THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2008
SPORTS
OLYMPICS
7B
ASSOCIATED PRESS
United States Olympic Committee chief executive Jim Scherr speaks during a news conference at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens. At the U.S. Olympic Committee recently, Scherr and Uerberoth discussed the challenges the U.S. and China will face at the Beijing Olympics in August.
China prepares for games on home turf
ASSOCIATED PRESS
DENVER —Two of the top teams at the Beijing Olympics in August, the United States and China, are staging woe-is-me routines that would put former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz —the king of the sandbaggers — to shame.
The latest came Wednesday from China's Deputy Sports Minister Cui Dalin: "We've got to take a pretty sober, objective view toward this," he said. "Overall, we're not a big sporting nation."
China, a country of 1.3 billion, a country spending $40 billion to put on the biggest sports extravaganza in the world, is not a big sporting nation? Sounds almost as ridiculous as saying America, easy winner of the medal count in the last three Olympics, heads to Beijing as an underdog.
But that's what they've been saying — over and over — at the U.S. Olympic Committee.
Just 10 days ago, chief executive Jim Scherr and chairman Peter Ueberroth reasserted the mantra they've been preaching for more than a year now.
"We have no illusions," Scherr said. "This will be a very difficult competition."
A quick reality check:
The United States won 102 medals at the Athens Olympics, 20 more than second-place Russia and 39 more than third-place China. In the gold medal count, which is more important to almost every country outside America, it was United States 34, China 32.
The Athens Olympics marked the third straight time the United States eased to the medals victory at the Summer Games, dating to 1996, the first time the athletes comprising the former Soviet Union didn't compete as a unified team. In fact, U.S. victories became so routine that the USOC delegation's task became not so much to predict victory, but only how many medals it expected.
Surely, the landscape has changed since the last Olympics, with China preparing to host the games and in no mood to be beaten on its home turf.
But measuring the changes is an inexact science. In 2006, China did very well at several world championships, in some cases at the United States' expense. Then, last year, things shifted.
At key world championships last year, the United States won four
of six gold medals in women's gymnastics (a record), 20 in swimming (best in 29 years) and 14 more in track (nine more than second-place Kenya).
Granted, none of those competitions were held in China, and track and swimming are not sports
"You see a lot of things happening in their favor. We'll be a competitive team. We're not yielding to them, but it is an uphill battle."
Despite his objections, there are many reasons to believe China will do well this year — maybe even top the medal chart.
China normally excels in. But they were among the biggest, and the fact that no other countries chipped into America's dominance seems to be a good sign for the United States.
STEVE ROUSH USOC Chief of Sport Performance
Ueberroth doesn't buv it.
The Chinese have enjoyed almost exponential improvement, going from five to 32 gold medals from 1988 to 2004.
"In most sports, we sent the same competitors in '06 and '07," he said. "China had teams that blitzed through all sports they competed in in '06, then they did well again in '07 with different people. They could send two teams to most of these events. They're going to do very well."
Cui insists, "In the competition altogether, the United States and Russia are still well above our level."
Dating to 1996, Summer Olympics hosts have experienced an 8 percent increase in medals over the previous Olympics. Australia enjoyed a 41 percent increase from 1996 to 2000.
Some of the improvement can be attributed to home crowds and home cooking from judges. As much or more can be credited to the ramp-
Nobody is ramping things up more than China.
According to a recent report from a Chinese sports scientist, the country has
195 state-run training departments involving nearly 20,000 elite and emerging elite athletes. USOC chief of sport performance Steve Roush has spent ample time at Chinese athletic performance centers, watching the athletes of tomorrow train.
"You see a lot of things happening in their favor. We'll be a competitive team. We're not yielding to them, but it is an uphill battle." Roush said.
Never before has the rest of the Olympic competition been so deep. Russia, a power even after the breakup of the Soviet Union, has made little secret of its desire to return to the top.
Meanwhile, a number of the
countries four through 10 in the last medal standings — Australia, Germany, Japan, France, Italy, South Korea, Britain — have added resources and money to their efforts. That means they could win medals that once would have been presumed to go to the United States, Russia or China.
In talking about China's medal expectations, Cui cites everything from rules changes to limited medals in sports like badminton and table tennis, where China often dominates.
Among the few outspoken optimists on the American side has been USA Gymnastics president Steve Penny, who knows he has good teams but is also aware of the pros and cons of competing at home.
Two other sports where China is traditionally solid — gymnastics and diving — have more to do with poise and controlling adrenaline than displays of raw speed or power.
