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Castro defends athlete who kicked judge in face
HAVANA (AP) - Fidel Castro on Monday defended the Cuban taekwondo athlete who kicked a referee in the face at the Beijing Olympics, saying Angel Matos was rightfully indignant over his disqualification from the bronze-medal match.
Taekwondo officials want Matos and his coach banned for life from the sport. But Castro expressed "our total solidarity" for both Matos and his coach Leudis Gonzalez.
Matos was winning 3-2 in the second round when he fell to the mat after being hit by his opponent, Kazakhstan's Arman Chilmanov, and was disqualified for taking more than his one minute of injury time.
Matos angrily questioned the call, pushed a judge and then pushed and kicked referee Chakir Chelbat of Sweden, who needed stiches to repair his lip. Matos then spat on the floor and was escorted out.
Taekwondo officials called Matos' behavior an insult to the Olympic vision. Matos' coach countered that the match was fixed and accused the Kazakhs of offering him money.
Castro said the alleged bribery attempt gave Matos good reason to expect the judges to treat him unfairly.
"They had tried to buy his own coach," Castro wrote in his essay published in state media. "He could not contain himself."
Cuba is accustomed to winning golds in boxing, but settled this year for four silver and four bronze medals. Overall, Cuba took home only two golds, down from nine in Athens four years ago.
"I saw when the judges blatantly stole fights from two Cuban boxers in the semifinals," Castro wrote. "Our fighters ... had hopes of winning, despite the judges, but it was useless. They were condemned beforehand."
The ailing, 82-year-old ex-president also noted that defections have taken their toll, blaming "the repugnant mercenary actions" of promoters who lure Cuban boxers off the island with lucrative contracts.
And Castro hinted that big changes could be in order for Cuban sports, pledging a serious review of "every discipline, every human and material resource that we dedicate to sport."
"Cuba has never bought an athlete or judge," Castro wrote, adding that Cubans need to begin preparing now for London in 2012. "There will be European chauvinism, judge corruption, buying of brawn and brains ... and a strong dose of racism," he predicted.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Usain Bolt Breaks Record, Earns Parody of Sprint
Jeremy Schaap of ESPN discusses Bolt's run.
Bolt's actual run. (Pardon the foreign language.)
Thursday, August 14, 2008
IOC will do nothing about China's fake passports
It is sad that at some point these great Chinese olympians will get their gold medals taken away. And for what? The communist Chinese government is greedy and will do anything to win. These girls' legacy will be tarnished in the future. It will take time for this to all come full circle but at some point, most likely after the games are over and the IOC is back in Europe, China will lose many of its medals. The IOC won't do it now because they are afraid of what the government may do.
State-media story fuels questions on gymnast’s age
By JOHN LEICESTER, Associated Press Writer
8 hours, 16 minutes ago
BEIJING (AP)—Just nine months before the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government’s news agency, Xinhua, reported that gymnast He Kexin was 13, which would have made her ineligible to be on the team that won a gold medal this week.
In its report Nov. 3, Xinhua identified He as one of “10 big new stars” who made a splash at China’s Cities Games. It gave her age as 13 and reported that she beat Yang Yilin on the uneven bars at those games. In the final, “this little girl” pulled off a difficult release move on the bars known as the Li Na, named for another Chinese gymnast, Xinhua said in the report, which appeared on one of its Web sites, www.hb.xinhuanet.com
The Associated Press found the Xinhua report on the site Thursday morning and saved a copy of the page. Later that afternoon, the Web site was still working but the page was no longer accessible. Sports editors at the state-run news agency would not comment for publication.
If the age reported by Xinhua was correct, that would have meant He was too young to be on the Chinese team that beat the United States on Wednesday and clinched China’s first women’s team Olympic gold in gymnastics. He is also a favorite for gold in Monday’s uneven bars final.
Yang was also on Wednesday’s winning team. Questions have also been raised about her age and that of a third team member, Jiang Yuyuan.
