Posted on 08/24/2008 2:01:44 AM PDT by hoagy62
The 'Redeem Team" does it, beating Spain in a close game tonight.
O! say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming. Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming. And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave (It most certainly does!) O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
What game. Spain should be very very proud too.
What a great group of representatives for the US. They are looking great at the medal ceremony.
That was one well-played game, indeed.
My wife was telling me, it was almost like the scene from the movie “Miracle” when Herb Brooks said there were just two questions to answer....
“Who are you, and who do you play for?”
These guys can answer the second question very easily.
AND...we may YET hear the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ one more time if the US Men’s Water Polo team does.
You are right the mens water polo team is quite the story too.
Love it!! Love it!! Love it!! Great game.
ummm
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/beijing/pool/2008-08-24-hungary-beats-usa-for-gold_N.htm
Kobe.
Actually, I just checked the Olympic site...
Hungary 14, USA 10
So, we got the Silver. Not bad.
Now, since (according to the site) the last sport has been played, here’s the outcome...
USA Final Medal Total:
36 Gold
38 Silver
36 Bronze
For a total of 110 medals.
All in all, a pretty good haul.
I can understand our economic dominance. Capitalism. But what makes USA #1 in athletics?
I would say...Freedom.
Freedom from fear that if you don’t perform, something bad might happen to you or your family (for example: I wouldn’t wanna be that guy from Cuba in taekwondo who smacked that ref. I bet the only light of day he sees from now on is the sky over the sugar cane fields.)
Freedom from being forced to do drugs to get the competitive edge (Yes, we’ve had a few, and they’ve paid the price...one way or another.)
Freedom to do your best, just because you can. No national organization searching for young people and training them...our athletes compete by choice.
Now I know the US doesn’t have the monopoly on national pride, and I know that I am probably being a bit idealistic, but that’s what I feel. The reason we’re so good in many sports is...freedom.
Are you sure that the Marathon is completed? It is the last event before the Closing ceremonies.
Yes. It was started at 7:30am Beijing time. A Kenyan won it in Olympic record time.
Chris Collinsworth was interviewing LeBron James the other day and asked him what a win there meant to him. He said (I'm paraphrasing), "This isn't about me, it's about the team and every person that wakes up every day lucky to be in America. It's about our great troops that protect our freedoms."
Chris then asked him if he might get a little choked up during our national anthem. Lebron smiled and said, "Yeah, I probably will."
Much to my surprise, he and Kobe have been class acts during this olympics.
.....But what makes USA #1 in athletics? ....
Actually, the American swimming champ is like the Chinese gymnastic champs. The sport is and always has been life, for life. Training is all of life.
The same can be said for most of the events.
You can hear it for the Men’s Volleyball team.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.