Beckham Not Selected for UK Olympic Team
Beckham received a major blow today…hot stuff’s been widely expected to be named as one of the three over-age players in Stuart Pearce’s Under-23 squad for the London Games in July and August…but it’s not gonna happen. Beckham has been left OFF the squad.
“’Everyone knows how much playing for my country has always meant to me. So I would have been honored to have been part of this unique Team GB squad…Naturally I am very disappointed, but there will be no bigger supporter of the team than me,” Beckham, 37, said in quotes relayed by his spokesman on Thursday. “As a Londoner, I will have been really proud to have played a small part in bringing the Olympics to my home town as part of Seb’s [Coe] team, and I can’t wait for the games to begin and enjoy every moment along with the rest of Great Britain.”
Reuters reports:
As a globally recognized figure, he has had a major role both in London winning the Olympics and in the build-up to the Games, helping bring the flame back from Greece.
He had been tipped by media to light the stadium cauldron when the Games begin in his east London birthplace on July 27.
This now looks unlikely while he definitely will not be able to be the British flag bearer at the opening ceremony as he is not competing.
Critics who believe football has an uneasy place in the Games because of the vast sums of money professionals earn had said they would be uncomfortable with the Olympics becoming a “David Beckham show”.
Huh? Even in his prime, I don’t recall any Olympic games that turned into “a David Beckham show.” Beckham was part of the closing ceremony at the 2008 Beijing Olympics as part of the London 2012 team…that seemed to go well, no?
Beckham told reporters last month: “I don’t want to be picked on a shirt sale or a stadium filler. I want to be picked because of what I can bring to the team.”
Apparently, the finicky Brits are done with the man who brings class and talent to the games. Because that is what he represents-and sex appeal of course. We suspect his absence is going to cause a bigger side-show than his involvement would have.
And, if our judgment serves correct, you will see Beckham looking finer than hell, with a smile on his face, cheering for the squad that snubbed him while using the opportunity to raise global awareness for the causes he supports.
It was less than a year ago that Golden Balls-acting as a Paralympics Games Ambassador- joined Team GB’s visually impaired footballers for their training session-and scored a goal while blindfolded. Apparently, even that doesn’t qualify him for the squad.
As always, thanks for reading~
delinda@athlebrities.com
London International Invitational Wheelchair Rugby Tournament
The London 2012 Olympic Games kick off in just 100 days, and today there are some amazing athletes preparing for an epic battle…for the first time, the London International Invitational Wheelchair Rugby Tournament is part of the ‘London Prepares’ program and is taking part in the crucial testing phase- a three-day event comprised of one day of training and two days of competition.
It’s happening now (April 17-19) at the Basketball Arena (in London). (Note: We LOVE that the referee is female, you go girl). Continue reading
Charity Bets Gaining Popularity Ahead of Summer Olympics
Amazing idea from a group of Auburn University track and field alums who have figured out a legal way to bet on Olympic athletes, it’s called Charity Bets.
Here’s how it works: Select from a roster of Olympic hopefuls or friends who’ve agreed to have their performance be bet on and all money wagered will go to the charity of the athlete’s choice.
It’s a first of its kind concept that’s already generating a lot of attention as the London 2012 Summer Games draw closer. And yes, it’s gotten the ‘thumbs-up’ so-to-speak, from the United States Olympics Committee: “On the surface, it seems to be a site dedicated to helping charities raise money, which we would obviously have no problem with,” USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky said. Continue reading
Usain Bolt Adopts a Cheetah
Usain Bolt Adopts a Cheetah
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus): An atypical member of the cat family capable of reaching speeds between 112 and 120km/h (70 and 75mph) and covering distances up to 460m (1,500ft), and has the ability to accelerate from 0 to 103km/h (64mph) in three seconds, faster than most racecars….recent studies confirm the cheetah’s status as the fastest land animal, just as recent historical events have confirmed Usain Bolt as the world’s fastest man.
Usain Bolt took a four-day visit to Kenya to assist in the launch of a Foundation and to adopt a baby cheetah named “Lighting Bolt.” Bolt has agreed to sponsor the three-month-old male cheetah as part of an effort to boost Kenyan conservation efforts of its famous wildlife, whose survival is threatened by trophy hunting, climate change and human encroachment. The world record-holder paid $13,700 to formally adopt the precious cub, with the money going to the Kenya Wildlife Service…Bolt will also pay $3,000 a year to care for Lighting Bolt, who will be raised at an animal orphanage in Nairobi. Lighting Bolt is among three cubs rescued by KWS officials after their mother abandoned them in a game park.
Besides the adoption of Lighting Bolt, Usain was in Kenya to help launch the Zeitz Foundation, a foundation that seeks to promote innovative and holistic approaches that enhance economic, social and environmental sustainability. Bolt made the rounds in Kenya with Colin Jackson, a former 110-meter hurdles Olympic champion, and Jochen Zeitz, the chief executive of athletic gear manufacturer Puma-who made the visit to launch his charity’s campaign to preserve ecosystems.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) conserves and manages Kenya’s wildlife for the Kenyan people and the world. The challenges facing wildlife and biodiversity conservation in Kenya are many and varied. They include climate change, habitat degradation and loss, forest depletion, tourism market volatility, human wildlife conflict brought on by population growth and changing land use habits of communities that co-exist with wildlife as well as wildlife crime.
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com
Michael Phelps Motivates Middle School
Michael Phelps Motivates Middle School
Earlier this month, one of our most decorated Olympic swimmers, Michael Phelps, rewarded the students and staff at Wiley Middle School in Leander Texas for holding a unique and successful book fair…as the first place winners in the Spring 2009 National Middle School Contest, they won a visit from Michael Phelps and a $2,000 shopping spree for books.
According to the website, Wiley rightly deserved first place…the creativity and thought put into this book fair is impressive:
- Books came alive at Mrs. Magorium’s Reading Emporium, also known as the spring 2009 Book Fair. The Crew helped transform the media center into a reading emporium, filled with colorful lanterns and parachutes hanging from the ceiling, as well as gigantic stuffed animals, roller coaster toys, and oversized candy displays. To promote the Book Fair, students created door decorations based on their class’s favorite book, and made tri-fold display boards about books. A classroom competition was held for One for Books®, which led to more than $1,500 collected for the program. Other contests to generate student excitement included “Sock It to Reading” and “Hats Off to Reading” days, where students dressed in crazy socks and hats. To attract families, an exciting Family Event was held, complete with a model air plane show from Texas High Fliers, a performance by the student band, movies, and food. Wiley also hosted their first-ever grand slam breakfast for grandparents during the Book Fair. In addition to hosting a fun Teacher Sneak Peek of the Book Fair, Wiley held three faculty stunts to motivate even more students to visit the Book Fair. The wacky stunts included a teacher eating a worm, a teacher shaving his head, and the principal riding a motorcycle once students reached their Book Fair goal. To top off the Fair, had visits from author Phil Bildner and the director of Monsters vs. Aliens Conrad Vernon. All of these activities and events made Wiley Middle School’s Book Fair come alive with imagination and creativity!
