Friday, August 12, 2016

Woooo, we're half way there, wooooo, livin on a prayer...

The title was my LAME attempt at Bon Jovi (in case you weren't aware of the tune you need to humm along with the words).

And YES....the Olympics are now a week in, with about a week to go. And boy oh BOY are they FANTASTIC! There's literally TOO MUCH! I'm recording about 15 hours a day, and obviously I can't even attempt to watch it all...but thankfully I can FF thru the parts I don't care about and just TRY to watch all the good stuff.

Lets see...going back to last night (Thursday)...the US Mens indoor volleyball upset Brazil 3 games to 1...woo-HOO! (they DESPERATELY needed the win to have any chance at making it out of their pool).

Then we had Kayla Harrison, the JUDO QUEEN, kick everybody's ass and win the gold...including that opponent in the final who I SWEAR looked like a MAN! But was Kayla fazed? NOPE. Just got down to business, and when it went to the ground she gets an arm and BAM...it's all over and the monster WOMAN taps out QUICK (before she gets her arm broke). Who knew Judo has so much in common with cage-fighting? And they also said that her manly opponent for the Gold had beaten her 4 out of the last 7 times they were matched...but it didn't seem to faze her one teensy bit. And I LOVED it during her Gold Medal ceremony...she was OPENLY singing the National Anthem...not just sort of moving her lips some...but outright singing! She's my new HERO! And she is now a TWO TIME Olympic Gold winner! WAY TO GO KAYLA!!!!

Then I watched some table tennis (ping pong)...it was 2 Chinese guys (big surprise) going for the gold...boy do they ever make it look easy!

And then I watched the Womens Gymnastics All-Around...and holy crimoly...SIMONE is the word! That little powerhouse flat CRUSHED all comers! And her teammate Aly righted the wrong from 2012 (when she was tied for Bronze but due to some tie-breaking rule she was denied and was 4th)...this time she took Silver, and the girl who got the bronze last time got bronze again (she fell flat on her butt TWICE in the final 4 events). That Simone...she's just ridiculously good. I love that little 'helicopter' move she does on the balance beam and then out on the tumbling field (much easier on the tumbling field I'd think)...but it's the same exact move, and NOBODY else even TRYS anything similar.

Then we had the Mens 200 IM, Phelpes against Locte...and BOY did Michael CRUSH it! And it was his 4th Olympics in a row he's gotten the Gold in that event..which is the first time ANYBODY has ever done that (4 golds in 4 successive Olympics in the same event). That's he's still beating the WORLD at 31 is pretty unbelievable! Can you just TRY to imagine how much work he is doing to make this happen? I'm surprised he has TIME for a fiance and a baby! But he sure is going out in STYLE...London wasn't what he wanted, so he upped the ante and is back to finish on his terms...and NOBODY can say he's not the greatest swimmer EVER! What's he got, like 90 Golds now? And he's not even DONE!

Then we had the black girl Simone Manuel in the 100 free, and WON IT! First African  American woman to win ANY medal in swimming! How is that possible after all this time? Anyway, good for her, she sure deserved it and is a real role model! I hope we see more of her!

And then, yes...MORE Michael Phelps! He swims a semi-final 100 butterfly only 37 MINUTES after he won the 200 IM, and only 7 minutes after he was on the medal stand getting his Gold! That just seems like some crazy scheduling if you ask me (which NOBODY did).

And that took us thru Thursday night (which I didn't finish catching up on until today btw...there's just NO WAY I can stay current on work-days). And today (Friday) was my first day off in our new 9/80 work schedule that we started 2 weeks ago...(if you don't know that that is, you work 9 hour days Monday thru Thursday, then an 8 hour Friday the first week...and the next week you work 9 hour days Mon thru Thurs, which gives you 4 extra hours from this week, and the 4 extra hours from last week...so you get that Friday off. So in a nutshell, I will get every other Friday off! So I went for a long hard MTB Ride...I figure going for a bike ride on my Fridays off is a great way to use it in STYLE! (I've been slipping on my ride schedule these last 2 weeks...simply have TOO MUCH Olympics to watch!)