"Either you accept the challenges and use the advantages to have your best day, or that can end up providing a great deal of pressure and stress," Penny said.
That's the same direction the Chinese seem to be going, too. Cui demurred when asked to predict China's medal haul.
But Penny certainly isn't speaking the USOC's party line, which so far is to promise less and maybe surprise some people if the American athletes deliver more.
"The beautiful thing about athletic competition," he said, "is that you never know the result until the competition is over."
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Haynesworth, like countless impatient fans around the country, might be better off heeding his GM's words and waiting. Because, for the most part, the first week of free agency has been marked by teams overpaying players who
Big deals delivered early in offseason Giants cut $60 million in deals
"We are not doing anything. We are really just making ourselves worse the way I look at it," Haynesworth, protected as the Titans' franchise player, told The Tennessee. "It doesn't look like we're trying to get better."
NFL
ASSOCIATED PRESS
After the Titans lost five players and signed tight end Alge Crumpler, defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth begged to differ.
Exhibit A: The New York Jets, who are trying to compete in their division with New England and in their region with the Super
Before free agency started a week ago, Tennessee general manager Mike Reinfeld suggested that in a market filled mostly with midlevel players, the best strategy would be to sit back and let things settle down.
are average, slightly better than that or over the hill.
— DEs Antwan Odom and Travis LaBoy and G Jacob Bell. OK players all, but just OK — Odom and LaBoy benefited by playing on a line with Haynesworth and Kyle Vanden Bosch.
Those teams should consider that the Giants, Colts, Steelers and Patriots, the last four Super Bowl winners, have been moderate free-agent players at best.
Exhibit C: San Francisco, which apparently didn't learn after signing CB Nate Clements to an $80 million deal last year and finishing 5-11. This time they guaranteed $20 million to "pass rusher" Justin Smith, the fourth overall pick in the 2001 draft, but a guy who had just $43½ sacks in seven seasons with the Bengals.
"We are not doing anything. We are really just making ourselves worse the way I look at it."
Exhibit B: Cincinnati, Arizona and St. Louis. Those three clubs threw $91 million at three of Haynesworth's ex-teammates
ALBERT HAYNESWORTH
Defensive tackle
Finally, they traded LB Jonathan Vilma, a Pro Bowler just two seasons ago, to New Orleans for just a fourth-round pick and left DT Dewayne Robertson, the fourth overall pick in the 2003 draft, in limbo because neither fits Eric Mangini's 3-4 defense.
Bowl champion Giants.
Last year the Giants signed just one, linebacker Kawika Mitchell, for $1 million for one year. He played well, but so did six of the eight draft choices who made the team, including fifth-round TE Kevin Boss and
They guaranteed $21 million to G Alan Faneca; $20 million to DE/LB Calvin Pace; and signed OL Damien Woody to a five-year, $25 million deal. They also traded for DT Kris Jenkins, an overweight underlever in Carolina the past two seasons and renegotiated his deal to give him $20 million straight up.
seventh-round
RB Ahmad
Bradshaw, who
along with CB
Aaron Ross,
WR Steve
Smith and DT
Jay Alford all
had big plays
in the Super
Bowl.
Mitchell was allowed to leave for Buffalo this
year, in part because the Giants think LB Gerris Wilkinson, a third-rounder in 2006, has long-term potential. New York also lost S Gibril Wilson to Oakland for $16 million in guaranteed money and replaced him with veteran Sammy Knight for about $14.5 million less, figuring the on-field difference isn't that great for a short-term fix with youngster Michael Johnson in the wings.
The Giants have spent for productive free agents: WR Plaxico Burress, LB Antonio Pierce, C Shaun O'Hara and OT Kareem McKenzie.
But all came for reasonable amounts and most of the time New York prefers to pay its own players.
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JOURNALISM CAREER FAIR
Several of your friends already know what they're doing after graduation. It's just around the corner and you're trying to figure out the next chapter of your life. You're looking for a way to land that perfect job. Maybe you're wanting to find a great internship but don't know where to start. It's March and you're nervous about getting that job or internship.
We have an easy,fun way to accomplish your career goals-attend the 2008 Journalism Career Fair. It's a user-friendly place to network with professionals in journalism-related fields such as public relations,newspaper, broadcast, magazine advertising and publishing. These professionals are taking time out of their busy schedules to come see you. That's because they always find top candidates and excellent journalism students here at KU.Don't miss out on this opportunity to start planning for your bright future!
Thursday, March 6 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Kansas Room, Sixth Floor, Kansas Union
All students welcome Professional attire recommended