Phelps Scores 400 Medley

On Saturday, Michael Phelps garnered gold. He set another world record. Impressive. Yet, only one of nine.

Rice vs. Hoff: What Rivalry?

On Saturday, Stephanie Rice shattered the world record. Kirsty Coventry scored silver. Katie Hoff bagged bronze. This event was hyped. This event was publicized. Obviously, Rice was impressive. However, Hoff was equally inept.

Beijing 2008: Olympics Control Center

Beach Volleyball: According to CNBC, Misty May and Kerry Walsh are second seeds. They are reining gold medallists. How is this possible?

Gymnastics: Clearly, China and Japan are superior. America appears overmatched. With that stated, Alexander Artemev’s performance was inspiring.

McCain… Depends on the Beholder

Beijing 2008: Olympics Control Center

Beach Volleyball: Misty May and Kerri Walsh dominate. Potentially, they could stumble. However, this is unimaginable.

Swimming: Congratulations, Taehwan Park. Park is an excellent competitor. His victory was not an upset. However, Grant Hackett and Larsen Jensen were non-existent. Meanwhile, American women are struggling. Their one hundred freestyle was apocryphal.

Coverage: Opening ceremonies score 34.2 million. Additionally, Bob Costas amidst Tienemen Square. I hope he survives.

TIME: Georgia Bets Their Nation

The victims, of course, are the civilians of Georgia and its breakaway South Ossetia region, caught in the escalating battle between the Georgian military and South Ossetian separatists and their more powerful Russian backer. Hundreds are alleged to have been killed in two days of heavy fighting that has shown no sign of abating by late Saturday, and thousands more are confronting the resulting humanitarian crisis. But the battle that began to rage in Georgia as world leaders were treated to the pyrotechnics of the Beijing Olympics' opening ceremony may be the most serious challenge to the post-Cold War balance of power since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Georgia and South Ossetia have been squared off in an uneasy peace for more than a decade, now, since the region broke away from Georgia in the early '90s, following its independence from the Soviet Union. After a protracted war that killed around 1,000 people and displaced thousands more ethnic Georgians from the territory, Georgia was compelled to sign a cease-fire agreement that left South Ossetia - a tiny mountainous territory a few football fields smaller than Rhode Island - effectively autonomous, but unable to secure recognition by the international community. Still, Russia has protected the region, providing finance, military protection and even passports, and has used South Ossetia's secession, together with that of Abkhazia, another breakaway region of Georgia, as leverage against Tblisi's desire to join NATO. Moscow sees Georgia's move towards NATO as part of a strategy of hostile encirclement of Russia by Western powers, and when the Western alliance enabled Kosovo's secession from Serbia earlier this year despite the fact that its independence is not recognized by the United Nations, many analysts expected Russia to retaliate by further stoking the fires of secession in Georgia.

Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili has a different agenda - he won election in 2004 on promise to recover the breakaway territories, and to join NATO. So closely has he courted the U.S. that Georgia today has 2,000 troops in Iraq, the third-largest contingent after the U.S. and Britain, although Tbilisi has now indicated it will have to bring at least half of them home to deal with the security crisis in South Ossetia. But the Georgian leader's latest actions will be read by some as designed to force the hand of NATO members reluctant to press the issue of handing membership to Georgia for fear of provoking a Russian backlash. So, after a couple of days of skirmishing along the unofficial border between his forces and those of the separatists, the Georgian leader launched a full-blown invasion whose aim, his government said, was to "restore constitutional order," that is, control by the central government, in South Ossetia. Plainly, the offensive was a gamble, because Saakashvili should have had little doubt about Moscow's readiness to defend the separatists. Moreover, NATO officials had repeatedly warned the Georgian government against launching any attempt to resolve the dispute through military means. Still, he pressed forward.

On Friday, Georgian forces shelled South Ossetian population centers and launched a ground invasion deep into the territory. By noon, news reports announced that they had immobilized much of the opposition and had taken control of South Ossetia's capital, Tskhinvali. The city came under attack by aircraft, artillery and armor, and South Ossetia officials claimed that more than 1,000 people had been killed. Still, the lightning offensive appeared to have put Georgia back in charge of the breakaway region, and made good on Saakashvili's campaign promise. The offensive touched off wild celebrations in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. "Georgians are by nature extremely patriotic and this event has galvanized them together," David Womble, National director of WorldVision, a Christian humanitarian NGO with operations in the country, told TIME. At one point, he said, thousands and thousands of cars filled the streets of the capital, honking their horns and with their passengers waving Georgian flags. Says Womble, "It was as if Georgia had won the World Cup and was celebrating."

Russia's initial response was to convene an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council, hoping to pass a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire between Georgia and South Ossetia. But the Russian draft resolution was contentious. The United State and others objected to language that appeared to exempt Russia from condemnation over the use of force. Russia is frequently blamed for destabilizing the region to its own benefit and using its peacekeeping force as a cover for maintaining a military presence in the region. The Security Council failed to agree on a resolution, and the following day, as Russian media began to report casualties among Russian troops and citizens in South Ossetia, a stern-faced President Dmitri Medvedev appeared on prime-time television to make a chilling call to arms: "I am obligated to defend the life and honor of Russian citizens, wherever they may be," he said. "We will not let those responsible for the death of our people go unpunished." And with that, Russian armor and artillery began pouring in to South Ossetia, and its aircraft began bombing Georgian positions. By Saturday, there were conflicting reports over which side controlled South Ossetia, but Russian planes had pounded the nearby Georgian town of Gori, in raids that Georgian officials said had killed 60 people.

Whether or not the effect was intended, Moscow now appears to be using Saakashvili's strategic overreach to teach a brutal lesson not only to the Georgians, but also to other neighbors seeking to align themselves with the West against Russia. Saakashvili is appealing for Western support, based on international recognition of South Ossetia as sovereign Georgian territory. "A full-scale aggression has been launched against Georgia," he said, calling for Western intervention. But given NATO's previous warnings, its commitments elsewhere and the reluctance of many of its member states to antagonize Russia, it remains unlikely that Georgia will get more than verbal support from its desired Western protectors. Saakashvili appears to have both underestimated the scale of the Russian backlash, and overestimated the extent of support he could count on from the U.S. and its allies. The Georgian leader may have expected Washington to step up to his defense, particularly given his country's centrality to the geopolitics of energy - Georgia is the only alternative to Russia as the route for a pipeline carrying oil westward from Azerbaijan. But Russia is not threatening to overrun Georgia. Moscow claims to be simply using its military to restore the secessionist boundary, which in the process would deal Saakashvili a humiliating defeat.

Although its outcome is yet to be decided, there's no win-win outcome to the offensive launched by Georgia with the goal of recovering South Ossetia. Either Saakashvili wins, or Moscow does. Unless the U.S. and its allies demonstrate an unlikely appetite for confrontation with an angry and resurgent Russia in its own backyard, the smart money would be on Moscow.

Rielle Hunter’s Attorney: Test Yourself, John

Attorney Robert Gordon: “Rielle is therefore making no statement now or in the future. Furthermore, Rielle will not participate in DNA testing or any other invasion of her or her daughter's privacy now or in the future.”

