Beach Volleyball - More Than Just Fun in the Sun!
From Day 5 blog (Sunday, July 29, 2012):
---
I managed to get through security pretty easily and eventually found myself staring at the mass of metal that made up the beach volleyball stadium. It looked like an unfinished stadium from the outside, but the venue was actually pretty nice. I sat pretty high up, so I had a terrific view of the ferris wheel in the middle of the city and a tiny glimpse of Big Ben. The match I got to see featured the Netherlands against Venezuela. Unlike the quiet atmosphere of Wimbledon, beach volleyball was chock full of entertainment! They played music between just about every point, including some famous American songs like Back in Black from AC-DC and Party Rock Anthem from LMFAO. During timeouts, they would either bring out some dancers in beach attire to entertain the crowd, or they would bring out the sand raking team. This was my favorite part because every time they came out, the stadium started to play the Benny Hill theme. It was totally British. I also loved the fact that before certain points, the stadium would play this short southwestern tune, after which the crowd would cheer, "Ole!!!" I watched the end of the first set, which the Netherlands won. The Dutch players had a clear size advantage on the two Venezuelan players. Venezuela was scrappy, however, and they were very good at defense. They got off to a quick start in the second set and managed to hold on and win, sending the match to a deciding third set. However, the sun had faded at this point, and it begun to rain. It was funny seeing everyone scramble to put their ponchos on or break out their umbrellas. It all looked very rehearsed, as if this always happens in London (which, believe it or not, it does). I just brought my umbrella, so I opened it to protect myself. However, due to my height, I had become a burden for the people behind me, who complained that they could not see anything. I tried crouching with the umbrella, but it was very uncomfortable for my back and my back was getting poured on. After a couple more points in the third set, I decided that I had my fill and left the stadium. I stuck around for a little bit to see if the rain would subside, but with no end in sight, I began to head downtown.
---
History: Beach volleyball has been an Olympic sport since the 1996 games in Atlanta. Before that, it was a demonstration event back in 1992. The two most dominant countries in Olympic beach volleyball, men and women, have been the United States (6 gold medals, 9 medals total in 5 different Olympic years) and Brazil (2 gold medals, 11 medals total).
---
I managed to get through security pretty easily and eventually found myself staring at the mass of metal that made up the beach volleyball stadium. It looked like an unfinished stadium from the outside, but the venue was actually pretty nice. I sat pretty high up, so I had a terrific view of the ferris wheel in the middle of the city and a tiny glimpse of Big Ben. The match I got to see featured the Netherlands against Venezuela. Unlike the quiet atmosphere of Wimbledon, beach volleyball was chock full of entertainment! They played music between just about every point, including some famous American songs like Back in Black from AC-DC and Party Rock Anthem from LMFAO. During timeouts, they would either bring out some dancers in beach attire to entertain the crowd, or they would bring out the sand raking team. This was my favorite part because every time they came out, the stadium started to play the Benny Hill theme. It was totally British. I also loved the fact that before certain points, the stadium would play this short southwestern tune, after which the crowd would cheer, "Ole!!!" I watched the end of the first set, which the Netherlands won. The Dutch players had a clear size advantage on the two Venezuelan players. Venezuela was scrappy, however, and they were very good at defense. They got off to a quick start in the second set and managed to hold on and win, sending the match to a deciding third set. However, the sun had faded at this point, and it begun to rain. It was funny seeing everyone scramble to put their ponchos on or break out their umbrellas. It all looked very rehearsed, as if this always happens in London (which, believe it or not, it does). I just brought my umbrella, so I opened it to protect myself. However, due to my height, I had become a burden for the people behind me, who complained that they could not see anything. I tried crouching with the umbrella, but it was very uncomfortable for my back and my back was getting poured on. After a couple more points in the third set, I decided that I had my fill and left the stadium. I stuck around for a little bit to see if the rain would subside, but with no end in sight, I began to head downtown.
---
History: Beach volleyball has been an Olympic sport since the 1996 games in Atlanta. Before that, it was a demonstration event back in 1992. The two most dominant countries in Olympic beach volleyball, men and women, have been the United States (6 gold medals, 9 medals total in 5 different Olympic years) and Brazil (2 gold medals, 11 medals total).
Tennis - Fields of Green
From Day 4 blog (Saturday, July 28, 2012):
---
One word: WIMBLEDON!!!
Yes, from the moment I somehow managed to purchase this ticket, I knew that this would simply be a magical day. I had a reservation to sit at Centre Court in Wimbledon, the mecca of all tennis. Who knows who I would get to see play? I could see Andy Murray, Great Britain's proud son who fell just short of being the first Brit to win Wimbledon since the 1930s. I could see Novak Djokovic, a powerful Serbian player who had perhaps the most dominant year of any athlete in any sport in 2011, winning 3 grand slam titles. I could see Roger Federer, my favorite player of all time and perhaps the greatest player of all time, winner of 7 Wimbledon championships. Heck, I could even see some of the world's best female players, including Maria Sharapova from Russia and Serena Williams from the United States. I just could not wait to get there and experience Wimbledon in all of its raw glory.
I got my travel pass and my ticket and made my way back toward the metro station. I asked one of the Olympic volunteers about where to go in order to find this slice of tennis heaven. I boarded the Victoria line to Victoria station, then had to spelunk around the tunnels until I found the District line trains hidden away from me. I boarded one and, with the help of a young NBC intern from Chicago, was able to disembark at the correct stop. She asked me who I was seeing, and I told her that I was not sure. I told her that my ticket was good from noon to 8 p.m. at Centre Court. She then responded by saying that I would probably see Roger Federer play.