And THAT my friends, is how you attract a star athlete to your school.
About Scholastic: Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, has a corporate mission supported through all of its divisions of helping children around the world to read and learn. Recognizing that literacy is the cornerstone of a child’s intellectual, personal and cultural growth, for over 87 years, Scholastic has created quality products and services that educate, entertain and motivate children and are designed to help enlarge their understanding of the world around them.
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com
Cullen Jones Swims for Safety
Cullen Jones Swims for Safety
Cullen Jones is the first African American to hold a world record in swimming…and he’s not about to sit by and watch as children across the country drown. Motivated by the fact that 57% of African American and Hispanic kids can’t swim and are drowning at disproportionate rates, Jones has partnered with ConocoPhillips and the USA Swimming Foundation for “Make a Splash” with Cullen Jones, a national water safety campaign that kicks off in Houston May 20th.
Jones plans on schooling parents and kids about low-to-no-cost swim lessons in communities across the country while promoting an on-line giving program to help fund swim lessons for kids in need. “I didn’t learn how to swim to become an Olympic champion,” said Jones. “I learned how to swim, because when I was five years old, I almost drowned. Every summer these tragedies happen and we talk about how they could have been prevented; yet every year the statistics remain the same. I am committed to a real solution.”
In addition to Houston, Jones will visit Indianapolis, Seattle, Kansas City, Denver and Los Angeles…Make a Splash, the national, child-focused water safety initiative of the USA Swimming Foundation, began in 2007. In two years, more than 37,000 kids have gone through Make a Splash swimming lessons. For more information, or to donate or sponsor a swim lesson for a child in need, go to www.makeasplash.org.
About Cullen Jones: Cullen Jones is one of the fastest freestyle sprinters in the world today. At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, he was a member of the electrifying 400m freestyle relay team that broke the world record and won Olympic gold in one of the most memorable races in history. With the victory, Cullen became the second African-American to win Olympic swimming gold. As a member of the 2008-2009 U.S. National Team, Cullen is currently training for the 2009 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships, which is the qualifying meet for the 2009 FINA World Championships in Rome. He trains under Coach David Marsh at SwimMAC in Charlotte, North Carolina….and he’s hot.
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com
Michael Phelps, His Bong and the Hypocrisy of Kellogg
Michael Phelps, His Bong and the Hypocrisy of Kellogg
Seeing as today is Bob Marley’s birthday, I though it would be fitting to give ya my two cents on Michael Phelps, his bong and the ridiculous reaction to his toke because thanks to Michael Phelps, the entire world now knows what a bong is. Yes, Phelps was at a party where some bozo snapped a photo of him taking a hit from a bong. Yes, bongs are used to smoke weed. No, it’s not the monster-piece of drug paraphernalia rampantly portrayed in the media. It’s a pipe. That’s all. Its not going to turn you into a drug addict and it certainly doesn’t’ mean Phelps has a drug problem. More importantly, it doesn’t mean that he’s a bad guy. (I do suspect if he were photographed smoking a joint there wouldn’t be so many starry-eyed fans gasping at the thought of their Golden Boy getting high.)
But alas, Phelps does smoke weed just as several of our Presidents have, most of our ballers do, and just about any artist with a gold record does. We’ve come a long way since Reefer Madness and I believe Phelps can usher in a little bit of understanding when it comes to the herb-if only the hypocrites would open their minds. First of all- respect for several of Phelps’ sponsors: SPEEDO, OMEGA and PURE SPORT have all said they support Phelps. Aside from the fact the he’s made gazillions of dollars for them-they get “it.” It being – it’s no big deal.
Perhaps the biggest hypocrisy comes from “cereal and snack maker KELLOGG.” The company has reportedly said it will not renew a sponsorship contract with Phelps on the grounds his behavior is “not consistent with the image of Kellogg“. Let me rephrase that- the makers of POP TARTS and FROSTED FLAKES don’t feel that smoking weed and their products mesh well. I’ll give yall a million bucks if you can find a box of Pop Tarts not located within arms reach of a bong. And what about the KEEBLER elves? Are you telling me they weren’t conceived by someone who was high? Pa-leeze. And do I even have to mention that the amount of sugar in most Kellogg’s products are far more deadly than smoking weed?
I also wonder if Kellogg’s had any issues with the fact the Olympics were held in a county which supplies weapons to rebels who are hacking off the arms and legs of children, raping women and burning villages. Yet I don’t see Kellogg’s supporting any of the athletes from Team Darfur? In fact-its looks as if Kellogg’s will soon be opening a manufacturing plant there? If they actually cared about something more than making money, they’d be sending those Keebler Elves to Africa instead of indirectly funding a war.
I’m also a bit miffed about the gratuitous ‘three month suspension from competition’ dolled out by USA Swimming. The sport’s (US) governing body said no “anti-doping rule” had been violated but they wanted to send “a strong message” to Phelps because he had disappointed so many people. HUH? Disappoint how? He still has 8 Gold Medals? You still enjoyed watching him swim, didn’t you? If the photo came out before the Olympics and he still won 8-what would the reaction be? Would you have ignored race number 7? Doubt it…When I young and got too starry eyed about someone- my mother was always quick to remind me: ‘They wake up in the morning with bad breath just like the rest of us.’ While her words were quick to kill many a fantasy-it always kept me in check. Michael Phelps has a god given talent in the pool. He is loved, adored and worshipped for these talents. And he also wakes up with bad breath just like the rest of us. He also gets smelly and showers just like the rest of us. And yes, he just happens to be one of the world’s greatest athletes who was dumb enough to get photographed while getting high…Phelps ridiculous ban from who-knows-what will end in time for him to get wet at the US Championships on 7 July-which act as a trial for the World Championships in Rome two weeks later. Hopefully, Phelps will behave himself and NOT get photographed drinking a glass of Chianti while there.
Let me remind everyone too, that Phelps laid down the $1M post-Olympic Speedo bonus to start his own foundation. “Thanks to a lot of hard work, some good fortune, the inspiration I drew from so many supporters around the world, and incredible teammates, I was able to achieve that dream by winning eight Gold Medals in Beijing,” said Phelps. “Now, my goals reach beyond the pool, to helping others realize their dreams, and continuing to grow the sport I love so much. I feel it’s only appropriate that I continue the momentum that Speedo helped to create, by committing my bonus to the establishment of the Michael Phelps Foundation, which I hope will help me inspire others to achieve their dreams, and give back to the sport that has given me so much.”
And that, my friends, you can put in your pipe and smoke.
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com
Football Charities Ain’t Got Nothing on Futbol Charities
Football Charities Ain’t Got Nothing on Futbol (Soccer) Charities
Go ahead…enjoy the SuperBowl. Yes, there are tons of charity related NFL par-tays going on…but to me, most seem a bit insincere and more geared towards great ‘photo-ops.’ Of course there are exceptions, however, my (football) SuperBowl isn’t about helmets and hot-spots, it’s about voodoo, balls that unify, kids, and some mighty-mighty-fine men.
