Well, what did they think the riots will cause?

The wave of riots and public disorder sweeping the United Kingdom has prompted Olympic organizing chiefs to seek increased security measures ahead of next summer’s 2012 London Olympic Games.

Following the fatal shooting by police of a man in the North London suburb of Tottenham last Thursday, a surge of criminality has spread to the rest of the capital and other major cities, with shops being looted, cars burned, people beaten and houses ransacked.

The shocking scenes of the London riots have caused some to rethink Olympic policing, with a source revealing to Yahoo! Sports that officials from Games organizing committee LOCOG will meet with police bosses once the current carnage dies down.

Original plans that would have seen around 9,000 police officers on the streets of London during the Olympics may be scrapped, and figures closer to the 16,000 brought in under this week’s emergency measures are now likely.

Olympic planning had previously run smoothly and on budget, yet the spread of violence to the London borough of Hackney, just a stone’s throw from the central hub of the Games, has led to concern and uncertainty less than 12 months from the lighting of the flame.

London has never witnessed anarchic scenes of this kind at any…

Read More » London Riots put Dark Cloud over 2012 London Olympics

Oh yes, it’s really in Canada.

The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games continue in what should be a plethora of fantastic sporting events with the World Cup and the NBA playoffs just around the corner.

But as far as the Winter Olympics are concerned, Germany is leading the gold medal count with three. The Germans also have four silvers and two bronzes to rack up 9 medals.

Gold medal winners for team Germany are Neuner Magdalena, who won in Biathlon, Loch Felix in men’s singles luge and Huefner Tatjana in women’s singles luge.

Following at second spot is the United States of America with 8 total medals, that’s two gold, two silver and four bronze. Kearney Hannah won the gold medal in women’s moguls for freestyle skiing. While Wescott Seth bagged the gold for snowboarding in men’s snowboard cross.

At the third spot is France with seven total medals; 2 golds, 1 silver and 4 bronzes. Jay Vincent and Lamy Chappius Jason got gold medals in biathlon and nordic, respectively.

Rounding the fourth and fifth spots in gold medal count are Canada and South Korea, tallying two and three golds, respectively.

Athletes that gave pride glory for team Canada are Bilodeau Alexnadre, who…

Read More » An update on the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games happening at the other side of the border

I guess Marijuana has that distinct effect on people, especially on eight-time Olympic gold medalists.

Michael Phelps says it’s going to take him two or three months to decide if he’s going to compete at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. US Olympics Committee, USA Swimming and Phelps’ personal coach Bob Bowman, on the other hand, refused to comment on the predicament his boy is dealing with the cannabis pipe.

”It will take a few months,” Michael Phelps said in a post-practice interview outside the pool where he trains. ”I’ll give it 30 or 60 days. I think it will be better. I’m already happier now than I was, just having some part of my life back to normal, being able to swim again, having fun, joking around.”

Things hadn’t been very normal for Phelps since a photo of him with a marijuana pipe was published in a British tabloid earlier this month. He apologized for a lapse in judgment, was dropped as a sponsor by Kellogg Co. and suspended for three months by the USA swimming team.

”I’m not feeling too good physically,” Phelps said. ”But I’m actually able to sleep now. I had a real hard time sleeping over the last two weeks or so. Just swimming and thinking about everything going on. Everything is back to what I call normal, I guess.”

And by him saying ”normal,” he means he is no longer…

Read More » Michael Phelps undecided for the 2012 Olympic Games in London after getting caught smoking Marijuana

Since the brand new year is almost here, we found it fitting to wrap up all the stuff that has happened in 2008 before we welcome 2009.

The 2008 sports betting season sure had everything. From denying perfection on a football field to acquiring some sense of redemption in Beijing. The year 2008 sure brought everything alright and we’re here to reintroduce some of that stuff to you.

And yes, probably the greatest season in sports betting started in Glendale, Arizona, were the New York Giants denied the New England Patriots of perfection to win Super Bowl XLII.

The New England Patriots were coming into this one with an 18-game winning streak. A win then would’ve erased the mark set by the 1972 Miami Dolphins aside from the fact that they will once again be at the top of the food chain in American football.

Unfortunately, the Giants had other plans and after New York beat the Pats, 17-14, to win Super Bowl XLII, this once mighty New England team has never been the same since.

And while sports fans from Boston continue to feel sorry for their beloved Patriots, their ”other” team from Boston was already making headlines after the Celtics signed both Kevin Garnett and…

Read More » Things that happened in the 2008 Sports Betting Season

Good God almighty! Talk about versatility!

After virtually dominating the recently held 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aquaman himself proved that not only can he make his mark on water, he can also go toe-to-toe with the best of them on the poker tables.

You read it, multi gold medalist Michael Phelps proved that he can also play poker after scoring a final table appearance at Caesars Palace. Sure, we all know that the guy can swim like a freaking fish and he can win gold medals in effortless fashion in the Olympics, but if we’re going to judge him based solely on event No.2 at the Caesars Palace Classic, yes, apparently, he can play awesome poker as well.

The American swimmer, who as everyone knows, holds the distinction of having his face plastered all over the world for being the world record holder for most medals won in a single Olympics event, is no longer just a fish, at least not on the poker tables.

Phelps used some of his hard-earned endorsement money to buy into a $1,500 buy-in tournament and ended up finishing in ninth place in a field of 150 players. Not a bad payday for Phelps. He won over $5,000 for his feat.

