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Putting U.S. 'disaster' Games in the proper context

sportsillustrated.cnn.com — Late Friday night in Beijing, Bryan Clay won a gold medal in the Olympic decathlon, the first such victory for the United States since Dan O'Brien in 1996. It was immensely deserved and not altogether surprising: Clay was a silver medalist in 2004, a world champion in '05 and the favorite in Beijing among his peers.

Who dugg this? Made popular Aug 23, 2008

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  • ZeeZee2k, on 08/23/2008, -1/+19Navy Seals would not drop the baton.
  • JakeBC, on 08/23/2008, -3/+16Oh no! The US didn't win something! How will the world recover from this tragedy?
  • IHaveCrayons, on 08/23/2008, -1/+14Dude, this is Sports Illustrated. You want them to talk about the economy and politics?
  • LeviTheSmith, on 08/23/2008, -3/+13To be dugg down
  • littleBear84, on 08/23/2008, -0/+8According to the article, America is actually doing fairly well compared to the Sydney and Atlanta games. Consider that the U.S. won both of the 4x400 relays and that puts the medal count at 23. This ties the total count with the Atlanta games and bests the Sydney games by 6.

    I think losing the higher profile races (men's and women's 4x100, Tyson Gay failing to qualify in the 100) is what gives the appearance of an abysmal performance, but athletes such as Walter Dix and Brian Clay have really stepped up to fill those gaps.
  • fossilnews, on 08/23/2008, -2/+11You sir, are what's wrong with digg. It's sports illustrated, again, sports illustrated. Let's leave politics out of this one. Go get yourself a latte and chill out.
  • kgibby, on 08/23/2008, -2/+90 comments, I better write something
  • subliminali, on 08/23/2008, -0/+5we regained the title of having 'world's greatest athlete'. i'm satisfied.
  • dha07030, on 08/23/2008, -0/+4something
  • Qinar, on 08/23/2008, -0/+4someone can, but noone will
  • Rahodeb, on 08/23/2008, -0/+4Here it is:

    US didn't do great in track & field, but it's not that bad. Other countries have a system for training olympic athletes, but not the US. Failing on any given day is the nature of the sport.
  • HayString, on 08/23/2008, -0/+4I read it as putting, as in to putt a golf ball.
  • Nateon, on 08/23/2008, -0/+3Are our memories so bad that we've already forgotten about Michael Phelps? I mean c'mon, we now have the greatest olympian to ever live. Is that not enough USA?
  • ixid, on 08/23/2008, -0/+3Someone who's not 14 years old damian7.
  • UntouchableC, on 08/23/2008, -0/+3If I am not mistaken it was a poor baton change that led to GB's photo finish victory in 2004. But to put it frankly, anyone would find it difficult to pass a sweaty, slippery baton while running at insane speeds infront of billions of people watching you worldwide.

    I think putting the US disaster games in the proper context would be:
    "Communist China destroys the land of liberty USA in the medals table"

    I've seen ABC World News with Charles Gibson....they spin the official medal table harder than they do their presidential segments.....well any of their segments for that matter.
  • tehbishop, on 08/24/2008, -0/+2It does suck that we have an 8 gold medalist who took over the record of 7 golds from ... an American. I am silenced by that how about you?
  • CasinoJack, on 08/23/2008, -0/+2I'm not reading a whole paragraph! Summarize it in one word...
  • lulzy, on 08/23/2008, -0/+2really? how did your country do. unless you're chinese i would suggest not talking *****
  • inactive, on 08/23/2008, -1/+3I got lost after the first paragraph...
  • judicar, on 08/23/2008, -5/+7why so serious?
  • LeviTheSmith, on 08/24/2008, -1/+2Not even I would Digg my comment up
  • morningmatters, on 08/24/2008, -0/+1The article makes 3 points:

    1. The US track & field team in Beijing did worse than previous times. The last time US had so few gold in these events were in 1976.