Gymnasts have to be 16 during the Olympic year to be eligible for the games. He’s birthday is listed as Jan. 1, 1992.
Chinese authorities insist that all three are old enough to compete. He herself told reporters after Wednesday’s final that “my real age is 16. I don’t pay any attention to what everyone says.”
Zhang Hongliang, an official with China’s gymnastics delegation at the games, said Thursday the differing ages which have appeared in Chinese media reports had not been checked in advance with the gymnastics federation.
“It’s definitely a mistake,” Zhang said of the Xinhua report, speaking in a telephone interview. “Never has any media outlet called me to check the athletes’ ages.”
Asked whether the federation had changed their ages to make them eligible, Zhang said: “We are a sports department. How would we have the ability to do that?”
“We already explained this very clearly. There’s no need to discuss this thing again.”
The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has said repeatedly that a passport is the “accepted proof of a gymnast’s eligibility,” and that He and China’s other gymnasts have presented ones that show they are age eligible. The IOC also checked the girls’ passports and deemed them valid.
A May 23 story in the China Daily newspaper, the official English-language paper of the Chinese government, said He was 14. The story was later corrected to list her as 16.
“This is not a USAG issue,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “The FIG and the IOC are the proper bodies to handle this.”
(From Yahoo! Sports)
(Pictures are courtesy of Getty Images via Yahoo! Sports)
State-media story fuels questions on gymnast’s age
By JOHN LEICESTER, Associated Press Writer
8 hours, 16 minutes ago
BEIJING (AP)—Just nine months before the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government’s news agency, Xinhua, reported that gymnast He Kexin was 13, which would have made her ineligible to be on the team that won a gold medal this week.
In its report Nov. 3, Xinhua identified He as one of “10 big new stars” who made a splash at China’s Cities Games. It gave her age as 13 and reported that she beat Yang Yilin on the uneven bars at those games. In the final, “this little girl” pulled off a difficult release move on the bars known as the Li Na, named for another Chinese gymnast, Xinhua said in the report, which appeared on one of its Web sites, www.hb.xinhuanet.com
The Associated Press found the Xinhua report on the site Thursday morning and saved a copy of the page. Later that afternoon, the Web site was still working but the page was no longer accessible. Sports editors at the state-run news agency would not comment for publication.
If the age reported by Xinhua was correct, that would have meant He was too young to be on the Chinese team that beat the United States on Wednesday and clinched China’s first women’s team Olympic gold in gymnastics. He is also a favorite for gold in Monday’s uneven bars final.
Yang was also on Wednesday’s winning team. Questions have also been raised about her age and that of a third team member, Jiang Yuyuan.
Gymnasts have to be 16 during the Olympic year to be eligible for the games. He’s birthday is listed as Jan. 1, 1992.
Chinese authorities insist that all three are old enough to compete. He herself told reporters after Wednesday’s final that “my real age is 16. I don’t pay any attention to what everyone says.”
Zhang Hongliang, an official with China’s gymnastics delegation at the games, said Thursday the differing ages which have appeared in Chinese media reports had not been checked in advance with the gymnastics federation.
“It’s definitely a mistake,” Zhang said of the Xinhua report, speaking in a telephone interview. “Never has any media outlet called me to check the athletes’ ages.”
Asked whether the federation had changed their ages to make them eligible, Zhang said: “We are a sports department. How would we have the ability to do that?”
“We already explained this very clearly. There’s no need to discuss this thing again.”
The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has said repeatedly that a passport is the “accepted proof of a gymnast’s eligibility,” and that He and China’s other gymnasts have presented ones that show they are age eligible. The IOC also checked the girls’ passports and deemed them valid.
A May 23 story in the China Daily newspaper, the official English-language paper of the Chinese government, said He was 14. The story was later corrected to list her as 16.
“This is not a USAG issue,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “The FIG and the IOC are the proper bodies to handle this.”