And so far from Today's Olympics viewing, I saw Kim Rhode (pronounced roadie) take the Bronze in Skeet shooting (blowing up little clay pigeons with a 12 gauge shotgun). Actually they shoot 2 of those little guys with each pull...they give little purple puffs when they hit them. I shoot some skeet once in a while out at the base range...and I'm only shooting one at a time, and not even CLOSE to hitting them all. These ladies are like "BAM-BAM" and there are 2 purple puffs in the air...how on earth they aim and shoot, re-aim at the other one and shoot so very quickly is beyond me...but they are quite fantastic for sure! And Kim is the 1st Summer Olympian EVER to win an individual medal in SIX consecutive games! How's THAT for awesome!! Way to go KIM!!!

I also watched some archery (also amazing...shooting their arrows from 75 meters away), some field hockey, the US womens indoor Volleyball (won against Italy I think, it was a clutch win, 3 games to 1)...love it that Karch Kiraly is their coach...I still remember him PLAYING for the Gold Medal winning Mens indoor team (didn't he play and win in at least 2 Olympics? Can't seem to remember for sure...but I do recall he and the team were AWESOME).

And some Track and Field has started, but I haven't seen ANY of it yet...but I hope to. I've also recorded all the Equestrian events I could for Jeannie (she's been back in Ohio and Florida on a "girls vacation" for the last 2 weeks...which even tho I miss her, I get free reign on the TV for my Olympic viewing). I pick her up down in LAX on Monday...and then my Olympic viewing will have to winnow down some as she isn't into sports very much. But I'll watch what I can when I can. It's all just Olympic OVERLOAD! And Team USA is doing SO FREAKING GREAT!!! But we always have been a Summer Olympics country.

OK...I need to get to bed...tomorrow I am starting work on painting the inside of the house (a little side project I've been putting off). It will likely take MONTHS for me to finish up, but I can get started in the one bedroom...

For now, I need some SLEEP! Goodnight and GO TEAM USA!!!

Cheers!



OK...I'm BACK. It's Sunday night....I'm in a short reprieve in my Gold Medal contention of the Olympics VIEWING event...(it's a full 2 week event, and so far I'm doing quite well!). These are just my updates from when I posted this on Thursday night. SO much has happened. And AWAY we go!

All the way back to Fri night, we had Maya Dirado swim the 200m backstroke, and her COME FROM BEHIND WIN! Way to go MAYA!!!! It was horribly exciting to watch! 4 swims, 4 medals for Maya!

Then we had Mr. Olympics (M.Phelps) in a THREE WAY TIE for silver in the 100 fly! Never seen that happen before! He's now got only 1 event left...the medly relay.

Next we had Mrs. Olympics (that would be Katie Ledecky of course) and her 800m free. And HOLY SMOKES! She was finished, out of the water, went to a drive-thru for coffees and snacks, wash and waxed the rental, and got back in time for the rest of the field to finish! The World Record she broke was her own! And she's only 19 years old! Who is going to contend for her WR in the next 8 or 12 years but herself?? She is simply INCREDIBLE!!!! (and when interviewed, she doesn't ACT like she's 19...she acts like she's 29, or 39...full of poise and grace...quite a remarkable woman!) I'm glad she's on our side!!!

Next was the 50 free (mens)...Anthony Ervin gets told, Nathan Adrian (who will swim the free leg in the upcomin relay) took bronze. Anthony won in 2000 @ 19 yrs old, then dropped out for 12 years and came back....way to go ANTHONY AND NATHAN!!!

Then we come to Saturday. The womens 8's rowing team won gold...WOW! Way to go ladies!!!

Then I watched Mens indoor volleyball against France...they lost a game but pulled it out winning 3 games to the 1 (whew!!!). They really needed that win!

Then I HEARD about Wiggins and his team winning the track cycling pursuit....but I didn't get to see it and it wasn't recorded for some reason...RATS!

Next I saw Simone Manuel take 2nd in the 50m free...THAT is a hard race, way to go Simone!!! She also comes across very articulate and mature...certainly an honor for US to have her on our team...way to go Simone!

Then was the mens 1500 free (UGH..that's like a MILE!). Our guy Conner Jaeger took SILVER in that grueling event, way to go CONNOR!