John Edwards… May You Rot

On Friday, former Senator John Edwards admitted an affair. In a “Nightline” interview, Edwards verified tabloid rumors. Rielle Hunter was his mistress. “In 2006 2 years ago, I made a very serious mistake,” he said. “A mistake that I am responsible for and no one else. In 2006 I told Elizabeth about the mistake, asked her for her forgiveness, asked God for his forgiveness. And we have kept this within our family since that time.”

“All of my family knows about this and just to be absolutely clear, none of them are responsible for it,” Edwards continued. “I am responsible for it. I alone am responsible for it. And it led to this most recent incident at the Beverly Hilton. I was at the Beverly Hilton. I was there for a very simple reason, because I was trying to keep this mistake that I had made from becoming public.”

On July 22, the National Inquirer confronted Edwards. They questioned him. He escaped into a restroom. Despite denials, Edwards’ admission was unsurprising. Rumors haunt every politician. However, Senator Sunshine was arrogant, self-righteous, and smug. Akin to Elliot Spitzer, Edwards’ hypocrisy damned him.

Certainly, Edwards will be mocked and ridiculed. However, his transgression was unfunny. Despite Elizabeth Edwards’ cancer, John Edwards cheated. For this, he warrants severe condemnation. I hope Hell has a special section.

Edwards Releases Self-Serving, Slimy Statement

John Edwards: “In 2006, I made a serious error in judgment and conducted myself in a way that was disloyal to my family and to my core beliefs. I recognized my mistake and I told my wife that I had a liaison with another woman, and I asked for her forgiveness. Although I was honest in every painful detail with my family, I did not tell the public. When a supermarket tabloid told a version of the story, I used the fact that the story contained many falsities to deny it. But being 99% honest is no longer enough.”

“I was and am ashamed of my conduct and choices, and I had hoped that it would never become public. With my family, I took responsibility for my actions in 2006 and today I take full responsibility publicly. But that misconduct took place for a short period in 2006. It ended then. I am and have been willing to take any test necessary to establish the fact that I am not the father of any baby, and I am truly hopeful that a test will be done so this fact can be definitively established. I only know that the apparent father has said publicly that he is the father of the baby. I also have not been engaged in any activity of any description that requested, agreed to or supported payments of any kind to the woman or to the apparent father of the baby.”

“It is inadequate to say to the people who believed in me that I am sorry, as it is inadequate to say to the people who love me that I am sorry. In the course of several campaigns, I started to believe that I was special and became increasingly egocentric and narcissistic. If you want to beat me up – feel free. You cannot beat me up more than I have already beaten up myself. I have been stripped bare and will now work with everything I have to help my family and others who need my help.”

Georgia, Russia Ignite

Georgia and Russia are skirmishing. Aircraft, tanks, and troops have been deployed. Their issue is South Ossetia. A straddling parcel both claim. The initial aggressor is irrelevant. The escalator is irrelevant. South Ossetia may have value. However, this conflict is unacceptable. The International Community must act.

Beijing Brutality

On Saturday, an unnamed assailant stabbed three. Todd Bachman was killed. Barbara Bachman is critical. Hopefully, this was a random occurrence. Not the commencement of a nightmare scenario.

Beijing 2008: Olympics Control Center

Boxing: I abhor Olympic scoring. I also appreciate the scoring. Aggressive punchers may be slighted. However, technicians are rewarded. Today, favorites appeared vulnerable. The United States may exceed expectations.

Fencing: America sweeps. Mariel Zagunis garners gold. Sada Jacobson scores silver. Becca Ward bags bronze. I cannot comprehend this event. With that stated, I applaud our victory.

Swimming: Michael Phelps vs. Ryan Lochte. This afternoon, both were impressive. Their medley showdown is must watch.

Beijing’s Spectacular Welcome

On Friday, the 2008 Olympics commenced. The opening ceremonies were phenomenal. The performers were animated. The scenery was excellent. The technology was impressive. Director Zhang Yimou’s epic will never have rival. Perfectly, Bob Costas encapsulated the evening. Massive scope. Minute precision.

Concerning the coverage, Costas was exemplary. His observations were perceptive. His opinions were poignant. Clearly, he can discuss anything. Matt Lauer was acceptable. He was not Katie Couric. His humor was awkward. However, his political narration was insightful. Tom Brokaw’s essay was also outstanding.

Dolphins Reprieve, Retrieve Pennington

On Saturday, the Miami Dolphins signed Chad Pennington. Pennington inked a 2-year, $11.5 million contract. “I've learned a lot, become a better professional and a better man because of my experience and my time in New York,” said Pennington. “I don't regret or feel ashamed about anything that happened to me in my time in New York. The most difficult part is just the realization that the organization no longer wants you. You spend eight years there and, in the blink of an eye, you're no longer wanted there.”

For eight seasons, the New York Jets ostracized Pennington. New York fans abhorred him. Pennington was not Tom Brady. However, he was adequate. He warranted better. In my opinion, Pennington will resurrect Miami.

King of Comedy

Bernie Mac
(1957-2008)

Monologue Joke of the Evening

“I thought this was nice. At one point during the opening ceremony, they had 56 children march into the stadium, all belonging to John Edwards.”

The Tonight Show

Kwame… Quit

On Friday, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (D-Detroit) was charged with assault. In twenty-four hours, Kilpatrick was arraigned and incarcerated. Simply stated, Kilpatrick is an embarrassment. For Democrats, Detroit, and Michigan, he must resign.

Tony Hangs On

On Friday, Andretti Green Racing retained Tony Kanaan. Kanaan signed a five-year contract. During his career, Kanaan has amassed a thirteen victories. He is a superstar. Unfortunately, Indy Car Racing is dead. Kanaan should have exited.

Grand Finale: NYPD, Police Rock

NEW RULE

Chairman Mao is dead. These are the Olympics.

Senator Sam Brownback: “These hotels are justifiably outraged by this order, which puts them in the awkward position of having to craft pop-up messages explaining to their customers that their Web history, communications, searches and key strokes are being spied on by the Chinese government. If you were a human rights advocate, if you're a journalist, you're in room 1251 of a hotel, anything that you use, sending out over the Internet is monitored in real time by the Chinese Public Security bureau. That's not right. It's not in the Olympic spirit.”

Brownback is correct. China’s communism is irrelevant. Upon their citizens, they may spy. Upon anyone else, they cannot. China is the venue. They are not the authority. I hope they realize this. I pray athletes, journalists, and spectators are safe.

Worth A Read

Conservative Grapevine

Highlighting opinion, news, and video.

The Daily Smak

Hey, didn’t you used to be the Green Bay Packers?

Tonight, the 2008 Olympics commence. Drama. Intensity. Nervousness. Fortunately, Tienemen Square’s soldiers have practiced.

Today’s top five or NBA signings (1) Emeka Okafor, (2) Luol Deng, (3) Jason Williams, (4) Monta Ellis, (5) Kwame Brown

Favre, Packers Conclude Conundrum

The Green Bay Packers vs. Brett Favre. In this convoluted catharsis, there were no winners. There were no losers. They were both jerks. Favre was egotistical, narcissistic, and selfish. The Packers were circuitous, petulant, and rude. Thankfully, the jerks have separated.

On Thursday morning, the Packers traded Favre to the New York Jets. As reciprocation, the Packers received a fourth round selection. Assuming Favre excels, said selection will ascend. “I always wanted to be a Packer and I think I always will be a Packer,” said Favre. “I'm not a traitor, never will be. It's business. It's the way it works. I gave everything I could possibly give. I hope the Jets fans see the same thing.”