OH...MY...GOSH!!!! To see the greatest tennis player to ever live in person would be an unfathomable blessing. I began to wonder who else would be in today's lineup.
Wimbledon was a PARADISE. It was a tiny little town on the outskirts of London, filled with cute little restaurants, AMAZING sporting good shops with top-of-the-line tennis apparel, and even plenty of golf courses. It was almost like a super-sized country club. After walking for about 15 minutes, I began to approach the park. It looked just like it had on television for all the years I have watched Wimbledon. I could hardly wait to get inside and take my seat. I had to wait, though, because the gate I stood in line for was INCREDIBLY slow. Volunteers kept redirecting people passing by to go to gates 9 and 10 because they had multiple lanes and were going at a much quicker pace. I tried to be patient and wait because it looked like I was almost through. After another 15 minutes of waiting, however, I gave in and decided to head over to gate 9. Thankfully, it was the right choice. I was through the line and through security in no time flat.
I explored the interior of the park a little bit, took lots of pictures, and grabbed a bite to eat before heading into Centre Court. All around me, there were tennis matches going on: some singles, some doubles, some male, some female, and with just about every player imaginable. There were even some cool Wimbledon shops filled with Olympic apparel and big tennis balls used to receive players autographs. It was seriously as if I had died and went to tennis heaven. Little did I know how amazing it was about to get.
On my way to Centre Court, I had heard murmurs from all around me that I would also get to see Serena Williams play.
Could this day get any better???
Anyway, I went inside Centre court and took my seat in the world's finest tennis facility. I witnessed the entire second set of a match between a highly ranked Czech player named Tomas Berdych and Steve Darcis from Belgium. Surprisingly, Darcis pulled the upset over Berdych, 6-4 6-4. Berdych, who had qualified for the Wimbledon final in 2010, payed a very uneven, inconsistent match, and was bounced in the first round. Before I even had time to stretch, they brought in the next two competitors. One of them was indeed Serena Williams, and the other was former World #1 Jelena Jankovic from Serbia. I thought to myself, "This match could be a classic!"
Boy, was I wrong.
Serena took it to Jankovic, who must be past her prime as a player. She won 6-3 6-1 thanks to a dominant serve and some powerful shots. I felt so much pride rooting for my fellow American. I also found out later that Michelle Obama attended the match in support of Serena. I wish I had known that! Oh well.
Because the match ended earlier than expected, I decided to walk out, stretch my legs, and check out the Wimbledon shop. Not even ten minutes after I left, however, I could already hear clapping from inside the stadium. I frantically ran back to my seat, where I would see my boy Roger Federer in action. Federer, the 17-time grand slam champion, played Colombia's Alejandro Falla. I had remembered that back in 2010, Federer played Falla in the first round, and Falla took him to five sets. Federer struggled against Falla early, missing a lot of makeable shots and throwing away a lot of break chances. Federer managed to get a huge break to go up 5-3, though, and managed to win the first set 6-3. In the second set, despite being dominated by Falla's serve early, Federer broke Falla again to go up 4-3. Up 5-3, Federer won the first three points on Falla's serve.
3 match points. This one's in the bag, right? In fact, I even took a couple extra pictures of Federer because I did not think the match would last much longer.
Boy, was I wrong...again.
Falla won the next five points and managed to hold serve. Falla then proceeded to win the next three games thanks to some shaky play by Federer. Before you knew it, a 5-3 Federer advantage with 3 match points turned into a 7-5 set win for Falla. In the deciding third set, Federer broke Falla in the first game and won the second to go up 2-0. Falla responded by winning the next three games and breaking Federer's serve for the third time in this match. For the first time in the match, Federer was truly in danger of losing.
I recall a British family talking about the match behind me. The father said to the son, "There's something relentless about Roger Federer, isn't there?"
Champions are relentless. Champions respond in high-pressure situations.
Federer responded. Federer managed to hold serve his next game and then broke Falla twice en route to a 6-3 5-7 6-3 victory. Falla had given it all he had, but came up just short. Still, the lefty Colombian had earned Federer's respect and had essentially cemented himself as a thorn in Federer's side.
I took a couple of last-minute pictures as Federer and Falla embraced in the center of the court and as Federer waved to the crowd. The crowd was fascinating the whole time. They were very quiet for the most part, with lots of "oohs" and "aahs" during points and some big cheers after crucial or tightly contested points. Following this match, former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki was supposed to play a match. However, I decided that I had just about had my fill at that point, so I started to leave the park. Along the way, I made a quick dessert stop for some strawberries and cream. Yum yum yum...Berries and Cream, BERRIES AND CREAM, I'm just a little lad that loves BERRIESSSSSS AND CREEEEEEEAAAAMM!!!!!!!
...sorry about that...
---
From Day 8 blog (Wednesday, August 1, 2012):
---
It was time for more Wimbledon!!!
Thanks to Darci, I was able to find out who I would be seeing in today's centre court matches. The matches featured:
Serena Williams (USA) vs. Vera Zvonareva (RUS)
Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)
Andy Murray (GBR) vs. Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)
In other words: SOLID.
