Olympics 2012, in Londontown

Trautwig sounds like the second coming of Red Barber compared to his predecessor: John Tesh.

Why do I get the feeling I'm watching a glorified audition with gymnastics (not that I know what I'm watching anyway). They're gonna take the top four, but then coach Queen Elizabeth gets four picks? So if they try really, really hard ...

 

I heard from a family member today that decent lodging in the city starts at 500 pounds a night. That is insane.

 

It was a glorified audition. Two men qualified automatically and one woman. The rest were picked by the committees. The girl who finished third at the women's trials didn't make the team because the committee like the "look" of a girl who finished below her.

I do get the idea - it allows for specialists who could help the team on two or three events and wouldn't have to go on the others - but it does seem kind of like a made for TV meet since the results ultimately don't mean anything.

 

And I thought I got bitchy calls about kids left off of all-league or all-county teams ...

 

Usain Bolt finished second in both the 100 and 200 meter finals at the Jamaican Olympic trials.

 

The Jamaican 4x1 is going to be absolutely sick.

 

My living room is 22 feet long. Both men and women qualifiers in the long jump could have ran down my hall, cleared the living room and landed in the kitchen without touching carpet. That's amazing.

 

You ever see a 50-plus triple jump up close, and that's what makes you think that some people are bionic. The elasticity they show coming off the long step is other-worldly.

And then there's watching some guy throw a javelin from one goal line to the other goal line. Picture it.

Yes, you might guess I enjoy seeing the field events more than the track.

 

The swimming and track and field trials this week were some of the best sports competition I've seen on TV in a long time. Both trials didn't have the Dick Ebersol stench on them. They concentrated on the competition in the pool or track.

 

I'd rather watch King of Kong than the Olympics. But not really.

 

Agreed. NBC focused on the competition and did not try to have weeping before each event.

Hopefully this trend continues for the Olympics.

 

Nothing wrong with Al Trautwig. He asked analyst Tim Daggett, point blank, if 2008 Olympian Alicia Sacramone was even seriously being considered for the team. Daggett didn't answer the question then said it was great that Sacramone had even gotten this far. So that was frustrating. Al was also brutally honest in assessing the face-planting debacle that was Nastia Liukin. She was once great. Now she isn't anymore. See ya later.

Not sure why anyone would have a qualm with the women's gymnastics team Marta picked: She took the top three from the trials, who also happen to be the top three all-around competitors the U.S. has. She took the girl who finished fifth at the trials because she has a higher degree-of-difficulty starting score on three of the four events than the girl who finished fourth.
And she took the best vaulter in the world, who can be an event specialist and help the U.S. team's total score.