USA! USA! USA!

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Sun Aug 12, 2012 4:15 pm

whew...

Spain gave 'em all they wanted.

smackaholic · Post by **smackaholic** » Sun Aug 12, 2012 4:28 pm

Didn't watch the game. The fact that anyone can even play on the same floor with our best is kind of silly. I think one of our better NBA teams would put an even worse ass whuppin' on those stinky euros than our all star teams.

What I would really like to see is something like the Ryder cup. The US against the lot of them. It would be close and those fukkers might even win, but, that is the kind of competition I might actually tune into, rather than the pretty much assured drubbings we hand out. Who here watch the miracle on ice? Most anyone old enough, that's who. And the reason we did is because we were such a long shot. 30 years from now, we won't be talking about how we were there to see the US mop up yet another over matched team.

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Sun Aug 12, 2012 4:35 pm

The U.S. led by 1 at the half and by 1 at the end of three. Spain has several NBA players as well and any team can get hot and another cold for one game.

They were anything but over matched and it took a huge effort to win gold.

smackaholic · Post by **smackaholic** » Sun Aug 12, 2012 4:42 pm

War Wagon wrote:The U.S. led by 1 at the half and by 1 at the end of three. Spain has several NBA players as well and any team can get hot and another cold for one game.

They were anything but over matched and it took a huge effort to win gold.

Ohhh, Spain has several, do they? The US has more. I don't have stats at hand, but, I do believe that well over 90% of the league is American. We invented the fukking game, we have THE professional league. We should be able to take care of the rest of the world, combined. And, I do think we would if we used an NBA court, not that silly ass pyramid paint bullshit the rest of them use. And that should be the court, since, well, it is how WE fukking invented it.

Van · Post by **Van** » Sun Aug 12, 2012 5:21 pm

smackie wrote:

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:13 pm

smackaholic wrote:I think one of our better NBA teams would put an even worse ass whuppin' on those stinky euros than our all star teams.

Spain WOULD be one of those "better NBA teams." Miami or OKC might beat them, but it certainly would not be an ass whooping.

Of course, the biggest problem with the U.S. team isn't talent, but uninspired coaching and play. They're all perfectly content to stand around and watch the mega stars play isolation basketball and lazily hoist long 3s. And Coach K doesn't seem to mind. I almost found myself rooting for the Spaniards because watching their deft and crisp passing is much more pleasing to the eye. Oh well. Who gives a fuck?

ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2 · Sun Aug 12, 2012 7:38 pm

smackaholic wrote:I don't have stats at hand, but, I do believe that well over 90% of the league is American.

Last year, I remember reading an article it was around 80%. I'd be willing to bet that number is even less than that now. Every year, more international players make rosters.

Van · Post by **Van** » Sun Aug 12, 2012 7:50 pm

Regardless, Spain's squad is loaded with NBA players, and not merely NBA scrubs, either. Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, and a host of NBA three-point marksmen? That's the perfect recipe for giving this USA team fits, since they're weak in the middle and don't defend well on the perimeter.

This Spain team is not your father's typical Olympic cannon fodder.

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Sun Aug 12, 2012 8:30 pm

exactly.

and though it's no surprise, how lame is it that cockaholic feels qualified to comment on a game he didn't even bother watch? He wears that idiot tag proudly because by damn, he's earned it.

As for Team USA, losing wasn't an option and winning was nothing but a relief, because everyone expected them to win and it would be humiliating to have done anything but. But they seemed genuinely happy to have won and should take a moment to bask in the glory.

Never really cared all that much for Lebron and would rather have Durant on my team but dude stepped up big late in games when they needed him to. During the post game interview the guy asked what it meant to him to be the MVP of the NBA finals and now help lead his team to the gold medal. He said something to the effect that it wasn't about him but only about the 3 letters on the front of the jersey. I've gained a new respect for Lebron.

Carson · Post by **Carson** » Sun Aug 12, 2012 9:24 pm

War Wagon wrote:During the post game interview the guy asked what it meant to him to be the MVP of the NBA finals and now help lead his team to the gold medal. He said something to the effect that it wasn't about him but only about the 3 letters on the front of the jersey.

Sounds like he's getting better PR advice on his scripted answers.

He'd go play in Europe if they would pay him enough.

