More games than you can imagine

Now, this is starting to feel like the Olympics.

One of the big things about getting this gig is seeing different sports, talking to different people.

In the last 24 hours, got to see the women’s soccer team, the men’s water polo team and Garbo, Jose and Spain trounce Greece.

Made for a whirlwind time but it’s also what’s special about this.

Now, I don’t know good water polo from bad water polo and have to have the intricacies of soccer pointed out to me but not talking to professional athletes can be kind of refreshing.

The water polo coach, Dragan Jovanovic, sort of killed his guys after what I’m told was a horrible 16-6 loss to Spain. The women of the soccer team will stand and answer questions for as long as we care to ask them. And Garbo and Jose seemed genuinely glad to see a couple of familiar faces (The First Lady Of The Beat and I) after the game against Greece

Now, if they could just do something about those scorpions in the train stations. (I keed, I keed).

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I’m pretty sure you’d never see this in North America.

The media conducts its post-game interviews at the Olympics in these places called ‘mixed zones,’ spots just off the court or field where the players have to file by on their way to their locker room.

We’re usually separated by barriers and we stand against them, call out to the athletes as they walk by and hope they stop.

Very dignified.

Anyway, there’s always a whole bunch of cheering in the press box and mixed zones at these things, a fact I remember all too well at the natatorium yesterday morning.

When a couple of the Spanish players walked by, not only did the writers, or whatever they were, call out to them, they called them over and gave them big hugs to congratulate them.

Very professional.

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You should know that Garbo looks in as good physical condition as I think I've ever seen him. Lost some weight, too. Looks to me like he could withstand an NBA season. -

Here’s one reason to love international basketball.

Two timeouts per team per half. Only called by the bench.

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Here’s one reason to love international water polo (me being the international water polo expert and all).

Four eight-minute quarters. No timeouts. Game’s over in about an hour.

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Oh yeah, all you Raptor fans wondering whether former second-round pick Giorgos Printezis will ever be in the NBA.

Probably not soon. A DNP-CD in a 15-point loss to Spain does not bode well.

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Since we’ve got a lot of basketball today, here’s a basketball question:

Q: I know he lacks the star appeal of the other players on the team but wouldn't Jason Kapono be a perfect fit for the US Olympic team? The international game is all about 3 point shooting (a relative weakness of the US team) and, even though he's had his troubles guarding bigger quicker NBA players, I think JK could be a decent defender against international competition, especially if the US plays a zone defense instead of man to man. Add all that to the fact that he'd likely get a ton of open shots playing with guys like CP3, LeBron, Kobe, Bosh, Dwight Howard etc. and he seems like a logical choice. If the US gets beat again this year, especially by their inability to make 3 point shots, do you think we might see Kapono on the next edition of Team USA?

Serge P, Ottawa

A: Well, you know, I was going to dismiss this out of hand and then I figure, if Michael Redd’s on the team, which can’t Jason Kapono be?

And then I remembered that Jason’s not the greatest defender in the history of the game – maybe not even in the history of his family for all I know – and that may be what’s keeping him off an Olympic roster.

I heard they invited him to play for the developmental team that P.J. and Jay coached before the real team left for here and I’m told he declined. Probably had a golf game.

And I can’t imagine he’d get a sniff four years from now, he’ll be older someone else will emerge to fill that role.

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We’re sitting watching the women’s soccer game the other night and we figure it’s becoming a pretty popular team back home, right?
So why, in its infinite wisdom, did the CBC and TSN not send a soccer play-by-play guy and an analyst over here?

They got basketball guys and boxing guys and baseball guys and guys and gals for a whole raft of sports. But not soccer?

Now, I hear the CBC does a brilliant job on Olympics (I’ve been at the last five summer games so I’m going by the comments of others) but that decision was, frankly, a mistake.

Surely to goodness they could have found room for two more people.

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Yes, Jose Calderon makes that familiar three-finger sign after a three-point basket playing for Spain, too.

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For every second we’ve been here, it’s been humid and it’s felt like a thunderstorm was only seconds away.

Well, we finally got one today, a nice downpour.

Did it clear the humidity? Yeah, not bad, actually.

Guess whatever they’re doing to seed the clouds or alter the weather is working.

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Saw a couple of basketball games Sunday and nary a peep of The Chicken. They might be saving she/he/it for the playoff round.

But did get a look at the goofy little mascots, who were traipsing around the water polo venue (and you gotta love a stadium called the Yingdong Natatorium) during halftime of the Canada-Spain game.

