Godspeed, Becky

This was hushed: South Dakota born and raised Becky Hammon (center front) was not among the 29 players selected to tryout for the US Olympic women's basketball team. It is not so hushed now: and the sheer incredulity! Unimaginable. The star player on each of the WMBA teams - the two star players- at least should be invited. Becky Hammon has been the face of the WNBA this century. America needs to pause, and listen. I am a Becky Hammon fan: always have been, always will be.

With not really representative pics of Australia's Penny Taylor

No surprises in the selection of the US Olympic women's indoor volleyball team. Unfortunately.

I have searched for three hours now for a good picture of the US women's indoor volleyball team, and found not one. Mug shots of the twelve players, yes: a good picture of the team, no. I am convinced that such does not exist. How about, instead, a coupl'a two three good photos of the Japanese swimming team arriving at the Olympic village with . . . adrenaline and humility and modesty in the face of a world of competitors; not 'ho-bitch funky attitude that this retarded world just does not appreciate that this sport belongs to us, adrenaline in the Olympic village. Humility. Adrenaline.

2008 USA Women's Olympic Indoor Volleyball Team

#	Name	Pos	Ht	Hometown	College	Born
1	Ogonna Nnamani	OH	6-1	Bloomington, Ill.	Stanford	7-29-83
2	Danielle Scott-Arruda	MB	6-2	Baton Rouge, La.	Long Beach State	10-1-72
3	Tayyiba Haneef-Park	OPP/OH	6-7	Laguna Hills, Calif.	Long Beach State	3-23-79
4	Lindsey Berg	S	5-8	Honolulu, Hawai'i	Minnesota	7-16-80
5	Stacy Sykora	L	5-10	Burleson, Texas	Texas A&M	6-24-77
6	Nicole Davis	L	5-4	Stockton, Calif.	Southern California	4-24-82
7	Heather Bown	MB	6-3	Yorba Linda, Calif.	Hawai'i	11-29-79
9	Jennifer Joines	MB	6-3	Milpitas, Calif.	Pacific	11-23-82
10	Kim Glass	OH	6-3	Lancaster, Pa.	Arizona	8-18-84
11	Robyn Ah Mow-Santos	S	5-9	Honolulu, Hawai'i	Hawai'i	9-15-75
12	Kim Willoughby	OH	6-0	Napoleanville, La.	Hawai'i	11-7-80
15	Logan Tom	OH	6-1	Salt Lake City, Utah	Stanford	5-25-81

Head Coach: Lang Ping Assistant Coaches: Yong Li, Sue Woodstra, Tom Hogan

Lang Ping is currently the only female head coach of a national volleyball federation with a team in the top 20 world ranking.

This is the official site for indoor volleyball.

Women's Olympic Games 2000 Qualified Teams 1.China (host country) 2.Italy (1st World Cup) 3.Brazil (2nd World Cup) 4.U.S.A. (3rd World Cup) 5.Algeria - Africa 6.Kazakhstan - Asia * 7.Russia - Europe 8.Cuba - Norceca 9.Venezuela - South America 10.Poland (1st World Olympic Qualification) * 11.Serbia (2nd World Olympic Qualification) * 12.Japan (3rd World Olympic Qualification) * * The Asian Continental Qualification Tournaments were played combined with the World Olympic Qualification Tournaments in Japan

FIVB World Ranking: 1. Brazil 2. Italy 3. Cuba 4. USA 5. Japan 6. Serbia 7. China 8. Russia 9. Poland 10. Korea * 11. Dominican Republic * 12. Kenya * 13. Germany * 14. Netherlands * 15. Peru * 16. Turkey * 17. Thailand * 18. Chinese Taipei * 19. Puerto Rico * 20. Egypt * 21. Algeria 22. Kazakhstan 29. Venezuela * not qualified for the2008 Olympic Games

Ouch, again: sobriety can be painful: " . . . but when you preside over an interest-starved sport . . .." Ouch, too cold.

A somber, sober retrospective of the "Danica" whoever story that was all over the websphere Sunday, and why it was all over the websphere Sunday. (Thanks, Fox.) Links to the video and to photos are included in the story.

Ouch?

Michelle Wie DQ'd from State Farm over scorecard mishap It is hard not to feel with her. And this is the second time she has been similarly disqualified during her professional career.

Literally out of nowhere: a moment of sobriety for the US Track and Field contingent to Beijing: she doesn't need to win, just to go

"Muna Lee (2nd L) crosses the finish line to win the women's 100m final at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon June 28, 2008. Torri Edwards (L) finished second and Lauryn Williams (2nd R) finished third." (I know: it is terrible when you have to borrow the picture and the caption, but I can't beat this one.)

Muna Lee clipping recent USC grad Allyson Felix' heels in the 200:

Photo sources: (in order) Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Steve Dipaola; Yahoo!News/AP Photo/David J. Phillip

Some good news going into the Olympics: Wimbledon '08 was all Venus and Serena

Singles:

Doubles:

Lisa Raymond has often complained that she is the highest rated doubles player in the USofA and that it should be she not Serena or Venus representing at the Olympics. Clockwise from top left: Serena, Venus, Lisa and her doubles partner Samantha Stosur of Australia.