Dr_Phibes · Post by **Dr_Phibes** » Sun Aug 12, 2012 9:47 pm

It makes for interesting trivia, basketball is actually a Canadian invention. Also, the first NBA game was played in Toronto.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Sun Aug 12, 2012 10:06 pm

Dr_Phibes wrote:It makes for interesting trivia, basketball is actually a Canadian invention.

If by "canadian invention," you mean it was invented by an expat who left Upper Mexico permanently, and invented in the US, then I suppose. But he was still a canadian citizen when he invented it (didn't stay that way).

:yupthey'rerolling:

Dr_Phibes · Post by **Dr_Phibes** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 3:05 am

Not quite so simple ,Dins.

Before Naismith perfected his model, basketball started out as a rock-throwing game in Ontario. The object being to hit a rock on a tree stump with a smaller rock, with 'guards' standing in between the rock thrower and the target. This led to personal injury and the involvement of black people, so Canadians turned to hitting each other with sticks on frozen ponds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Naismith

Cheers for winning our medal for us, it's like an homage from Led Zeppelin.

Smackie Chan · Post by **Smackie Chan** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 12:43 pm

War Wagon wrote:they seemed genuinely happy to have won and should take a moment to bask in the glory.

If Spain won, would they basque in the glory?

smackaholic · Post by **smackaholic** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 1:35 pm

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:
smackaholic wrote:I think one of our better NBA teams would put an even worse ass whuppin' on those stinky euros than our all star teams.
Spain WOULD be one of those "better NBA teams." Miami or OKC might beat them, but it certainly would not be an ass whooping.

Of course, the biggest problem with the U.S. team isn't talent, but uninspired coaching and play. They're all perfectly content to stand around and watch the mega stars play isolation basketball and lazily hoist long 3s. And Coach K doesn't seem to mind. I almost found myself rooting for the Spaniards because watching their deft and crisp passing is much more pleasing to the eye. Oh well. Who gives a fuck?

Exactly.

Pretty much no one gives a fukk......unless we lose. I would much rather have a tournament where we were just another team competing and there would be much rejoicing if we won and we wouldn't be the laughing stock of the universe if we didn't.

As for the home grown content, I am a bit surprised that we are down to only 80%, but still, just think about that number. It doesn't mean that 20% are spaniards. It's 80% US, 20%, the rest of the fukking solar sytem. That twenty is pretty well broken up among mostly euros, so I doubt there is any single country that can claim more than 3%.

So, just do the math. Our roundball talent advantage is so overwhelming that we should stomp a mudhole in any other country and we should be able to beat a rest of the world team more often than not.

Van · Post by **Van** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 3:33 pm

That Closing Ceremony last night was nearly an AP-level embarrassment. People, this is the fucking Olympics, you shameless morons. It's not Britain Had Talent. You don't trot out loser rappers, fag clown after fag clown, and grinding strippers to represent your country and your culture. You don't let Rest Stop BJ George Michael don a giant skull beltbuckle while on stage, like he's Satan from South Park. When David Gilmour and Roger Waters are still alive and kicking, you don't pair Nick Mason with some teenybopper hairdo dork to sing "Wish You Were Here." And you sure as Perfidious Albion don't cast the freaking Spice Girls and Jessie J as the centerpieces of your entire Statement to the World.

Jesus.

:doh:

Goober McTuber · Post by **Goober McTuber** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 3:55 pm

You watched the closing ceremonies?!?

Van · Post by **Van** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 4:19 pm

Yep, I always watch both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

Goober McTuber · Post by **Goober McTuber** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 4:30 pm

Van wrote:Yep, I always watch both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

Must have pre-empted Dancing With The Stars, eh?

Van · Post by **Van** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 4:53 pm

Never seen it.

I watch the Olympic ceremonies because of the Parade of Nations. That's the aspect of the Olympics that sets it apart for me. It's the only reason I also try to get into things like the World Cup or the Euro Cup.

Screw_Michigan · Post by **Screw_Michigan** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 5:24 pm

Van wrote:I watch the Olympic ceremonies because of the Parade of Nations.

Gax.

Van · Post by **Van** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 7:10 pm

Yeah, it is, but I'm a sucker for anything to do with flags. That's with an 'l,' you dick.

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 7:21 pm

smackaholic wrote:And, I do think we would if we used an NBA court, not that silly ass pyramid paint bullshit the rest of them use. And that should be the court, since, well, it is how WE fukking invented it.

I'm pretty sure that the upside down pyramid went the way of UCONN's men's program. Then again, what do I know? I just WATCHED the game.

