Wow! Those were quite the Olympics. The past two nights I've just kind of stared at my blank TV wondering where all the volleyball highlights were. Thankfully, American's who thought they couldn't get enough of Misty May-Treanor will get to see her chasse on the new season of Dancing With the Stars!

Since Sunday's Closing Ceremonies, a few questions have been on my mind (other than what the point of interviewing Michael Phelps in London was. Did anyone get anything out of that other than to confirm that there is in fact a British equivalent to Ryan Seacrest? Lucky them...). Looking forward to London in 2012...

1) How can London top Beijing's Opening Ceremonies? Aside from raising King Arthur from the dead and having him pull Excalibur out of a stone before using it to light the torch, I'm not sure we're going to see an Opening Ceremony like that again. If London's bit during the Closing Ceremonies was any indication, they're going to rely on a theme of "China's show may have been exotic, incredibly choreographed and awesomely inventive, but we have celebrities you recognize." Although Beijing did have Jackie Chan singing on Sunday!

2) What will the featured events be for the Brits? After 2004, China made a concentrated effort to focus on gymnastics, diving, table tennis and badminton...and it paid off in a huge gold medal haul. But the UK cleaned up in track cycling, they're definitely going to want to do well in soccer, and I'm sure they'll be a factor in rowing. If you go to the London venue page, they are hyping the velodrome and its 6,000 seats. Great news for cycling fans.

3) Will there be any new events? BMX and open water swimming had pretty exciting debuts. I've heard rumblings that golf and squash are on the list. Anybody know of anything else? I imagine darts would be a great sport to debut in London.

4) Speaking of open water swimming, I wonder where it will be held. The Thames? Maybe 10K out from the city in the English Channel and just have the athletes swim in? OK, probably not.

5) Will the pool be as fast as Beijing's? A majority of swimming races at these past games saw world records set. A majority of those had more than one person or relay team surpass the existing w.r. Sure the LZR suits helped, but there was no doubt that Beijing built a fast pool. I imagine London will look to do something similar.

6) Can the U.S. track team get back on track? Granted, on paper they did pretty well. But to track aficionados (and NBC studio hosts) we could have done a little bit better. How will USA Track & Field respond? Maybe Jerry Colangelo is available...

7) And finally, going beyond 2012, does Russia deserve to host the 2014 Winter Games? They blatantly broke the Olympic truce on the night of the Opening Ceremonies by invading Georgia. Sochi, the site of the 2014 Olympics, lies just several miles from the Georgian border. Yet IOC president Jacques Rogge felt content to save his criticisms during these past Games for Usain Bolt's post-race "antics." Please. What will it take between Georgia and Russia to affect the 2014 Winter Olympics? Let's hope something is worked out and aren't raising eyebrows in a few years as we can watch Vancouver hand over the flag to Sochi.

But until the next Games, I'll be rooting hard for Chicago's 2016 bid and keeping my eye on that Taylor Phinney kid. I hear he's got potential.

The Olympics are over, long live the Olympics. Now that the Beijing (Peking for those who get confused easily) Games are over I have to say that I have two Olympic moments.  The first was the USA's come-from-behind win in the men's 4x100 freestyle relay. Forget that it kept Michael Phelps drive for eight golds alive, the win typified what relays are all about, a team putting it all together and being greater than the sum of its parts.  My second Olympic moment was Usain Bolt's WR in the 200m.  Yeah, the boy also won the 100m in WR time, but in the 200, we got to see him run all the way to the line and actually lean at the tape.  If I was a male sprinter, I would get myself a very good agent and start picking my races well.  Bolt is going to be the Federer/Woods/Lance of the next generation of sprinters with everybody else racing for second place.

I thought Sanya Richard's catching the Russians to win the women's 4x400 was also exciting and coupled with the men's victory in the same event restored a bit of US pride after the debacles in the 4x100.  Did you catch Jeremy Wariner's relay split at 43.2?  That is how you silence the critics. Too bad he came up short in the open 400.

What happened to Bernard Legat? The double 2007 World Champion (that's just last year) got skunked and looked bad doing it.  If the USA can't even draft a ringer to do well in the distance events what are we to do?  USA Track and Field won only one medal from the 800m on up and that was a bronze by Shalane Flanagan in the women's 10000m.  Yikes, it's tough being a USA distance runner these days regardless of your country of origin.

I still think they should toss out race walking.  Either that or add a new event, the 400m run while carrying a piano on your back. Time for this sport to go, let's face it, they are all running and just hoping not to get caught before the finish line.

Oh yeah, for the ladies, I think the men in the beach volleyball event should play with their shirts off.  If the women have to play in bikinis it seems only fair.

Judged sports have to go as well.  Yeah, I know gymnastics and diving are graceful and all that so let's have an exhibition for those sports and forget about the medals.  It's not supposed to be about the medals anyway.