I got my travel card, my ticket, and my new camera and ventured off toward the metro station. I took the same Victoria to District line switch and made it to the village with about an hour to spare. I walked the same path and saw the same sights, but I took more pictures because of the camera that was now lost. I checked through security and made it back to the same, great area that captivated and inspired me just four days prior. Before entering the court, I scouted the area for food. I bought a British Banger (a sausage wrapped in bread) and a vegetable pastry. As I entered, one of the volunteers stopped me at the last minute to check my ticket. He told me that he though I was a player at first. I asked him which player he thought I looked like, and he said Roger Federer. I took that as a great compliment.
I took my seat (a little closer this time) just three games into the match. Serena was winning 2 to 1 in the first set. Darci was sitting in the row right across from me. For the next hour or so, we watched Serena put on an absolute CLINIC. Since leading 2 to 1, she completely overwhelmed Vera in every way possible. I did not see her lose a single game. The final score was 6-1 6-0. Poor Vera looked so defeated and emotional out there. During timeouts, she would cover her face with her towel. She would throw her racked against the ground about fifteen times before the match ended. I almost thought the line judge was going to disqualify her. After Serena's match, we had a little delay before the next match so the court could open its roof (it was raining earlier). Once it opened, Djokovic and Hewitt came out to warm up. However, in the middle of the second game, with Djokovic up 1-0 and Hewitt leading 40-30, it started to rain again. Darci and I facepalmed, wondering why they bothered to open the roof in the first place. After about 30 minutes of delay, the match began once again. Hewitt managed to break Novak early and win the first set. For being well past his prime, he was playing some inspired tennis against the world Number 2. In set two (Darci had left around this time to get some food), Djokovic's two breaks outweighed Hewitt's break to win the set 7-5. In the third set, Hewitt was clearly gassed. Djokovic raised his level and pulled away from the Australian, 4-6 7-5 6-1. I loved the support that Hewitt received throughout the match. There were many chants of "Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oy Oy Oy!" erupting throughout the arena. He got a standing ovation from the crowd as he left the building.
Next up was Murray against Baghdatis. The arena was (finally starting to reach capacity, as spectators poured in from left and right to see Great Britain's great hope in tennis. Andy started off slowly, losing his first two games and then losing three straight after taking a 3-2 lead in the set. He lost the first set 6-4. In the second set, Murray raised his game to another level. After he got an early break of Marcos' serve, I decided to take a quick bathroom break and grab a snack. I ate a British ice cream cone with "exploding" candy inside. Delicious! I returned to my seat to find that the third set had already begun. Andy won the second set 6-1. He got an early break, but had to hold off Baghdatis every step of the way to finally win the match (4-6 6-1 6-4). In just five days, I had managed to see Serena Williams and three of the top four men's players in the world all win matches. I had an amazing experience at Wimbledon and I wish to return someday for the actual Wimbledon tournament. Before I left, I took a couple of last-second pictures, including some of former women's Number 1 Caroline Wozniacki, who was making her way onto the court to play a late match. Definitely not losing these...
---
History: Lawn tennis was one of the nine sports contested in the first of the modern Olympics in 1896. It was contested until 1924, when it was dropped following arguments between the International Olympic Committee and the International Tennis Federation over who would participate in the games (amateurs or professionals). It was a demonstration event in 1968 and 1984 and it was finally added back into the Olympics at the 1988 Seoul games. In 2004, results of Olympic tennis began to be counted in the Association of Tennis Professionals and Women's Tennis Association standings. Another interesting aspect of Olympic tennis is that, depending on the venue, the playing surface can vary, which gives advantages and disadvantages to certain players.
---
One word: WIMBLEDON!!!
Yes, from the moment I somehow managed to purchase this ticket, I knew that this would simply be a magical day. I had a reservation to sit at Centre Court in Wimbledon, the mecca of all tennis. Who knows who I would get to see play? I could see Andy Murray, Great Britain's proud son who fell just short of being the first Brit to win Wimbledon since the 1930s. I could see Novak Djokovic, a powerful Serbian player who had perhaps the most dominant year of any athlete in any sport in 2011, winning 3 grand slam titles. I could see Roger Federer, my favorite player of all time and perhaps the greatest player of all time, winner of 7 Wimbledon championships. Heck, I could even see some of the world's best female players, including Maria Sharapova from Russia and Serena Williams from the United States. I just could not wait to get there and experience Wimbledon in all of its raw glory.
I got my travel pass and my ticket and made my way back toward the metro station. I asked one of the Olympic volunteers about where to go in order to find this slice of tennis heaven. I boarded the Victoria line to Victoria station, then had to spelunk around the tunnels until I found the District line trains hidden away from me. I boarded one and, with the help of a young NBC intern from Chicago, was able to disembark at the correct stop. She asked me who I was seeing, and I told her that I was not sure. I told her that my ticket was good from noon to 8 p.m. at Centre Court. She then responded by saying that I would probably see Roger Federer play.
OH...MY...GOSH!!!! To see the greatest tennis player to ever live in person would be an unfathomable blessing. I began to wonder who else would be in today's lineup.
Wimbledon was a PARADISE. It was a tiny little town on the outskirts of London, filled with cute little restaurants, AMAZING sporting good shops with top-of-the-line tennis apparel, and even plenty of golf courses. It was almost like a super-sized country club. After walking for about 15 minutes, I began to approach the park. It looked just like it had on television for all the years I have watched Wimbledon. I could hardly wait to get inside and take my seat. I had to wait, though, because the gate I stood in line for was INCREDIBLY slow. Volunteers kept redirecting people passing by to go to gates 9 and 10 because they had multiple lanes and were going at a much quicker pace. I tried to be patient and wait because it looked like I was almost through. After another 15 minutes of waiting, however, I gave in and decided to head over to gate 9. Thankfully, it was the right choice. I was through the line and through security in no time flat.
