Fencers and rowers
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 10:26 am
Did I miss the Olympic feature on the Smart family? I must have because I can't believe there wasn't one.
So, I want to tip my cap -- a Jeff cap, kind of like the US team wore in the Opening Ceremony, except it's tweed and I've had it for years -- to the Smarts.
I realize they don't this in the water, or in bikinis on the beach, or flipping around in tight little leotards, so we won't see them in prime time on NBC.
They are fencers.
Erinn Smart, Hanna Thompson, and Emily Cross were seeded seventh in foil but beat world champion Poland and third-seeded Hungary on their way to a silver medal. They lost to Russia in the final.
It was the first US women's team medal since 1984.
The men's sabre team - Tim Morehouse, Jason Rogers, James Williams and Keeth Smart - also won silver.
Twice, the US was trailing going into the last match - and twice, Keeth Smart brought them back to reach the gold medal game.
In the quarterfinals, they were trailing Hungary, 36-40, and Smart won, 9-4, to move on to the semifinals.
In the semis, the US was trailing Russia, 35-40, and Smart won, 10-4, to move the US in the gold medal match.
Smart out pointed his opponents, 20-15, in his three matches in the gold medal round but the US was just out of comebacks and won the silver.
EDITED TO CLARIFY: A team needs 45 points to win the match.
Now, I have no idea WHY the Smarts haven't made prime time. Keeth Smart is recovering from a rare blood disease and the two lost their mother, just as Keeth got out of intensive care.
So, they certainly fit badooze's profile.
I found all this out while surfing NBCOlympics, looking for something besides beach volleyball (Boonie is a leg man and even HE'S sick of beach volleyball).
And, while I'm at it, another tip of the cap to the US women's eight in rowing.
A gold medal, the first for the US women in years.
And, while we're at it, a tip of the cap to the Canadian men's eight, avenging an upset in Athens with a win.
We saw much of the rowing on -- MSNBC? CNBC? one of them -- Saturday morning but the eights weren't among them.
I thought the rowing was lots of fun to watch, even if all the winners / participants weren't Americans (TONGUE IN CHEEK, TONGUE IN CHEEK).
Maybe they will be on MSNBC later, after the S. Korea-Indonesia gold medal match in badminton. Or the Germany-Spain men's field hockey on USA. Or the boxing on Telemundo. Or the Norway-Romania women's team handball on USA (following the field hockey).
I like the boxing on Telemundo, actually. I have no idea what they are saying but they are speaking the international language of pugilism.
Not to be confused with the international language of love.
Speaking of which, how soon will we see the feature on US 400 meter runner Sanya Richards and her fiance, NY Giant Aaron Ross?
She's a marvelous runner and he's got a Super Bowl ring. But, she's recovering from Behcet's disease, so you know the feature is coming.
I just wish we'd see some of this stuff on NBC. Broaden the non-esoteric cable scope of it all.
So, I want to tip my cap -- a Jeff cap, kind of like the US team wore in the Opening Ceremony, except it's tweed and I've had it for years -- to the Smarts.
I realize they don't this in the water, or in bikinis on the beach, or flipping around in tight little leotards, so we won't see them in prime time on NBC.
They are fencers.
Erinn Smart, Hanna Thompson, and Emily Cross were seeded seventh in foil but beat world champion Poland and third-seeded Hungary on their way to a silver medal. They lost to Russia in the final.
It was the first US women's team medal since 1984.
The men's sabre team - Tim Morehouse, Jason Rogers, James Williams and Keeth Smart - also won silver.
Twice, the US was trailing going into the last match - and twice, Keeth Smart brought them back to reach the gold medal game.
In the quarterfinals, they were trailing Hungary, 36-40, and Smart won, 9-4, to move on to the semifinals.
In the semis, the US was trailing Russia, 35-40, and Smart won, 10-4, to move the US in the gold medal match.
Smart out pointed his opponents, 20-15, in his three matches in the gold medal round but the US was just out of comebacks and won the silver.
EDITED TO CLARIFY: A team needs 45 points to win the match.
Now, I have no idea WHY the Smarts haven't made prime time. Keeth Smart is recovering from a rare blood disease and the two lost their mother, just as Keeth got out of intensive care.
So, they certainly fit badooze's profile.
I found all this out while surfing NBCOlympics, looking for something besides beach volleyball (Boonie is a leg man and even HE'S sick of beach volleyball).
And, while I'm at it, another tip of the cap to the US women's eight in rowing.
A gold medal, the first for the US women in years.
And, while we're at it, a tip of the cap to the Canadian men's eight, avenging an upset in Athens with a win.
We saw much of the rowing on -- MSNBC? CNBC? one of them -- Saturday morning but the eights weren't among them.
I thought the rowing was lots of fun to watch, even if all the winners / participants weren't Americans (TONGUE IN CHEEK, TONGUE IN CHEEK).
Maybe they will be on MSNBC later, after the S. Korea-Indonesia gold medal match in badminton. Or the Germany-Spain men's field hockey on USA. Or the boxing on Telemundo. Or the Norway-Romania women's team handball on USA (following the field hockey).
I like the boxing on Telemundo, actually. I have no idea what they are saying but they are speaking the international language of pugilism.
Not to be confused with the international language of love.
Speaking of which, how soon will we see the feature on US 400 meter runner Sanya Richards and her fiance, NY Giant Aaron Ross?
She's a marvelous runner and he's got a Super Bowl ring. But, she's recovering from Behcet's disease, so you know the feature is coming.
I just wish we'd see some of this stuff on NBC. Broaden the non-esoteric cable scope of it all.