Team USA - what a DISGRACE!!!

[Memnoch]

Originally posted by Donut: You need to keep up old bean! 413-5, Michael Vaughn 195. Only the fifth person in the history of cricket to score four test centuries in a summer. And he's coming to a ground near you SOON!

Speakin' of Vaughn...his name seems to ring a bell - is he the bloke who faked injury last year to avoid getting flogged by the Aussies? [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Donut]

Originally posted by Memnoch: quote: Originally posted by Donut: You need to keep up old bean! 413-5, Michael Vaughn 195. Only the fifth person in the history of cricket to score four test centuries in a summer. And he's coming to a ground near you SOON!

Speakin' of Vaughn...his name seems to ring a bell - is he the bloke who faked injury last year to avoid getting flogged by the Aussies? [img]tongue.gif[/img] [/QUOTE]Hardly! It's just another figtree of your imagination!

[johnny]

Originally posted by Link: I never really interested myself in basketball, but I do like to watch it. Especially Rodman (although he quit, didn't he?) cos he was always in a fight [img]smile.gif[/img] And the Dutch commentator (called Mart Smeets) is too cool commentating basketball

Yeah, only too bad he doesn't know jack about basketball. And did you ever hear him speak English ? It's worse than herr Flick from allo allo.

[Memnoch]

Originally posted by Donut: quote: Originally posted by Memnoch: quote: Originally posted by Donut: You need to keep up old bean! 413-5, Michael Vaughn 195. Only the fifth person in the history of cricket to score four test centuries in a summer. And he's coming to a ground near you SOON!

Speakin' of Vaughn...his name seems to ring a bell - is he the bloke who faked injury last year to avoid getting flogged by the Aussies? [img]tongue.gif[/img] [/QUOTE]Hardly! It's just another figtree of your imagination![/QUOTE]Hmmm...I just don't seem to remember him playing against OZ in the Ashes, that's all...maybe I'm thinking of Alex Tudor...

[Ar-Cunin]

USA won't win a medal the the World Championship in basketball?

[img]graemlins/evillaughter1.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/evillaughter2.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/biglaugh.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/laugh2.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/laugh3.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

Schadenfreude is a good feeling

[Davros]

Originally posted by Donut: If it's going to upset the Aussies then I'm cheering the Enzedders!

[img]tongue.gif[/img]

How did your own team go Donut - do you guys play Basketball over there? You seem to be only good at the unusual sports - how many months to the next Curling World Championships? - Oh no, wait, that was the Scottish wasn't it .

[Donut]

Originally posted by Davros: quote: Originally posted by Donut: If it's going to upset the Aussies then I'm cheering the Enzedders!

[img]tongue.gif[/img]

How did your own team go Donut - do you guys play Basketball over there? You seem to be only good at the unusual sports - how many months to the next Curling World Championships? - Oh no, wait, that was the Scottish wasn't it .[/QUOTE]How long before you hold that regatta in the dried up riverbed. Isn't it the Henly-on-Todd regatta? A boat race on dry land - now that's original! Do Australia always win?

[Cerek the Barbaric]

Originally posted by Memnoch: I just heard that the Team USA will miss out on the medals at the basketball world championships after losing to Yugoslavia. To tell you the truth I'm not surprised. Some points to raise: These guys probably get paid more as a team than all the other teams combined. It wasn't so much the fact that they lost - but the WAY they lost. Absolute shocker against both Argentina or Yugoslavia - no teamwork, no hunger, no will to win, they just looked like they were going through the motions, arguing with each other as their chances of victory evaporated. Where were Shaq, Kobe, et al? The pride of wearing a Team USA jersey wasn't enough motivation for them to represent their country? Team USA had 2 weeks to prepare for this tournament and it showed. Other teams had been preparing for weeks, some even months. They looked like a bunch of part-timers as they struggled to complete plays, struggled to execute basic basketball functions and tried to use their individual skills to win. Heads will probably roll at Team USA for this failure - and at home, too. Does anyone in the US really care about the result anyway? If the answer to the above point is NO, then why is the US even competing in international basketball then? Just some thoughts from an expatriate American now living in Australia who, after experiencing the rabid fervor and pride that Australians take in the performances of their national teams (it really does unite the country like NOTHING else does) as well as the fact that for an Australian sportsman the most IMPORTANT thing in their life is to represent their country - it just really upsets me that the US, with the depth of basketball talent at its disposal, could come up with such a disgraceful effort. Chuck Daly once said that the US could provide four basketball teams to the Olympics and they would come first, second, third and fourth. Famous last words, eh. I hate to say it, but it just reinforces my idea of what the NBA has become - full of spoiled, rich brats who think they are about 10 times better than they really are (usually fueled by the major $$$ they get at age 19 to sign with NBA teams). Michael, Magic or Larry would not have turned it up the way this mob did. Would be interested in hearing some feedback. [img]smile.gif[/img]