I explored the interior of the park a little bit, took lots of pictures, and grabbed a bite to eat before heading into Centre Court. All around me, there were tennis matches going on: some singles, some doubles, some male, some female, and with just about every player imaginable. There were even some cool Wimbledon shops filled with Olympic apparel and big tennis balls used to receive players autographs. It was seriously as if I had died and went to tennis heaven. Little did I know how amazing it was about to get.
On my way to Centre Court, I had heard murmurs from all around me that I would also get to see Serena Williams play.
Could this day get any better???
Anyway, I went inside Centre court and took my seat in the world's finest tennis facility. I witnessed the entire second set of a match between a highly ranked Czech player named Tomas Berdych and Steve Darcis from Belgium. Surprisingly, Darcis pulled the upset over Berdych, 6-4 6-4. Berdych, who had qualified for the Wimbledon final in 2010, payed a very uneven, inconsistent match, and was bounced in the first round. Before I even had time to stretch, they brought in the next two competitors. One of them was indeed Serena Williams, and the other was former World #1 Jelena Jankovic from Serbia. I thought to myself, "This match could be a classic!"
Boy, was I wrong.
Serena took it to Jankovic, who must be past her prime as a player. She won 6-3 6-1 thanks to a dominant serve and some powerful shots. I felt so much pride rooting for my fellow American. I also found out later that Michelle Obama attended the match in support of Serena. I wish I had known that! Oh well.
Because the match ended earlier than expected, I decided to walk out, stretch my legs, and check out the Wimbledon shop. Not even ten minutes after I left, however, I could already hear clapping from inside the stadium. I frantically ran back to my seat, where I would see my boy Roger Federer in action. Federer, the 17-time grand slam champion, played Colombia's Alejandro Falla. I had remembered that back in 2010, Federer played Falla in the first round, and Falla took him to five sets. Federer struggled against Falla early, missing a lot of makeable shots and throwing away a lot of break chances. Federer managed to get a huge break to go up 5-3, though, and managed to win the first set 6-3. In the second set, despite being dominated by Falla's serve early, Federer broke Falla again to go up 4-3. Up 5-3, Federer won the first three points on Falla's serve.
3 match points. This one's in the bag, right? In fact, I even took a couple extra pictures of Federer because I did not think the match would last much longer.
Boy, was I wrong...again.
Falla won the next five points and managed to hold serve. Falla then proceeded to win the next three games thanks to some shaky play by Federer. Before you knew it, a 5-3 Federer advantage with 3 match points turned into a 7-5 set win for Falla. In the deciding third set, Federer broke Falla in the first game and won the second to go up 2-0. Falla responded by winning the next three games and breaking Federer's serve for the third time in this match. For the first time in the match, Federer was truly in danger of losing.
I recall a British family talking about the match behind me. The father said to the son, "There's something relentless about Roger Federer, isn't there?"
Champions are relentless. Champions respond in high-pressure situations.
Federer responded. Federer managed to hold serve his next game and then broke Falla twice en route to a 6-3 5-7 6-3 victory. Falla had given it all he had, but came up just short. Still, the lefty Colombian had earned Federer's respect and had essentially cemented himself as a thorn in Federer's side.
I took a couple of last-minute pictures as Federer and Falla embraced in the center of the court and as Federer waved to the crowd. The crowd was fascinating the whole time. They were very quiet for the most part, with lots of "oohs" and "aahs" during points and some big cheers after crucial or tightly contested points. Following this match, former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki was supposed to play a match. However, I decided that I had just about had my fill at that point, so I started to leave the park. Along the way, I made a quick dessert stop for some strawberries and cream. Yum yum yum...Berries and Cream, BERRIES AND CREAM, I'm just a little lad that loves BERRIESSSSSS AND CREEEEEEEAAAAMM!!!!!!!
...sorry about that...
---
From Day 8 blog (Wednesday, August 1, 2012):
---
It was time for more Wimbledon!!!
Thanks to Darci, I was able to find out who I would be seeing in today's centre court matches. The matches featured:
Serena Williams (USA) vs. Vera Zvonareva (RUS)
Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)
Andy Murray (GBR) vs. Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)
In other words: SOLID.
I got my travel card, my ticket, and my new camera and ventured off toward the metro station. I took the same Victoria to District line switch and made it to the village with about an hour to spare. I walked the same path and saw the same sights, but I took more pictures because of the camera that was now lost. I checked through security and made it back to the same, great area that captivated and inspired me just four days prior. Before entering the court, I scouted the area for food. I bought a British Banger (a sausage wrapped in bread) and a vegetable pastry. As I entered, one of the volunteers stopped me at the last minute to check my ticket. He told me that he though I was a player at first. I asked him which player he thought I looked like, and he said Roger Federer. I took that as a great compliment.
