Here is a few of them
1) Medal winner from my middle school
Yep, I was in the same middle school as an Olympic medal winner.
The middle school was Kawananakoa Middle School. And the medal winner is Clarrissa Chun, the bronze medalist in women's wrestling.
photo from Associated Press
Clarrissa Chun (on top)
I didn't know her well back then. We weren't in the same classes, even though we were in the same grade.
I just knew of her existence from the yearbook. After receiving the yearbook, I pretty much studied every page, even memorizing students I hardly even know.
Anyways, after middle school, most Kawananakoa students either go to McKinley High School or Roosevelt High School. Both schools named after presidents. I went to McKinley, Chun went to Roosevelt. So I never got a chance to interact with her.
In high school, I would check the sports page, to check for middle school classmates who played for different high schools, and I did notice Chun did play judo, wrestling, and other sports.
Fast forward to 2008, Chun did go to the Beijing Olympics, but was 5th place, no medal.
Fast forward to 2012, my former middle school classmates on facebook were excited to see one of their own back in the Olympics, hopefully to get the gold!
Chun didn't get the gold, but she did win the bronze match against the same Ukrainian wrestler who beat her in 2008.
photo from Associated Press
photo from Associated Press
Congratulations Clarissa Chun!
2) Saudi Arabia sport enters the 21st century
Saudi Arabia is an extremely conservative Muslim country that puts restrictive laws on women.
Women are not allowed to drive. They're not even allowed to go out of the house without permission from a male relative!
Saudi Arabia gets away with this because they have tons of oil to sell!
But they were about to be banned from the Olympics unless they start to allow women athletes to enter the Olympics.
Well, the one who is competing in track is not even from Saudi Arabia.
Sarah Attar is from California, but her dad is from Saudi Arabia, so she was eligible for dual citizenship.
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/20120809_saudi_woman_makes_history.html?id=165559076
photo from Associated Press
Sarah Attar
Now, Saudi Arabia will need to take extra steps into the 21st century, by allowing more freedom for its female population and encourage more physical activity from them. And then, they won't have to import Saudi descendants in other lands to fill its women's teams.After all, now that we found more oil in North America, now that we got fracking technology to access that oil, the US will be less reliant on Middle East oil! That we will be buying less oil from Saudi Arabia will isolate that country more!
If we don't need Saudi oil, then it wouldn't be worth much to invest there if they continue to put BS restrictions on 1/2 the population.
Time for the Saudi society to grow up, enter the 21st century, and end gender apartheid!
3) Gabrielle Douglas
Gabrielle (aka Gabby) Douglas has made history as the first African-American gymnast to win the gold medal in the women's individual all-around gymnastics
photo from Reuters
Gabby Douglas
Of course, this brought up comparisons to Dominique Dawes (another African-American gymnast, who won in 1996 Olympics) as well as other African-Americans who competed in "mostly white sports" like Tiger Woods, and the Williams sisters.
But the big issue that really shouldn't be, is her hair.
There was so much negative comments about Douglas' hairstyle and the even more sad thing about it was that it came from other African-Americans. It's "black-on-black" bullying.
This "black-on-black" bullying on hairstyle goes back to the Jim Crow days, when many African-Americans tried to conform to "white society" by making their hair thinner using chemicals. This still goes on, even decades after Jim Crow was over.
Some will view this "black-on-black" bullying on hairstyle as just an annoyance, but as talk-show host Larry Elder mention, this could have some serious, even deadly consequences.
photo from townhall.com
Larry Elder
and Larry Elder ends with this
Many black women wear chemically treated hair, and water makes the hair revert to its natural kinky texture. Since treating the hair again takes time and costs money, many black women simply choose not to go into the water to avoid damage to the chemically treated hair. Why bother learning how to swim?
Couple this with the fact that 70 percent of black kids are born without a father in the home, and this often means there is no one in the home who knows how to swim and can teach it.
Fox's black sports columnist Jason Whitlock said: "We have a health crisis in the African-American community, and it's particularly acute with African-American women, and some of it is related to their hair. They're afraid to exercise because they don't want to sweat and hurt their hair. ... It's a $9 billion industry, straightening out our hair."
Dawes said: "It's what we call the 'creamy crack' (straightening out our hair). ... A number of women will not work out, because they don't want to sweat that perm out. They spent so much money. Nowadays, it's about $120-plus to get your hair relaxed. ... They don't want to sweat their hair out, so they're not going to work out, and they're not going to jump in the pool. And it's a shame because it really is costing us African-American women our health."
Now then, Gabby hair haters, think about this. In calling Gabby's hair "ratch," are you dissuading young blacks from protecting themselves by exercising or learning how to swim?
Thank you Larry Elder.
4) Facial expressions aren't everything
I sometimes hear people say nonsense like "facial expressions say it all".