(From Yahoo! Sports)
(Pictures are courtesy of Getty Images via Yahoo! Sports)
Are the Chinese cheating in Beijing? Nahhhhh.
The Chinese are winning in style. It's not cheating. Just because they falsified passports and the International Olympic Committee is afraid of angering the communist government they did nothing wrong. What people don't know can't hurt them, right?
By just looking at the picture of the People's Republic of China's women's gymnastics team, a human being will realize that at least four of the team members don't appear to be 16 years of age.
The United States gymnastics team has also criticized the ages of the Chinese team.
Here are some things that are funny: China won gold in men's and women's team gymnastics and China is doing well in the pool. In both of these sports China has never done well historically. China also won gold in rifle, go figure.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Bela is upset at China's cheating ways
(story from Yahoo! Sports)
Bela Karolyi incensed about underage rules
By BARRY WILNER, AP Sports Writer
BEIJING (AP)—Bela Karolyi seethed as he watched the Chinese women compete Sunday.
Not because of how good they were in qualifications, finishing 1.475 points ahead of the American team that often trains at his Texas ranch. What bothered the most famous man in gymnastics was “China’s arrogance” for using girls he wasn’t even sure were teenagers yet.
“They are using half-people,” Karolyi said. “One of the biggest frustrations is, what arrogance. These people think we are stupid.
“We are in the business of gymnastics and we know what a kid of 14 or 15 or 16 looks like. You don’t have to be a gymnastics coach to know what they look like at 16.”
Karolyi, working the games for NBC, believes the international federation’s rules that gymnasts must turn at least 16 during the Olympic year are flawed. Karolyi’s complaints are nothing new. But when they come moments after the Chinese have competed at the Olympics, well, they come across more loudly than ever.
“What kind of slap in the face is this?” he asked. “They are 12, 14 years old, max. And they line them up for the world … and having the government back them.
“Since they forced an age limit, it has gotten worse and worse. The FIG is running away from the age problem. They set an age limit and now they can’t control it.”
International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) officials have accepted the passports of the Chinese women, which indicate all are old enough to compete. Karolyi is originally from Romania, and he says falsifying documents is a common practice in countries such as Romania, Russia and other former Soviet bloc nations.
The solution, he said, is to not have any age limit. He believes if a gymnast is good enough to earn a spot at the Olympics or world championships, that athlete deserves to go. He said some juniors today are just as proficient as the age-eligble competitors. Nastia Liukin, for example, would certainly have made the squad for the Athens Games four years ago had she not been 14.
Karolyi’s wife, Martha, the national coordinator for the U.S. women’s team, agrees that if there are any questions about age, just eliminate the restrictions being broken.
“If it’s true,” she said of any nation using underage gymnasts, “the only situation is to lift up the age limit. It would be an even playing field for everyone.”
Bela Karolyi praised the Chinese for their skills on the various apparatus, and for their competitiveness. His issue is not with the athletes, of course, but with those who would use them as pawns in the chase for medals.
Very young pawns.
“They do good gymnastics and are a good service for the sport,” he said of the Chinese. “They have the ultimate effective training program. That’s why I am more upset that they are cheating. They don’t need cheating. They would be just as good a lineup of eligible athletes.”
Bela Karolyi incensed about underage rules
By BARRY WILNER, AP Sports Writer
BEIJING (AP)—Bela Karolyi seethed as he watched the Chinese women compete Sunday.
Not because of how good they were in qualifications, finishing 1.475 points ahead of the American team that often trains at his Texas ranch. What bothered the most famous man in gymnastics was “China’s arrogance” for using girls he wasn’t even sure were teenagers yet.
“They are using half-people,” Karolyi said. “One of the biggest frustrations is, what arrogance. These people think we are stupid.
“We are in the business of gymnastics and we know what a kid of 14 or 15 or 16 looks like. You don’t have to be a gymnastics coach to know what they look like at 16.”