“I think we're probably both at fault,” he continued. “I'm not going to blame one side or the other. A lot of things happened this season, a lot of shocking things. But at this point it's irrelevant.”

On March 4, Favre retired. On July 12, he reconsidered. For two weeks, CEO Mark Murphy, General Manager Ted Thompson, and Favre sniped. On July 26, the Packers chose Aaron Rodgers.

Undaunted, Favre received reinstatement. He reported. He retreated. On August 7, he was traded. “We wish him the best,” said Coach Mike McCarthy. “There's no ill feelings. He has a positive reputation within this organization.”

During his career, Favre has started 253 contests. He has completed 5,377 of 8,758 passes (61%). He has amassed 61,655 yards with 442 touchdowns and 288 interceptions.

Favre has garnered three NFL Most Valuable Player Awards. He won Super Bowl XXXI. He has accrued ten playoff appearances. His records include career completions, attempts, yards, touchdowns, and interceptions.

Concerning Favre and Green Bay, I support neither. I abhor them both. Favre is arrogant and overvalued. The Packers were incompetent and sanctimonious. Ultimately, the victor will be obvious. If Rodgers shimmers, Green Bay triumphs. If New York improves, Favre triumphs. Personally, I crave this scenario… The Jets succeed, Favre retires, and McCarthy, Murphy, and Thompson are fired.

Eric Adelson: American Athletes Worth Watching

Michael Phelps
Sport: Swimming
Events: 100-meter and 200 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 200 and 400 individual medley, 400 free relay, 800 free relay and 400 medley relay
Main rival: Ryan Lochte
Breakdown: Greatest swimmer ever? How about greatest Olympian ever? Michael Phelps isn't just chasing Mark Spitz anymore; he's chasing every legendary Olympian, from Jesse Owens to Nadia Comaneci. Phelps will swim eight events (17 total races, including semis and prelims) with the chance to emerge by Games' end with more gold medals than anyone in history. (Ray Ewry, an American track star from the early 20th century, still holds the record with 10; Phelps has six.) Phelps will test his endurance in swimming his sport's "decathlon" -- the 400-meter individual medley, which requires all four strokes -- and he'll test his speed, with sprints like the 100 butterfly and the 4x100 free relay. Unless something tragic happens, these Olympics will be remembered for what Phelps does -- no matter what he does.

Dara Torres
Sport: Swimming
Events: 50 free, 400 free relay, 400 medley relay
Main rival: Libby Trickett, Australia
Breakdown: Torres will go down as either the most inspiring story of the Olympics or the most upsetting -- and probably nothing in between. She's inspiring because she's 41 -- nearly twice the age of most competitors -- and a super-buff mom who came out of retirement (and a shoulder operation) to make her fifth Olympic team and make a statement about what's possible in sport and in life. She is already the oldest gold medalist in swimming and oldest to make an Olympic swim team. But Torres' story is potentially upsetting because doping whispers follow her like ripples from her powerful freestyle stroke. At the U.S. trials, Torres beat fellow American Jessica Hardy, who tested positive for clenbuterol -- an asthma drug that was also used on Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown. Torres spoke about her own bout with asthma in 2000, but then said at this year's trials she was diagnosed 18 months ago. Torres hasn't failed a drug test and has been a pioneer in volunteering for a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency pilot testing program.

Kobe Bryant
Sport: Men's basketball
Main rival: Manu Ginobili, Argentina
Breakdown: Seems as if every game involving Kobe Bryant becomes a referendum on Kobe Bryant. Now, Kobe is a referendum on American basketball. Bryant is the greatest player in the world, for his offense and his defense, but his individual ability has not translated into a world title since Shaquille O'Neal left the Lakers. This summer, his leadership couldn't overwhelm the team play of the Boston Celtics, and now Bryant will lead a team of American stars against nations that employ the team-first style which left the U.S. with a disappointing bronze at the Athens Games in 2004 and another loss at the World Championships in 2006. Team USA can be forgiven for its lapse four years ago, but if a group of Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James -- coached by Mike Krzyzewski -- can't beat the world, what does that say about American basketball? And what does that say about Kobe?

Diana Taurasi
Sport: Women's basketball
Main rival: Lauren Jackson, Australia
Breakdown: Who's the greatest winner in sports? Maybe Boston Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek, who has won at the Little League, high school, collegiate and professional levels. But coming up behind Tek is Taurasi, who led UConn to three national titles, completed a rags-to-riches turnaround for the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA and now may lead Team USA to another gold medal after being the youngest player on the first-place Athens team. But there is tension this time: The Americans lost to Russia at Worlds in 2006, and eventually watched the Aussies win gold. That broke a 50-game international winning streak. Was that loss a slipup, or the beginning of the same trend affecting the men?

Tyson Gay
Sport: Track and field
Events: 100, 400 relay
Main rival: Usain Bolt, Jamaica
Breakdown: The "World's Fastest Man" has morphed from a title into a punch line in the wake of doping scandals involving Americans Tim Montgomery and Justin Gatlin, but Gay might restore credibility to the American sprinting tradition. He ran a 9.77 in the 100-meter dash at the U.S. trials in Oregon in July -- matching Montgomery's tainted mark -- and then ran a wind-aided 9.68 the next day, setting a world record. Gay strained his hamstring and fell during qualifying for the 200, but that will only shine a brighter light on the Olympics' marquee event.

Shawn Johnson
Sport: Gymnastics
Main rival: Nastia Liukin, USA
Breakdown: Johnson is straight out of central casting. She's an Iowa teen with two loving parents and straight A's at her high school. She visits an animal shelter on her lunch break, and her greatest vice is shopping. The term "pixie" is a cliché, but let's just say Johnson's smile is about as wide as her 4-foot-8 body is long. Sound anything like Hayden Panettiere? But this real-life hero has a lot of force in that frame. Gymnastics fans will become very familiar with her torque, as her double-twist has become a staple of her floor routine and uneven bars dismount. She was perfect in her all-around at last year's worlds, and if Phelps falters, the Wheaties box may go to the 16-year-old from the heartland.

Laura Wilkinson
Sport: Diving
Event: 10-meter platform
Main rival: Wang Xin, China
Breakdown: Divers are supposed to have up-and-down careers, but get this: Wilkinson came from eighth to win gold in the 2000 Sydney Games while wearing a kayak shoe over her broken foot. Then she placed out of the medal stand in Athens. Now she's back again as the American front-runner after beating 15-year-old Haley Ishimatsu at the U.S. trials. She's still the only American woman to win a platform gold since 1964. But the host Chinese are heavy favorites in diving: They won six golds in Athens, while no other nation won more than one.

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh
Sport: Beach volleyball
Main rival: Tian Jia and Wang Jie, China
Breakdown: Have there ever been two people who represent their sport like this pair? Can anyone name a single beach volleyball player -- man or woman -- besides Misty and Kerri? Can anyone imagine them apart? (The two faced each other in high school, and Misty teamed with Holly McPeak in Sydney, finishing fifth.) And maybe the biggest question is: Can anyone imagine them losing? The duo has won 17 straight tournaments and 96 straight matches -- both records -- including gold in Athens, where they did not lose a set. Still, the Chinese have roared to within shouting distance of the American duo, and Misty and Kerri might actually sweat in Beijing for reasons other than the heat.