And THEN was suddenly some track and field (I was only vaguely aware T@F had begun in earnest)...and suddenly the womens 100m dash final...Tori Bowie took Silver! The Jamacians took Gold and Silver...those Jamacians have a dynasty going in the speed running for sure!

And FINALLY...the end of the swimming for Rio...the womens and mens medley relays. Our ladies Kathline Baker, Lily King, Dana Volmer and Simone Manual WON IT! All 4 of those fabulous ladies had medaled in the stroke they were swimming...it was most impressive to watch! I got all teary eyed during their medal ceremony for some reason...maybe it was just the COMPLETE AWESOMENESS of how many times OUR National Anthem had been played thus far at these games...and it was the final ladies event. Way to finish it ladies!!!

And last but not least by ANY measure, the mens. Ryan Murphy, Cody Miller, Michael Phelps, and Nathan Adrian. Ryan set a NEW WORLD RECORD in his opening 100m backstroke leg, Cody Miller kept it close against the Gold Medal winning breast-stroker, then Mr. Olympics brought home a lead in his 100 fly, and Nathan closed it out in STYLE adding to that lead for the WIN! What a way for MP to go out...in peace. SO very glad he came back (and was SERIOUS)..in London he knew he wasn't prepared, and his performance surely wasn't up to his dreams, so he came back and did it right. What a treat for us to see him in full strength ONE MORE TIME! I can't help but wonder how it felt on that podium FOR THE VERY LAST TIME...knowing his AMAZING career in the water is over. But at least he is going out on HIS terms. The greatest Olympian EVER...that's a nice title. Way to go MP...and thanks for the memories...a LOT of them!

So...the total tally in the pool (and I'm only talking swimming races, not water polo, diving or any other water events)...33 total medals, 16 gold! That's the most medals in swimming in one Olympics EVER! It sure was fun to watch, I'll say that. WE (the US of A OWN THE FREAKING POOL)! Take THAT you doping Russian swimmers!!! And yes, I was all teary eyed AGAIN during the mens medal ceremony...knowing I won't see MP up there ever again. It was quite an honor for sure!!!

And on to some T@T...the mens 100m dash prelims...Usain Bolt looked like he could carry a tray full of Ice Teas with him and still win. He is ridiculously fast. We shall see how Gatlin can do against him in the final I'm sure. There were a total of SEVEN heats of prelims in that race...that's a LOT of racers!

Then onto the mens 400m semi-finals (wow...that snuck up on me...when were the prelims?)...Lashawn Merritt, the 2008 Gold winner, makes the final....and Gil Roberts (who had AT LEAST 2 lbs of gold chains on his neck...give me a FREAKING BREAK) did NOT. Love that! Maybe you'd be faster if you didn't have to show your awesomeness with your gold chains DURING YOUR RACE?? Just a thought. Better like in 4 years Gil!

And that about wrapped up Saturdays events (that I got to see)...on to Sunday!

I got to see the Mens Omnium track cycling race (at least the first evvnt...60 freaking laps of the track)....that is one odd event. But with only 1 racer from each country, it's evreybody for themselves....as evidenced when a few guys make a breakaway and NOBODY chases, cuz they're all used to having a TEAM chase down the breaks....so they ALL LOSE cuz they don't want to do the work. LOVE IT that boldness pays off in this event! For 60 laps it was actually kind of fun to watch (after the first 20 or so laps anyway, when some bold racers took a chance...and the American was one of the first to go...sadly he faded quick and finished 17th or so...as he was eventually caught by the 'peleton'. Still, no guts, no glory!

Then I saw Alex Nador (Mens Gymnastics) in the finals for the Pommel horse. Sadly he went VERY early in the event, and even tho he did the best exercise he's ever done in competition on the pommel horse, the earlier performers seem to always be graded lower...and finally towards the end, the 2 GBR guys were 3rd from last and last...and they both got GREAT scores...and sure, their exercises looked good...but then I rewound and re-watched Alex's performance again, and I think he got gypped...he was at LEAST as good as the 2 Great Brittian guys...sadly that's just how judging goes so often...they grade lower early so there's room to put people over them...but then they forget about the earlier scores and how good they really were sometimes...at least it sure seemed that way today. But you know what? He wasn't a crybaby or sad-sack over it, he was ELATED with his bronze! It was quite refreshing actually! Way to go ALEX!!! He was SO HAPPY with that medal!

ooh...the mens 100m semi-finals...Bolt was just that...a relaxed lightening bolt. He looked like he could read a book (albiet a VERY SHORT book) during his heat...he seemed that relaxed.  Then Justin Gatlin ran in the next heat and won it, but he looked like he actually had to work some...I think Bolt will run away with it in the final..but we shall see.

