Olympic Games 2012

[/QUOTE] [QUOTE]I am not familiar wiith the Basketball qualification but in previous olympics the professionals of the NBA always played and there was no such age limit.[/QUOTE]

[/QUOTE]

1992 was the first year NBA players were used.  There is no age limit....because if a 38 year old can beat a 23 year old, the 38 year old deserves to be there.

But the US team will be the most watched out of any olympic competitors.  What's nice is that our players have forced the European leagues to get much better in recent years.

Here are this years rankings:

1.  USA
2. Spain
3. Brazil
4. Argentina
5. Russia
6. France
7. Lithuania
8. Australia
9. Great Britain
10. Nigeria

Courtesy of the Worldwide Leader in Sports.

"There is no age limit....because if a 38 year old can beat a 23 year old, the 38 year old deserves to be there"

I absolutely agree but this age limit is valid for football. Each team has 3 wild cards for older players but the whole qulaification and the age limit makes the football olympics a joke because the best in the world simply do not compete and that is the whole idea about the olympics. Who wants to pay almost 200 pounds to see third class teams play. Football fans have many competitions to watch and enjoy but the olympic games are certainly very far down on the list.

As to "worldwide leader in sports": this must be China - they won the most gold medals in the last summer olympics or Canada - they won the most medals in the last winter olympics. USA was only number 2 and number 3, respectively. Sorry.

Just for the record the ticket price for the football at Hampden Park, Glasgow got dropped to £20 per adult and a "pay your age" for children 16 years and younger. And yet they still couldnt shift many of them. They eventually had to shut off the top tier, which is how the tv companies wont show a full stadium shot.

Yikes! Complaints already:

1) Who dressed team USA in frumpy white skirts for yesterday's opening? Yuck, Ralph Lauren - yuck!

Bravos:

1). Queen and James Bond together! Have you seen it? Loved it!

2) Beckham in a speed boat with the torch on the Thames? Pulled it off he did! Excellent.

3) The Chariots of Fire piece with that superb British comedian known for portraying Mr. Bean. Brilliantly funny.

4) BORAP! (with wardrobe nod to Freddie's black & white diamond patterned costume)

5). London's Mayor. Clearly having a great time.

Many more great moments last night.

[QUOTE]London (CNN) -- British soldiers will be asked to act as temporary placeholders in premium seating at Olympic events, as organizers attempt to avoid the spectacle of empty seats at venues.
The approach of filling venues with soldiers -- initially brought in to provide security at the Olympics following issues with a contractor -- began after accredited seating allocated to officials, athletes, sponsors and media went unused for stretches of the first weekend of competition.[/QUOTE]

I demand an apology from the Canadian rowers who won silver. Totally clashing with the pile of bronze and messing with our plans to melt them all down and erect a traditional medium national monument to third placery. No more of this second best stuff Canada! And if you win gold, which you totally better not, lose my number. I mean it. Lose it Canada. Don't even list me in the reverse phone diectories.

[QUOTE] [b]GratefulFan wrote:[/b]
I demand an apology from the Canadian rowers who won silver. Totally clashing with the pile of bronze and messing with our plans to melt them all down and erect a traditional medium national monument to third placery. No more of this second best stuff Canada! And if you win gold, which you totally better not, lose my number. I mean it. Lose it Canada. Don't even list me in the reverse phone diectories.[/QUOTE]

Wait ... there's a third place? Bronze? What is that?

:)

Yes. Theses types of medals are made from an attractive alloy of copper and tin and awarded to athletes that finish third. You don't know about it because like China, the United States executes bronze medallists.

[QUOTE] [b]GratefulFan wrote:[/b]
Yes. Theses types of medals are made from an attractive alloy of copper and tin and awarded to athletes that finish third. You don't know about it because like China, the United States executes bronze medallists.[/QUOTE]

Well that seems a bit harsh and I'm sure they will be alright. The US medal count as of last night:

12 gold, 8 silver, 9 bronze (see bronze is not just for Canada and the UK)

If Canada and the UK consolidate bronze medals and have a huge meltdown you will be able to achieve together a slightly larger monument to 3rd placery than originally planned. I say Grateful, you're on to an incredibly Olympic idea in that.

At least Canada will get a statue.

We have to turn over all our Gold Medals to China anyways as part of a credit repayment plan.

The US should find a shifty translator and pay China back in Juans. Two birds, one stone.

[QUOTE] [b]GratefulFan wrote:[/b]
The US should find a shifty translator and pay China back in Juans. Two birds, one stone. [/QUOTE]

That sounds like Mitt Romney-arithmetic. One Yuan is less than 0.16 US$. You find me a way to send Latin-Americans named Juan to China from the U.S. for less than 16 cents a head, and we're in business. The travel business, that is.

That's silly! Everybody knows with the Chinese you can choose either pickup or delivery. :P

[QUOTE]LONDON -- With her voice choking and eyes welling with tears, U.S. hurdler Lolo Jones took issue with what she called "heartbreaking" criticism a day after she barely missed winning an Olympic medal.

Jones appeared on NBC's "Today" on Wednesday and was asked about a recent story in The New York Times that said her stardom had more to do with marketing than her accomplishments on the track.[/QUOTE]

Ah, that's so terrible.  We shouldn't judge poor Lolo on her hotness above her athletic ability.

Now, say that three times and then go visit her website:  http://www.runlolorun.com/

[QUOTE] [b]GratefulFan wrote:[/b]
Yes. Theses types of medals are made from an attractive alloy of copper and tin and awarded to athletes that finish third. You don't know about it because like China, the United States executes bronze medallists.[/QUOTE]

Oh no, two of the bronze medal winners are from San Antonio TX, I wonder if the public will be invited to the executions?