Olympics, part III

11:00--Water polo final--Match is tied at 8-8 5 minutes left in the match. One Dutch chick has 6 goals already! The Netherlands didn't even qualify for the Olympics 4 years ago. According to Wolf Wigo, the color commentator, this would be the "biggest upset of these Games." That doesn't sound like a good thing.

And yes, Wolf Wigo is apparently this dude's real name. He is one of thebest men's water polo players in American history, and here's the best thing I've read on the internet in quite some time, according to Wikipedia...."In December 1998, Wigo was in his father's backyard pool trying to win a bet with his 12-year-old twin brothers that he couldn't swim 20 laps underwater. He blacked out from lack of oxygen -- because he hyperventilated too much before he got into the water. His father dived in, pulled him out and performed CPR, saving his life.

11:02--Australia-China women's basketball semifinal game is on live (LIVE! I know, right?) on USA, with the Aussies leading by double-figures at halftime. The Aussie women wear one-piece spandex uniforms. No, I'm not making this up. They call them "sportsuits" and have been wearing them since 1994. Here's a link...http://espn.go.com/page2/s/worstuniform/round4/padres_australia.html

What I don't understand is why ESPN would consider these to be a "bad" uniform...?

11:04--On USA Network is the women's soccer final between USA and Brazil. We are leading 1-0....according to the scoreboard, we are in "ET1" period. I assume that means "extra time"? Man I hate soccer.

11:08--8-8 in the pool. There is a 30 second shot clock in water polo, which is another reason why it's better than soccer. Crap! Danielle De Bruyn just scored her 7th goal of the match, giving the Dutch a 9-8 lead with 26 seconds left. They just showed it on the underwater camera again--man I love that angle.

11:11--Coming out of a time-out, the Americans pull the goalie...pass it around...get 2 point-blank shots at the buzzer...and LOSE!!! 9-8 Dutch, the coaches jump into the pool and hug the players. Also not a bad reason to have the underwater camera.

11:15--In the women's basketball game, Australia is pounding the Chinese, duck soup style--hot and salty. 43-25 midway thru the third quarter. Back to the decathlon in a downpour...2nd event is the long jump. Brian Clay is possibly my new favorite track dude--smiling walking through the rain, enjoying his Olympics. Also, when you lead the Decathlon, you get to wear a special number bib that simply says "Leader" on it. I think we may need to take that into the RAFFLE draft and pass around a bib for the next person up to draft.

11:20--Clay hits the long jump in 25, 6 1'4 to keep the lead after 2 events. This makes me want to do an ORAL Olympics again in a bad way.....Jim Lampley announces, "Next up, the equestrian final." I sprain my right shoulder diving across my desk for the remote.

11:23--Australia is now doing the Chinese Kung Pow Chicken style--spicy and raw. 55-35 late third quarter. I'm going to try to get some real actual work done, will return at noon when the women's indoor volleyball semifinal between USA and Cuba is on.