And just now they awarded the womens 100m medals...the Jamacian with the green and yellow hair (isn't that Brazil's colors?) only took bronze...her teammate with NORMAL hair won it. I kind of like that...I hate it when people get so flashy thinking they're all that...and then are not. Bolt kind of fits in that category, only he ACTS like he's the king of the world...(but I'm guessing he will back that up with his legs...and I just heard the mens 100m final is TONIGHT! I won't stay up for it, so I'll see it tomorrow.

 And finally...I just finished watching the US Womens indoor volleyball against China (before I started making this update)...whew! They really had me sweating! China won the first game, and IF the US were to lose the match, they would have not won their pool...but they came back and won 3 games straight and ended up undefeated in their pool. NICE LADIES! I just love it that Karch Kiraly is coaching...he was SUCH a fantastic player OH so long ago it seems.

And that puts me current with Sunday night viewing...there's Trackk @ Field going on in the background all the while I type...but quite honestly I'm beat...I think I scored a 15.975 in my weekend Olympics Viewing...which puts me near the top...but can I maintain that score? I don't think so...I've had FREE REIGN with the TV while Jeannie has been gone (to Ohio and Florida) the last 2 weeks...she flys home tomorrow and I'll be picking her up in LAX around noon (taking the day off work). And that wraps up my Olympics coverage for the week.

Good night, and good luck.

CHEERS! (again).




13 comments:

  1. Monday morning...up early to (gasp!) watch Olympics! I know...what a crazy thing to do! ANYWAY...still working thru the end of LAST NIGHTS events...we now have 2 women in the 1500 track final, woo-HOO! Shannon Roubury and Jennifer Simpson...NICE! Then the mens 400m track FINAL...South African Wade Van Nie Kirk sets a new WR, and American LaShawn gets 3rd, NICE LaShawn! And BTW, that WR has stood since 1999...17 years. BIG DEAL for South African and Track for sure!

    Then we move on to Gymnastics...in the floor exercise GB wins it but Brazil ends up in 2nd and 3rd...which was HUGE for the host country! VERY emotional for those 2 guys, well done!! And THEN..womens gymnastics finals...the vault! Can you say SIMONE BILES (AGAIN)? She crushes it with TWO huge fantastic vaults! She was the FIRST EVER American woman winning the vault...never happened before! She is just AMAZING, and we haven't seen the last of her..she's got more events!

    Then there was the uneven bars...with TWO Americans in it...Gabby Douglas (last Olympics all around champ) and the tiny waif Madison Kocian. Gabby didn't have the exercise she wanted, which is a hard way to end her Olympics...but Madison did fantastic and ended up in 2nd behind the now TWO time winner Mustafina from Russia. WAY TO GO MADISON!

    And finally, Matt Lauer interviewed Mr. Olympics Michael Phelps...it was very nice...he seems quite relaxed now knowing his Olympic career is truly done. And then there was Katie Ledecky over at the table with Hoda (sp?)...she talked some, and as always, she seems SO mature for a 19 yr old...US Swimming is in good hands for sure! And MP said "I won't be far away"...he will always be involved in US Swimming I'd think. So now he can figure out what a 31 year old superstar does with the rest of his life.

    OK..to the airport (LAX) for me...happy Monday all!

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  2. Deep breaths, Matt, deep breaths! Hey, looks to me like AMERICA IS ALREADY GREAT AGAIN! We never went anywhere. I won't attempt to match your epic post, buddy. But I enjoyed it and I have been enjoying the news out of Rio, green water and all. tj

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  3. No time for deep breaths TJ...no time!

