Nasty arrogant US classlessly runs it up on Canada.

armageddon · Jul 26, 2008

Double Down said:

Starman, I was reading this Scoop Jackson piece (I know, I know) the other day and I thought of you. Putting aside the fact that Scoop pretty much needs a set of knee pads for home much he gobbles up Carmelo Anthony, it brought to mind just how freaking stupid Larry Brown was in 2004. Carmelo, LeBron, D-Wade and Amare Stoudemire averaged 11 minutes per game in the 2004 Olympics. 11 minutes. Pretty much the three best players of their generation, plus Amare when he was still one of the greatest leapers in the world, all rode the bench so Brown could prove how smart he was and sabotage the legacy of USA Basketball.

But hey, at least we played the right way.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=jackson/080723&sportCat=nba
Click to expand...

They must have trimmed off the last question from Scoop:

Q: Melo, one last thing bro. This the best head you've ever gotten?

three_bags_full · Jul 26, 2008

Flash said:

We have a national basketball team?
Click to expand...

Apparently not.

pressboxer · Jul 26, 2008

hockeybeat said:

Not everyone enjoyed the Original Dream Team's Barcelonian curbstomping of the basketball playing world.

http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/8374050/Winning-gold-might-mean-something-this-time
Click to expand...

I got to interview a fellow who played on the first U.S. Olympic basketball team (1936, Berlin) back in '92. His comment on the Dream Team: "You could take Magic, Bird, Jordan and two guys off the street and win the gold medal."

Boom_70 · Jul 26, 2008

I used to feel great national pride when the US would blow out opponents in the Olympic basketball but now I find I enjoy it more when the US loses.

three_bags_full · Jul 26, 2008

Boom, why do you hate America?

Petrie · Jul 26, 2008

Boom_70 said:

I used to feel great national pride when the US would blow out opponents in the Olympic basketball but now I find I enjoy it more when the US loses.
Click to expand...

So you really do want the terrorists to win...

Boomer7 · Jul 27, 2008

Starman said:

hockeybeat said:

Not everyone enjoyed the Original Dream Team's Barcelonian curbstomping of the basketball playing world.

http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/8374050/Winning-gold-might-mean-something-this-time
Click to expand...

Ah yes. The simpering against the U.S. (for that matter, against anyone) for playing too hard.

It's not Charles Barkley's goddamn problem if players from Angola aren't used to playing games at NBA speed and intensity (which includes occasional elbows).

This is the template for the columns which will appear if the U.S. wins any more games by 50+ (or 30+, or frankly, anything more than single digits).

Of course, if they do win games by single digits, or lose, out comes Template B: "The U.S. team is lazy, selfish, unmotivated, weak on fundamentals, etc etc etc; they're not playing hard enough."

The hilarious thing, of course, is the Dream Team coasted through almost all its games, walking the ball upcourt, after the firestorm of criticism which followed the 116-48 win over Angola in the first game.

Thus began the adoption by US Basketball of informal point-shaving as its operational philosophy. "Win, but not by too much."

It took about 10 years for it to catch up to them and bite them in the ass.
Click to expand...

Barkley's elbow was inexcusable; don't even try to infer otherwise. It came after the play had already ended, so "NBA speed and intensity" had nothing to do with it. And the "firestorm" following the Angola game was primarily about that elbow.

But in general, you make a fair point. The people who complain about U.S. blowouts show minimal understanding of Olympic basketball history. The U.S. didn't lose a game for 36 years (and didn't lose a legitimately contested game for another 16 after that), and margins of victory like the ones the '92 team put up weren't uncommon. And there's a faction of U.S. columnists (and fans) who still believe that the NBA players are in the Olympics because USA Basketball was pissed off after losing in Seoul and said, "We'll show you, world! Meet Michael, Magic and Sir Charles!" Never mind that the rest of the world was far more enthusiastic about bringing in the pros than the U.S. was. And the fact that it only took, what, 10 years for the American NBA players to lose a major tournament (as opposed to 36 or 52) proves how valuable the NBA players' presence has been in raising the level of international play.

Boom_70 · Jul 27, 2008

Boomer7 said:

Starman said:

hockeybeat said:

Not everyone enjoyed the Original Dream Team's Barcelonian curbstomping of the basketball playing world.

http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/8374050/Winning-gold-might-mean-something-this-time
Click to expand...

Ah yes. The simpering against the U.S. (for that matter, against anyone) for playing too hard.

It's not Charles Barkley's goddamn problem if players from Angola aren't used to playing games at NBA speed and intensity (which includes occasional elbows).

This is the template for the columns which will appear if the U.S. wins any more games by 50+ (or 30+, or frankly, anything more than single digits).

Of course, if they do win games by single digits, or lose, out comes Template B: "The U.S. team is lazy, selfish, unmotivated, weak on fundamentals, etc etc etc; they're not playing hard enough."