Photo sources: (in order) Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque; Yahoo! News/AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus; Yahoo! News/Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Who is?

Hint:

The use of these images is not intended to defeat the owner's copyright interest, but the images are used under the "fair use" exception to the copyright laws for public comment on a public broadcast of an event of public importance. The use here implies no copyright interest of any sort in the images.

Wimbledon '08: week 1; second pass

In women's singles: the second round stats for Ana Ivanovic "over" Nathalie Dechy were 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-3) 10-8 with elapsed time by set of 58, 63 and 83 minutes. Sharapova did lose in round 2.

Wimbledon '08: week 1, first pass: Sharapova's tux

Perhaps it is ill-advised to remind other competitors that you are the highest paid woman in all of sports; I mean, they have their complete lack of sympathy for Anna Kournikova as a predicate.

Photo source: Yahoo! News/AFP/Carl de Souza

Wimbledon '08: week 1, first pass: Venus, round 2, form

Photo sources: (in order) Yahoo! News/AP Photo/Alastair Grant; Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Alessia Pierdomenico; Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Alessia Pierdomenico; Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Alessia Pierdomenico; Yahoo! News/AP Photo/REUTERS/Alessia Pierdomenico

Wimbledon '08: week 1, first pass: Ana's loss in the second round that she won

When I first saw this photo of Nathalie Dechy during her second round match with Ana I sensed a disbelief on her part that Ana was still out there. It is not a look of respect or admiration, just disbelief: "I can't believe you're still out here!" Perhaps Nathalie watched (the US) coverage of the French Open final where they talked about nothing but how Ana's team shielded her from this and didn't tell her that. Well, they couldn't shield her from the shock of what Nathalie put on her buck. Ana won, but she . . . herself . . . does not know how. And in that she lost: she lost what made her number one. This could have repercussions well beyond this season: she has got to reclaim what made her number one, and take that to the next level (and that "and" is a "must!")

Wimbledon '08: week 1, first pass: Ana, round 1 , form

Photo sources: (in order) Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque; Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque; Yahoo! News/AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus; Yahoo! News/AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus; Yahoo! News/AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus

Wimbledon '08: week 1, first pass: Venus, round 1, form

Photo sources: (in order) Yahoo! News/AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus; Yahoo! News/AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus; Yahoo! News/AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus; Yahoo! News/REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Wimbledon '08: week 1; first pass

I've actually been right on top of Wimbledon this go round, but that is in terms of my image surfing. At this point, I have not visited the official site, or looked at schedules or perused the draw, but I have seen some things: Venus' form, Ana Ivanovic's loss in the second round she won, and I think I've seen suggestions that Sharapova is out. I want to take a quick pass at these, then go out and get some official information for the coming week . . ..

pre-Wimbledon '08: Jelena's smileys

It's a good thing that, though I am a computer geek, I am not a nerd (well not too much of a nerd), because I would have a field day and a half making smiley gifs of Jelena Jankovic pre-Wimbledon practice "I-am-so-upset-that-Ana-has-gotten-a-ticker-tape-parade-and-all-kind-of-attention-and-I-am-going-to-win-this-tournament-and-have-me-a-ticker-tape-parade-and-none-of-you-clowns-had-better-get-in-my-way" smileys.

Below, world number 1 Ana Ivanovic of Serbia in Serbia June 10, 2008.

Photo sources: Yahoo! News/AP Photo/Alastair Grant; Yahoo! News/AP Photo/Alastair Grant; Yahoo! News/AP Photo/Srdjan Ilic

Now . . . French Open '08: Ana!

Photo sources: (both) Yahoo! News/AP Photo/Christophe Ena

French Open '08: it was Ana, but wait . . .

Ana held, but wait . . .

French Open '08: through day 12: Dinara

In Berlin she took out Justine Henin then Serena back to back. Here in Paris she sends her then favored home sister Sharapova packing 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-5) 6-2, sidesteps homegirl Dementieva 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-0, then just walks on home people Kutzy 6-3 6-2.

The finals (Saturday morning here) is going to be 'da bomb: Ana, Dinara: both young (notice Dinara's stamina in her third sets), both pretty eager for a slam title. Both seeing this as a superb opportunity to get that first slam title. Both knowing that if it's going to happen soon, it going to be here. Can't wait. This is game.

women's singles draw

French Open '08 (in Henin's absence): through day 4, results best left without comment

women's singles draw

2004 . . . even the queen . . . in the final attempt to take Olympic gold in her signature event . . .

. . . and the not so royal dismounted Canadian, who alone gives all the women in America a run for their money on "sharin' 'da lub'" . . .

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Used without permission under the Fair Use Exception to the Copyright Laws for public comment on issues of public importance.