Not sure if I’m warming to them, yet. Maybe it’ll take a while.

I can’t remember what the stuffed animals were, exactly, in Barcelona but they stick in my mind as some of the best out there.

The Oompa Loompa things in Nagano were sorta cute, too.

Comments

[Dave]

Garbo - I still do not understand why they let him go. They have a roster spot, they only saved peanuts by buying him out, he was on the payroll all last year, etc. I can only assume it was a vindictive move by Brian because Garbo didn't have the surgery last year and opted to play for Spain. I really believe Brian is this type of person. Thr team and the fans are the losers in this situation. It would have cost nothing to test Garbo this year to see if he can play. If he can't, the Raptors would not have lost anything.

[CARLoS]

Re: hugging It's because you're not "European" Doug. Hugs and kisses all around! Don't you agree that it is a little different reporting on your country's athletes as opposed to professional athletes who live in the same city as you? Do you not feel a sense of patriotism when reporting from an Olympics or are you as removed and impartial as when you cover the Raptors?

Blogger's note: Probably less removed, actually. I'll get into this more in the blog when I get a day to clear my head, cluttered as it is.

[Anna]

Someone told me the other day that the Chicken (or rather the guy who plays the Chicken) got hired to be the red mascot for the games. No idea if there's any truth to that...

Blogger's note: Hmmm, I wonder about that :)

[bballer]

man, i haven't been online for a couple of weeks but now that olympic bball is back, things should be exciting. so we have already seen losses by argentina and greece. this will be last run for a lot of the older players for both teams. as china and russia will develop to become basketball powerhouses due to emerging wealthy domestic leagues and the amount of players who will play the sport, which former champion will forsee a bleaker international future greece or argentina? i choose argentina due to the lack of young studs in their pipeline and a semi-pro domestic league at best. what do you forsee doug?

ps. the us will win gold by a wide margin. even essina messina believes the same. spain and russia will round off the top 3.

[Imran Pirani]

Hey Doug,

Jose ended up with only one assist at the end of the Greece/Spain game. What can you tell us about how Spain was moving the ball and Jose's playmaking?

Blogger's note: He looked okay, pretty much just what we saw last season, high screen and roll, couple of passes, open three-pointer

[Mary]

Hey Doug,
Hope you're enjoying the Olympics. If there was one event of these 2008 Olympic that we should not miss what should it be? (Personally, it's the basketball for me but I'm biased.)

Blogger's note: Geez, lots to choose from. But you know what I'm hoping to see? A China-China final in badminton. That'll be outstanding, if you can get it on TV. There's always the old standby, the men's 100 final, too.

[GM]

You had written earlier that you didn't think Jorge could play in the NBA anymore, explaining, I guess, why the Raptors paid to get rid of him with nothing in return. Given what you've seen of him now, do you think it was a mistake to let him go without getting anything back? (I do!)

Blogger's note: The Garbo I saw play whatever day it was looked fully capable of playing in the NBA.

[Red Sky Design]

Hey Doug...

Love the blog and hearing about your adventures.

Two questions:

1. So far, what's the one thing about China that has surprised you the most?

2. Regarding men's basketball, what in the world does Canada have to do to not only qualify, but compete for an Olympic medal? Saw US vs. China today, and even though the result was expected, the Chinese didn't look out of place against the Yanks.

Thanks - keep up the good work.

Blogger's note: I've got to think about this a bit, okay? Quick answer would be I've been a little surprised that the monstrous traffic problems we expected in Beijing have not materialized. So far.

[Jamieson]

I watched the women's soccer game on saturday, and the guy they had doing the play-by-play was, I think, one of the guys who was doing it in June for the Euro Cup, and just like in June, I enjoyed it a tonne. The worst part was when the other guy would put in his 2 cents once every 10-15 minutes or so, but since it was soo sparse, i forgot he was there most of the time. The style of having only one person doing the commentary works really well, so maybe the CBC knew they were going to have that Euro Cup guy over there so they didn't need to send anyone.

[Terence]

Sorry this is a bit late - you remarked that TSN/CBC did not send a play-by-play analyst to Beijing for soccer. The voice I hear during the soccer matches thus far sounds like the same guy that does the Toronto FC games. So do you mean that he isn't actually live at the venue, but simply doing the play by play watching the same live pictures we get on TV?

Blogger's note: That's exactly what I mean.