One of the greatest things about soccer is the global culture that surrounds it. While most of us dislike hooligans, their absence would leave a gaping hole in the stadiums and a lot of ‘police’ outta jobs. Make shift hooligan jails are a staple at World Cup qualifiers and games, so I was really, really bummed to hear RadioShack has bowed out of sponsoring a Mexican newspapers promotion which would have undoubtedly filled a few hooligan-tanks to capacity when they figured out it didn’t work…Mexico is set to play their World Cup Qualifier against the U.S. on February 11…Mexico has not beaten the U.S. on American soil in 10 years (and they wont do it anytime soon), so…an advertisement in the sports daily ‘Record’ invited fans to clip coupons and redeem them at their local Radio Shack store for a voodoo-doll likeness of a U.S. player. The hope was that a little black magic might help Mexico break a decade of futility on the road versus its northern neighbor. (AP photo) An illustration showed a pair of scissors slicing off the leg of a doll in a U.S. jersey; the doll grimaced in pain with its arms covered in bruises, as stuffing leaked from its No. 10 jersey, stuck with pushpins. The newspaper was hoping that soccer fans would watch the match and “apply punishments to our rivals,” giving Mexico an edge to end a decade of winless play versus the Americans on U.S. soil. “Help end the losing streak so Mexico advances,” the ad read.
If voodoo did work the way I’d like it too, I would win the lottery. No, I wouldn’t buy myself a house, or a new car…wouldn’t dare purchase a Prada, pair Jimmy Choo’s or any other pricey luxury good to make myself feel worthy…the first thing I would do? Join the Great Football Give Away…last November, a group of volunteers traveled to some of the most rural parts of Uganda and hand delivered over 3,000 soccer balls and netballs to the kids. And who says money can’t buy love? The organization is teaming up with Alive and Kicking to buy their Zambian made balls which have aids and malaria awareness messages printed on them…they’re using them to spread awareness about malaria-which is the number one killer in the country…And here’s where my lotto winnings would come into play…the Great Football Giveaway is looking for volunteers to organize and run future projects. If you can take a 4-6 month career break, they’ll help you with all the details-including fundraising, project management, putting a team together and hand-delivering the balls yourself to kids in some of the poorest countries of the world…I want to do this BAD so if anyone out there wants my beach front house for four-to-six months while paying for me to travel to Africa and pass out soccer balls to the kids, let me know. (And yes, I’m dead serious.)
Another one of my favorite charity organizations, Right To Play, earned a massive donation from Zdano Chara (Boston Bruins) after winning the NHL’s Hardest Shot Competition at the All Star Weekend in Montreal on January 24th…the mighty fine beast won the competition with an All-Star Record of 105.4MPH and then promptly donated his winnings- $24,000- to Right To Play…too bad the IOC can’t think out side the box…(Wow, Delinda is having a flashback to all the hate-emails I got after ripping the IOC a new one last year…hope ya’all paying attention now.)
“Excluding the athlete-founded, athlete-driven Right To Play from the Athlete’s Village is a firm step backward for the Olympic movement. Right to Play is a humanitarian organization that uses sport to teach children about teamwork, fair play, conflict resolution, self-esteem, communication, commitment, respect and integrity. We firmly believe that this organization improves the lives of children by strengthening their vulnerable communities with the best practices of sport and play. And it creates opportunities to promote development, health and peace. I believe this act of exclusion violates the fundamental values of the Olympic movement.” Adam Kreek, Olympic Rowing Gold Medalist 2008, London, Ont.
What makes me really, really sad-is that this incredibly moving and poignant video has been posted on YouTube for over a year and has only been viewed 3,225 times. What a sad commentary on society…in any case, we may be able to help change that by coming up with a catchy moniker to grab some media attention for them. RTP is running a competition to highlight the studly attempt of a student by the name of Duncan Drew, who will try to run 30 MARATHONS IN THIRTY DAYS this August to benefit Right To Play. This is a world record attempt and will be receiving a lot of media attention…so help ‘em out by coming up with a catchy phrase to garner as much attention as possible for this event. The more support Duncan gets, the happier the disadvantaged children in Africa, Asia and the Middle East will be. What should they call it?
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com
Celebrity Athletes in 2008
Celebrity Athletes in 2008
2008 has been a great year for some of our favorites. Yes, I made a vow to take the month off but unfortunate I can’t stay away…too many of our guys are out there playing Santa, making cookies with kids and spreading the holiday cheer…I couldn’t possibly cover all the action, just a few memorable moments that made my estrogen spike and my man question my sanity…
Rafa is sitting tight at number one after sending the Swiss Mister down the rankings ladder and finally clinching his spot atop the world rankings…Our kitten Camilo Villegas grabbed a few headlines, several trophies and a shit load of estrogen en route to 2009…Lewis Hamilton became the youngest champion in Formula One history and owned the word “class” while kicking ass in the face of racism…we fell in love with Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt while raising awareness for genocide…Men’s USA Basketball did us proud and brought home the gold…and we, the people, elected one of the hottest ballers alive to be Our President. All in all, I would say a mighty good year.
Ideally, I would elaborate on Carmelo Anthony’s ‘Very Melo Holiday Event’ which was held in Denver…however, I am at a loss for words. Only one comes to mind…Geez-Us. Carmelo Cares people and don’t ever doubt it. “It’s important to me to make a significant impact on the communities that have positively affected me. My family and I are committed to growing my Foundation so that we can continue to help families in need.”
Another Nugget up to do-gooding…Chauncey Billups, along with Ray and Rodney Billups-spread some holiday cheer during a holiday event for families at the Hiawatha Davis Rec Center in Denver.
Shane Battier gets mad props for helping this little kid from Casa De Esperanza pick out some toys during the Houston Rockets Season of Giving in Houston…and gotta give a massive hug to the most underrated ‘giver’ in the League-Ron Artest…Ron-Ron made cookies during the Rockets event and passed out gifts along with Luther Head, Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey…
And this is the fifth year in a row that the NBA has teamed up with ‘Feed the Children’… This years event in Detroit saw five Pistons Kwame Brown, Allen Iverson, Jason Maxiell, Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace stepping in as the Fab-Five for this years ‘Miracle in Motown’ where they fed five thousand families…For me, the Pistons embody something that transcends basketball. Off the top of my head I can’t think of any controversy, jail time or scandal involving the Motown boys that would deem them unworthy of praise, so correct me if I’m wrong-until then, they get my vote for sincerity, good will and never saying no when asked to help others.
Have a safe and happy holiday season…remember to check out all the celebrity philanthropy we’re covering at Look to the Stars…have a rocking new year, hug a child and I’ll see ya in (yikes) ’09.
As always, thanks for reading.