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  4. Just saw on the news this morning that Keri Walsh/Jennings and April Ross (our ladies beach VB team) LOST to the Brazilians last night in the semi-final match...so they will now play for the bronze. That's the first match Keri has ever lost (this is her 3rd Olympics). Well..it had to happen sooner or later...she (Keri) is no spring-chicken in the volleyball world anymore...and their matches this Olympics have been much more hard-fought and close than in previous Olympics. Still it's a tough end to a dynasty. I didn't watch it yet (might not, it will be hard to sit thru). But good for the host country...always nice for their teams to do well...and to beat the reigning champion, well..it doesn't get much better than that for Brazil.

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  5. OMG, Matt! Your best write-up EVER! Loved, loved, LOVED IT! The fact that I was thinking (& exclaiming) all those same things in my head the past 10 days makes me think YOU are IN my head! :) :)

    Question - do you record just NBC or the other Olympic channels too?

    I'm taking vacation time this afternoon (will be leaving work in 15 minutes) , an hour tomorrow & ALL DAY FRIDAY (whoo-hoo) to sit home & watch till my eyes bleed. :)

    I feel bad for Kerri but you're right, she is 38 (plus she's had 5 (!) shoulder surgeries. This might be her last Olympics but she & her partner sure have been great to watch.

    Did you see Cav finally get his Olympic medal? I was able to see some of the 1st day's Omnium events & then the last one, the Points race & I must say, I didn't understand a thing but got a kick out of watching all the same & rooted for Cav to get that medal. By his mellow reaction, I'm guessing he's bummed he didn't get the gold but I was super impressed anyway.

    One more question - was the person who thought up all those various track cycling events on drugs or just drunk at the time? ;) Did you see the one where a motorbike paces them around for a few laps?

    So far, the only real bummers have been the SPARSE spectators (embarrassing for all!) & that I trust almost no one in certain sports because of doping - especially Kenya & Ethiopia, now that it's out in the open how PATHETIC the so-called drug testing has been in those countries. Include Jamaica on that list too.

    And please, please, please make some kind of deal with Jeannie so you can keep watching & then reporting here. It's TWICE the fun! :) :)

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  6. Hey Susie...I'm working on Jeannie, but last night we watched "a movie"...she is SO not into sports...I saved all the equestrian events (she loves horses) but so far no real interest in going back and watching them. Tonight I hope to do a mt bike ride...need to do SOME rides during the week...but being as this is the last Olympic week I'll keep it short and HOPE to get in SOME viewing tonight...

    I agree that whoever came up with all the track racing events was on crack or something...tho looking back in history there were a lot of insane events...including one where you were motor-paced by a motorcycle and went as fast as you could in the draft. I heard there some wicked bad wrecks back in 'the days'...the track surface wasn't nearly as nice as the velodromes we have these days...and occasionally racers died...from gigantic SPLINTERS (if you can imagine that horrible death...sliding on a crappy wooden track at insane speeds and having a large piece of the wood track stick up and impale you).

    I'm kind of wondering a LOT at many of these athletes lately...wondering how clean they are. Considering that the testing is all done by their own country...seems like a HUGE conflict of interest (specifically looking at the Russians here). I think there's still a LOT more doping going on that we'd like to admit. And then I look at our own athletes (lets say Phelps and Ledeckey)...and wonder what other countries think about THEM? Katie outswam the REST of the world so bad in the 800 that it was ridiculous! I sure like to believe they are clean...but I sure can imagine how other countries can't believe it...seems pretty implausible that any one person is THAT much better than the rest of the best.

    What are we to do/think here? I want to believe in the miracles...but I guess I'm sadly more suspicious of the other countries athletes than our own. So I can certainly be sympathetic of others feeling the same way about our athletes. What we need is a really accurate lie detector test...pretty much a total mind reading test. Until then, what to believe?

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  7. Last night I watched the US ladies volleyball (indoor) dismantle the Japanese team in the quarter-final round...that the Japanese team MADE the quarter-finals was impressive, as they are a very 'short' team in the international scene. They have TWO ladies OVER 6' tall...where-as the US team has two ladies UNDER 6', and most of the other international teams are similar. But the Japanese team can play some serious defense...digging balls and keeping rallys going until their opponents make a mistake. And even tho some of the games seemed close, the US ladies were pretty great. I just LOVE the sliding plays (where the middle-blocker swings out to the side for a "shoot" set...it's a great play and typically only draws a single blocker, or sometimes 2 but not usually closed up due to the speed of the play. Glass was on FIRE with that play in that match! So now the semi-finals await! I still have a LOT to catch up on obviously...as I'm now about 2 days behind in the rest of the games.