No it doesn't. Sometimes, they say NOTHING at all!
But USA gymnast McKayla Maroney has been getting lots of flack over her "serious looking" facial expressions.
photo from Associated Press/Salon
McKayla Maroney
McKayla Maroney is not going to win any medals for congeniality. As a member of the U.S. gymnastics team’s “Fab Five,” she’s the one Least Likely to Crack a Smile. But if you think that automatically makes her a sore loser, or worse, that it justifies calling a 16-year-old girl a brat or a bitch, please report to the nearest rock and crawl under it.
(skipped paragraphs)
That face, that tough, steely look, has been a wide-open opportunity for would-be comics to poke fun at Maroney’s “Oh, hell no” countenance, and to riff on her “mean girl” persona. She’s had entire galleries devoted to her “bitch face,” which also serves as her unofficial nickname. She’s been a “fool” and a “brat” and a “baby,” a “snobby,” “pissy” “diva.” Well, what do you expect from the same civilization that also brought you the endless ragging on Gabby Douglas’ hair?
Look, I've known people who look "grumpy" or "overly serious" when I first met them, but when you get to know them, they're really nice people. They just have a tendency to frown.
I had the opposite issue. I had people asking me in middle school "why are you smiling so much" when I didn't even know I was smiling! Honest! I don't spend much time paying attention to my facial expression.
For some reason, that happened more often at middle schools more than anywhere else. Even as a sub teacher, I got asked "why are you always smiling" in middle schools more than elementary or high schools.
For example, at Niu Valley Middle School, when 2 boys got of control, and I called security to come and get those boys out of the class. After I made the phone call, I heard a girl say "look, the teacher is still smiling through all this". The reality was that I wasn't even close to feeling happy at that moment! I was really irritated that those 2 boys were still play-fighting and trash talking even after I asked them to re-focus on their class-work. I could yell, but really, I know that yelling would be considered "entertainment" to the class!
But yeah, I was accused of smiling, when I was really frustrated inside.
That tells you that facial expressions TELLS YOU NOTHING and can easily fool those chumps who think "facial expressions say it all"
5) USA vs Japan --- women's soccer.
The USA women's soccer team beat Japan in the gold medal match.
But too some people, it wasn't just another game with a gold medal on the line.
History still seeped in, leading to idiotic Twitter comments.
http://mobile.sbnation.com/london-olympics-2012/2012/8/9/3231700/pearl-harbor-japs-twitter-tweets-usa-vs-japan
It happened during the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup final and, of course, it happened again during the gold medal game of the 2012 Summer Olympics. The U.S. women's national soccer team played Japan and, inevitably, "Pearl Harbor" and "Japs" trended on Twitter. Because people are awful, of course.
That wasn't for Pearl Harbor. It was a damn soccer game. Please, for the love of everything, stop doing this, guys. It doesn't reflect well on any of us. Stop being awful.
USA already had its revenge against Japan by nuking Hiroshima and Nagasaki back in 1945. Japan surrendered!
Sports games are just sports game! Can we just leave it at that already?
6) Sexism under the guise of "protection"
Editorial writer Linda Chavez, who is one of the more well-reasoned pundits when it comes to economics and immigration, went off the deep end by being against women in boxing!
http://townhall.com/columnists/lindachavez/2012/08/10/uncivilized_sport/page/full/
She claims she's against women participating in boxing because she wants to "protect them".
Well, these response in the comments section gives Chavez a does of reality
Kali_Fred Wrote: 3 hours ago (5:39 PM)
Look. Lots of things in life are dangerous. Driving a car, putting a new roof on a house, being a cop, fireman, or soldier, flying a hot air balloon or a small aircraft, not to mention sky diving, skiing, hockey.
As long as everyone goes in with their eyes open, what is the problem?
When did we become a nation of scaredy cats? Would the West have ever been settled if our forefather said to themselves, "you know that covered wagon stuff is dangerous. Wild animals. Indians. Water problems. Disease. We'd better stay home on the farm, or in the ghetto." No. Would anyone (white or red) be in America with that attitude. No. The Indians would still be in Asia, and the whites still in Europe, whining about the dangers of sea travel.
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Derfel Wrote: 4 hours ago (4:52 PM)and
All the instances you sight are of people who knowingly decided that the chance at fame or fortune was worth the risk. Being adults that was and is their prerogative that does not require your input. They neither need nor require your permission. For many in this world living to a ripe old dotage does not fulfill the dream. At what point do we stop people from living their lives when is the injury too great? Do we stop young boys from making paper planes in fear of paper cuts? Get over yourself it is NOT your business
Zev7 Wrote: 9 hours ago (12:03 PM)Thank you guys. I'll even go as far as saying we need to put Mixed-Martial Arts in the Olympics too! For both men and women.