I took my seat (a little closer this time) just three games into the match. Serena was winning 2 to 1 in the first set. Darci was sitting in the row right across from me. For the next hour or so, we watched Serena put on an absolute CLINIC. Since leading 2 to 1, she completely overwhelmed Vera in every way possible. I did not see her lose a single game. The final score was 6-1 6-0. Poor Vera looked so defeated and emotional out there. During timeouts, she would cover her face with her towel. She would throw her racked against the ground about fifteen times before the match ended. I almost thought the line judge was going to disqualify her. After Serena's match, we had a little delay before the next match so the court could open its roof (it was raining earlier). Once it opened, Djokovic and Hewitt came out to warm up. However, in the middle of the second game, with Djokovic up 1-0 and Hewitt leading 40-30, it started to rain again. Darci and I facepalmed, wondering why they bothered to open the roof in the first place. After about 30 minutes of delay, the match began once again. Hewitt managed to break Novak early and win the first set. For being well past his prime, he was playing some inspired tennis against the world Number 2. In set two (Darci had left around this time to get some food), Djokovic's two breaks outweighed Hewitt's break to win the set 7-5. In the third set, Hewitt was clearly gassed. Djokovic raised his level and pulled away from the Australian, 4-6 7-5 6-1. I loved the support that Hewitt received throughout the match. There were many chants of "Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oy Oy Oy!" erupting throughout the arena. He got a standing ovation from the crowd as he left the building.
Next up was Murray against Baghdatis. The arena was (finally starting to reach capacity, as spectators poured in from left and right to see Great Britain's great hope in tennis. Andy started off slowly, losing his first two games and then losing three straight after taking a 3-2 lead in the set. He lost the first set 6-4. In the second set, Murray raised his game to another level. After he got an early break of Marcos' serve, I decided to take a quick bathroom break and grab a snack. I ate a British ice cream cone with "exploding" candy inside. Delicious! I returned to my seat to find that the third set had already begun. Andy won the second set 6-1. He got an early break, but had to hold off Baghdatis every step of the way to finally win the match (4-6 6-1 6-4). In just five days, I had managed to see Serena Williams and three of the top four men's players in the world all win matches. I had an amazing experience at Wimbledon and I wish to return someday for the actual Wimbledon tournament. Before I left, I took a couple of last-second pictures, including some of former women's Number 1 Caroline Wozniacki, who was making her way onto the court to play a late match. Definitely not losing these...
---
History: Lawn tennis was one of the nine sports contested in the first of the modern Olympics in 1896. It was contested until 1924, when it was dropped following arguments between the International Olympic Committee and the International Tennis Federation over who would participate in the games (amateurs or professionals). It was a demonstration event in 1968 and 1984 and it was finally added back into the Olympics at the 1988 Seoul games. In 2004, results of Olympic tennis began to be counted in the Association of Tennis Professionals and Women's Tennis Association standings. Another interesting aspect of Olympic tennis is that, depending on the venue, the playing surface can vary, which gives advantages and disadvantages to certain players.
Basketball - Going Global
From Day 9 blog (Thursday, August 2, 2012):
---
"I am at the Olympic games!"
I followed the signs to the basketball arena, where I would be posting up (haha get it?) for the next couple of hours. Thanks to Darci's Olympic app, I was able to find out beforehand what games I would be watching. Unfortunately, none of them involved the United States. Instead, I would have to watch Argentina vs. Tunisia and Russia vs. Brazil. Along the way to the arena, I took lots of pictures and marveled at all the venues within the park. There was an enormous Olympic Megastore that I made a point of visiting before I left. There was an enormous McDonalds. There were plenty of large booths and buildings dedicated to all of the main Olympic sponsors. The whole area was action-packed.
After about a half hour of walking, I managed to find the arena. I found my seat, which was WAY up toward the very top rows. I could see the players decently; it's not as if they were some unidentifiable dots. When I arrived, it was already late in the second quarter of the first game. Argentina and Tunisia were locked in a tight contest, and they entered halftime deadlocked at 41. I had heard from someone sitting near me that Tunisia actually had a 14-point lead early on. This Tunisia squad surprised me; I watched them a little bit a couple of nights ago when they played the United States. The US was a 55-point favorite to win that game, and although they came somewhat close to matching that number in the end, they struggled to pull away early on. After an entertaining halftime show that involved male dancers, the second half was about to begin. Argentina managed to blow the game open early on. Manu Ginobili from the San Antonio Spurs was hitting just about every shot he took. He had 24 points by about the halfway mark of the third quarter, and he sat for the remainder of the game pretty much (they brought him in for the last two minutes, for some reason). Luis Scola from the Houston Rockets was having his way with Tunisia in the post, recording a double-double. Carlos Delfino, currently an NBA free agent, was a little trigger-happy, but he managed to get his points. I was very impressed by Argentina's point guard, Facundo Campazzo. He lead an Argentina attack characterized by beautiful ball movement and wide-open shots. It was like watching the Spurs play last season in the NBA. Argentina ended up winning the game 92-69, and the whole crowd was treated to the passionate singing of the Argentine fans. After the game, I decided to leave the arena and grab a quick snack before the next game began. I stuck around my seat for a bit, though, because the guy sitting next to me forgot his bag. Eventually, I went down to an Olympic volunteer and handed him the bag, but then the guy thankfully showed up and claimed his bag.
Outside the stadium, I stood in a lengthy food line to get a delicious chocolate muffin. After devouring the treat, I went back inside to see both teams warming up. I did not know a whole lot about Russia's team, but I knew that Brazil was solid and would probably go far. Brazil had a handful of talented NBA players, including Nene Hilario from the Washington Wizards, Anderson Varejao from the Cleveland Cavaliers (aka "Wild Thing"), Leandro Barbosa from the Indiana Pacers, and Tiago Splitter (Stephen A. Smith's favorite player) from the San Antonio Spurs. I had seen that Russia had a couple of recognizable players as well, including Andrei Kirilenko (AK-47) from the Minnesota Timberwolves, Timofey Mozgov from the Denver Nuggets, and Sasha Kaun, who currently plays for a team in Moscow but won a national championship with the Kansas Jayhawks in 2008.