Allyson Felix
Sport: Track and field
Events: 200 meters
Main rival: Muna Lee, USA
Breakdown: Felix makes Shawn Johnson seem nefarious by comparison. Her father's a minister and her mom's an elementary school teacher. She finished up school at the University of Southern California after turning pro. Her smile is so glowing and unyielding, it's a wonder she doesn't sprint with a grin (though she does in the latest issue of The New York Times' Play Magazine). But like Johnson, Felix has strength of stride and purpose. She's a runaway favorite in the 200 meters and has a clear shot at two more relay golds. Oh, and she can leg-press 700 pounds. Nothing adorable about that.

Taylor Phinney
Sport: Cycling
Events: 4-kilometer individual pursuit
Main rival: Bradley Wiggins, Great Britain
Breakdown: The velodrome is always a cool sight, but Beijing may bring a chance to see the next Lance Armstrong. Phinney has a story ready-made for television. His mom, Connie, was an Olympic speedskater at age 14 and a road-race gold medalist in 1984. His dad, Davis, was the first American to win a Tour de France road stage, and he's a cycling bronze medalist. But Davis Phinney was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and now he has a pacemaker in his brain to help control movements that keep him unable to fully rest at night. Taylor, or "Mini Phinney," took up cycling and, at 17, won the first track race he ever entered, at the U.S. national championships last year. Armstrong already knows who Taylor is, and so will millions more in a matter of days.

Eric Adelson: International Athletes Worth Watching

Liu Xiang, China
Sport: Track and field
Events: 110-meter hurdles
Breakdown: Think there's pressure on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers? Try shouldering the dreams of 1.3 billion people. Liu shocked his country by matching the world record of 12.91 seconds at the 2004 Athens Games and winning gold, then called his feat "a miracle" and "a proud moment … [for] all people who share the same yellow skin color." Then, he predicted a "yellow tornado" blowing through the track world. Now, the hurdler is back to deliver on his promise, with an entire nation expecting him to be not only a winner but a historic figure in a country without a tradition of dominance in individual sports.

Natalie Du Toit, South Africa
Sport: Swimming
Events: 10-kilometer open water
Breakdown: Want chills? Start here. You might have heard of Du Toit's countryman, amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius, but Du Toit might be the first disabled athlete to win an Olympic medal in 56 years. She nearly qualified for the Sydney Games, then lost her leg after a motorcycle accident in 2001. She returned to the water three months later. Du Toit missed qualifying for Athens but won five gold medals in the 2004 Paralympics, then made the 2008 Olympic team. So instead of South Africa cheering for Pistorius, it will be Pistorius cheering for Du Toit.

Yelena Isinbayeva, Russia
Sport: Track and field
Events: Pole vault
Breakdown: What Michael Phelps is to swimming, Isinbayeva is to pole vaulting. She has set 23 world records (Phelps has set 22), beat out rival Svetlana Feofanova for gold in Athens and, like Phelps, has been alone at the top of her sport for years. She has 34 of the top 50 all-time vaults. She also is similar to Dara Torres -- her technique is as pristine and powerful as that of any man. She has upped her 4.91-meter mark from Athens to 5.04.

Usain Bolt, Jamaica
Sport: Track and field
Events: 100 meters
Breakdown: The owner of the best Olympic name also might have the most exciting Olympic game. Even his coach considered him a 400 specialist until May, when, at age 21, Bolt ran what was then the second-fastest time ever (9.76 seconds) in only his third 100 race. Later that month, he blew past Tyson Gay and set a world record of 9.72. Bolt will try to do more of that in Beijing -- in the 100, 200 and 400.

Haile Gebrselassie, Ethiopia
Sport: Track and field
Events: 10,000 meters
Breakdown: His name is hard to spell but easy to translate: It means "running." He has competed at distances as short as 1,500 meters and as long as the marathon on indoor and outdoor tracks and road and cross country courses. He has set 25 world records (including 2:04:26 in the marathon) and has won the 10,000 four straight times at the worlds and two straight times (1996 and 2000) at the Olympics. He might have won in Athens if not for an Achilles injury just before the start of the Games. Gebrselassie pulled out of the Beijing marathon because of air-pollution concerns -- he has asthma -- but he again will run the 10,000 on the world's greatest sports stage.

Lauren Regula, Canada
Sport: Softball
Breakdown: So why did she make the list? Canada has a shot at the podium, but probably not much more. Regula is one of the world's top pitchers, sure, but so is Jennie Finch. Regula pitched 17 innings in Athens with a 0.41 ERA. She has a great-uncle who competed as a decathlete in the 1964 and 1972 Games. And she's the best softball pitcher in Oklahoma State University history. But you might want to keep an eye on Regula in part because her full name is Lauren Bay Regula. Her brother is newly acquired Red Sox outfielder Jason Bay.

Roman Sebrle, Czech Republic
Sport: Decathlon
Breakdown: Many Americans think Tiger Woods is the world's greatest athlete, but Sebrle owns the official title. He's the only man to score 9,000 points in the decathlon, and he's the reigning Olympic gold medalist. And although Tiger competed with an ACL injury, Sebrle took only 11 stitches after getting a javelin accidentally plunged into his shoulder in 2007; he won the world championship later that year. By the way, he's also a soldier in the Czech army. Well, at least Tiger earns more money.

Yang Wei, China
Sport: Gymnastics
Breakdown: He's 5-foot-3 and just 120 pounds, but he might be the bravest Olympian out there. Yang has by far the most challenging routines of any male gymnast, and he toys with risk like an elephant plays with a mouse. He won silver in Sydney and stared a gold medal in the face but fell from the high bar -- and the podium -- in Athens. A new scoring system rewarding the daring will help, and Yang is just about unbeatable on rings and vault. Still, his thirst for difficulty could upend him at any moment. At the worlds last year, Yang fell and still won the all-around. He might not have that kind of margin of error in Beijing.

Grant Hackett, Australia
Sport: Swimming
Events: 400 meters, 1,500
Breakdown: He's ready to become the first to win three straight gold medals in the metric mile. He owns seven of the 10 fastest times in history. So what's the drama? Well, that comes in the 400 meters, in which he'll face South Korean Park Tae-hwan. Park beat out Hackett in Melbourne at last year's worlds and, at 17, became one of the biggest names in South Korea. Hackett has rounded into shape, and he swam the fastest time so far this year. Now the veteran and the kid meet again, and already the South Korean media have pestered Hackett so doggedly that the Australian team has requested tighter security around its leader. Let the games within the Games begin.

Yao Ming, China
Sport: Men's basketball
Breakdown: There is perhaps no greater ambassador for the host country than Yao, who is courageous enough to carry a nation's expectations in the U.S., donate his time and money to earthquake victims, recover from a series of injuries and welcome Ron Artest to the Houston Rockets. He may or may not light the torch, but as a six-time All-Star starter, he already has lit a path for many young Chinese who want to play in the NBA. Oh, and by the way, he might actually make a big dent in the Games, with Yi Jianlian and Wang Zhizhi flanking him. China has never made it past the quarterfinals in Olympic basketball.

Stephanie Rice, Australia
Sport: Swimming
Events: 200 and 400 individual medleys
Breakdown: Before we lose you to the saucy Facebook photo of the 20-year-old in an airtight police officer costume -- a pic that turned the Land Down Under over -- please pay attention long enough to know that Rice is the biggest threat to Baltimore's Phemale Phelps, Katie Hoff. Rice grabbed world records in the 200 and 400 medleys before Hoff took back the 400 mark at the trials. If you're still reading, news just broke that Rice has broken up with fellow Aussie swimmer Eamon Sullivan. So yeah, she's single. See ya.