Delinda Lombardo
SIGNED OLYMPIC MEMORABILIA and SOME LOST LINGERIE
Olympic Treats Up for Bids for Charity
I haven’t seen Michael Phelps’ LZR listed yet…but ya never know what’s going to pop up on eBay. The good folks from Auction Cause have gotten their paws on some pretty amazing items from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. And now, in their efforts to raise money for ‘Right to Play’ you can own a small piece of Olympic history that’s not going to cost you a small fortune. Trust me kids, this is one of the best-kept secrets around. There are at least 85 items listed from the 2008 Olympics, and most of the stuff has either been autographed or worn by the athletes themselves. Proceeds go to charity-so bid away…
Ever want the shirt off of Roger Federer’s back? Well, I don’t have that but you can bid on the ‘Roger Federer Signed Nike Personal Cap + 2 Tennis Balls’ which is only at $76.00 right now.
They got several uniforms that were worn during competition from Team Canada’s Rowing babes…including Adam Creeks and Ben Rutledges rowing jersey…
I know some of you guys might wanna get your hands on the signed 2008 Norway Beach Volleyball Sports Tops worn by the girls?
LOST YOUR PANTIES?
Next month, all you Evangeline Lilly lovers take note. The LOST star will be auctioning off approximately 2,000 new pieces of her lingerie intimates collection. All items are made in Brazil and will benefit the Brazilian Favelas. Each set will come with a signed photo from her as well. I’ll let ya know when the panties drop and the bidding opens.
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As always, thanks for reading.
Delinda Lombardo
delinda@athlebrities.com
Gold For USA Women’s Basketball
NOW CAN THE GUYS DO IT?
Lisa Leslie and the women’s USA basketball team have done us proud. The wonder women were once again too good for the lasses from Australia and took home the gold medal for hoops after a 92-65 victory. Leslie, who dropped in 14 points, now has an astonishing four straight gold medals. She, along with former teammate Teresa Edwards are now the only basketball players EVER to win four gold medals. “It’s a blessing for me to be out on this floor, now participating in my fourth Olympics and walking away with a fourth gold medal,” Leslie said.
‘Trailing 13-10 late in the first quarter, U.S. coach Anne Donovan inserted her second unit, led by Lawson. Once again, the bench delivered just as it had throughout the Olympics with Lawson scoring the first six points of a 12-2 run to close the quarter as the U.S. took a 22-15 lead. Then Parker, who has had a relatively quiet Olympics averaging only 8.7 points, took over. She scored eight of the Americans’ 10 points to open the second quarter, including two three-point plays. On her second, the 6-foot-4 forward took the ball from the top of the key, dribbled through her legs and drove to the basket for a layup—a play that thrilled the U.S. men’s basketball players in the stands and brought a standing ovation from LeBron James.’ (Sports.Yahoo)
This makes me wonder if they ever have any mixed-games. I’d like to see Leslie and the girls take on the ‘Redeem Team.’ (My money would be on the girls) And I also wonder why women’s basketball isnt being watched by more people?
They are THE dream team that everybody seems to be napping through. Wake up people- we don’t need no redemption. The ladies just did it for the fourth time!
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As always, thanks for reading.
Delinda Lombardo
delinda@athlebrities.com
Is Olympic Village a Massive Orgy?
What Happens in Beijing, Stays in Beijing?
He used to play table tennis…now, he writes. Matthew Syed has penned what I think, is one of the most entertaining pieces to come from the Olympics. We’ve seen some crazy things happening in Beijing. Scary, possible under-aged Chinese soldiers manufactured specifically for the Games, thousands of displaced and oppressed workers, Free Tibet protesters, Free Darfur activists, lip-singing at the opening ceremonies, real-fake fireworks, dropped relay wands, broken hopes, amazing victories and yes, dear god, some mighty-mighty fine Olympic bodies.
I know what I imagined was going on with our world-class athletes who’ve waited four-years to strut their testosterone fueled, chiseled, toned and flawless physiques in front of the world alongside others who have gathered for the ultimate pent-up-release-of-see-what-I-got glory imaginable. Sex. And lots of it.
Thankfully, Matthew Syed has been front and center in the Olympic Village (and this isn’t his first time)…his piece in the Times explains why “An Olympic gold medal is not merely a route to fame and fortune; it is also a surefire ticket to writhe.” As in writhe under the sheets together. Oddly enough, Syed also says that “Success does not work both ways. Gold-medal winning female athletes are not looked upon by male athletes with any more desire than those who flunked out in the first round. It is sometimes even considered a defect.”
I especially loved the image Syed congers here: “It is a common sight to see recently knocked-out athletes gorging on Magnums and McDonald’s, swilling alcohol and, of course, shagging like crazy. Sometimes all three at the same time.” Magnums, McDonald’s and booze? What degree of difficulty is that feet and who earned the gold for it? Granted, its not as if Magnums and McDonald’s escaped our minds as we watched the men’s track and field events or swimming, but never at the same time. I mean, give me some Sweet Melon and Mag’s, mixed with a bit of booze and I’m all set, but lets leave the McNuggets alone unless they’re from Denver. (Check out the photo top right-after you take your eyes off the obvoius, notice the background legs-even those two didn’t waste a moment.)
More from Syed and his article: ‘This sex fest was not limited to Barcelona: the same thing happened in Sydney in 2000, my second Olympics as an athlete, and is happening right here in Beijing, where this time I’m a commentator. I spoke to an Aussie table tennis player this week to check out the village vibe and he launched into the breathless patter common to any Olympic debutant: “It is unbelievable in there; everyone is totally crazy once they are out of their competitions. God knows what it is going to be like this weekend. It is like a world within a world.” A British runner (anonymous again: athletes are not supposed to talk to journalists unaccompanied by a PR type, least of all about sex) said: “The swimmers finished earlier in the week and it was like there was an eruption.” ‘
Say what? Syed also explains how are athletes are obtaining their condoms:
- There is a famous story from Seoul in 1988 that there were so many used condoms on the roof terrace of the British team’s residential block the night after the swimming concluded that the British Olympic Association sent out an edict banning outdoor sex. Here in Beijing, organizers have realized that such prohibitions are about as useful as banning breathing and have, instead, handed out thousands of free condoms to the athletes. If you can’t stop ‘em, at least make it safe.
Read Syeds piece here and enjoy the closing ceremonies this weekend. I suspect if you do, you’ll be watching through a new set of rose-colored steamy glasses.
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As always, thanks for reading.
Delinda Lombardo
delinda@athlebrities.com
Usain Bolts To Second Gold While NBA Legends Gather for Charity and Current NBA Players Lured to Europe
USAIN BOLTS THROUGH MY HEART
“We have the best coffee on the planet. We have Bob Marley. And now we have Usain Bolt. We are overjoyed and overwhelmed” – Jamaican Minister of Information, Culture, Youth & Sports Olivia Grange. Usain Bolt broke former U.S. sprinter Michael Johnson’s 12-year-old world record in the 200m, and became the first Olympian since Carl Lewis at the ‘84 L.A. Games to win both the 100m and 200m races…add a World Record to the mix and hopes for a third gold in the 4×100 relay on Friday and we got us a great story…
Bolt gave us one of the most genuine and unfiltered celebratory reactions- laying on the track, kissing it, taking off his Puma’s, smiling, infectious, worthy…so why we gotta hear negative reaction from that the president of the IOC, Jacques Rogge? “That’s not the way we perceive being a champion,” Rogge said of the Jamaican sprinter. “I have no problem with him doing a show. I think he should show more respect for his competitors and shake hands, give a tap on the shoulder to the other ones immediately after the finish and not make gestures like the one he made in the 100 meters.” Excuse my language kids- but Rogge can f*ck off. Rogge: corrupt, bought, angry and transparent. Do your research, I ain’t gonna waste any more space on his nonsense, because I think he may be the only person in the World who wasn’t jubilating alongside Bolt as he won, when he won, and while he was celebrating with an attitude we need to see more of…pure joy. Get number three Bolt, the world is watching…
Also watching are sponsor Puma and Virgin Media (U.K.). Virgin has asked Bolt to be the “face of its superfast broadband service,” according to Mark Sweney of the Manchester GUARDIAN. VM, which is set to launch a broadband product it claims will be more than twice as fast as rivals, is considering calling the product ‘Boltband.’