Goober McTuber · Post by **Goober McTuber** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 7:37 pm

I will confess to watching very little basketball this time around, which allows me to speak with suckaholicesque authority. What I remember from years past was that international referees tended to call things like palming, travelling and charging, which could definitely put a crimp in the average NBA All-Star’s game.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:03 pm

Anyone remember the 84 Olympic basketball, when they called the rock-step travelling, which pretty much kept one up-and-coming Michael Jordan out of the game?

Dude couldn't go 10 seconds without committing a violation.

smackaholic · Post by **smackaholic** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:51 pm

BSmack wrote:
smackaholic wrote:And, I do think we would if we used an NBA court, not that silly ass pyramid paint bullshit the rest of them use. And that should be the court, since, well, it is how WE fukking invented it.
I'm pretty sure that the upside down pyramid went the way of UCONN's men's program. Then again, what do I know? I just WATCHED the game.

Yeah, somebody told me that today. He said the lane is still quite wide, but, at least it is rectangular. WTF would somebody like shaq do if he had to play his NBA career with a lane that wide? Learn how to shoot a 10 ft jumper?

smackaholic · Post by **smackaholic** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:53 pm

Goober McTuber wrote:I will confess to watching very little basketball this time around, which allows me to speak with suckaholicesque authority. What I remember from years past was that international referees tended to call things like palming, travelling and charging, which could definitely put a crimp in the average NBA All-Star’s game.

Wish the hell american basketball would go back to actually calling existing violations the way they are described in the book. As a kid on the playground, you'd get called for carrying. In the NBA they haven't a clue what it is.

smackaholic · Post by **smackaholic** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:57 pm

KC Scott wrote:I watched the closing ceremony too - they advertised the Who being on - but instead we got some kids I never heard of singing Pinball Wizard

Also no mention of Zeppelin when every other Brit band was at least recognized?

at least Eric Idle repped Monty Python and John Cleese was on the commericals

Does anyone in here still keep in contact with Euroclone? I'm sure he'd have some interesting commentary on the ridiculous shows his countrymen put on.

lovebuzz · Post by **lovebuzz** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:37 pm

Van wrote:That Closing Ceremony last night was nearly an AP-level embarrassment. People, this is the fucking Olympics, you shameless morons. It's not Britain Had Talent. You don't trot out loser rappers, fag clown after fag clown, and grinding strippers to represent your country and your culture. You don't let Rest Stop BJ George Michael don a giant skull beltbuckle while on stage, like he's Satan from South Park. When David Gilmour and Roger Waters are still alive and kicking, you don't pair Nick Mason with some teenybopper hairdo dork to sing "Wish You Were Here." And you sure as Perfidious Albion don't cast the freaking Spice Girls and Jessie J as the centerpieces of your entire Statement to the World.

Jesus.

:doh:

i liked it

i had twinges of shame when setting my DVR and pushed those thoughts aside.
same twinges came creeping back when i sat down to watch/FF and i pushed em aside again.
i got a little happy when the Spice Girls started riding around on top of those hackneys even though they looked like some sort of drag queen baboons. hot mess.
tears in my eyes when Liam started to sing Wonderwall (poorly but with swagger. hot !)
and just lost it when Eric Idle started singing one of the best songs evarrr. the Indians and their kickass dancing did not suck.

it was ridiculous, i know. tacky too.
but so fun, so funny and wtf ever.
i embrace my anglophilia and will still be your friend when i retire on that side of the pond.

Van · Post by **Van** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 12:17 am

Nothing wrong with being an Anglophile. Musically at least, we all are. The thing is, this is England we're talking about, and it's the Olympics, not a Tuesday night network variety show. They have a whole helluva lot better things to offer in terms of representing their country and their culture than raging gays in pastel ochre skinny pants and C+ strippers gyrating in garish fop wear to the gawdawful Spice Girls.

The grand finale, the climactic moment of the entire show? Jessie J slutting it up during a karaoke version of "We Will Rock You?"

Someone actually suggested that, and someone else okay'd it?

Seriously?

That's not even a closing song. It's an opener. It describes what's going to happen.

In the meantime, amid all the endless lip-syncing and overt gayness they didn't even include Blighty's most beloved queen, Sir Elton John, during the London Olympics? You know, maybe like, oh..."A Candle in the Wind," the world-famous anthem about Lady Di, the Princess of Wales?