Karolyi, working the games for NBC, believes the international federation’s rules that gymnasts must turn at least 16 during the Olympic year are flawed. Karolyi’s complaints are nothing new. But when they come moments after the Chinese have competed at the Olympics, well, they come across more loudly than ever.
“What kind of slap in the face is this?” he asked. “They are 12, 14 years old, max. And they line them up for the world … and having the government back them.
“Since they forced an age limit, it has gotten worse and worse. The FIG is running away from the age problem. They set an age limit and now they can’t control it.”
International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) officials have accepted the passports of the Chinese women, which indicate all are old enough to compete. Karolyi is originally from Romania, and he says falsifying documents is a common practice in countries such as Romania, Russia and other former Soviet bloc nations.
The solution, he said, is to not have any age limit. He believes if a gymnast is good enough to earn a spot at the Olympics or world championships, that athlete deserves to go. He said some juniors today are just as proficient as the age-eligble competitors. Nastia Liukin, for example, would certainly have made the squad for the Athens Games four years ago had she not been 14.
Karolyi’s wife, Martha, the national coordinator for the U.S. women’s team, agrees that if there are any questions about age, just eliminate the restrictions being broken.
“If it’s true,” she said of any nation using underage gymnasts, “the only situation is to lift up the age limit. It would be an even playing field for everyone.”
Bela Karolyi praised the Chinese for their skills on the various apparatus, and for their competitiveness. His issue is not with the athletes, of course, but with those who would use them as pawns in the chase for medals.
Very young pawns.
“They do good gymnastics and are a good service for the sport,” he said of the Chinese. “They have the ultimate effective training program. That’s why I am more upset that they are cheating. They don’t need cheating. They would be just as good a lineup of eligible athletes.”
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Favre's new uniform is unveiled
(picture courtesy of the Associated Press via Yahoo! News)
Is this just me, or is Brett Favre not looking comfortable. This is Favre showing off his new uniform before the Jets' preseason game in Cleveland. I'm sure he'll soon learn the Jets' system, but I hope he doesn't regret his comeback.
The good thing from Favre's press conference was that he still praised the Green Bay Packers. He said he will always be a Packer. I, for one, was glad to hear that. And, I wish good luck to Chad Pennington on finding a new team as well as Aaron Rodgers who will have big shoes to fill.
My prediction, the Packers will receive a second-round pick for the 2009 NFL Draft from the Jets. Also, the Packers will find a way, probably ugly, to the NFC Championship Game this year. The Packers have a great team this year, even Favre said and still said today that the current Packers are the "most talented team" he's ever played with.
Go, You Packers, Go!
GO PACK GO!
Surreal 4-Jets
It's official. Brett Favre is adorning a New York Jets hat. I would have never thought I would see Brett Favre wearing another other NFL teams hat other than the Green Bay Packers. This is so surreal.
Hey, at least the Packers will get at least a second-round pick if Favre plays like Favre can play. Good luck Aaron Rodgers. Show the world what you are made of.
Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy reads a statement regarding the Favre trade today. Head coach Mike McCarthy and General Manager Ted Thompson are left to right.
For the transcript from today's press conference, click here.
(Picture is courtesy of the Associated Press and Yahoo! News)
A look at newspapers in Wisconsin
Green Bay Press-Gazette
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Wausau Daily Herald
The Reporter (Fond du Lac)
(thanks to Newseum.com for the front pages)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Wausau Daily Herald
The Reporter (Fond du Lac)
(thanks to Newseum.com for the front pages)
CBS-58 Milwaukee aims to air Jets games
WDJT (CBS-58) Milwaukee plans to air Jets games this year with it's Sunday football coverage. The station is a CBS affiliate and with all the local interest in Brett Favre it has asked the league to allow them to air most of the Jets games instead of "local" AFC games.
CBS-58 will air Green Bay Packers games when they are on CBS.
