-- FanHouse

USC's High-Profile Fans Are More Than Ready For Ohio State

Posted: Sep 12th 2008 9:13AM ET by Elie Seckbach (RSS feed)
Filed under: Beijing, USA

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

No. 1 ranked USC takes on Ohio State (ranked 5th) this Saturday. This is the first meeting between these two juggernauts in 18 years. In this video we visit a USC pep rally and hear from high-profile Trojans, such as former NFL stars Marcus Allen, Curtis Conway and Daylen McCutcheon. Find out what gold medal-winning Olympic swimmers Larsen Jensen and Erik Vendt have to say to the Buckeyes, and former track star Quincy Watts says he expects a blowout. Oh ... and do you know how to do the "Sanchez Dance"? Find out here.

Youtube link.

Synchronized 'Homies' and Other Fun Memories From an Olympic Insomniac

Posted: Aug 25th 2008 3:20PM ET by Tom Herrera (RSS feed)
Filed under: Beijing, China, USA, Attractive Olympians

2 COMMENTS

For most people, the dust is already settling on all the extravagant Olympic action, but this sports graveyard desk editor is still riding high from sixteen sleepless days of swimming, more swimming, and the occasional taekwondo kick to the face. You want a unique perspective on the Beijing Games? This is the place to be. Just don't expect there to be any fresh coffee.

Michael Phelps is signing an endorsement deal for IHOP somewhere in exchange for free 5,000-calorie breakfasts for life.

Usain Bolt is concocting new ways to hot dog and high-step so he'll have some records left to break in 2012.

And I'm somehow still awake watching NBC replay the closing ceremony and Turkish oil wrestling highlights (now there's the next event!)

Spending the majority of the past sixteen days engulfed in Olympic coverage wasn't always a treat, but the memories I'll take with me will last a lifetime ... or at least four more years.

The visual treasures embedded in my mind aren't what you'd expect them to be. Phelps' record-breaking eight gold medals? Definitely wasn't a cakewalk, but we saw it coming. Bolt's ridonkulous sprints to history? Dude, his last name is Bolt.

Spanish synchronized swimmers dressed in 'gangsta' outfits, on the other hand? Now there's something I'm never going to forget, or hopefully see again for the rest of my life.

So let's toss the "memorable performances" and "winners and losers" aside for now. Here are my selections for the "Sweet 16" -- the lasting images that are off the beaten path ...

87 Countries Win Olympic Medals, Most Ever

Posted: Aug 24th 2008 11:40PM ET by Michael David Smith (RSS feed)
Filed under: Beijing

6 COMMENTS

This is boxing bronze medalist Bruno Julie, a bantamweight who became the first ever Olympic medalist for the island nation of Mauritius, population 1.3 million.

Mauritius was one of a handful of countries that won its first Olympic medal at the Beijing Games. With athletes from 87 nations receiving medals, an unprecedented number of countries earned a gold, silver or bronze. The previous high was 80 countries earning medals at the 2000 Olympics.

Whether the high number of nations winning medals is a sign that sports are becoming more globalized, or whether this just happened to be a year with a lot of good athletes from small countries, people like Bruno Julie make for the best stories during the Olympics, the athletes who will leave Beijing and return home to a hero's welcome. He deserves it.

Sexual Innuendo Dropped From Led Zeppelin Song at Olympic Closing Ceremony

Posted: Aug 24th 2008 7:16PM ET by Michael David Smith (RSS feed)
Filed under: Beijing

147 COMMENTS

The Beijing Games concluded with the closing ceremony today, and the Summer Olympic torch was passed off to London. A performance by Jimmy Page of the British band Led Zeppelin was part of that hand-off from Beijing to London, but it turns out that some folks think Zeppelin lyrics aren't appropriate for all ears.

Page and Leona Lewis performed a version of the Zeppelin classic "Whole Lotta Love" that had some of the lyrics changed and others excised so as not to offend. Lewis didn't want to sing the line, "I'm gonna give you every inch of my love" in the second verse, because she said she didn't think that particular "sexual innuendo" made sense from a female singer. So "inch" was changed to "bit."

And the third verse, which includes the line, "Shake for me, girl, I wanna be your backdoor man" was deemed inappropriate and was cut from the ceremony.

My question: If the song was considered inappropriate, why didn't they just pick another song, instead of saddling the closing ceremony with a bastardized version?