We men can't hover over our women and kids 24/7. When women are alone, they shoud be able to protect themselves like men. If they were, we'd have less rape and domestic violence. But what the heck? A woman can always unrape herself by killing her baby, and the Bible encourages men to beat the bejesus out of their wives. As for repeated head blows, the amateiur (Olympic) sport is remarkably safe The pros can be made safer by getting rid of the Queensberry rules.
7) The Greatest Olympian ever!
Just like 2008, US swimmer Micheal Phelps and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt were the mega-stars!
Micheal Phelps has the record for most Olympic medals ever. He has won a total of 22 medals, 18 of them gold.
photo from michaelphelps.net
Michael Phelps
Even though Phelps won the most medals ever, some have expressed their doubts about whether he should be called THE greatest Olympian.
People point out that swimmers have more events to compete in than the track athletes.
In other words, Phelps have more events to compete in than the Jamaican track star Usain Bolt.
Fair point.
But other critics mention that it's harder to be a track star than a swim star, because you got more competitors.
Olympic-level swimming requires Olympic-sized swimming pools, which is easier to access if you live in a middle/upper class community.
But running is accessible to more people. You don't need a big swimming facility, you can just run on grass, dirt, whatever.
But you know what? It's not Phelps fault that not everyone has access to compete in his sport.
Just like it's not the NFL player's fault that the majority of the world doesn't have access American-style tackle football training or facilities.
At 6foot, 5 inches, Usain Bolt would've likely been an NFL wide receiver if he grew up in the USA!
But that's OK! With track and field, Usain Bolt competes with the world! And he's also in the conversation of the best runners of all time
photo from http://usainbolt.com/bio/
Usain Bolt
As for the home crowd in London, they got their international superstar in Jessica Ennis, who won the gold in the heptathlon, which involves hurdles, high jumps, shot put, javelin and sprints.
photo from wikipedia
Jessica Ennis
8) The Medal Count
Again, the USA is #1, with 104 medals (46 gold, 29 silver, 29 bronze).
#2 is China, with 88 medals.
This is the new "cold war" between the 2 world powers.
And this is also a competition of which nation has the better system of producing athletes.
Here is Dave Zirin in a CNN interview about the pros & cons of the Chinese and the US system of training athletes
http://www.thenation.com/blog/169351/dave-zirin-human-cost-olympic-gold
Here is the short summary of the interview.
The Chinese Olympic program is being criticized as oppressive and stressing excellence over family. The Nation's sports editor Dave Zirin asks if that's any different from the US program, which provides zero support for aspiring athletes. Most American medal winners face enormous economic hardship on the way to the podium, and while that doesn't seem as brutal as the Chinese method, it's equally wrong. Maybe it's time to rethink the importance of medal counts.
—Max Rivlin-Nadler
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The United Kingdom being the home of the Olympics got its highest ranking in the medal count at #3, followed by Russia and South Korea.
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Rio de Janeiro is next host of the summer Olympics.
Brazil got 17 medals this Olympics, its record so far!
And now that the next Olympics will be in Rio, we shall see a rise in Brazilian athletes in sports other than soccer and volleyball.
As for the rest of Latin America, Cuba is a traditional Olympic power, but the rest of the region has been lacking in Olympic medal counts. Sure, you'll see some medal winners from Mexico, Argentina, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. But the region is falling behind the US, Europe, East Asia and Australia.
Here's an interesting article on the issue. http://www.salon.com/2012/08/10/latin_americas_rough_games_salpart/
It does mention that region is GREAT at soccer, but not much else.
It also mentions that while Brazil is famous for its MMA connection, MMA is still not in the Olympics.
And while Mexico produces some great boxers, many rather go straight to the pros instead of sticking with the amateur rote required for Olympic boxing.
The Olympic boxing might as well as start accepting pros, just like the other Olympic sports. But for that to happens, the pros will have to put pride on the side, and accept wearing the helmets during the Olympics. After all, no smart person will tell an NFL player "you're soft" to his face .
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The one region that has been traditionally lacking in the Olympic medal counts is South Asia.
India is the 2nd most populated country in the world, but is only ranked #55 in the medal count. But India did win more medals this year than in previous Olympics. They might as allow cricket to become an Olympic sport, since that sport is the one sport India is traditionally great at. Though India's needs a more diversified PE program in its school system, instead of just focusing on cricket.
And India's neighbor Bangladesh still haven't won an Olympic medal, even though it is #8 in world's population. Again, another country that is obsessed with cricket, but has ignored every other sport.
Article on that issue at
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/bangladesh-is-the-largest-nation-to-never-win-a-medal--but-it-has-four-athletes-in-london.html
Hopefully, the South Asian nations can get their act together. After all, the East Asian countries do very well at the Olympics.
I would like to see an East Asian vs South Asian Olympic rivalry in the future. As long as it stays on the field or the gym, and not in a real life battle.