The hilarious thing, of course, is the Dream Team coasted through almost all its games, walking the ball upcourt, after the firestorm of criticism which followed the 116-48 win over Angola in the first game.

Thus began the adoption by US Basketball of informal point-shaving as its operational philosophy. "Win, but not by too much."

It took about 10 years for it to catch up to them and bite them in the ass.
Click to expand...

Barkley's elbow was inexcusable; don't even try to infer otherwise. It came after the play had already ended, so "NBA speed and intensity" had nothing to do with it. And the "firestorm" following the Angola game was primarily about that elbow.

But in general, you make a fair point. The people who complain about U.S. blowouts show minimal understanding of Olympic basketball history. The U.S. didn't lose a game for 36 years (and didn't lose a legitimately contested game for another 16 after that), and margins of victory like the ones the '92 team put up weren't uncommon. And there's a faction of U.S. columnists (and fans) who still believe that the NBA players are in the Olympics because USA Basketball was pissed off after losing in Seoul and said, "We'll show you, world! Meet Michael, Magic and Sir Charles!" Never mind that the rest of the world was far more enthusiastic about bringing in the pros than the U.S. was. And the fact that it only took, what, 10 years for the American NBA players to lose a major tournament (as opposed to 36 or 52) proves how valuable the NBA players' presence has been in raising the level of international play.
Click to expand...

US basketball dominance is our right. Now that we are back on top I feel a little better each day

forever_town · Jul 27, 2008

buckweaver said:

Fuck that. Win by 100, if you can.
Click to expand...

I'm outraged. OUTRAGED that the United States gave up 65 points.

Evil Bastard (aka Chris_L) · Dec 15, 2014

waterytart · Jul 27, 2008

Boomer7 said:

Starman said:

hockeybeat said:

Not everyone enjoyed the Original Dream Team's Barcelonian curbstomping of the basketball playing world.

http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/8374050/Winning-gold-might-mean-something-this-time
Click to expand...

Ah yes. The simpering against the U.S. (for that matter, against anyone) for playing too hard.

It's not Charles Barkley's goddamn problem if players from Angola aren't used to playing games at NBA speed and intensity (which includes occasional elbows).

This is the template for the columns which will appear if the U.S. wins any more games by 50+ (or 30+, or frankly, anything more than single digits).

Of course, if they do win games by single digits, or lose, out comes Template B: "The U.S. team is lazy, selfish, unmotivated, weak on fundamentals, etc etc etc; they're not playing hard enough."

The hilarious thing, of course, is the Dream Team coasted through almost all its games, walking the ball upcourt, after the firestorm of criticism which followed the 116-48 win over Angola in the first game.

Thus began the adoption by US Basketball of informal point-shaving as its operational philosophy. "Win, but not by too much."

It took about 10 years for it to catch up to them and bite them in the ass.
Click to expand...

Barkley's elbow was inexcusable; don't even try to infer otherwise. It came after the play had already ended, so "NBA speed and intensity" had nothing to do with it. And the "firestorm" following the Angola game was primarily about that elbow.
Click to expand...

IIRC, when someone finally interviewed the Angolan player, he was thrilled because he felt it meant Barkley had taken him seriously as an opponent. A perspective not shared by many.

Boomer7 · Jul 27, 2008

waterytart said:

Boomer7 said:

Starman said:

hockeybeat said:

Not everyone enjoyed the Original Dream Team's Barcelonian curbstomping of the basketball playing world.

http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/8374050/Winning-gold-might-mean-something-this-time
Click to expand...

Ah yes. The simpering against the U.S. (for that matter, against anyone) for playing too hard.

It's not Charles Barkley's goddamn problem if players from Angola aren't used to playing games at NBA speed and intensity (which includes occasional elbows).

This is the template for the columns which will appear if the U.S. wins any more games by 50+ (or 30+, or frankly, anything more than single digits).

Of course, if they do win games by single digits, or lose, out comes Template B: "The U.S. team is lazy, selfish, unmotivated, weak on fundamentals, etc etc etc; they're not playing hard enough."

The hilarious thing, of course, is the Dream Team coasted through almost all its games, walking the ball upcourt, after the firestorm of criticism which followed the 116-48 win over Angola in the first game.

Thus began the adoption by US Basketball of informal point-shaving as its operational philosophy. "Win, but not by too much."

It took about 10 years for it to catch up to them and bite them in the ass.
Click to expand...

Barkley's elbow was inexcusable; don't even try to infer otherwise. It came after the play had already ended, so "NBA speed and intensity" had nothing to do with it. And the "firestorm" following the Angola game was primarily about that elbow.
Click to expand...

IIRC, when someone finally interviewed the Angolan player, he was thrilled because he felt it meant Barkley had taken him seriously as an opponent. A perspective not shared by many.
Click to expand...

Mainly because it makes no sense.

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Nasty arrogant US classlessly runs it up on Canada.

armageddon Active Member

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Nasty arrogant US classlessly runs it up on Canada.

armageddon Active Member

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