And, along those lines, I think they should stop playing the national anthem of the country who wins. It is about sport, let's try to keep the nationalistic aspect out of it.  Distance runner Kenny Moore once opined that everyone should compete in white t-shirts and black shorts.

You got any thoughts out there?

Bruce

I first saw

Todd Rogers

I was captivated by the pair, Rogers a no-nonsense warrior and Dalhausser a 6-foot-9 athletic freak. I remember thinking "This is the perfect team. Who in the world can beat these guys?"

Now I know. Nobody.

Rogers and Dalhausser won gold in men's beach volleyball at the Beijing Games, dispatching a similarly sized Brazil duo 23-21, 17-21, 15-4.

I loved watching these two play. Rogers, 34, is the brains of the operation who still is on top of his game (they call him The Professor). Dalhausser, 28, is the pupil but full of tremendous ability to go with an imposing frame. In the decisive third set, he owned the match with five blocks that killed the Brazilians' chances.

It was also interesting to watch the relationship between Rogers and Dalhausser, which was clearly mentor-protege (as opposed to gold-winning women

Misty May-Treanor

Of course, after Dalhausser stuffed Brazil's last gasp, securing the gold, he ran over to Rogers and tackled him to the sand, the two of them screaming in joy.

Any possible animosity was nowhere to be found this time. A gold medal has that power.

It is all about the numbers.  Just ask any athlete in Beijing.  Whether it is the final score in a tennis match, the winning time in a triathlon or the perfect 10 on the balance beam the smallest units of measurement separate athletes from the joy of victory and the agony of defeat. 

There are numbers in the world of international athletic competition, however, that few of us know about. These numbers reflect the financial costs associated with representing our nation abroad on the international field of play.  America for Gold (AFG), which launched eight days before the start of the Beijing games, has set out to provide financial support to U.S. athletes.  Along with its launch, AFG began "$8 per month starting 08-08-08." 

AFG is committed to supporting athletes by taking the financial numbers game out of the equation and allowing athletes to focus on physically preparing to represent our nation in international competition. 

"We are going to apply the same determined focus and energy you will see on the field of play this summer to helping athletes succeed," said Montford. 

To support AFG, one-time or monthly contributions are accepted.  Donations can be made online, by phone at (877) 477-4488 or by U.S. mail. To learn more about America for Gold or to make a donation, please visit www.AmericaForGold.org .

As much as Michael Phelps 8 gold medals puts him in the running for the greatest Olympian ever, all the hype probably hurt him when it comes to the overall Olympic moment. On my meter, Usain Bolt jogging to a new world record in the 100m was simply indescribable. Some really big names were saying that if Bolt hadn't started  celebrating in the final 20m he would have run 9.5x and I believe them.  I can't even get out of bed in 9.69 and this guy is waving his arms and thumping his chest.  Oh baby! Frankly, I think Michael Johnson's 19.32 200m record is in jeopardy unless Bolt, who will be about 30m in front of his nearest challenger as he nears the finish line in the 200m final starts playing the air guitar and humming Bob Marley tunes.

OK.  We had to give citizenship to a Kenyan to get an Olympic contender in the men's 1500m.  But, not just some Kenyan, a guy who won silver in 2004 and is the reigning World Champion. C'mon man, the USA was drafting a ringer! Then the ringer fails to make the finals in the 1500m. What happened?  Is citizenship revokable? Hopefully, Lagat will redeem himself in the 5000m, but frankly he looked flat and that graceful stride and potent kick were nowhere to be seen.

I said this once an I will say it again.  They should just toss out judged sports from the Olympics. We know Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt are the best because they were first across the line.  Forget the doping, the judging is the biggest blight on the Olympics.  It just sucks big time to see all the bad calls.

Bruce

No, I am not referring to race walking which should be dropped from the Olympics(and as a sport for that matter).  C'mon, they are all running and it is just a case of getting caught before you cross the line. No, I am talking about the 100m and the awesome, or more appropriate, not-so-awesome, performance of Usain Bolt.  The guy literally jogged a 9.92. Not 'sprinted'. Not 'ran'. But 'jogged' a 9.92. Yikes! Is the final even going to be a contest or should we just give the gold medal to the young Jamaican and go watch Michael Phelps win another gold medal.

If I were Asafa Powell or Tyson Gay, I would be tossing and turning in my sleep suffering recurring nightmares of seeing Bolt come across the finish about 10 body lengths ahead. Of course, nothing is for certain or they would have given the gold medal to France in the 4x100 freestyle relay, but Bolt look so casual (not "relaxed", I mean 'casual') in the final 50m of his race that about the only thing that can keep him from winning is either a false start of if the starter's gun is loaded and he points it at Bolt.

Sometimes domination is boring, other times it is held in awe. I think Bolt falls into the category of 'wow'.  Hopefully, Powell and Gay won't be totally psyched out, but if they watched Bolt's race, they might not even show up for the final.  That's what I would probably do which, of course, explains why I never made it to the Olympics.