THANK YOU SZYMON KOLECKI
Joey Cheek, Team Darfur co-Founder, in an e-mail to the AP writes, “I would love to see even more athletes involved in speaking out about what they believe in. The problem is that even if there was an athlete that wanted to speak out on issues of human rights, he might be silenced by whatever IOC official is mediating that press event, with a bogus explanation that is my biggest problem with these Olympics: the idea that the Games are only about sport.” Cheek continued, “Every time the Chinese government has gone back on guarantees of free speech, free access for the media, and a number of the other issues, the IOC has acquiesced.” The Chinese have “done many amazing things, and for that they deserve a lot of credit.” Cheek: “However, these Games still would have been as successful without what appears to be massive suppression of any voice that the government doesn’t want heard” (AP, 8/20).
At least one athlete has ‘spoken’ out…Polish pro-Tibet activist group ‘The Other Space Foundation’ said Poland weightlifter Symon Kolecki ‘shaved his head in a gesture of solidarity with Tibetan monks’ before receiving the Silver Medal in his event. Kolecki after the medal ceremony told Polish sports magazine Sportfan, “This haircut is from this morning. I can’t directly say why I did it. It’s connected with certain things that the Olympic Charter forbids. But I will say that it’s symbolic.” Thank you Symon, but be careful…The WASHINGTON POST’s Sally Jenkins, in an online chat, wrote the Beijing Games will “go down with a terribly mixed legacy. This morning the Chinese government sentenced two women who are nearly 80 years old to a year each in reeducation camp, because they filed for permits to officially protest the destruction of their homes at an official Olympic demonstration site.”
And you ain’t gonna see any Apples in China either…Apple’s iTunes music store has been blocked in China, allegedly due to athletes listening to protest songs. It all started when more than 40 athletes downloaded “Songs for Tibet,” an album produced by U.S.-based Tibet group the Art of Peace Foundation. The foundation offered the album for free download to Olympic athletes, but China has since turned off the iTunes music store.
NBA ATHLETES: LEGENDS AND LEGENDS TO BE
“I’ve been on TNT for years, and no one’s ever asked me, ‘Who won the championship in Greece last year?’” – TNT’s Charles Barkley, on Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Heat G Dwyane Wade saying they would entertain offers to play overseas…maybe when these guys ARE playing in Europe you’ll be asked who won? Yes, our babies are jumping ship. And while I don’t expect to see Wade wearing a Greek jersey or Kobe donning an Italian one anytime soon, others are opting to play for Europeans teams. The most recent NBA players to jump the NBA ship for the Euro gold are…Former Phoenix Suns guard Gordon Giricek signed with a Turkish team…New Orleans (sixth man) guard Jannero Pargo will play in Moscow for 3.8 million…former Charlotte Bobcats guard Earl Boykins will be the highest-paid player in the Italian league…Carlos Arroyo, who played for Orlando, signed to play in Israel…Former Raptors Jorge Garbajosa and Carlos Delfino are headed for Russia, as is ex-New Jersey Nets forward Bostian Ncahbar…and Juan Carlos Navarro of the Memphis Grizzlies signed with a Barcelona team…but don’t worry about it Charles, no one is paying attention to the situation yet.
NBA LEGENDS HELPING KIDS HEAR
Last month while at Chris Webbers Bada Bling, I was fortunate to meet several NBA Legends who shared their ideas of a NBA Legends Resort that was in the works to be built. And this weekend I’m willing to bet that some of the Legends will be discussing the idea as they converge for a ‘Reunion Extravaganza’ in Puerto Rico to highlight their community outreach program. Hot Legends such as Moses Malone, Rick Barry, Chuck Person, Michael Ray Richardson and many more, wil be taking part in the group’s “Project Smile” community initiative with the Starkey Hearing Foundation…nearly 200 basketball greats will be descending on The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan Hotel, Resort & Spa in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico, on Aug. 21-24 for the anticipated National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) Legends Reunion…dear god, where’s my plane ticket?
‘Project Smile’ is a year-round program that aims to raise the spirits, bring hope, and deliver smiles to men, women and children worldwide. In partnership with the Starkey Hearing Foundation, the NBRPA will change the lives of 250 hearing impaired and underprivileged Puerto kids by providing them with hearing aids on Saturday, Aug 23 at the Teatro de la Universidad Interamericana, Rio Piedras Campus. A press ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. featuring Legends Earl Monroe, Spencer Haywood, Buck Williams, David Thompson, Tim Legler, Mark Eaton, Charles Smith and others. The Legends will distribute Webster’s Spanish/English Dictionaries to the children and I can’t believe I can’t find one sponsor willing to send me there…
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Delinda Lombardo
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Michael Phelps’ Final Lap for Charity, Right to Play at Olympics, And an Inspiring Baseball Book for Kids
TWENTY SECONDS
Yesterday, five members of Students for a Free Tibet lit up the skies near the National Stadium and spelled out ‘Free Tibet’ with blue LED lights in English and Mandarin. It took the police just 20-seconds to intervene…three other protestors were detained as they attempted to use lasers to spell out ‘Free Tibet’ on a Beijing landmark. Students for a Free Tibet Exec Dir Lhadon Tethong said “more actions were planned” in Beijing in the coming days…(NY Times).
PHELPS TAKES LAP FOR CHARITY
While protestors were busy raising awareness for Tibet, Michael Phelps enjoyed meeting some of our NBA’s hotties before taking his final lap-number 6,250- of the ‘Hilton Swim to Beijing Relay.’ The charitable event contributed $100,000 to the USA Swimming Foundation to fund swim education programs across the U.S. Hilton Hotels is one of Phelps’ sponsors, and in celebration of the Olympics, they partnered with the USA Swimming Foundation with each of the 6,250 laps symbolizing one of the miles between Los Angeles, the relay’s starting point, and Beijing.
“After representing my country and competing in the Olympics, Hilton gave me another great reason to get back in the pool,” said Phelps. “By being a part of this campaign I’m able to help support swim education programs across the nation and give young people the chance to experience the power of the sport. Swimming is much more than a fun activity and great form of exercise. It teaches self-discipline and dedication—two important qualities that one can draw on to succeed both in and out of the pool.”