The game was very close the entire way. Just as it looked like one team would pull away, the other came storming back to make things even. Russia led most of the game thanks to their size and penetration ability. Brazil had a lot of point-blank opportunities early on, but could not convert. They started to heat up in the fourth quarter, grabbing the lead and looking to run away with the game. Barbosa, the "Brazilian Blur," was getting to the basket at will. However, the 3-point shooters from Russia quickly became a factor late. One hit a three to tie the game at 72, and after a Brazilian player made a basket with six seconds left, another Russian guard hit an off-balance three with the defender all over him with about two seconds left. Brazil could not answer, and the pro-Brazil crowd fell silent as the final buzzer sounded. Russia had remained undefeated in group play and had given Brazil its first loss, 75-74. It was a remarkable game with a remarkable finish.
---
History: Men's basketball has been in the Summer Olympics since 1936, and women's basketball since 1976. Basketball was once a demonstration event in the Olympics that began in the 1904 St. Louis games. Prior to the 1992 games in Barcelona, the participants were required to be amateur. However, in 1989, FIBA president Borislav Stankovic approved a rule that allowed professional basketball players to compete in the Olympics. As a result, the United States formed the "Dream Team," a basketball team chock-full of some of the greatest NBA players of all time. These included Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Ervin "Magic" Johnson, Charles Barkeley, and others. The team won the gold medal and won all of its games by more than 40 points a game. In men's and women's hoops, the United States has been the dominant country. U.S. men have won 14 gold medals in 17 Olympic tournaments (5 of the last 6 since allowing for professional participation), and U.S. women have won 7 gold medals in 9 Olympic tournaments.
---
"I am at the Olympic games!"
I followed the signs to the basketball arena, where I would be posting up (haha get it?) for the next couple of hours. Thanks to Darci's Olympic app, I was able to find out beforehand what games I would be watching. Unfortunately, none of them involved the United States. Instead, I would have to watch Argentina vs. Tunisia and Russia vs. Brazil. Along the way to the arena, I took lots of pictures and marveled at all the venues within the park. There was an enormous Olympic Megastore that I made a point of visiting before I left. There was an enormous McDonalds. There were plenty of large booths and buildings dedicated to all of the main Olympic sponsors. The whole area was action-packed.
After about a half hour of walking, I managed to find the arena. I found my seat, which was WAY up toward the very top rows. I could see the players decently; it's not as if they were some unidentifiable dots. When I arrived, it was already late in the second quarter of the first game. Argentina and Tunisia were locked in a tight contest, and they entered halftime deadlocked at 41. I had heard from someone sitting near me that Tunisia actually had a 14-point lead early on. This Tunisia squad surprised me; I watched them a little bit a couple of nights ago when they played the United States. The US was a 55-point favorite to win that game, and although they came somewhat close to matching that number in the end, they struggled to pull away early on. After an entertaining halftime show that involved male dancers, the second half was about to begin. Argentina managed to blow the game open early on. Manu Ginobili from the San Antonio Spurs was hitting just about every shot he took. He had 24 points by about the halfway mark of the third quarter, and he sat for the remainder of the game pretty much (they brought him in for the last two minutes, for some reason). Luis Scola from the Houston Rockets was having his way with Tunisia in the post, recording a double-double. Carlos Delfino, currently an NBA free agent, was a little trigger-happy, but he managed to get his points. I was very impressed by Argentina's point guard, Facundo Campazzo. He lead an Argentina attack characterized by beautiful ball movement and wide-open shots. It was like watching the Spurs play last season in the NBA. Argentina ended up winning the game 92-69, and the whole crowd was treated to the passionate singing of the Argentine fans. After the game, I decided to leave the arena and grab a quick snack before the next game began. I stuck around my seat for a bit, though, because the guy sitting next to me forgot his bag. Eventually, I went down to an Olympic volunteer and handed him the bag, but then the guy thankfully showed up and claimed his bag.
Outside the stadium, I stood in a lengthy food line to get a delicious chocolate muffin. After devouring the treat, I went back inside to see both teams warming up. I did not know a whole lot about Russia's team, but I knew that Brazil was solid and would probably go far. Brazil had a handful of talented NBA players, including Nene Hilario from the Washington Wizards, Anderson Varejao from the Cleveland Cavaliers (aka "Wild Thing"), Leandro Barbosa from the Indiana Pacers, and Tiago Splitter (Stephen A. Smith's favorite player) from the San Antonio Spurs. I had seen that Russia had a couple of recognizable players as well, including Andrei Kirilenko (AK-47) from the Minnesota Timberwolves, Timofey Mozgov from the Denver Nuggets, and Sasha Kaun, who currently plays for a team in Moscow but won a national championship with the Kansas Jayhawks in 2008.
The game was very close the entire way. Just as it looked like one team would pull away, the other came storming back to make things even. Russia led most of the game thanks to their size and penetration ability. Brazil had a lot of point-blank opportunities early on, but could not convert. They started to heat up in the fourth quarter, grabbing the lead and looking to run away with the game. Barbosa, the "Brazilian Blur," was getting to the basket at will. However, the 3-point shooters from Russia quickly became a factor late. One hit a three to tie the game at 72, and after a Brazilian player made a basket with six seconds left, another Russian guard hit an off-balance three with the defender all over him with about two seconds left. Brazil could not answer, and the pro-Brazil crowd fell silent as the final buzzer sounded. Russia had remained undefeated in group play and had given Brazil its first loss, 75-74. It was a remarkable game with a remarkable finish.