President Admires, Admonishes China

Thailand Address Complete Text

Monologue Joke of the Evening

“Brett Favre, the quarterback of your Green Bay Packers, will now be the quarterback of your New York Jets. People ask, how did this happen? It was part of the Rosie O’Donnell trade.”

Late Show with David Letterman

Yahoo: Gymnastics Channels Figure Skating

Turns out, the perfect 10 wasn’t so perfect. At least not in the minds of international gymnastics officials.

Four years after a series of scoring errors marred the competition at the Athens Olympics, fans who tune into gymnastics once every four years are in for a big shock Saturday. The perfect 10 is passe. Fifteens, 16s—maybe even a, gasp! 17—are all the rage.

“I hate the new scoring,” said Mary Lou Retton, whose Olympic gold medal came courtesy of a 10 on vault. “The perfect 10, you don’t have to say anything to describe it. The perfect 10, you were perfect.”

Even more than the 6.0 in figure skating, the 10 was gymnastics’ brand. Think of Nadia Comaneci, and you immediately think of that mesmerizing string of seven 10s in Montreal. Somehow, seven 15s doesn’t have quite the same ring to it. Regardless of whether you knew a pommel horse from a pony, it wasn’t hard to figure out if a routine was good or bad. Start at 10 and count backward. The closer to 10, the better the routine. The further away, the less chance somebody’s getting a medal.

“I thought they were crazy,” Bela Karolyi said of the new scoring system. “Why? Why is it needed? It attracted so much attention. The perfect 10 was something that was cherished. “I thought it was crazy to take it out, a humongous waste. I still feel that kind of in this way, maybe selfishly.”

But the 10 returned to its pre-Comaneci mythical status after the 1992 Olympics, with none awarded afterward in international competition. That meant judges had to get creative when it came to separating the world’s best gymnasts, with only so many tenths and hundredths of points to spread around. That flaw in the perfect 10 was glaringly apparent in Athens, when scoring errors left fans and athletes alike unhappy. The men’s high bar, vault and all-around all had issues, and the International Gymnastics Federation finally decided it had had enough. “Something needed to be done to try and make it more fair,” Retton acknowledged.

The FIG’s solution was an open-ended scoring system. Unlike the 10-point scale, where evaluations of artistry and difficulty had to be jammed together, each now gets its own space and, theoretically at least, there is no limit on how high a gymnast can go. The first score, the difficulty mark, measures how hard the routine is. Starting from zero, the values of the 10 hardest tricks in a routine are added together.

The harder the routine, the higher the difficulty score will be. The second mark is for execution. Starting from 10—the FIG’s way of claiming the 10 still exists—deductions are taken for errors big (wobbles) and small (bobbles). “I’m always thinking about that. You can still strive for perfection in the B score,” Nastia Liukin said. “I’m always thinking how to get closer to a 10 on that part.”

Put the two together, and that’s the final score. Depending on the event, scores at the Beijing Games should range from the high 14s to the high 16s. Oh sure, there’ll be some 13s thrown out there, maybe even an 11 if someone really struggles.

But see a 16, and you know somebody is doing something right. See a 17, and you’ll have seen something really special; there have only been a handful awarded in the three years the scoring system has been used. “(The 10) is what you dreamed of as a kid. You were always trying to reach a 10. You dreamed you’d do a routine so awesome you’d get a 10,” said Jonathan Horton, who was fourth at worlds last year. “But I’m pretty happy with the system. I’ve gotten comfortable with it.”

That’s not to say he understands it completely. Throw all those numbers around, and it’s bound to cause a math meltdown somewhere. “It is pretty complicated,” Horton said. “You could sit down and look at a rule book for four years and probably still won’t get it.”

Ah, but that’s what coaches are for. Athletes may have some nostalgia for the 10, but their main focus is on winning a medal. The FIG could decide to ditch numbers altogether and the athletes would find a way to make it work. Routines have gotten much, much harder in the last year as athletes try to jam as many tough tricks together as possible to ratchet up their start value.

Liukin looks back at the routines she did in 2005, the last year of the 10.0, and she can barely believe how easy they were. And those got her world titles on balance beam and uneven bars. “It’s like half of my routine that I do now, and I thought it was hard,” said Liukin, the only American gymnast who has scored a 17.

“It makes it harder but, at the same time, I think it makes it more fun because it brings out the best in you and brings out the most difficult things in gymnastics,” Liukin added.

For fans who haven’t seen gymnastics since the Olympics left Athens, reading Greek or Chinese might seem easier than deciphering this new scoring system. But they’ll adjust, Liukin said. “Honestly, I don’t even think about that because I know you can’t change it. So why even try and be like, ‘Man, I wish it was still the old code,”’ Liukin said. “I try to deal with what I’m given, try and work harder and try and get my start values up.”

Four Finishes Pennington

On Thursday, the New York Jets released Chad Pennington. During his career, Pennington completed 1,259 of 1,919 passes (65%) for 13,738 yards with 82 touchdowns and 55 interceptions. He was not Tom Brady. However, he was adequate. He waranted better. Personally, I hope someone acquires him.

Hamdan’s Sentencing Should Silence

On Thursday, Salim Hamdan received five months incarceration. Hamdan’s sentence is controversial. However, his sentence is acceptable. Obviously, the military jurists are independent. They are not puppets. Critics should shut up.

Annoying & Controversial… Cooper, Lohan Spar

Anderson Cooper: “Allegedly a 14-year-old girl, looks to be about 60... I say that with concern and love. She allegedly wants to be a singer and or actor-slash-performer of some sort, striptease person, I don't know. Let me just reiterate, I feel bad for the 14-year-old daughter. She seems like a nice person, but she should be a kid, not in a [reality show].”

Michael Lohan: “I think Anderson Cooper is an opinionated, hypocritical idiot who should be an adult and keep his opinion to himself. He is the last person to judge anyone, when he and his own family have their own issues.”

Yahoo: Top Ten Marital Misbehaviors

The day two people exchange vows may not be your special day, but it's someone's special day, so be on your best behavior -- all the way from the I -do's to the obligatory Gloria Gaynor dance marathon...

Don't Be Fashionably Late: As the song says, get to the church on time! Allow enough time to get to there 15 minutes early or more no matter what weather, traffic, or other acts of divine intervention pop up. Print out directions to both the ceremony and the reception (if it's at a different location). Many a wedding has been hampered by guests who got lost and showed up an hour late.

Don't Produce Sound Effects: While at a wedding and reception, turn off your Blackberries and cell phones, put them on vibrate, or better yet, don't even take them!

Don't Talk Trash: It may sound obvious, but it happens all the time. No matter how big or how loud a wedding is, things get overheard. So, be on your best and most polite behavior. No gossip about any of the other guests. No complaining out loud about anything -- whether it's the food or the long line at the ladies' room. And no comparisons to other weddings! As far as the bride and groom are concerned, this is a perfect day, and so it should be!

Don't Come Bearing Gifts: Whether you're planning on gifting the happy couple a Cuisinart or cold hard cash, do them a huge favor and don't bring it on the wedding day. If you do, they have to keep track of it and haul it home at the end of the night. Send the gift ahead of time, or after the actual ceremony -- at a time when they can really relax and enjoy it.