More love came from the Olympians yesterday as more than a dozen current and former athletes hit up the corporate hospitality pavilion to support the Right to Play. The humanitarian organization landed heavily on the map after the 06 Turin Games when speed skater Joey Cheek donated his bonus money to them. This time, its different though- thanks to IOC sponsor Johnson & Johnson, donations are being made on behalf of the athletes. J&J is donating $20,000 per gold medal, $15,000 per silver and $10,000 per bronze won by those who have signed up to be Right to Play athlete ambassadors. “There has been a lot of criticism for having the Olympic games here,” said U.S. swimmer Natalie Coughlin, “but it has made a wider audience aware of issues that they otherwise might not have known about.” (Coughlin with her six medals won here, is responsible for $80,000 for the organization.) Any athlete can become an ambassador, yet only about 40 Olympians representing 13 countries and 25 sports have signed up, notably absent as an ambassador for Right to Play? Michael Phelps.
Coughlin said she spoke to Phelps about it last week in the Olympic Village, “He wants to do it,” Coughlin said. “He’s going to do it. I have mentioned to him that his eight gold medals would mean 52,000 children would be enrolled in the program and 1,600 coaches would be able to get involved.” If Phelps does indeed become an ambassador, it would bring a whopping $160,000 donation from J&J to Right to Play.
FOR THE KIDS
Ya’ all know I don’t cover many baseball related events, but there is a little book coming out that I gotta give props to. The book, ‘A Glove of Their Own’ has already got some endorsement love from several players: Craig Biggio, Sean Casey and Jack Hannahan have all stepped up to support the children’s book aimed at teaching kids the value of sharing what you have with those in need. Charity partners include Good Sports, Sports Gift, Pitch In For Baseball, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Cheerful Givers, and the Sunshine Foundation. From the back cover: “Few things in life are ever as good as the smell of your own glove, the crack of the wood. Or being with friends at that one special spot and sharing what you have… with those who have not.” The picture book personifies the “paying it forward” mentality via a group of underprivileged boys’ childhood experience, and how their love of the game is not defined by the equipment they don’t have but rather the passion and dreams that they do have. The book was inspired by a birthday party held for one of the writers’ kids- in place of gifts, guests were asked to donate baseball equipment for children who normally do without. A Glove of Their Own comes out in October, and those wishing to get their hands on a copy need to reserve now! Go to the website to reserve your copy.
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Delinda Lombardo
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Spain’s Tennis Team Also Posed Slant Eyed, Racism in Europe, James Blake Stirs Up Some Trouble and Rafael Nadal Gets His Medal
STIRRING THINGS UP
James Blake, Ara Abrahamian, the Spanish National Basketball teams, the under aged Chinese gymnasts…what the hell is going on? Yes, where there are games there is controversy. Surprisingly, most controversy lately isnt about freeing Tibet or the Chinese government supplying weapons to rebels who are slaughtering people and displacing them from their homes in the Darfur region of the Sudan, its all about the fairness and spirit of the games. While athletes are being yanked and spanked for doping, it’s the unruly and perhaps racist athletes that are making the headlines.
The good peeps at the Telegraph have discovered the latest photo in a series of embarrassing images to emerge from Spain. The latest “slant eyed” pose comes from members of the Spanish Tennis Federations female players and support staff. Allegedly shot back in February, the original photo caption reads: “Estamos preparados para China”, which translates as “We are prepared for China.” Why should we care? Because its all part of the larger picture. Aside from the fact that if any of our athletes here posed ala ‘slant-eyed’ they would have been fined and most likely kicked off the team. These ‘Chinese slant eyed’ photos are not funny. Sorry.
Watch this video from Spain…its disturbing on so many levels…the actions of the guy and the fact that no one came to the aid of this Ecudorian girl make me sick to my stomach.
And no, racism is not limited to Spain. Racism is rampant in Europe. There’s a fantastic expose from ESPN on the subject that I urge you to watch. The video is from 2006, but as we’ve seen lately, racism is timeless.
Now, all this Spainsh racism is throwing quite a kink in my adoration of one certain Spainsh treat. Yes, Im talking about Rafael Nadal. While I believe there is inherenat racism in Spain and most European countries, (as well as here) I have no reason to suspect Nadal is in any way, shape or form a racist. I am not labeling all people from Spain racist, I’m simply stating that the country as a whole needs to check itself…
But Rafa need not check himself…precious has clinched (at a minimum) his first Olympic medal-a silver-after spanking Novak Djovic 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 in the semifinals. On Sunday, Nadal will face Fernando ‘the cheater’ Gonzalez who won his match against James Blake…and caused a bit of an uproar for the ungentlemanly manner in which he won. I gotta give James ‘Booty’ Blake props for his reaction to the 4-6, 7-5, 11-9 loss to Gonzalez during the real-fake-live coverage of the match.
On the first point of the 18th game of the final set, with Gonzalez serving at 8-9, Blake tried to pass a charging Gonzalez by hitting it right at him. Gonzalez swerved, the ball landed long and Blake quickly realized the point had been put up for Gonzalez. He walked to the umpire’s chair and a long discussion ensued. Soon, it became obvious that Blake thought the ball had nicked Gonzalez’s racket on its way out, and if so, should have been his point. Unable to get any satisfaction from the chair umpire, who claimed not to have seen the ball touch Gonzalez’s racket, and by the rules, could not call for a replay on this, Blake eventually turned and looked at Gonzalez, back on his baseline, then walked slowly back to receive the next serve. (LA Times)
Blake waited until the news conference before calling out Gonzalez. He said his shot hit Gonzalez’s racket. “In what’s supposed to be a gentleman’s sport, that’s a time when you call it on yourself. Fernando looked me square in the eye and didn’t call it. I’ve spoken all week about how much I’ve enjoyed my Olympic experience, how much I love the other athletes,” he said. “These guys go out and compete their hardest. Win fair and square. Lose fair and square. So this is a disappointing way to exit the tournament, when you not only lose the match, but lose a little faith in your fellow competitor.”
“I’ll still have fond memories of the Olympic experience,” Blake said. “I still have a chance to get a bronze medal. But . . . it is a little disappointing. It disappoints me a little more in my competition, than the whole Olympic spirit, because I haven’t seen anything like that in these Olympics…We know when [the ball] touches us. And he knew that. You call it yourself because it is the right thing to do. Should I expect him to do that? Maybe not. Maybe I shouldn’t expect people to hold themselves to high standards of sportsmanship. But yes, I did expect a little more in the Olympics. We are competing under the banner of this event, to promote sportsmanship, to promote goodwill amongst countries.” I back ya up James, as do most people who were watching…sucks that Gonzalez advances to the gold-medal match Sunday and Blake will play for the bronze…but props to Blake for speaking up. I hope Gonzalez chokes on the gold…come on Karma, we need you this Sunday.