However you feel about the Bolt/Powell/Gay race, one thing is for sure. They gotta nuke race walking or put in some sort of electronic monitoring on their shoes.  It's embarassing for the athletes and the sport.

Bruce

With Michael Phelps mania sweeping the nation, I find myself pulling more for Ryan Lochte in tonight's 200 Individual Medley.

Granted it's a huge long shot. He's got the 200 Back finals against Aaron Peirsol 39 minutes beforehand -- a race either man can win. And the IM field includes, oh yeah, Michael Phelps. But for Lochte to win would take an amazing swim, perhaps leading to a race more exciting than the recent 4x100 free relay.

Not to mention that Lochte, a talented IM swimmer, must sort of resign himself to finishing behind Phelps for the rest of his life.

I like Michael Phelps. I have nothing against him. I love watching him swim. But him breaking Mark Spitz's single-Games gold medal record isn't really that important to me and how much I enjoy watching Olympic swimming.

Frankly, I'm kind of turned off the Speedo LZR. It's a little too technological for swimming, I think. Now if Phelps stepped up on the block without a cap or goggles, sporting a mustache and wearing just a tiny Speedo, a la Spitz -- that would be amazing.

Phelps' toughest test is going to come against Ian Crocker in the 100 fly. Both men are probably going to be incredibly amped up for it. Crocker swam a slow 51.95 in the qualifying heat (compared with Phelps' 50.87), about a second and a half off his own world record. Maybe he's just conserving energy.

But I can't help but think, "How amazing would it be to see Ryan Lochte pull off an upset in a race that Phelps seemingly owns?"

Besides, maybe he's waiting for just that kind of swim to break out the grillz he sported at the 2007 Worlds in Melbourne:

AP Photo/Mark Baker

  BEIJING, China --- With just two days before competition, the USA Softball team has had an eventful past couple of days in China. Back-to-back visits from President Bush and participation in an Opening Ceremonies celebration that amazed the World, the team is enjoying this once-in-a-lifetime experience and ready to take the field on Tuesday against Venezuela atNoon/local time.

Beginning on 08/08/08, 13 members of the U.S. team participated in an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by participating in the Opening Ceremonies decked head to toe in their parade uniforms. With over 700 athletes, the evening began with mingling of the U.S. athletes before the former President Bush and current President Bush along with First Lady Laura Bush addressed the U.S. athletes.

"Meeting the Bush family was awesome," said Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.). "They have done great service for our country and it was so neat to see them out there supporting us. They are big supporters of Olympic sports and they definitely want to see softball in 2016."

  The cameras were flashing as members of the softball team were sending their well wishes to members of the U.S. Men's and Women's Basketball teams, tennis teams, track and field and volleyball. In fact, a challenge was offered up from LeBron James and Jason Kidd to try and hit off of Cat Osterman (Houston, Texas) and Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif.). All in good fun, the laughs were exchanged and the 'The Challenge' date is To Be Determinedfollowing the Olympics.

The athletes paraded into the Bird's Nest(Track and Field Venue) representing the Red, White and Blue experiencing moments to last a lifetime.

"It was so amazing and wonderful to see the torch lit. There is nothing anything like it, it was so cool," said first-time Olympian Caitlin Lowe (Tustin, Calif.). "Meeting all the U.S. athletes before was incredible because we were all dressed the same as one team. Everyone was taking pictures, wishing good luck.. It was so neat to meet all the famous athletes."   Natasha Watley (Irvine, Calif.) who missed the Opening Ceremonies in 2004 was equally thrilled at being a part of the event.

"What an amazing night. It was a lot of fun getting a chance before we lined up to mingle with the other U.S. Athletes in the delegation. Also meeting the President... Wow, just a crazy, crazy night. The best part was the guy running around the top with the images of the torch being shown. Being in the middle of the venue and watching the fireworks was an incredible feeling."

After the incredible evening, the U.S. returned to the field on Saturday afternoon for a noon practice to which the current President Bush stopped by for a visit.

"Seeing and talking with the President twice in two days is pretty exciting," said Finch "He came to practice and greeted our team and also called out our team huddle of "Who do you play for?...USA. Laura Berg, our prankster, pulled her classic chalk handprint and he was such a good sport. Wow, what an incredible past couple of days."

The President and his entourage watched the team warm up and he was impressed with the power of Crystl Bustos (Canyon Country, Calif.) as he gave her a high-five after batting practice.

The team was able to pose for a photo for the press who were in attendance as the President gave his remarks for the sport.   The president called the group "the gold medal champs," and said that softball should be returned to the Olympic program. "It's good for the world to have girls playing softball, and these women are going to show girls how to win," he said.

It was back to business once the President departed as the U.S. had an inner squad scrimmage before leaving practice at 2 p.m. The entire 15-member team then headed to the Main Press Center for a pre-competition press conference.