duncan228
07-28-2008, 11:01 AM
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/team-world-right-2106201-american-americans
Hooray for Angola! Go Greece! Get 'em Germany!
Jeff Miller
You can root for Kobe, D-Wade, LeBron and 'Melo.
We'll be rooting for Francisco, Domingos, Gomes and Horacio.
That's right. When they tip off in Beijing next month, we're pulling for Angola. And Greece. And Germany. And pretty much every basketball player there wearing letters that aren't U, S or A.
We, too, can have an Olympic dream, right?
Sorry folks, but we just can't wrap an embrace around a group of multiple-million-dollar corporations in short pants assembled to deliver glory to American round ball and Nike sneakers.
U-S-A? Ain't No Way!
It's not just the size of the wallets these guys are sitting on, either. In truth, that's barely a factor. Other countries also will be employing NBA players, such Chris Kaman, who will represent his motherland of Germany, a place he might possibly even visit someday.
No, the reason we're siding with the rest of the world in China is even simpler than money:
We can't pull for such a decided over-dog.
Rooting for the U.S. team in these Games will be like rooting for the sun to rise. What's the point? The result pretty much is inevitable either way.
Paying income tax isn't as much a forgone conclusion as Chris Paul beating some Iranian off the dribble.
The Americans haven't won a significant world tournament since 2000, true, but does anyone really think this team will end up being anything but golden?
LeBron James guaranteed a first-place Olympic finish, and some people reacted as if he promised to play wearing lipstick and nothing else. Hold the shock, please. Who needs a guarantee that Christmas is coming?
It's a much better story if the Americans don't win in Beijing. Because of the recent U.S. struggles internationally, international basketball — in terms of interest — finally has eclipsed international plate spinning.
Spain matters. Argentina is a threat. Puerto Rico has a one-game Olympic winning streak going against Team U.S.A. Thankfully for Uncle Sam's boys, the Puerto Ricans didn't qualify for the '08 Games.
Everyone suddenly bolted to attention when the Americans finished sixth at the 2002 World Championships. A bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics only made the story more intriguing.
Aren't the Olympics all about great stories? Aren't the best stories ones of unlikely triumph? Aren't unexpected victories the most memorable kind?
Honestly, whose heart doesn't gravitate toward a team like Angola, which faces the ruthless red, white and blue machine in its second game of pool play?
So does all this make us a bad American? Or just a good basketball fan? Are we a threat to national security? Or just a guy hoping to avoid having to write about Dwight Howard dunking over all of China?
Hey, we only want what's best for the group overall. The U.S. winning games by 55 points — 120-65 in an exhibition against Canada last week — isn't exactly our idea of progress.
It would be less painful frankly watching Shaquille O'Neal make 100 free throws.
Yes, we understand that the rest of the world has closed the giant gap U.S. basketballers once had in their favor. We get it that so many people are pulling for this team to restore order, take back something authentically American.
But such pick-and-roll diplomacy seems a little silly. Our quality of life isn't going to be impacted by Jason Kidd's assist-to-turnover ratio against the Germans.
Another reason we just can't get behind the Americans can be summed up in two words: Mike Krzyzewski.
Seems like a decent guy, all right, but he already has won too often, enjoyed too much success. People who build monster programs at places such as Duke don't need more glory.
What's Krzyzewski going to do with a gold medal anyway? Use it to balance the legs of his dinner table? We're guessing that when he flosses his teeth, basketball trophies fall out.
Going anti-American during the Olympics isn't a popular stance, we know that. But we can't be alone out here, can we? There has to be a segment of our nation that agrees, that sees "Redeem Team" and wants jump into that famous flaming cauldron.
After all, we can't be the only ones who are so right.
So bring on Boozer, Bosh and Bryant. Speaking for the rest of the planet, we're ready to kick some made-in-America tail.
Besides, we've been researching the Angolan squad and genuinely feel a kinship with the bunch. We identify with their outside shooting, transition defense and rebounding.
Seriously, we have been scouting them. Why, just now, we discovered something interesting:
Francisco Domingos Gomes Horacio? That's actually just one guy.