Don't Dress Down: Whatever you choose to wear, make the effort to look your best for the bride and groom. They'll appreciate that you got dolled or duded up for the occasion. If the invitation doesn't specify dress code, put in a friendly email or call to the bride, groom, their parents, or attendants to get more info. Black Tie means you've got to dust off that long silk dress or rent a tux. If it's an outdoor affair, there may be more leeway, but get details on the location, so you can come prepared (because it's isn't fun to be traipsing around in the sand in your stilettos!).

Don't Bring Mr. or Ms. Random: If you're single, choose your date carefully. If it's someone you've only been out with once, it may not be the best idea (could be awkward for you, your date, and the newlyweds). Same if it's someone you recently "sort of" broke up with. Weddings are intimate affairs and bringing in a stranger should be done with thought. Let the bride or groom know if you decide to come alone so they can seat you with other fun "ones!" And as much as you may love your kiddos, don't take them if children aren't invited.

Don't Steal the Show: Wedding ceremonies take all forms -- from religious to poetic, musical, or humorous. Whatever the vibe, let the bride and groom set the tone and follow their lead. If you're normally a loud, life-of-the-party type, bring it down a notch and let the wedding couple stand out. If you're a weeper, bring tissues and sit where you can sob without disturbing the I Do's. If the ceremony includes religious rituals, find out what you should do (or not do) ahead of time.

Don't Pig Out: If food is serve-yourself, avoid the buffet line stampede and wait until the crowd dies down. Also, avoid going back for thirds. Take a break and save room for cake! Seconds might be okay, once you've seen that everyone has eaten. If the food is served sit-down, eat what is served without requesting substitutions or omissions, unless you have a food allergy. Otherwise, pick delicately or chow down, but don't gripe that you "don't like fish." Worse comes to worst, you can hit Burger King on the way home!

Don't Drag Out Skeletons: If the bride blushes, it should be from pride, joy, or sheer love. Not because someone just stood up and told a humiliating story about the loser she dated in high school! Ingratiate yourself to the lady and her groom by avoiding any potentially embarrassing or juvenile behavior -- no bawdy jokes, no tales about their dating habits or exploits, no overdrinking, and no overly sexy dancing. Have fun, but don't have it at anyone else's expense.

Don't Stockpile Party Favors: At the end of the night, as you're saying your thank-yous and farewells, avoid the urge to hog all the super-cool (or yummy) party favors! You don't need to take some for people who weren't able to attend. You don't need extras. Take one for yourself, unless someone in the wedding party urges you to do otherwise.

NEW RULE

Olympic cities are emblematic.

Beijing’s atmosphere is polluted. Their air is rancid. This was inevitable. China is an atrocity. They are a tyrannical albatross Their selection was inappropriate. Their selection was unacceptable. Their selection endangered athletes, civilians, journalists, and spectators.

The International Olympic Committee was imprudent. They were irrational. They must never repeat this choice. The Olympiad is a celebration. An athletic and cultural spectacle. China is cruel and oppressive. Thus, they cannot be celebrated.

The Daily Smak

Hey, didn’t you used to be the PGA Championship?

America’s nightmare is over. On Wednesday, the Green Bay Packers traded Brett Favre to the New York Jets. For New York, this is huge. For New Jersey, even more important.

According to Senator Hillary Clinton, her supporters merit respect. Clinton’s suggestion? The Democratic National Convention nominates her. Typical Hillary. Indulging her will improve others.

China Draws Distressing Line

On Wednesday, Team Darfur Founder Joey Cheek’s visa was revoked. Cheek cannot attend the 2008 Olympics. China is a sovereign nation. They may authorize access. They may revoke access. Concerning their motive, I will not speculate. I will simply state the obvious. This precedent is disturbing.

Yahoo: Ghosts of Florida Past

Come November, more Americans might cast their ballots on paper than in any other election in U.S. history. That wasn't supposed to happen. If everything had gone according to the government's $3 billion plan to upgrade voting technology after the hanging-chad fiasco in Florida in 2000, that sentence would read "electronic machines" instead of paper.

Instead, thousands of touchscreen devices are collecting dust in warehouses from California to Florida, where officials worried about hackers and fed up with technical glitches have replaced the equipment with scanners that will read paper ballots. An Associated Press Election Research survey has found that 57 percent of the nation's registered voters live in counties that will be relying on paper ballots this fall.

The number of registered voters in jurisdictions that will rely mainly on electronic voting machines has fallen from a high of 44 percent during the 2006 midterm elections to 36 percent. (Much of the rest of the electorate consists of voters in New York state, who will be using old-fashioned pull-lever machines.)

In fact, because of growth in the electorate over the past decade, expansion of absentee voting rules, and expectations of high turnout for the contest between Barack Obama and John McCain, some experts are predicting a record number of Americans will cast ballots on paper this year.

"More people will be using computer-read paper ballots than at any other time in the nation's history," said Kimball Brace, head of Election Data Services, a consulting firm. "As you get more registered voters and more people in the pool, it exacerbates this bigger issues of paper."

In 2000, about 97 million registered voters lived in counties that relied on some form of paper ballot, Brace said. That figure is expected to top 100 million this fall, according to the AP data. The return to paper creates extra stress on an already-strapped election system. Cash-poor counties will have to spend tens of millions of dollars printing ballots. Voters, many of them first-timers, may wind up confused by the ballot formats and frustrated by long lines of people waiting to use the scanners. And counting all the paper could hold up the results of the election. "After 2000, there was a widespread revulsion about paper — everyone had the mental image of the guy cross-eyed looking at the punch-card ballot," said Doug Chapin, director of the watchdog organization Electionline. "But there's no silver bullet. You're trading one set of problems for another."

All states but Idaho have junked the punch-card ballots that caused so much trouble in Florida. But many plan to use paper ballots that require voters to fill in ovals with a pen. The ballots are then read by digital scanners. Unlike touchscreens, paper can't malfunction or be hacked into. But it has to be printed, shipped and securely stored before and after Election Day. Counties already paying to warehouse electronic machines will have to buy reams of card stock, print extras in multiple languages, pay for delivery and eventually destroy the unused ballots.

In counties that are on their third system in three presidential contests, officials are retraining workers in how to use the equipment and demonstrate it to voters. Broward County, Fla., which was caught in the punch-card maelstrom in 2000, has produced guides showing voters how to feed their paper ballots into the scanners. Other counties making the switch, including some of California's largest, are planning to collect ballots at polling places and pay workers overtime to feed them into industrial-size scanners at central offices.

None of that is likely to prevent voters from making other sorts of mistakes, such as filling in the wrong oval or using the wrong color pen. "A lot of officials are in damage-control mode because they're going to try to limit the problems of switching to paper," said Mike Alvarez, an expert in voting technology at Caltech in Pasadena. "You will have ballots not showing up, being printed wrong, the litany of mistakes voters make with these ballots, and then there's incredible pressure in a crowded polling place for people who are trying to make their decision."

As Brace put it: "Paper is traditionally the device that the public is really good at screwing up."