Brett Favre in, Chad Pennington out
According to the New York Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum during a conference call this morning Jets' quarterback Chad Pennington will be leaving the Jets. Details of this transaction will be done at 4 p.m. Thursday. It is likely that Pennington will be released.
Favre Trade Details, Packers Statement
Here's the trade:
The Green Bay Packers trade Brett Favre to the New York Jets for a conditional fourth-round pick depending on Favre's play. Here's what could happen with the conditions:
Packers currently receive a 4th-round pick.
Favre takes 50 percent of the snaps, 3rd-round pick.
Favre takes 70 percent of the snaps and to the playoffs, 2nd-round pick.
Favre takes 80 percent of the snaps and to the Super Bowl, 1st-round pick.
If the Jets trade Favre to the Vikings, the Packers receive three 1st-round picks from the Jets next year.
(Source: NFL Network's Adam Schefter.)
And the statement:
Packers Reach Agreement To Trade Brett Favre To N.Y. Jets
The Green Bay Packers have reached an agreement to trade quarterback Brett Favre to the New York Jets. Terms of the trade are not available at this time. The two teams agreed to the trade Wednesday night.
Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy and Executive Vice President, General Manager and Director of Football Operations Ted Thompson issued the following joint statement:
"Brett has had a long and storied career in Green Bay, and the Packers owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for everything he accomplished on the field and for the impact he made in the state. It is with some sadness that we make this announcement, but also with the desire for certainty that will allow us to move the team and organization forward in the most positive way possible.
"We respect Brett's decision that he could no longer remain here as a Packer. But there were certain things we were not willing to do because they were not in the best interest of the team. We were not going to release him nor trade him to a team within the division. When Brett ultimately decided that he still wanted to play football, but not in Green Bay, we told him that we would work to find the best solution for all parties involved. We wish Brett and his family well.
"We appreciate the tremendous passion shown by our fans. We, like them, always will see Brett Favre as a Green Bay Packer and our respect for him never will change. Moving forward, we are dedicated to delivering a successful 2008 season for all Packers fans."
Favre leaves Green Bay as the NFL's all-time leader in most major passing categories - touchdowns (442), yards (61,655), completions (5,377) and attempts (8,758) - and his 253-game starting streak intact. By playing 16 seasons in a Packers uniform (1992-2007), he matches Bart Starr (1956-71) for the longest tenure in team history among his 30 team records.
(Source: Packers.com)
The Green Bay Packers trade Brett Favre to the New York Jets for a conditional fourth-round pick depending on Favre's play. Here's what could happen with the conditions:
Packers currently receive a 4th-round pick.
Favre takes 50 percent of the snaps, 3rd-round pick.
Favre takes 70 percent of the snaps and to the playoffs, 2nd-round pick.
Favre takes 80 percent of the snaps and to the Super Bowl, 1st-round pick.
If the Jets trade Favre to the Vikings, the Packers receive three 1st-round picks from the Jets next year.
(Source: NFL Network's Adam Schefter.)
And the statement:
Packers Reach Agreement To Trade Brett Favre To N.Y. Jets
The Green Bay Packers have reached an agreement to trade quarterback Brett Favre to the New York Jets. Terms of the trade are not available at this time. The two teams agreed to the trade Wednesday night.
Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy and Executive Vice President, General Manager and Director of Football Operations Ted Thompson issued the following joint statement:
"Brett has had a long and storied career in Green Bay, and the Packers owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for everything he accomplished on the field and for the impact he made in the state. It is with some sadness that we make this announcement, but also with the desire for certainty that will allow us to move the team and organization forward in the most positive way possible.
"We respect Brett's decision that he could no longer remain here as a Packer. But there were certain things we were not willing to do because they were not in the best interest of the team. We were not going to release him nor trade him to a team within the division. When Brett ultimately decided that he still wanted to play football, but not in Green Bay, we told him that we would work to find the best solution for all parties involved. We wish Brett and his family well.