    2. The dropped baton was a made to be a big deal because the US men and women were expected to win the 400x4 relay. It reflects the lack of leadership and organization in the team. The US team should of practiced handling off baton more as some other teams like the brits spent over $1m just to prepare for relay events. To be fair to the US coach, you don't know who is definitely going to come out of the Olympic tryouts until the very end.

    3. The US Track and Field's random performance can be explained because it isn't part of a "system" like other countries. Although track and field is the most popular sport in High school, at college level there is little money dedicated to these events. There is no money in this sport with the exception of a few superstars at the pro level.

    Personally I think all sports belong to a part of "system". In countries like China and Russia where mega sport corporations don't exist or don't provide enough material incentives for people to get into certain sports, the government have to step in to create these incentives instead of private corporations if they want medals. In the US, winning a medal in any event could mean a lifetime of product endorsements worth far more than the rewards which are given out by other countries with or without government "systems".
  • gibrth, on 08/23/2008, -1/+2I don't get it.
  • paulclough, on 02/10/2009, -0/+1http://edu-talk.co.uk
    all olympic events should be done naked, it's the only real way to accurately judge these things. the technology in the clothing is advancing to the point where setting a record doesn't really mean anything anymore.
  • bioncinola, on 08/25/2008, -0/+1The article makes One Point Only :-

    The US nations Sucks and Sucks Mightily - in all departments. Sports is the learet indication of a Nation in irreversible Decline. Looks like the US is headed for the toilet.
  • Beveridge89, on 08/23/2008, -0/+1You could say that, but then you'd have to say every other nation in the World failed as well. Jamaica are just insanely good.
  • roxgod666, on 08/23/2008, -2/+2can someone read all of it and put it into a single paragraph.
  • bazzmcdyre, on 08/25/2008, -0/+0If you count all the european countries medals then we
    are first then china oh dear yanks your 3rd.

    Europe ***** ye...
  • gkiltz, on 08/24/2008, -0/+0This was a long way from a disaster!
    The US DID win the MOST TOTAL MEDALS!!
    There, is, was, and always will be a certain built-in bias toward the host country in the Olympics, and that became well-entrenched in the Olympic way of thinking after Canada's medal debacle in '76, as the host country!
    So, it was a given that China was going to win the most gold! The system virtually insures it!
    The US DID win the overall medal count, and Great Britain (The NEXT host country) made an excellent showing after some lean years. At least Canada didn't stink up the place like they have in the past, Soooo, given that "Gig" toward the host country, you can't complain!!!!
  • dogberry11, on 08/23/2008, -1/+0I thought Usain Bolt was Jamaican.
  • inactive, on 08/23/2008, -3/+2If you take away the gold from the fail that is the discus throw, USA tied with Jamaica on the track for gold medals. Pretty much fail right there considering the relative population and economy of the countries.
  • dha07030, on 08/23/2008, -6/+4Read putting as Putin, it did not make any sense.
  • Rixar13, on 08/23/2008, -3/+1No worse that the 8 years of hell we have been through with this Administration, par for the course and let me guess, Brown left FEMA and heads the Olympic committee now..?
  • inactive, on 08/23/2008, -19/+14Oh no, we dropped a ***** baton in a ***** sport, time to call FEMA and get the ***** navy seals on this *****.

    Did we forget we're at war? Our economy is collapsing, we still have a corrupt ***** running our country and we're getting ready to attack Iran?
  • kazamx, on 08/23/2008, -7/+1If it makes you feel any better I am sure in the next olympics you could change the medal table again to keep America on top even if they don't win the most Gold medals or total medals.
  • inactive, on 08/23/2008, -8/+1i dugg you up so na na na na na
  • inactive, on 08/23/2008, -11/+2What kind of ***** chills out with a latte?

    Most likely the one who enjoys sniffing farts and reading seventeen magazines for all the underage girls.
  • LeviTheSmith, on 08/23/2008, -29/+21st

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