I mean, she was only family to that young Albert Brooks look-alike muppet thing sitting next to Princess Kate in the Royal Box.

They thought to include a nothing song by a nothing group like Madness, and they trotted out the Pet Shop Boys in psychedelic Ku Klux Klan garb, but no Elton John?

They had Jimmy Page introduce the London Games back in Beijing in '08, and all they managed to include from Led fucking Zeppelin was six seconds of "Trampled Under Foot" as part of a blurry montage during the Opening Ceremonies?

But hey, they did manage to get that stupid rapper no one will even remember two years from now.

I thought the Winter Games in Salt Lake City were the ultimate in embarrassing, what with the All Necks All the Time Extravaganza, replete with shitkicking dumbasses doing the do-si-do around a Chuck E. Cheese wagon train for the entire civilized world to laugh at, but nope, this was worse. Much worse.

This was England. They know better.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 12:45 am

Van wrote:Nothing wrong with being an Anglophile.

Uhm, yeah, there really really is.

Off the charts dorkiness at work.

I mean, I realize that us children of the Motherland are quite enviable, but to spend your life worshipping us?

Really?

BTW -- I'm a citizen of the UK (and the USA). I can move to England seamlessly, have connections up the yingyang, and a host of places to stay.

And where do I live? Take a big guess why?

They thought to include a nothing song by a nothing group like Madness.

Yeah, not like they were about the most influential band in the freaking world 30 years ago, with a shitload of #1 hits, whose frontman went on to become one of the most popular figures in the UK.

:roll'em:

Van · Post by **Van** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:26 am

The last thing we need are two APs. Please go back to being Dins.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:57 am

Being arrogant and condescending doesn't count as "being Dins" anymore?

When did that happen?

Truman · Post by **Truman** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 2:46 am

I had never heard of Lady J before last night, and I hope to never again, but if you'r gonna butcher "We Will Rock You", then the VERY least you can do is limp through "We Are the Cahmpions" before a field of 2,000 Olympians.

Thought Mick was a Knight of the Realm. Where the fuck were the Stones in this abortion?

Van · Post by **Van** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 3:07 am

You know, that's an incredibly valid point. They played an opening song, "We Will Rock You," to close the show, yet they don't play the perfect theme song for the Olympics?

Thank you.

Goober McTuber · Post by **Goober McTuber** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 12:56 pm

Van wrote:In the meantime, amid all the endless lip-syncing and overt gayness they didn't even include Blighty's most beloved queen, Sir Elton John, during the London Olympics? You know, maybe like, oh..."A Candle in the Wind," the world-famous anthem about Lady Di, the Princess of Wales?

You think that song was written about Lady Di? Seriously?

smackaholic · Post by **smackaholic** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:12 pm

KC Scott wrote:^^^ ...... Goobs scores a direct hit on Music vs. Van

It's like the miracle on ice

Yeah, pretty much. Could have been worse though. Could have been Smackie Chan instead of Van.

Van · Post by **Van** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 4:00 pm

Goober McTuber wrote:
Van wrote:In the meantime, amid all the endless lip-syncing and overt gayness they didn't even include Blighty's most beloved queen, Sir Elton John, during the London Olympics? You know, maybe like, oh..."A Candle in the Wind," the world-famous anthem about Lady Di, the Princess of Wales?

You think that song was written about Lady Di? Seriously?

Now...wait a minute.

~mulls it over for a second~

Okay, what the fuck happened there?! How did I get Marilyn Monroe confused with Lady Di?

Dammit, I know there was some sort of Lady Di connection to that song! What was it?

~starts googlin'~

Ah, yeah, that's what it was. He did it as a tribute to Lady Di when she kicked, and everyone went apeshit for it. Suddenly it became her song.

So...whew...sorta. That was weird.

Truman · Post by **Truman** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 1:55 am

Oh, for cat's sake:

Hell, I thought everybody knew this.

To this day, Charles is an asshat.

Van · Post by **Van** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 1:59 am

Brain fart. I know the song is about Marilyn Monroe, and I know it became Diana's unofficial theme song. I just screwed the two up.

And you know what? That's really not a bad song at all, although he did change quite a few lyrics in the second version. As it turns out, yeah, that latter version was written about Lady Di...so EAT MY BALLS, Goobs!

The question still stands, though. Why wasn't Elton invited to play during either ceremony? The guy has been knighted, for cryin' out loud, the same as Paul McCartney. And if he was invited, why did he tell 'em to fuck off?