We didn't come for Silver!

UPDATE: Check out this article on Foxnews.com

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,403584,00.html




My heart was broken last night as I watched our Women's gymnastic team loose their quest for the Gold. I cried as I watched the medals ceremony and realized their dream had vanished before their eyes. I started to ask myself...Was this a fair match? The answer...a resounding NO! I'm not just saying that because I'm a poor loser (you would think I had lost the Gold medal myself). Here are several reasons why I think this wasn't a truly fair fight:
1) The Chinese pick their gymnasts at the age of 3 and begin training them to "become machines." (That's a quote from the commentator.) The US doesn't start hard core training of gymnasts until age 10. The Chinese have 7 years on us.
2) The head Chinese gymnastics coach, told everyone that if his teams (men and women) didn't win gold he was going to throw himself off the highest building in Beijing. Suicide...really is that necessray? Now that is preasure, that I am sure Bella Caroli and wife don't say. These Chinese gymnasts were afraid not to get the Gold medal.
3) Injuries - we had last minute injuries and the bulk of the competition relied solely on the shoulders of 3 teenagers. That was tough.
4) Age limit - How many times did I hear, during the competition that there was some questions around the ages of the Chinese. Supposedly all those itty-bitty girls had passports that claimed they were 16 (which is the necessary age for Olympic Gymnastics). Let me just say, that I have been to Chinatown in NYC and They sell passports, social security cards, and all sorts of ID's that say whatever you want it to say. I'm not saying they went to Chinatown, but I am saying it's a little fishy. :)
5) The Olympic judges always seem to favor the hosting country. If you don't believe me check out the medal count for Greece in the last Olympics compared to this Olmpics.
6) The Chinese team had routines that were of higher difficulty levels than the US. I have to ask, WHY? You would think that the US would get some routines that were more difficult...they know the Chinese are going to bring difficult routines.

Silver is begining to become a habit...one we want to break. So as the US is looking ahead to London 2012 (at least I am)...might I suggest that we increase the level of difficulty in the rountines our atheletes do. We are the best and our rountines should reflect that.