In 2000, about 61 percent of registered voters lived in counties that relied on some form of paper ballot, whether punch-cards or fill-in-the-oval forms, according to Election Data Systems. Only 13 percent of voters lived in counties that used touchscreens or other e-voting devices; the rest used pull-lever machines. With fewer than 100 days until Nov. 4, the first concern for many election officials is making sure they will be able to get all their ballots printed between the time the national, state and local slates have been selected and Election Day.

California, the nation's biggest electoral prize, with more than 16 million people registered to vote, abruptly outlawed most electronic machines last summer, creating a potential crunch in the highly specialized ballot-printing industry. San Diego contracted with a Washington state company after local businesses said they couldn't produce the 3.5 million extra ballots in the two-month window.

Many paper ballots may wind up in the shredder. Last week, Ohio's secretary of state ordered all 53 counties using electronic machines to print paper ballots to accommodate voters in November who opt out of e-voting. A similar order during the primary resulted in the pulping of more than a million unused ballots after only 14,484 voters asked for them.

Viva La Dictatorship

In December, Venezuelans rejected President Hugo Chavez. On Wednesday, Chavez retorted. He ignored his citizenry. He asserted socialist “reforms.” Chavez’s actions are scary. They underscore the obvious. Chavez may feign democracy. However, Venezuela is a captive country.

Selfish Stays

On Wednesday, Kansas retained Coach Bill Self. Self signed a 10-year, $30 million contract. “He has done a tremendous job leading the Kansas men's basketball program both on and off the court,” said Athletic Director Lew Perkins. “There's no one I'd rather have at the helm of the Kansas program.”

During his career, Self has logged a 349-137 ledger. In Oral Roberts (4 seasons), he accrued a 55-54 record. In Tulsa (3 seasons), he amassed a 74-27 record. In Illinois (3 seasons), he assembled a 78-24 record. In Kansas (5 seasons), he assimilated a 142-32 record. “I'm looking at it that we have some momentum off last year and we need to build on it,” said Self. “We want to put ourselves in the championship game again as soon as we can. But getting the security is definitely a nice thing. Our coaches and I are very happy about the commitment the university has made to us. We want to make a similar commitment back.”

Following Kansas’ national championship, Self extorted an extension. His threat? He would exchange Kansas for Oklahoma State. Self could have negotiated. He could have remained private. Instead, he coerced Kansas. He received payment. As previously stated, Self is despicable.

Monologue Joke of the Evening

“You folks see this? The United States cyclists walked through the airport wearing masks. They are convinced that’s the only way they’re going to get fresh air… to suck it out through their tires.”

Late Show with David Letterman

Handicapping the PGA Championship

Phil Mickelson: 10-1
Vijay Singh: 11-1
Zach Johnson: 15-1
Retief Goosen: 20-1
Steve Stricker: 25-1
Sergio Garcia: 30-1
Geoff Ogilvy: 33-1
Chris Dimarco: 36-1
Stuart Appelby: 40-1
Justin Rose: 50-1

Jim Caple: The Olympics Require Villains

At initial glance, you might think the International Olympic Committee blundered by awarding the 2008 Games to a city in a totalitarian country that aids Darfur's thugs but considers the Dalai Lama a menace, and that censors political debate but can't silence the hacking coughs from some of the planet's most polluted cities. Actually, it was an inspired decision. Beijing is just what the Olympics need.

There was a time when the Olympics were an eagerly awaited quadrennial spectacle, the ultimate competition that provided the two most important elements in sports: someone to root for and someone to root against. There were the good guys: America and the other democracies, as their athletes competed fairly and squarely for the simple love of sport and never, ever, under any circumstances, took performance enhancers stronger than spinach and Wheaties. And there were the bad guys: the amoral communists who were breast-fed testosterone and bottle-fed EPO, raised by godless governments and trained 24/7 in secret underground laboratories where every muscle was chemically enhanced and precisely monitored.

Oh, the Olympics were deliciously dramatic in those Bruce Jenner and Ivan Drago days, providing sporting showdowns in the welcome place of nuclear confrontation: The violent 1956 Hungary-Soviet water polo match ("Hey, why does the water look so reddish?"), the 1972 U.S.-Soviet basketball game ("They screwed us!"), and, of course, the 1980 U.S.-Soviet hockey game ("Do you believe in miracles? Yes!").

And then came the breakup of the Soviet Union. Suddenly, there was no great Olympic villain, just a bunch of earnest and dedicated but underfunded athletes struggling to compete for countries so new the IOC couldn't always find a recording of their national anthems for the medal ceremonies. Worse, there were no great heroes, either. We learned that (gasp!) our own athletes cheated just as readily as we thought the Soviets or East Germans ever had, or at least ours did so when not busy preening for the cameras, saluting their shoe-company banner and breaking up their cabin furniture on the Queen Mary 2. It's hard to root for an Olympian who travels with a crew of bodyguards, P.R. types and personal trainers while showing more allegiance to a swoosh than to the Stars and Stripes.

The Olympics long ago became as much about TV programming as competition, but with the Soviet breakup -- coupled with cable TV and the Internet destroying the old news cycle and rendering tape delay as obsolete as the telegraph -- such programming lost appeal. The Games steadily lost their cache to the point that they were falling in the ratings to exhibition football games and the sacred new national pastime of competitions -- "American Idol." (Meanwhile, Bruce Jenner looks as though he's artificially enhanced his body, as well, or at least his face.) And here is where Beijing comes in.

The four other finalists for the 2008 Olympics were Paris; Toronto; Osaka, Japan; and Istanbul, Turkey; each is a fine, attractive city, and all are most certainly less controversial than Beijing. We would not see "Free Saskatchewan" protests leading up to Toronto. But that's precisely the point: Whether it was the IOC's intention or not, due to all the surrounding sagas, Beijing has made the Olympics interesting again.

Don't misunderstand. This is not at all to say China is the new Soviet Union. But the controversies over Tibet and Darfur, the concern over free speech, pollution and working conditions, along with the tragic Sichuan earthquake (imagine the nonstop media coverage and finger-pointing if an earthquake killed more than 70,000 in the U.S.), put China in the sort of spotlight normally reserved for Angelina Jolie's baby bump. China not only rekindled interest in the Olympics, it even made people care about the Olympic torch relay for the first time. Truly, an Olympian achievement.

So we will tune in to see whether the pollution and air quality is really as bad as the media makes out -- so bad that, as one colleague jokes, even the swimming pool will be littered with oil spills, beer cans and cigarette butts. The world-record holder in the marathon, Ethiopia's Haile Gebreselassie, says he won't run the event due to health concerns. "I do not want to kill myself in Beijing," he told a Spanish newspaper. "The marathon will be impossible because of the pollution, heat and humidity."

We will tune in to see whether any athletes defy little-known IOC codicils restricting political messages (Gasp! Politics in the Olympics?) to make a statement on Tibet or Darfur. American softball player Jessica Mendoza said she doesn't plan any sort of protest, but was hopeful she can make a positive statement anyway. "I don't think it's my place to tell China what to do," Mendoza said. "It's more my place to tell people what's happening. Hopefully, the more they know what's happening, the more they'll hold the people responsible accountable."