It wouldn’t be fair to think that Michael Phelps is a total newbie when it comes to poker. Amanda Beard, another…

Read More » Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps can Play Poker

Welcome back, and yes, we’re still trying to determine which team is better, the Dream Team or the Redeem Team?

And last time we did this, we glorified the U.S. Redeem Team after capturing gold in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Now that THAT part is over, it’s time to determine which team is better.

We will break down each position and determine who has the better player playing that spot between the Dream and Redeem. And although these two teams have 16 years between them, both clubs still has the most popular names to ever play this game that we love so much.

To start it off with the point guard spot, Magic Johnson of the 1992 Dream Team goes up against Jason Kidd of the Redeem Team. Both were the elder statesman in the group when they played for the U.S. basketball team. Magic was 33 and has not played a game for more than a year while Kidd is a 35-year-old who has already won the gold medal in Sydney back in 2000.

Magic Johnson will definitely create a match-up problem against Jason Kidd with his size and long wingspan. Hell, Magic played at power forward during that short stint with the Los Angeles Lakers in his last comeback. As soon as he decides to post Kidd up, this match-up is over.

The shooting guard position should prove to be…

Read More » 2008 Redeem Team vs 1992 Dream Team Part 2

Sure, China won the most gold medals in the recently concluded Olympics but not without controversy.

The 2008 Beijing Olympics have finally concluded with China becoming the winningnest country among the competing nations in Beijing. And although the United States won the most overall medals, China won where it counts and that’s the race for gold.

Team China won 51 gold medals, the most among all the competing nations in the Olympics. However, there seems to be questions that need some answers about China’s gold-winning gymnastics team that can put their dominance of the Olympics in question.

Age falsification has been a problem in gymnastics since the 1980s after the minimum age was raised from 14 to 15 to protect young athletes from serious injuries. In 1997, the minimum age was raised to 16, and that minimum age limit is still being used today.

And although younger gymnasts are more prone to injuries, they are still considered to have an advantage because they are more flexible and are likely to have an easier time doing the…

Read More » Did China cheated in the 2008 Beijing Olympics?

Dominance. Yeah, Phelps is now the poster boy for that exactly.

Sensational American swimmer Michael Phelps did the impossible, winning eight gold medals, seven of them world records, in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The United States is lucky to have this guy playing for them. The question now is, is he the greatest American Olympian ever?

The answer is a resounding yes. Michael Phelps has beaten the 36-year-old record set by fellow American Mark Spitz, whose seven swimming gold medals at Munich in 1972 were the most at a single Games. That’s until Phelps came up with eight this year.

His remarkable feat is considered to be one of the greatest accomplishments in Olympics history. The 23-year-old cemented his name to Olympic greatness as he won all of the gold medals in all of the events in swimming so far.

Michael Phelps now has 14 gold and 2 bronze medals in his Olympic career. He won six of the his gold, including a couple of bronze medals, in Athens 4 years ago. The rest he won this year, in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

One reporter agrees that Michael Phelps is indeed the best Olympian ever, saying…

Read More » Is U.S. Swimmer Michael Phelps the greatest Olympian ever in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China?

Obviously.

The United States remain to be the country to beat in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. But for some reason, China has surpassed the proud U-S-of-A in terms of gold medal count.

USA, China, and Russia are the top three favorites to collect the most medals. They have been the biggest powerhouse countries for the past few years. In the 2004 Olympics, the medal count consisted of Team USA winning 102 medals, 32 of them gold, followed by Russia with 92.

China, this year’s Olympic hosts, is only good for third with 63 medals then, probably the reason why many people can’t seem to fathom how much the Chinese are leading in this year’s race for gold.

The Chinese and the American anthems will be heard often during these events, specifically in the gymnastics competition. China’s men athletes won the team title during last year’s world championships, led by all-around winner Yang Wei. Xiao Qin won on pommel horse and Chen Yibing won on still rings. The Americans were shut out in the finals but only had two fourth-place finishes.

On the other hand, the U.S. women team defeated China for the 2007 world team title by nearly a point. Shawn Johnson won gold in the all-around and floor exercise, Nastia Liukin won gold on balance beam and silver on the uneven bars, and…

Read More » Which Country will win the Gold Medal Race in the 2008 Beijing Olympics? USA and China are favorites.

All of them, BOTH men and women.

In what was probably the weirdest series of events in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the U.S. 400-meter relay teams both failed to qualify for the finals after both the men’s and women’s teams failed to grab the baton when they needed to.

Both the men’s and women’s teams misconnected on the final handoffs in their preliminaries as they suffered astonishing setbacks that let the Jamaicans truly claim that the Bird’s Nest in Beijing is really their yard.

The incident was a big blow for Team U.S.A. too. The last time the Americans failed to make it to the finals of a 400-meter relay, the women’s team would have to go as far back to 1948.

The men’s team, on the other hand, only failed to make it to the final twice. That’s way waaay back in 1912 and in 1988. And for the first time in the history of these Olympic Games, Team U.S.A. will go a dismal 0-for-6 in these sprint races. That’s the men’s and women’s 100s, 200s and 400 relays.

How in the hell did this happen for a country that has been dominating this sport for years? Gay.

And while I don’t mean any negative connotation whatsoever to the fagots out there, I’m referring to Gay, Tyson Gay, the United States’ speed demon. And sure enough, he’s taking the blame for the United States’ latest…

Read More » Americans competing in the 400-Meter Relay keeps on dropping their batons in the 2008 Beijing Olympics