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Delinda Lombardo
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Spain’s Women’s Basketball Team Also Posed ‘Slant Eyed’
SPAIN BASKETBALL TEAM ADS: MEN’S and WOMEN’S
“We’re surprised by the remarks of racism,” said Juan Antonio Villanueva, the communications director for the city’s 2016 Olympic bid. “Spain is not a racist country — quite the opposite.”
Players on Spain’s Olympic basketball team are stepping up to defend the ad showing them using their fingers to apparently make their eyes look more Chinese. “It was something like supposed to be funny or something but never offensive in any way,” said Spain center Pau Gasol (Los Angeles Lakers). “I’m sorry if anybody thought or took it the wrong way and thought that it was offensive.” Point guard Jose Manuel Calderon (Toronto Raptors) said the team was responding to a request from the photographer. “We felt it was something appropriate, and that it would be interpreted as an affectionate gesture,” Calderon said, “Without a doubt, some … press didn’t see it that way.”
SPAINS WOMENS BASKETBALL TEAM PHOTO: ON YES THEY DID
And now, we’ll have to wait and see how the world responds to the newly surfaced “ad” of Spain’s Women’s Basketball Team in the same pose.
Spain, as we know, has a bit of a racist reputation…Lewis Hamilton bore the brunt of it in Barcelona last February, as did Thierry Henry, and England’s ‘black’ players during a friendly in 2004 against Spain when Spanish fans taunted the players with “monkey sounds”.
Now, I’d like to think that something is lost in translation here. Advertising in Europe is a bit edgier than here in the States. Ever heard of ‘P*ssy’ Water? Pretty sure there would be a bit of controversy if it were released in the States. Most Euro advertising falls well outside our comfort zone. Most adverts outside of Spain are not so much ‘racist’ as they are ‘shocking’ to some. However, regardless of what Spain’s’ ‘intentions’ were with their basketball ads, I think with their history of offending some of the world’s top athletes, as well as most people living outside of their ‘culture’, that its entirely fair to label them as “racist’…
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Delinda Lombardo
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Pistons Make Wish Come True; Olympic Athletes Make Dreams Come True, Carmelo Anthony Hangs with Michael Phelps, and Luke Wilson’s Silver Lining
TRENDY TUESDAY
As we sit around watching real-fake-live coverage of the Olympian-hotness, I feel it’s important to give some props to former Detroit Piston John Long and head coach Michael Curry…the two mighty-fine men spent Monday hanging out with Spencer and his buddies. Spencer was the recipient of the ‘Afternoon with the Pistons, A Wish Come True’ event…and with that off my chest, I can feel good about a bit o gratuitous Delinda style coverage of some Olympic babes….
After the Men’s US Swim Babes stunned France in the 4×100 freestyle on Monday night, Michael Phelps went on to etch his name alongside Mark Spitz and Carl Lewis as one of the “winningest Olympians ever” with his third gold medal and third world record in as many days. In winning the 200-meter freestyle Tuesday, Phelps ran his career Olympic total to nine golds…
Speaking of Phelps, seems like he and Carmelo Anthony are chill. Sweet Melon is writing an Olympic diary for the NY Times. In part, he spoke about his new buddy Michael Phelps…”I’m amazed at what he can do in that water. He’s like a shark. I’ve never seen anyone swim like that before. Swimming never caught my eyes before I saw him.” Last week, Melo licked his lips and wrote about hanging with Phelps: “I got a chance to talk with him last night at the Olympic Village. I met him before just growing up, but I hadn’t met him since he won those six gold medals in 2004. So his whole life has changed. He’s not from the same neighborhood as me, but we’ll claim him…This is my first time to really get a chance to mingle and interact with him. We talked about spots back home, but we were talking about getting out to each other’s events. He’s going to bring some golds back to Baltimore and I’m going to bring a gold back. They can have our parade together in Baltimore.”
Granted, I can’t sit still long enough to watch each and every real-fake-live-broadcast event…but I’m trying to keep an eye on several noteworthy morsels…one of which, as we all know, is a particular Tapa. Our Rafael Nadal has burned through Italian beast Potito Starace and Lleyton Hewitt as he inches his way towards gold…
Meanwhile, let’s take our eyes of Beijing for a minute and give some props to actor Luke Wilson. He, along with Swedish golf-babe Johan Edfors, have teamed up to co-design the new ‘Chrome’ line for Puma. “Johan wears the splashy stuff,” Wilson says…the two collaborated on a line to suit both the ‘extroverts’ and ‘introverts’ on the greens..sexy bold colors for Edfors and muted cardigans for Wilson. “I like the real meticulous look of guys like Sam Snead and Ben Hogan. They had their own tailors making their clothes back then,” Wilson says. For more info and some great photos of the new line, check out the LA Times.
As always, thanks for reading.
Delinda Lombardo
delinda@athlebrities.com
Ryan Lochte: More Coverage Please
AND CAN WE PRONOUNCE HIS NAME RIGHT?
I’ll start off by saying that NBC’s coverage of the Olympics suck. Thankfully, I’m not the only one who thinks so. Yesterday, I’m waiting to watch the men’s swimming, but it’s not on. So I switch to ESPN with my fingers crossed that they’re not talking about Brett Favre and the first thing I see is Favre’s face on the screen…the ticker along the bottom tells me Phelps just set another World record…did I miss it…damn…switch back to NBC…huh, what, volleyball…back to Universal HD channel…boxing…ESPN…Favre…NBC…volleyball…Universal…boxing…damn, what’s on HBO, set DVR and call it a night.
Aside from the delayed coverage and number of commercials I fast forwarded through on my DVR, my bigger issue was the fact that Bob Costas and Jim Lampley couldn’t agree on how to properly pronounce Ryan Lochte’s name. Is it pronounced ‘Lock-T’ as Costas asserts, or is it ‘Lock’ as pronounced by Lampley? Seeing as Lampley is the most experienced Olympic Games broadcaster in history (this is his 14th) I tend to think he might be right…but why didn’t they have this ‘How do you prounce his name again’ conversation before going on air? Or during a commercial? Am I the only one who noticed they were both saying Lochte’s name differently? Just curious.
OUCH
This just in…Costas is pronoucing Lochte’s name correctly. From a reader:
- “Ryan attended the HS in Florida where I used to teach. His name is pronounced “Lock-T”. He does not get the attention that he deserves. I hope he can win the Gold in the backstroke. He also has a brother at UF..he swims but is not as talented as his big brother. So, Costas was right. Can you mention this on the site?
Thanks, Scott
While we’re on the topic…is it at all possible to get some more coverage of Ryan Lochte? How about a story that doesn’t place Lochte is the shadows of Michael Phelps? Don’t get me wrong, I love Phelps…but Lochte deserves individual love. He was the only speed bump in the way of Phelps’ 400-meter individual medly, and granted, while we already know that Phelps had another world-record setting performance, lets not forget Ryan Lochte took home the bronze.