We will tune in to see the spectacle of all those gorgeous (and expensive) new arenas, and wonder whether a protest breaks out in any one of them, and how the government will handle it. But, mostly, we will tune in to see the athletes. Our interest sufficiently stoked again, we will follow the Games to see whether Michael Phelps can match (or better) Mark Spitz's seven gold medals (though he will definitely not match him for facial or chest hair). Whether 41-year-old, five-time Olympic swimmer Dara Torres can top her age-defiant performance at the U.S. trials, perhaps by winning a gold medal while pushing her daughter on one of those Styrofoam swim boards. Whether Kenyan-born Bernard Lagat, Mexican immigrant Leonel Manzano and Lopez Lamong, a former Lost Boy of Sudan, can make Lou Dobbs turn purple by medaling as American immigrants in the men's 1,500. Whether the U.S. can again take home gold in its national pastimes of baseball and basketball or else spend the month explaining what went wrong.

Whether Tyson Gay can claim the title of world's fastest man after running the 100 meters better than any human has without having an airport shuttle to catch when your flight leaves in 30 minutes. We'll watch those and thousands of other athletes from around the globe, including China's Liu Xiang, who is truly one in a billion (actually, one in more than a billion). Can he repeat as a gold medalist in the 110-meter hurdles while carrying the weight of his nation on his shoulders? We'll see. But you know how American coaches and athletes often try to downplay a poor performance by saying, "A billion people in China don't care"? Well, Liu Xiang won't be able to say it because China has such high expectations for these Olympics that not even Brad Walker could pole-vault over them. These Olympics are China's coming-out party -- the nation is expected to top the medal count (not that nationalism or politics plays any role in the Olympics) -- to show how much the country has progressed since Chairman Mao, and we'll all tune in to see how things look.

And not to sound like an apologist for China's government, but before we get too high and mighty with our moralizing, we should pause to look in the mirror. Yes, China's policies in Tibet and Darfur are contemptuous. Then again, there are many U.S. policies and actions that draw international ire, as well. Sportswriters moaning about Internet firewalls and governmental snooping in Beijing are both flattering themselves that a Chinese bureaucratic gnome actually cares what we write about LeBron James' shooting percentage and also neglecting the fact technically our Internet traffic is monitored here, as well, albeit by your boss or your e-mail provider, not by the government. And yes, Beijing is so polluted there may be more toxic waste at the Games than at any sporting event since Lenny Dykstra retired. But Vancouver, which hosts the next Winter Games, dumps untreated sewage into coastal waters.

And the reason China made so many of those lead-paint toys is, after all, because we were buying them on sale at Wal-Mart. China is the world's most populous nation, home to at least 90 cities with populations greater than 1 million -- and you've never heard of most of them. Beijing is an explosive world city, adding 1,000 cars a day to its roads and seemingly that many cranes to its skyline. Yes, banners here celebrate Mao, who may have been responsible for as many deaths as Stalin and Hitler combined; yet this is also a nation that has changed by leaps and bounds since 1984, when China sent its first team to a Summer Games.

Rob Gifford's entertaining and educational journey across the country's main highway, "China Road," paints a picture of the nation that is both disturbing (pollution, corruption, ethnic crackdowns and governmentally forced abortions) and exhilarating. China is never simple ("if you're not confused," he writes, "then you haven't been paying attention"), but a message that comes through often in his book is that for its faults, the nation continually offers more options and freedom to its citizens than one or two generations before.

"For me," Gifford writes of a bus conversation with a man in his 50s, "the mere possibility of government intrusion in my life is unacceptable. For him, the fact those possibilities have receded, even if they are still there in the background, means modern China is Paradise. 'Compared to what?' is always the question you have to ask in China. This man has probably seen and suffered things, and participated in events few Westerners have ever had to bear. Now he can choose what he does. And that, to him, is progress."

So we should keep an open mind as we watch the upcoming 17 days of competition. We'll see something astounding every day, something that will make our hearts race and our chests swell (well, maybe not if we're watching rhythmic gymnastics). And along the way, despite the Chinese government's best efforts, we may just learn a little bit about this nation that is home to so many people and looms so large in our future. And in the meantime, hopefully they won't call in our bank loans.

Cyclists, USOC: The Masks Were A Mistake

Michael Friedman, Sarah Hammer, Bobby Lea, and Jennie Reed: “The wearing of protective masks upon our arrival into Beijing was strictly a precautionary measure we as athletes chose to take, and was in no way meant to serve as an environmental or political statement. We deeply regret the nature of our choices. Our decision was not intended to insult BOCOG or countless others who have put forth a tremendous amount of effort to improve the air quality in Beijing.”

United States Olympic Committee CEO Jim Scherr: “Those athletes regret that action and have written an apology to BOCOG on their own behalf. They now realize and understand how their actions were perceived by the host nation and by the organizing committee. I understand that about 200 of our athletes received those masks through the national governing body, not directly from the U.S. Olympic Committee. Hopefully they won't have to use them.”

Protestors Plant Message: Welcome to the Olympics

Military Muddles, Delivers Justice

On Wednesday, Salim Hamdan was convicted of terrorism support. He was not convicted of conspiracy. The military tribunal’s decision was acceptable. This verdict was impartial. This verdict was objective. For the Bush Administration, this verdict represents victory.

Brett Favre Bolts Green Bay, Future Unknown

NEW RULE

Obviously, Iraq’s rationale was imperfect.

According to Author Ron Suskind, the CIA forged a letter. Via this letter, Mohammed Atta and Saddam Hussein were linked. Enough. Our greeting was mixed. Oil revenues were insufficient. Weapons were non-existent. However, Suskind is ridiculous. The Bush Administration did not lie. They are incompetent. They are not sadistic.

Worth A Read

Jaunted

The pop culture travel guide.

The Daily Smak

Hey, didn’t you used to be Junior Gotti?

On Tuesday, Tiger Woods sated the obvious. When he should retire, he will. When will this occur? When he cannot win every tournament.

Today’s top five or Paris Hilton’s Vice Presidents (1) George Clooney, (2) Brad Pitt, (3) Rihanna, (4) Tiger Woods, (5) Chelsea Clinton

Hilton For America

Monologue Joke of the Evening

“There’s a new movie coming out this weekend, it’s called ‘What we do is a secret.’ I think that was John Edwards campaign slogan.”

The Tonight Show

Countdown Chronicles Brett Favre Saga

Keith Olbermann: “In the good business boardroom, somebody finally stands up and says, this is crazy or the emperor has no clothes. In the bad business boardroom, nobody says either and you get the Ford Edsel, New Coke and the war in Iraq. The Green Bay Packers, on the verge of paying an additional 20 million dollars for the privilege of not being talked out of the football equivalent of a war in which the troops were driving Edsels and armed with only New Coke, have just spun out of the skid.”

“Our number one story on the COUNTDOWN, Brett Favre as a Green Bay Packer quarterback again. The most popular player in the NFL coming off his second or third best season in the NFL, having been maybe one bad pass away from reaching the Super Bowl last February, tearfully called it quits in March, retired, and then slowly, painfully changed his mind.”

“The Packers responded to this by sticking their fingers in their ears and stamping their feet and talking about Iraq, hiring no less than a public relations expert and consultant Ari Fleischer. They said his backup, Aaron Rogers, was their starting quarterback now and they‘ve moved on. That was it. They threatened to allow Favre to return to the team, but not use him in training camp, then release him as the season began, destroying his value to any other team. They threatened to trade him to another team for which he did not want to play. Finally, they offered him 20 million dollars to go away, to join the club in a non-playing capacity and stay retired.”

“That‘s when, apparently, somebody in management stood up and said, this is nuts. This afternoon, Favre was officially restored to the Packers roster.”