"We appreciate the tremendous passion shown by our fans. We, like them, always will see Brett Favre as a Green Bay Packer and our respect for him never will change. Moving forward, we are dedicated to delivering a successful 2008 season for all Packers fans."
Favre leaves Green Bay as the NFL's all-time leader in most major passing categories - touchdowns (442), yards (61,655), completions (5,377) and attempts (8,758) - and his 253-game starting streak intact. By playing 16 seasons in a Packers uniform (1992-2007), he matches Bart Starr (1956-71) for the longest tenure in team history among his 30 team records.
(Source: Packers.com)
Brett better go to Hall of Fame as a Packer
Brett Favre better forget about his trouble this offseason when he is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The only thing that can destroy his legacy is if he is inducted as a New York Jet and not a Green Bay Packer.
Time will tell, but he better not make another mistake in the next coming years. Remember there is a thin line between love and hate.
Time will tell, but he better not make another mistake in the next coming years. Remember there is a thin line between love and hate.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Fox Sports reports Favre is now a Jet
It appears the Brett Favre era in Green Bay is over. Jay Glazer of FoxSports.com reports that Favre is now a New York Jet.
For one, I am glad he is not in the NFC. I didn't want to see Favre come back to Green Bay in another team's uniform. But one thing has not changed, he will be playing in a green home uniform. I hope Favre gets what he wants and he is happy. But I bet in the long term, Favre wishes he didn't make that retiring mistake.
As for the Packers, they made the right move by trading him outside the conference. I just hope that Favre doesn't get himself injured on a team that isn't exactly a playoff contender.
I will always be a Brett Favre fan, but I am a Packers fan first.
FoxSports.com story
Whatever the Packers do is right
Brett Favre won't retire. Brett Favre doesn't feel comfortable playing for the Green Bay Packers. This is as it is, according to Coach Mike McCarthy and it must be true because Favre hasn't disputed it.
Favre doesn't know what to do besides football. McCarthy said to Favre that he knows that Brett gives the Packers the best shot this year to win the Super Bowl but he doesn't have the right "mindset" to do that at this time.
Brett will always be a Packer. But, it's sad to see how he mishandled the whole situation. Instead of only talking to ESPN and Fox News, he should have had a real news conference telling his side of the story. He should have went to Green Bay as soon as he had that urge to play. He didn't have to show up to Lambeau Field, but he should have been in the same city to make the issues better.
Favre may have ruined his legacy. He doesn't know when to quit. He doesn't know when to retire. But he can play football.
What I worry about now is that he'll get injured this year on a team that he is not comfortable with. My worst feeling is that he could get injured by a former teammate week four when the Green Bay Packers play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (the Bucs are a team he could be traded to).
The Packers have to move on. Aaron Rodgers has to be so nervous right now with all the attention on him now. He has to replace Favre and now could have the burden of beating Favre this season.
Packers fans, like me, will all eventually back the management of the Packers and forget about our favorite quarterback.
Favre doesn't know what to do besides football. McCarthy said to Favre that he knows that Brett gives the Packers the best shot this year to win the Super Bowl but he doesn't have the right "mindset" to do that at this time.
Brett will always be a Packer. But, it's sad to see how he mishandled the whole situation. Instead of only talking to ESPN and Fox News, he should have had a real news conference telling his side of the story. He should have went to Green Bay as soon as he had that urge to play. He didn't have to show up to Lambeau Field, but he should have been in the same city to make the issues better.
Favre may have ruined his legacy. He doesn't know when to quit. He doesn't know when to retire. But he can play football.
What I worry about now is that he'll get injured this year on a team that he is not comfortable with. My worst feeling is that he could get injured by a former teammate week four when the Green Bay Packers play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (the Bucs are a team he could be traded to).
The Packers have to move on. Aaron Rodgers has to be so nervous right now with all the attention on him now. He has to replace Favre and now could have the burden of beating Favre this season.
Packers fans, like me, will all eventually back the management of the Packers and forget about our favorite quarterback.
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