---
History: Men's basketball has been in the Summer Olympics since 1936, and women's basketball since 1976. Basketball was once a demonstration event in the Olympics that began in the 1904 St. Louis games. Prior to the 1992 games in Barcelona, the participants were required to be amateur. However, in 1989, FIBA president Borislav Stankovic approved a rule that allowed professional basketball players to compete in the Olympics. As a result, the United States formed the "Dream Team," a basketball team chock-full of some of the greatest NBA players of all time. These included Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Ervin "Magic" Johnson, Charles Barkeley, and others. The team won the gold medal and won all of its games by more than 40 points a game. In men's and women's hoops, the United States has been the dominant country. U.S. men have won 14 gold medals in 17 Olympic tournaments (5 of the last 6 since allowing for professional participation), and U.S. women have won 7 gold medals in 9 Olympic tournaments.
Ping Pong - Don't Blink
From Day 11 blog (Saturday, August 4, 2012):
---
Table Tennis
I ventured toward the metro station and found out where to go to get to the Excel center, where my matches would be. I took a couple of trains to get to a DLR station. The DLR was some sort of overground rail service that took people to the outskirts of London. I boarded the train and traveled toward the Excel arena, eagerly anticipating the high-octane action I was about to see. I got off at the correct station and walked toward Excel, which was like a huge convention center (think IX center near Cleveland). I grabbed some fish and chips at a nearby food vendor before entering the center to increase my energy level. I also took lots of pictures of the surroundings along the way.
The Excel center featured some of the more obscure Olympic sports. These included weightlifting, boxing, table tennis, judo, fencing, and others. I found the correct area where my match would be and made it to my seat. The arena featured three different platforms with blue table tennis tables and virtual scoreboards for each court. The announcer got everybody excited for the upcoming matches and then introduced the teams. The matches that I watched were called team matches. This involved teams of three female players and a coach. The matches were set up in a best 3 out of 5 format. The first two parts of the match would be singles matches that featured each team's best two singles players. The third part would be a doubles match. If necessary, the last two parts (or just one) would be two (or one) more singles match. The two matches that were going on at this time (the same time) were Hong Kong-China (this was a nation, I guess because China is just too big) vs. Korea Republic and Democratic People's Republic of Korea vs. Singapore. Before I entered the arena, I looked at the brackets for team matches and for singles and saw that the VAST majority of teams still alive hailed from Southeast Asia. Can't say I was too surprised...
As I expected, the matches that I saw were extremely entertaining. The high-speed rallies and the type of strategy employed in these showdowns were truly something to behold. The players were so skilled at keeping the ball on the table, no matter how far it drifted away from the table. The serves had a ton of spin and a lot less velocity than I would have predicted. I just kept imagining myself out there playing against these super-human females. I would probably find a way to lose every single point. Doubles was also very interesting. I originally thought that each player would just stay on one side of the table and hit the ball back if it came to their side. Instead, one player would play behind another for a while as if she was delivering a surprise attack. The players would separate if they needed to track down a wide shot to put the ball back in play. They moved with so much coordination and timing, it was almost like they were executing some complicated dance routine.
I also found it a little funny how serious all the players took this sport. There were timeouts for each team, which gave the players a chance to talk to their coaches about strategy. There were towels available in nearby bins for the players to wipe their sweat-glazed foreheads. I honestly can't remember the last time I broke out into a sweat from playing table tennis. There was also a ton of emotion involved. The players would yell in triumph after just about every point. I vividly remember the second singles match between Hong Kong and South Korea. The woman from South Korea had won two of the first three games (the winner of each individual match must win three out of five in games to eleven (win by two)), with the games she won being in convincing fashion (11-4 11-3). She was CRUISING in the fourth game, up 6-1, and it looked like this match was about to be over. However, as the great Lee Corso would say:
"Not so fast, my friend!"
The woman from Hong Kong came alive, winning eleven of the next fifteen points to win the fourth game and tie the overall count at two. Time for game five. The woman from Hong Kong carried her momentum from the previous game to take a 7-1 lead. Dating back to the last game, she had won eighteen of the last twenty three points against the woman from South Korea (I couldn't pronounce any of their names correctly). The woman from South Korea looked frustrated, anguished, defeated. It did not help that the vast majority of the crowd was pulling for Hong Kong. At 7-1, the next rally lasted for a long time, but the woman from South Korea finally got a break by returning a shot that just clipped the net and threw off the woman from Hong Kong's timing, causing her to miss the shot. Following this fortuitous bounce, the woman from South Korea seized back all of her momentum by winning ten of the next thirteen points to win the fifth game 12-10. The sports concept of momentum was on full display throughout this entire match. After hitting the winning point, the woman from South Korea, who had looked so upset just ten minutes ago, collapsed on the floor in extreme jubilation. She managed to swing the match at exactly the right time, outsmarting and outhitting the woman from Hong Kong while fighting off the crowd in the process. Even though it is table tennis, these are still moments that any true Olympic fan lives for.
I managed to see Singapore defeat North Korea three matches to zero. South Korea was leading Hong Kong two matches to zero as their doubles match was getting underway. This was about the time that I decided to leave. I had seen plenty in the hour and a half that I spent at this arena. I couldn't wait until the next time I would play table tennis. Perhaps I could use some of what I learned to help improve my game!