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  8. Hey...watched some more off my DVR tonight (skippped a mt bike ride). Some old news, in the womens 400m final, when Felix (the American) was about to win it, and the other woman Miller DIVED across the line and won, Felix got the silver. Taking who is from what country aside, I have to say that I HATE IT that it's legal to dive across the line in a running race. Seems so WRONG! I mean, there are all kinds of rules in every other sport...in swimming for example, if you take a dolphin kick in the breast-stroke (after a turn you are allowed one frog kick and one arm stroke while under water...but it's always seeming to want for a dolphin kick or 2)...the judges watch CLOSELY and if they even see a partial one you are DQ'd (DisQualified). There are all kinds of rules like that to keep someone from taking advantage of what's normal and expected...IMO diving across the finish line is just that. I think they need a rule change that you finish on your feet or you are disqualified. Simple as that. It seems to CHEAP to dive in a running race...this isn't baseball where you are sliding into base. Next someone will come up with a diving roll over the top of the hurdles (110m and 400m hurdle races) and come out running, it could be faster than jumping over them. But would it be fair in the interest of the race? I think not. It would be like a bike race at the finish line (sprint finish) if a racer were to kick his bike out from under him, shooting it across the finish like before his rival still on his bike. Diving for a running race finish like makes me crazy...I HATE IT! Just seems SO WRONG. OK..enough on that.

    Watched Super Simone (Biles) on the Balance Beam...she had a slip and almost fell off, had to grab the beam with her hands and that cost her a chunk, and she STILL finished in the Bronze...that's just how good the rest of her routine was.

    Then I watched the Womens 1500 final...Jennie Simpson from the US held on for a Bronze finish...what a grueling race...basically it's a mile. That's such a hard distance (as compared to say the 100m or even 200m).

    Oh...I got to see (even tho I had already heard the results) Keri Walsh/Jennings and April Ross lose in the beach vbto the Brazilian ladies...who went on to play for Gold, while the American ladies played for Bronze (which they then won against the other Brazilian team). the German team went on to beat the Brazilian women and win Gold.

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  9. Comment above continued:

    Then there was the Mens 110 hurdle final...2 Americans in it, but they just didn't have it...the Jamacian was fantastic and won their country's first ever Gold in that event. And it was also the first time ever (I think) that the Americans didn't place in the top 3.

    THEN there was the Womens Gymnastics floor exercise final...and yep....Simone Biles AND Aly Raisman were one/two...Simone was just outrageous as evidenced by her 15.966 score, and Aly gave her floor routine of her life (I thought she should have been a LOT closer to Simone in points) but they only gave her a 15.5, still good enough for Silver in the end. This event ended the Womens Gymnastics for Rio...and this ladies team was the most dominant/winning team we have EVER fielded. They were FANTASTIC for sure!

    And that's about where I'm at viewing-wise...it seems my DVR somehow lost a bunch of my recorded Olympics...which I can't figure out why..I've been keeping it weeded down before I go to bed every night, making sure I have at least 30% space left on the hard-drive. I know it lost a BUNCH of the equestrian I was recording for Jeannie...I also know it was THERE last night. Strange stuff indeed.

    I am truly waiting for the mountain bike race this weekend...can't WAIT to see how Sagan does against the regular mtb pro's...(who claim they aren't afraid of him). I think they're fools NOT to be...but we shall see soon enough! The womens race is Saturday morning at 8:30, and the mens is Sunday at 8:30 (the last day of the Olympics too!). Can he do it? I think he can...and I'd love to see the reigning road world-champion win Gold in the Mountain bike...THAT would be one for the ages! OK...bed time...4:10am is crying out for me (as it does every morning during the week).

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  10. Friday night, just finished watching a volleyball marathon! Serbia beat the US ladies in the semifinals (DARN DARN DARN!). So now China and Serbia play for the Gold, while the US plays the Netherlands (again, we beat them earlier in the tournament) for the Bronze.

