they did this...trying to get him to mentions the favortism going on...and how it is rigged...
And Blain would just say..."You know...if you can't beat us fairly". You could tell he and the rest of the US team was not happy.
THE WORST PART OF THIS...is that the AMERICAN IOC REP., who has already proven himself to be more worried about what other nations think...instead of worrying about our olympians, has not protested this or said a word as of yet.
It is so bogus!
actually "the senior Bush" would be more accurate but kind of long winded.
Any sport where the results are determined by a panel rather than say who is the first or the fastest or the highest scorer, is not a real sport to me and thus I avoid it. I still don't know if a routine is good or bad when it is done - they all look good to me.
The bad thing about it...is it seems to happen to us quite a bit.
The Austrailians are pretty desparate this year as well.
Ian Thorpe. Who is the Ausies top swimmer....did not qualify this year. He was their best hope for a gold in a particular event.
Sooooo, the Ausie who did qualify..'Surrendered' his spot so Thorp could go.
Some in the Ausie media took heat for reporting the 'pressure' that the actual qualifier got to give his spot to Thorp. Thorp got gold tonight.....but somewhere there is an Ausie who had his Olympic dream crapped on.
Thorp has been more than vocal about Mike Phelps.
Called him overrated last week.
Guess Thorp is not happy that he may not be the best all around swimmer in the world.
His and the Ausie's attitude after they did not get some gold medals in Sydney that they just knew was their's for the taking, has been pretty crappy the past few years.
I have faith in our Olympians though. They will give it their all.
AGREE REMEMBER BOXING AND CUBA. WHEN YOU HAVE USE JUDGES THAT'S HOW PEOPLE CHEAT. I WANT USA PEOPLE TO WIN FAIR BUT ALSO THE REST OF THEM TO. SOME OF THESE COUNTRY HATE US AND TAKING OUT ON OUR TEAMS IS REAL ROTTEN.
No such problems with the ancient Olympics - in boxing and pancrate (submission wrestling) you won when the other guy could not get up any more or quit.
That's presenting things in a pretty biased way.
Thorpe failed to qualify for the 400 metres Freestyle because he fell from the blocks at that start of his only chance to qualify, and under the rules any false start leads to disqualification.
This left Craig Stephens as the fastest qualifier for the event.
Stephens best event is the 1500 metres - he never planned to swim in the 400 metres at the Olympics (basically because Thorpe was expected to easily qualify) and none of his training was directed towards swimming that race. The 1500 is the prestige event as far as Australians are concerned (because of Kieran Perkins, and Grant Hackett) and it represents Stephen's best chance of an individual medal. He has relatively little chance in the 400metres - he has a good chance in the 1500metres. Swimming both at the Olympics (as well as a relay) was never in his game plan, it was never something he seriously considered.
Swimming the 400 as well, would have reduced his chances of winning a medal in the 1500.
He did come under a lot of pressure, certainly (not from Thorpe, but from others). But his Olympic Dream was not 'crapped on'. He's still swimming two events, including his best chance to win a medal in his own right.
'Two days ago.....(YEAH, TWO DAYS BEFORE THE OLYMPICS)...the officials tell the US Team that they decided that some of the stunts they use in their High Bar routine will not be scored or scored as high as they were originally set. THEY JUST SCORED THOSE STUNTS HIGH AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS!'
Makes sense. I remember back in 1992 the Japanese Vollyball team decided to lodge a protest after losing a vollyball match on a bad call the ref made early in the game. Apparently the call was acceptable up till they lost.
Everyone guns for #1.
In some events death was a possible result.
Bias has nothing to do with it.
He failed to qualify. Does not matter how it happened if it happened with in the rules.
As you mentioned in your post....Ian failed to qualify...and Stephens DID come under pressure.
Sorry, mate, but I think your bias is very noticeable. Stevens stood aside because it was the best thing for his own Olympic campaign. The main reason it took him so long was because people were pressuring him from both sides - some were telling him to swim, others were telling him to stand aside.
You're trying to turn this into something sordid - when it wasn't. Craig Stevens chose to give a friend a second chance in a way that probably didn't cost him anything.
I should also say that I don't think there's anything wrong with being biased. People should be biased in favour of their own country when it comes to the Olympics. I know I am. But, frankly, I think the Olympics should be the best against the best - and Thorpe is Australia's best. If Phelps wins, he's going to be beating the best. If Thorpe wasn't there, and Phelps won (without a world record), some people would always ask the 'If' question.
I want to see Thorpe win - but for the good of the sport, the best swimmers should be the ones in the pool.
Isn't a pitcher supposed to try and throw strikes? That's the whole point right? :)
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