---
History: Table tennis has been in the Olympics since the 1988 Summer games in Seoul, South Korea. These events include both men's and women's singles and both men's and women's team matches (for further explanation, read the blog entry). The big story surrounding Olympic table tennis is the absolute dominance by China. In seven years of competition, China has won 47 total medals (second is South Korea with 18) and 24 gold medals out of 28 total competitions. In fact, in 2012, the format was altered to allow only two competitors per country to participate in the singles competitions. In the past, China would sweep gold, silver, and bronze in most events.
---
Table Tennis
I ventured toward the metro station and found out where to go to get to the Excel center, where my matches would be. I took a couple of trains to get to a DLR station. The DLR was some sort of overground rail service that took people to the outskirts of London. I boarded the train and traveled toward the Excel arena, eagerly anticipating the high-octane action I was about to see. I got off at the correct station and walked toward Excel, which was like a huge convention center (think IX center near Cleveland). I grabbed some fish and chips at a nearby food vendor before entering the center to increase my energy level. I also took lots of pictures of the surroundings along the way.
The Excel center featured some of the more obscure Olympic sports. These included weightlifting, boxing, table tennis, judo, fencing, and others. I found the correct area where my match would be and made it to my seat. The arena featured three different platforms with blue table tennis tables and virtual scoreboards for each court. The announcer got everybody excited for the upcoming matches and then introduced the teams. The matches that I watched were called team matches. This involved teams of three female players and a coach. The matches were set up in a best 3 out of 5 format. The first two parts of the match would be singles matches that featured each team's best two singles players. The third part would be a doubles match. If necessary, the last two parts (or just one) would be two (or one) more singles match. The two matches that were going on at this time (the same time) were Hong Kong-China (this was a nation, I guess because China is just too big) vs. Korea Republic and Democratic People's Republic of Korea vs. Singapore. Before I entered the arena, I looked at the brackets for team matches and for singles and saw that the VAST majority of teams still alive hailed from Southeast Asia. Can't say I was too surprised...
As I expected, the matches that I saw were extremely entertaining. The high-speed rallies and the type of strategy employed in these showdowns were truly something to behold. The players were so skilled at keeping the ball on the table, no matter how far it drifted away from the table. The serves had a ton of spin and a lot less velocity than I would have predicted. I just kept imagining myself out there playing against these super-human females. I would probably find a way to lose every single point. Doubles was also very interesting. I originally thought that each player would just stay on one side of the table and hit the ball back if it came to their side. Instead, one player would play behind another for a while as if she was delivering a surprise attack. The players would separate if they needed to track down a wide shot to put the ball back in play. They moved with so much coordination and timing, it was almost like they were executing some complicated dance routine.
I also found it a little funny how serious all the players took this sport. There were timeouts for each team, which gave the players a chance to talk to their coaches about strategy. There were towels available in nearby bins for the players to wipe their sweat-glazed foreheads. I honestly can't remember the last time I broke out into a sweat from playing table tennis. There was also a ton of emotion involved. The players would yell in triumph after just about every point. I vividly remember the second singles match between Hong Kong and South Korea. The woman from South Korea had won two of the first three games (the winner of each individual match must win three out of five in games to eleven (win by two)), with the games she won being in convincing fashion (11-4 11-3). She was CRUISING in the fourth game, up 6-1, and it looked like this match was about to be over. However, as the great Lee Corso would say:
"Not so fast, my friend!"
The woman from Hong Kong came alive, winning eleven of the next fifteen points to win the fourth game and tie the overall count at two. Time for game five. The woman from Hong Kong carried her momentum from the previous game to take a 7-1 lead. Dating back to the last game, she had won eighteen of the last twenty three points against the woman from South Korea (I couldn't pronounce any of their names correctly). The woman from South Korea looked frustrated, anguished, defeated. It did not help that the vast majority of the crowd was pulling for Hong Kong. At 7-1, the next rally lasted for a long time, but the woman from South Korea finally got a break by returning a shot that just clipped the net and threw off the woman from Hong Kong's timing, causing her to miss the shot. Following this fortuitous bounce, the woman from South Korea seized back all of her momentum by winning ten of the next thirteen points to win the fifth game 12-10. The sports concept of momentum was on full display throughout this entire match. After hitting the winning point, the woman from South Korea, who had looked so upset just ten minutes ago, collapsed on the floor in extreme jubilation. She managed to swing the match at exactly the right time, outsmarting and outhitting the woman from Hong Kong while fighting off the crowd in the process. Even though it is table tennis, these are still moments that any true Olympic fan lives for.
I managed to see Singapore defeat North Korea three matches to zero. South Korea was leading Hong Kong two matches to zero as their doubles match was getting underway. This was about the time that I decided to leave. I had seen plenty in the hour and a half that I spent at this arena. I couldn't wait until the next time I would play table tennis. Perhaps I could use some of what I learned to help improve my game!
---
History: Table tennis has been in the Olympics since the 1988 Summer games in Seoul, South Korea. These events include both men's and women's singles and both men's and women's team matches (for further explanation, read the blog entry). The big story surrounding Olympic table tennis is the absolute dominance by China. In seven years of competition, China has won 47 total medals (second is South Korea with 18) and 24 gold medals out of 28 total competitions. In fact, in 2012, the format was altered to allow only two competitors per country to participate in the singles competitions. In the past, China would sweep gold, silver, and bronze in most events.