Controversies at Beijing Games

The Beijing Games' closing ceremony includes a performance of the classic Led Zeppelin song "Whole Lotta Love" by Jimmy Page and singer Leona Lewis. But the song wasn't quite the same because some of the "sexual innuendo" was pulled from the lyrics.

Gabriel Bouys, AFP / Getty Images

Ukrainian heptathlete Lyudmila Blonska was stripped of her Olympic silver medal after a positive doping test. Blonska, who is facing lifetime banishment from the Olympics, already served a three-year suspension for doping from 2003-05.

Stu Forster, Getty Images

Sweden's Ara Abrahamian was stripped of his bronze medal and booted from the Beijing Olympics after he protested the result of a disputed Greco-Roman wrestling match. Abrahamian berated officials and dropped his bronze on the ground during the medal ceremony because of a controversial penalty call in his match against eventual gold medalist Andrea Minguzzi of Italy.

Ed Wray, AP

Spain's men's basketball team caused a stir when a photograph of the team using their index fingers to slant their eyes surfaced in a publication in their native country. While some have denounced the photo as racist, several Spanish players have said it has been misinterpreted.

Seur / AP

The Chinese women's gymnastics team took home gold, but questions remain about the age of team members. According to Olympic regulations, gymnasts must turn 16 during the year of the Games to be eligible to compete. Though all of the team members are of age on their passports, local reports have speculated that several of the members are underage.

Al Bello, Getty Images

Michael Phelps' record-tying seventh gold medal of the Games didn't come without controversy. Phelps, top, edged Serbian Milorad Cavic by 1/100th of second in 100-meter butterfly, but it was impossible to distinguish who won the race on TV replays. Cavic protested the result, but was overruled by FINA, swimming's international governing body.

IOC BOB / AP

Even the Opening Ceremonies had their fair share of controversy. Following reports that some of the fireworks during the ceremony were digitally enhanced, it was revealed that 9-year-old Lin Miaoke, pictured, lip-synced "Ode to the Motherland" in place of 7-year-old Yang Peiyi, who was deemed not good-looking enough by Chinese officials.

Zhou Liang, Xinhua / AP

Concerned about pollution in Beijing, members of the U.S. cycling team arrived in the host city wearing masks that covered the mouth and nose. They later sent a written apology to the organizing committee.

Valery Hache, AFP / Getty Images

Olympic speed skating gold medalist Joey Cheek was at the center of controversy when China pulled his visa right before the Beijing Games. Cheek, the founder of Team Darfur, a philanthropic group devoted to raising awareness about the crisis there, has been critical of the host country's support of Sudan's ruling regime.

Susan Walsh, AP

Vietnamese gymnast Thi Ngan Thuong was also expelled from the Games after she tested positive for a banned substance.

Hoang Dinh, AFP / Getty Images

2008 Beijing Olympics Go Out With a Bang

Posted: Aug 24th 2008 12:34PM ET by Enrico Campitelli (RSS feed)
Filed under: Beijing, China

0 COMMENTS

FanHouse blogger Enrico Campitelli Jr. is on the scene in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics.

After all, the Chinese did invent fireworks so you'd expect quite the pyrotechnic performance during closing ceremonies. From my vantage point about 50 yards away from the Bird's Nest, it didn't disappoint.

For those of you who've been following along with my Olympic adventures in Beijing, you may recall how the impenetrable security at the opening ceremonies thwarted any attempts I made to see some of the fireworks on 08/08/08. But after spending the past two and a half weeks in China, I learned a few key facts that helped me gain entrance to the Olympic Green for this evenings closing ceremonies. The most important of which is that I don't speak Chinese and they don't speak English so if you just act like you're supposed to be going through a certain security check point they seem cool with it.

So yes, tune in to NBC later this evening to watch the taped version of what I just saw in person. (I had to rub it in a little bit.)

Emotional McCutcheon Leads USA Men's Volleyball to Gold Medal

Posted: Aug 24th 2008 4:42AM ET by Sportz Assassin (RSS feed)
Filed under: Beijing, USA

3 COMMENTS

Yes, the Redeem Team won their gold medal ... but is there any American team in Beijing that we wanted to see win more than our men's volleyball team?

Hours after the opening ceremony, Todd Bachman, father-in-law of men's volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon, was attacked and murderer as he was sightseeing in Beijing. Bachman's wife was seriously injured in the attack. McCutcheon took nearly a week off to tend to his grieving family.