Hooray for Angola! Go Greece! Get 'em Germany!
Jeff Miller
You can root for Kobe, D-Wade, LeBron and 'Melo.
We'll be rooting for Francisco, Domingos, Gomes and Horacio.
That's right. When they tip off in Beijing next month, we're pulling for Angola. And Greece. And Germany. And pretty much every basketball player there wearing letters that aren't U, S or A.
We, too, can have an Olympic dream, right?
Sorry folks, but we just can't wrap an embrace around a group of multiple-million-dollar corporations in short pants assembled to deliver glory to American round ball and Nike sneakers.
U-S-A? Ain't No Way!
It's not just the size of the wallets these guys are sitting on, either. In truth, that's barely a factor. Other countries also will be employing NBA players, such Chris Kaman, who will represent his motherland of Germany, a place he might possibly even visit someday.
No, the reason we're siding with the rest of the world in China is even simpler than money:
We can't pull for such a decided over-dog.
Rooting for the U.S. team in these Games will be like rooting for the sun to rise. What's the point? The result pretty much is inevitable either way.
Paying income tax isn't as much a forgone conclusion as Chris Paul beating some Iranian off the dribble.
The Americans haven't won a significant world tournament since 2000, true, but does anyone really think this team will end up being anything but golden?
LeBron James guaranteed a first-place Olympic finish, and some people reacted as if he promised to play wearing lipstick and nothing else. Hold the shock, please. Who needs a guarantee that Christmas is coming?
It's a much better story if the Americans don't win in Beijing. Because of the recent U.S. struggles internationally, international basketball — in terms of interest — finally has eclipsed international plate spinning.
Spain matters. Argentina is a threat. Puerto Rico has a one-game Olympic winning streak going against Team U.S.A. Thankfully for Uncle Sam's boys, the Puerto Ricans didn't qualify for the '08 Games.
Everyone suddenly bolted to attention when the Americans finished sixth at the 2002 World Championships. A bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics only made the story more intriguing.
Aren't the Olympics all about great stories? Aren't the best stories ones of unlikely triumph? Aren't unexpected victories the most memorable kind?
Honestly, whose heart doesn't gravitate toward a team like Angola, which faces the ruthless red, white and blue machine in its second game of pool play?
So does all this make us a bad American? Or just a good basketball fan? Are we a threat to national security? Or just a guy hoping to avoid having to write about Dwight Howard dunking over all of China?
Hey, we only want what's best for the group overall. The U.S. winning games by 55 points — 120-65 in an exhibition against Canada last week — isn't exactly our idea of progress.
It would be less painful frankly watching Shaquille O'Neal make 100 free throws.
Yes, we understand that the rest of the world has closed the giant gap U.S. basketballers once had in their favor. We get it that so many people are pulling for this team to restore order, take back something authentically American.
But such pick-and-roll diplomacy seems a little silly. Our quality of life isn't going to be impacted by Jason Kidd's assist-to-turnover ratio against the Germans.
Another reason we just can't get behind the Americans can be summed up in two words: Mike Krzyzewski.
Seems like a decent guy, all right, but he already has won too often, enjoyed too much success. People who build monster programs at places such as Duke don't need more glory.
What's Krzyzewski going to do with a gold medal anyway? Use it to balance the legs of his dinner table? We're guessing that when he flosses his teeth, basketball trophies fall out.
Going anti-American during the Olympics isn't a popular stance, we know that. But we can't be alone out here, can we? There has to be a segment of our nation that agrees, that sees "Redeem Team" and wants jump into that famous flaming cauldron.
After all, we can't be the only ones who are so right.
So bring on Boozer, Bosh and Bryant. Speaking for the rest of the planet, we're ready to kick some made-in-America tail.
Besides, we've been researching the Angolan squad and genuinely feel a kinship with the bunch. We identify with their outside shooting, transition defense and rebounding.
Seriously, we have been scouting them. Why, just now, we discovered something interesting:
Francisco Domingos Gomes Horacio? That's actually just one guy.