Lochte: “I did everything I could, so that’s all I can ask for. But he (Phelps) was amazing. Setting another world record, you can’t ask for anything else. That was a great way to start off the meet for USA.” Lochte has already established himself as one of the sexiest and most talented swimmers alive, and he’s got pa-lenty of records under his LZR Speedo worth mentioning. He is a multiple world record holder. He is a 2004 Olympic Champion in the 4×200m Freestyle, Olympic silver medalist in the 200m Medley and now, a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist in the 400m individual medley. His specialty is (gulp) the backstroke but is also a freestyle relay swimmer. And, the boy is a University of Florida alum…the only college in the nation that produces-per capita- more hot athletes than any other. Go Gators.
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Delinda Lombardo
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Athletes, Olympics, Controversy and a Painted Protest
THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL
American pastor Eddie Romero has put an interesting new spin on protesting during the Olympic Games. Eddie checked himself into two “high-class downtown” hotels this week in Beijing and filmed himself painting the walls of his rooms with slogans such as “Beijing 2008 Our World, Our Nightmare” before disappearing…
The good peeps at the London based ‘Free Tibet Campaign’ have also come up with a clever way of getting around the ‘Athletes can’t speak out about human rights’ rule by urging them to make a simple “T” sign with their hand to show their support of Tibet. “Athletes competing at the Olympics have been told they must not mention human rights or Tibet, but no one can stop them making a simple signal that they care,” the group said. “’The T for Tibet hand signal is a quick, easy way to send a clear message: It’s time to free Tibet.” The group is also lashing out at China’s support of the Sudanese government, which has allowed widespread ethnic violence and severe rights violations in its Darfur region…look for athletes wearing black wristbands in support of Darfur and German athletes sporting green and blue bands for support. You can also get involved with the Free Tibet movement and upload your own “T” photo on their website. Many people, including REM frontman Michael Stipe have already signed up. Check it out HERE.
Others are taking it one step further with their protests, most notably (for today anyway) are Mr. Thom and his friend Phil Bartnell who climbed lighting posts near the “Bird’s Nest” stadium around 5.30am and unfurled banners saying “One World One Dream Free Tibet.” Mr Thom spoke to reporters from the top of the pole by telephone, saying he was a long-term activist on the Tibet issue. “This is a really critical time for Tibet,” he said. “The Olympic Games are being used as a propaganda tool by the Chinese government to whitewash their human rights record.” (See the video and full story here)
But perhaps the biggest stone in my shoe this morning in an article on Yahoo Sports by Dan Wetzel. His enticing headline: ‘Will Kobe, Lebron pass on Darfur?’ Now I understand the importance of getting as many hits as possible, so props to Dan for creative writing. (And I’m not talking about Kobe). But come on, “Will Lebron pass on Darfur”? He already has-more than once! Wetzel also wrote: “They have been among the most outspoken of the major American athletes on the subject.” WHAT? Am I the only one not kissing Bron-brons ass because he can shoot hoops? Sure, Lebron mumbled something back in May about Darfur in efforts to promote his oh-so-wonderful image, but seriously, he doesn’t even speak out about stuff here in the States, so why is he suddenly going to lend his voice to Darfur or Tibet? Pa-leeze. USA Men’s team coach Jerry Colangelo in Wetzle’s piece: “Let me ask you this, what carries more weight?” he said. “One of them making a comment about what’s happening in Tibet or Darfur or two nights ago in Shanghai when our players helped raise $430,000 for the earthquake relief program where 70,000 Chinese died? I think that’s a little bit more important.” Ah…not. I tend to think both are important, but since Jerry is into numbers, he may wanna think about the fact that 400,000 Sudanese people have been murdered…
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Delinda Lombardo
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The Olympic Oath, Darfur and Joey Cheek
HUMAN RIGHTS TRUMP ATHLETIC COMPETITION
In the name of all competitors
I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic games,
respecting and abiding by the rules that govern them,
in the true spirit of sportsmanship,
for the glory of the sport and the honor of our teams
The Olympics. 8.08.08. Opening ceremonies are just a few days away and it looks like a few brain-cells in President Bush’s head have finally realized that something funny is going on with China. Armed with “deep concerns” about the state of human rights in China, Bush is urging the communist nation to allow political freedoms for its citizens, “We speak out for a free press, freedom of assembly and labor rights — not to antagonize China’s leaders, but because trusting its people with greater freedom is the only way for China to develop its full potential.” In an interview aboard Air Force One with The Washington Post, Bush said it was “really hard to tell” whether human rights in China had improved over the past eight years. “I’m fired up to go. I can’t wait to salute our athletes, and I can’t wait to share in the joy of your triumphs,” he said. Huh?
I certainly will be watching the Olympics, but not without a heavy weight and dark cloud marring my view. I will cheer for all athletes, from all countries who have trained hard for this moment. But I will most certainly be keeping an ear out for those who take this opportunity to speak their mind about China’s abhorrent treatment of its citizens, the media and it’s involvement with the genocide in Darfur. I don’t think it comes as any surprise that Olympic gold medallist and outspoken Darfur activist Joey Cheek has had his visa revoked by the Chinese embassy hours before the speed skating beast was set to fly to China. As the founder of Team Darfur, Cheek has had a target on his back since its inception.
“I am saddened not to be able to attend the Games. The Olympic Games represent something powerful: that people can come together from around the world and do things that no one thought were possible. However, the denial of my visa is a part of a systemic effort by the Chinese government to coerce and threaten athletes who are speaking out on behalf of the innocent people of Darfur.”
The cash-strapped (at the time) Cheek ‘had me’ after he brought home the gold from Torino and promptly donated his $25,000 bonus to Darfur while begging his sponsors to do the same. I’m not asking anyone to ignore the spirit of competition or the thrill of victory, and neither is Cheek. Why is it that if we speak out against China and Darfur we are suddenly “anti-Olympics”? I don’t support our “war” but at the same time I do support our troops. Yes people, there is room for both.
As mentioned, I will be watching the Olympics. But, in my opinion, human rights trump sports. Simple as that. Imagine if you were one of the displaced children who witnessed your mother being raped and your father being hacked to pieces…imagine being that child-hiding, crammed into a shanty-hut with forty other people trying to escape the genocide…imagine if there was a small TV hooked-up and your only escape from the daily horrors of your reality was the static of the games coming through on the TV…and with the whole world watching, it takes just one Olympic athlete to issue a few words of hope about ending the genocide…about helping a country desperately calling for aid…a few simple words can give someone hope…hope for help, hope for a better life, hope that people care, hope that your suffering isnt being ignored, hope that one day it will all end. That’s what its all about. We don’t have to ignore any athletic accomplishment, we don’t have to ban Joey Cheek from skating or duct tape someone’s mouth shut because they may something bad about China that we already know. We only need to care. And for me, I care a hell of a lot more about stopping the horrific war crimes being committed than I do about who brings home the medal. So yes, I will be watching the games on my plasma TV inside my comfortable home surrounded by the daily comforts we take for granted. But there won’t be one single moment when I’m not thinking about those who need our help and have bigger things to worry about than who wins what where.
Lets enjoy the games but lets not use this as an excuse to escape from the realities of Darfur. We can’t stop and we can’t ignore humanity until the last machete is torn from the hands of a rebel.
Help Save Darfur.
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Delinda Lombardo
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