He came back and led his team to a perfect record and a victory over Brazil for the gold medal.

McCutcheon hugged his assistants after the final point. Then he buried his head into his hands and quietly walked off the court. He did not return for a long while, and when he did, he embraced veteran Lloy Ball.

McCutcheon raised his hands in victory at the medal ceremony.

"I'm sure he was overwhelmed by everything, not only what happened on the volleyball court," U.S. libero Richard Lambourne said. "It's just something he poured his heart and soul into for the last four years."

"But certainly with the tragedy that befell his family at the beginning of these games, I'm so happy he was able to be here and experience this with us," he added. "Because he's a huge, if not the biggest, part of our team."

McCutcheon has said that he would pour himself into the team ... but once the Olympics were over, he'd tend to his family. His wife was a former Olympic volleyball player and her father was a coach so volleyball is an important part of their lives.

Our prayers continue to be with the Bachman/McCutcheon families as well as our congratulations for a difficult, yet fulfilling tournament.

Chris Bosh: Beijing Correspondent, Part VII

Posted: Aug 24th 2008 12:29AM ET by Mike King (RSS feed)
Filed under: Beijing, USA

0 COMMENTS

Team USA came to Beijing with one thing in mind: reclaim the gold medal. So, on the eve of the final against Spain, U.S. star Chris Bosh checks in from the streets of Beijing with a prediction that leaves no doubt about where he will be standing on the medal podium.

As the Olympic Games Near End, Athletes Are Getting Busy

Posted: Aug 23rd 2008 1:15PM ET by JJ Cooper (RSS feed)
Filed under: Beijing, China

7 COMMENTS

The life of an Olympic athlete isn't easy. You train for years to compete in an event that often lasts less than a minute. For four years you work out for hours a day to put yourself in position to do your best.

Many athletes will avoid junk food, alcohol and anything else that will stand between them and a chance at an Olympics medal. They'll go through workouts that leave them rubbery-legged and completely gassed in their quest for the gold.

And once their events are over, a whole lot of them are letting off lots of steam. They rush to McDonalds for their first taste of junk food in quite a while. They grab some booze, and as Matt Syed, a British Olympian in table tennis in 1992, explains, they look to hook up with anyone, and everyone, before leaving the Games.

The Most Exciting Olympic Event to Watch in Person: Beach Volleyball

Posted: Aug 23rd 2008 1:34AM ET by Enrico Campitelli (RSS feed)
Filed under: Beijing, China, USA

3 COMMENTS

FanHouse blogger Enrico Campitelli Jr. is on the scene in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics.

Americans Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers won themselves a gold medal on Friday by beating Brazil on the hot sand in Beijing. If you ever get the chance to attend a summer Olympics event in person, beach volleyball is the way to go.

Having seen a riveting performance of rhythmic gymnastics a day earlier, the gold medal match of men's beach volleyball was absolutely the most exciting event I've attended at the 2008 Olympics thus far. Not only is there high flying spikes, slams, blocks, and digs, but there is cheesy rock and roll in between plays.

Oh, and cheerleaders in bikinis.

IOC Again Says There Is No Proof That Chinese Gymnasts Were Underage

Posted: Aug 22nd 2008 3:09AM ET by Sportz Assassin (RSS feed)
Filed under: Beijing, China

20 COMMENTS

Despite asking the International Gymnastics Federation to investigate allegations that Chinese gymnasts are underage, the IOC says there in no proof that there was cheating and that the issue will be put to rest:

The IOC asked the International Gymnastics Federation to investigate "what have been a number of questions and apparent discrepancies," spokeswoman Giselle Davies said. The FIG has said repeatedly that a passport is the "accepted proof of a gymnast's eligibility," and that China's gymnasts have presented ones that show they are age eligible. The IOC also checked the girls' passports and deemed them valid before the games began.

Lu said the Chinese gave the FIG documents Thursday evening that included the current and former passport, ID card and family residence permit for double gold medalist He Kexin. Lu said the documents all say she was born in 1992, which makes her eligible to compete. Gymnasts must turn 16 at some point during the Olympic year in order to be eligible.

"We believe the matter will be put to rest and there's no question ... on the eligibility," Davies said. "The information we have received seems satisfactory in terms of the correct documentation -- including birth certificates."

The FIG is preparing their own statement.