You hit the proverbial nail on the head, Mems my man. Pro athletes in the Big 3 American Sports (baseball, basketball, football) have ALL become nothing more than self-centered, egotistical, spoiled-rich brats....in my humble opinion.
Basketball use to be a team sport that stressed fundamentals. Now it focuses on the "superstars" and their flashy plays - especially slam dunks. And when a star DOES make a spectacular play, there is the obligatory chest-tumping and sand-lot trash talking to accompany it. Of course, the players are getting younger and younger. It is extremely rare for college stars to finish their 4 years of college-level play. At the most, they spend 2 years in college before courting the pros. And the NBA has recruited a record number of straight-from-high-school players in recent years. Given the level of immaturity of the new breed of stars, it's little wonder basketball has degenerated to it's current state.

But this attitude isn't just limited to basketball. Our highly over-paid baseball players threatened to "go on strike" again this year unless the owners started sharing more of the money with them. Baseball suffered a HUGE loss of P.R. after the 1994 strike. This led to such measures as "doctored" baseballs to increase the number of home-runs per year in an effort to renew fan interest. Rather than having the teams - and especially the players - focus on courting the general public...they just tried to increase the excitement of the game in expectation of drawing the crowds back. In the 1930's-1950's, baseball legends were considered local heroes. Kids would get to the park early for autographs and players would come out and "entertain" the crowd with some of their "warm-up" routines. Now, many players charge $20.00 and more for an autograph.

The same goes for football. Randy Moss (a very talented wide-receiver for Minnesota) has gone on record stating that he does not believe in giving 100% effort....he only beleives in giving just enough effort to get the job done.

That's great until you run up against an opponent that IS giving 100% effort (or more).

As "Team USA" just found out....giving an effort that is "just good enough" doesn't always work.

Personally, I'm thoroughly disgusted with all 3 pro sports and almost never watch them anymore. Nothing but a bunch of over-paid prima donnas as far as I'm concerned.

Oh....BTW, Johnny, this is NOT the first time USA has been defeated in the international arena. We lost the 1984 Olympics because John Thompson (coach of the powerhouse college team from Georgetown at that time) didn't push the team hard enough, thinking that USA would breeze their way to a gold medal then too. He also chose a young high school graduate to play on the team over some college players that were arguably more talented. Why? Becuase the kid (by the name of Alonzo Mourning) had just signed a "letter of intent" to come to Georgetown for his college career.

I also remember the cheers that went up in the early 90's when America was finally allowed to send our pro players to international competitions. The recurring mantra then was "NOBODY WILL BEAT US NOW!!!". Well guess what? They just did....not once....but TWICE!

[johnny]

Cerek, i knew this wasn't the first time team USA lost. but it WAS the first loss since the NBA players took the court. Anyway, i think the term "dreamteam" is no longer justified now.

[ 09-06-2002, 03:04 PM: Message edited by: johnny ]

[KAR_MOD1]

unfortunately most american sports are getting like this.. take baseball for example, prices rising just to go to the ballpark, making 150 millon a year *cough cough* Alex Rodriguez. the only sport i watch these days is football GO Cleveland BROWNS! i used to be an avid baseball fan but between the Cleveland Indians sucking and trading ALL their good players away for crappy players who arent even good bench warmers to the Cleveland Cavs who literally havent had a winning season since the latter half of the 90's decade, and they have no good, or charismatic players for fans to watch in "aww".