    Then I watched the men play Italy...the first game goes to Italy (very close...30/28 final score), then the 2nd game goes to the US 28/26, also very close. Then the THIRD game was a US blowout 25/9. In the 4th game my recording STOPPED at 18/17US leading...checked all my other recordings, don't have the end. RATS...so I look online...OH NO! We lost that 4th game, and then also the 5th game tiebreaker! So Italy plays Brazil (who beat Russia) for the Gold, and we play Russia for Bronze. DANG DANG DANG...it was SO CLOSE!

    And finally in Track and Field, the US Womens 4x100 relay won Gold (WAY TO GO LADIES!), while Jamacia (led by you know who) won the mens relay. Bolt flat out ran AWAY from the field in the final leg...kind of a Katie Ledecky finish there. And that wraps up my Friday viewing...on to the final 2 days! For now, it's bedtime!

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  11. Oh...I totally forgot to talk about the madness of the ladies qualifying 4x100 relay in all my excitement! When they were interfered with and dropped their baton and appeared to have lost it all! But their protest was upheld and they got to run it again (all alone on the track) and yes, their time was well inside the cutoff and they were now into the final (WHEW!!!) How crazy was THAT!

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  12. And while I'm now on a roll, back to indoor volleyball (both mens and womens). WHAT IN THE HAY is with the producer (or WHOEVER is in charge of selecting WHICH CAMERA to show at any moment during the play)? Smack dab in the middle of a back and forth play, they shift to a view from the BACK OF THE COURT! They've done it MANY TIMES and it's MADDENING! You can't really see anything that's going on from that view! And they LEAVE IT THERE until the point is over! STOP IT! NOW! PLEASE!!!!!!! (ok TJ...I'll take a breath now).

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  13. Saturday evening update: watching stuff from yesterday still...Helen Marlowis (sp?) won the gold in womens wrestling! (I didn't even KNOW they had womens wrestling in the Olympics). She beat the best lady wrestler ever (Yoshida from Japan)...it was quite an upset, and BOY was Helen HAPPY! It's pretty much the same as the mens wrestling..Greco Roman (standing up, going for takedowns and pins and such)...looked exactly the same as the mens to me...nice! Love the parity!

    In Mens boxing (I don't really follow boxing a lot) we still have one of our own going to the gold medal match...Shakur Stevens in the Bantam weight division. He boxed today, and lost it on points (1 to 2) to Carranzza of Cuba (those Cubans are pretty good boxers typically). Tough loss but hey...2nd in the Olympics? It's still a DREAM COME TRUE!

    Then for events of today...the womens mtb race. The Americans were really nowhere to be found anywhere near the front...but it was still exciting to watch. It's an interesting course...a 3 mile loop they do over and over. I think Sagan will be a real threat here...but maybe not...I know the pro mtb'ers aren't afraid of him (or so they say)...there are SOME sort-of techincal spots...but Sagan CAME FROM the mtb world...look at what he can do w/ a road bike! I think he should be able to really push the pace...that race is tomorrow morning and I HOPE to record the whole thing (my ladies mtb race recording ended half a lap from the end).

    Then there was the womens triathlon today also. The American Gwen Jorgenson was all over it...from the swim, stayed w/the lead group on the bike, and then sat right up front in the run, taking the lead when the other lady wanted her to, and started stretching out her pace, dropping the other lady and that was it...she won by a LOT. She flatted out on the bike back in London and was crushed...this time she did it all right and brings home the first US Gold ever in Womens triathlon!

    And finally...on to womens indoor volleyball. We were playing the Netherlands for the Bronze...game 1 we won 25/23 (close)...game 2 we WERE winning when my recording stopped AGAIN. Getting tired of this NBC! I can't tell you how many events I've had to look online to see how it finished cuz your stupid broadcast stopped short. There MUST be a better way to view the Olympics...such as On Demand, sport by sport, event by event! I don't care if it's delayed a few hours...let me pick the events I want to watch, and ONLY see those events! Just a thought. Anyway...had to look online, and our ladies finished out game 2 and then game 3...and won the bronze. Good for them!!! I know they were crushed to lose that semi final to Serbia...(who then lost to China for the Gold).

    Anyway, that wraps up todays coverage...tomorrow it's all over with...boo hoo (and hooray at the same time!) Good night!

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