Phelps Goes 7 for 7 & Is Now One Gold Medal Away From Making History

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BEIJING - Michael Phelps beat Milorad Cavic of Serbia to the wall to win the 100-meter butterfly Saturday, tying Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals at a single Olympics.

With his arms fully outstretched, the American touched in 50.58 seconds, brreaking Cavic’s Olympic record of 50.76 set in the semifinals.

Cavic, who was still in mid-stroke at the wall, took the silver in 50.59, a mere 0.01 seconds behind Phelps. Andrew Lauterstein of Australia earned the bronze in 51.12.

It was the first race of these games in which Phelps didn’t set a world record. Crocker, the world record-holder, was fourth in 51.13. Phelps won the event four years ago in Athens, and Crocker finished second.

USA Basketball Continues to March Down Redemption Road

BEIJING - The United States stopped the pick-and-rolls, and just about everything else, to beat Greece 92-69 Thursday at the Beijing Olympics. These Americans that looked so lost two years ago appear to have found their Olympic defensive way. Batting away balls or swatting shots on seemingly every possession late in the second quarter, the Americans broke open a close game and went on to win big.

Kobe Bryant and Chris Bosh each scored 18 points for the United States (3-0), which clinched a spot in the medal round and moves on to a match up of Group B unbeatens Saturday against world champion Spain. The winner will earn the group’s top seed for the quarterfinals.

Dwyane Wade added 17 points and LeBron James scored 13.

Greece stunned the Americans two years ago in the semifinals of the world championships, shredding the U.S. defense for 63 percent shooting with clinical execution of its pick-and-roll offense in a 101-95 victory.

This time, the Americans had an answer for everything, using a suffocating defense to extend a seven-point lead into a 19-point cushion in the final 5 1/2 minutes of the first half.

Theo Papaloukas scored 15 points for Greece, which found things easy against the Americans two years ago but not this time. The Greeks had 26 field goals but committed 25 turnovers.

Here is ESPN’s Ric Bucher giving an in depth analysis surrounding Team USA’s huge win over Greece, as well as their overall performance up until this point both as individual players, and more importantly - a team.

Team USA faces Pau Gasol and the rest of Spain Saturday morning at 10:15 a.m. This match up should be a lot of fun to watch, but if the American’s play like they have been this contest, just like all the others so far in Beijing, will be a one sided victory for the good guys - USA.

It is however important to note that Gasol sn’t the only NBA talent on Spain’s roster. In fact there are three other NBA players — Jose Calderon of the Toronto Raptors, Juan Carlos Navarro of the Memphis Grizzlies and Rudy Fernandez of the Portland Trail Blazers. All of whom are currently on their respective teams roster.

Gotta Love Beach Volleyball: Round Deux

First and foremost let me get it out of the way and let it be known that I love womens beach volleyball. Why you ask? Simple, the women, the setting (love the beach) and of course the athleticism. So here is another slide show made in tribute to the beach bunnies who dominate day in and day out on the sandy courts.

Carey Hart’s Younger Brother Killed in Moto-Cross Accident

Following in what seems to be the week long “tragedy” theme (Bernie Mac, Isaac Hayes) it’s now being reported that moto-cross legend Carey Hart has lost his younger brother Anthony, who was only 21 years of age. While the specifics are still trickling out TMZ.com has managed to confirm the story as well as some of the broader details of the incident:

“Anthony Hart, Carey Hart’s brother, died yesterday after wrecking his motorcycle at Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut.

Hart, 21, crashed during a practice session for the Doug Henry New England Grand Prix, which is part of the American Motorcyclist Association’s XTRM Supermoto Championship series.

Anthony was critically injured when he lost control of his motorcycle and slammed into a wall. He was airlifted to Hartford Hospital where he later died.”

Carey Hart, who literally is a legend bigger then any other in the world of motor-cross currently resides in Las Vegas where he is opening a new business venture that will compliment his already uber popular tattoo parlor, which was the center of a reality TV show on A&E.

Anthony Hartalso resided in the greater Las Vegas area and according to those who knew him best was attached to his older brother whenever their schedules allowed them to be.

At the time of this report Connecticut state troopers were awaiting results of an autopsy that was expected to be completed on Monday and released to the public. Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of the victim. RIP.

“One down, seven to go”: WATCH Michael Phelps Breaks Captures His First Gold Medal

BEIJING (AP) - Michael Phelps powered to the wall and whipped around to get his time, so eager to see another amazing set of numbers that he bumped his head on the end of the pool. Not that he felt any pain. With President Bush cheering him on, Phelps dominated his first event of the Beijing Olympics on Sunday morning, crushing his own world record and all hopes of his challengers with a mark of 4 minutes, 3.84 seconds in the 400-meter individual medley.

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Beach Volleyballs Love/Hate Relationship With the Olympics

BEIJING (Reuters) - Beach volleyball’s popularity has created something of a love-hate relationship with television. The highly-photogenic sport has been a winner for broadcasters at the Olympics, where according to the International Olympic Committee it accumulated 3.5 billion television viewer hours during the Athens Games.

In turn that has raised the profile of beach volleyball, inspired more countries to build up teams, and lured in sponsors.

The downside is that broadcasters start to demand games be played to fit their schedules and in a style that makes better television.

In Beijing, the semi-finals and finals will be played in the morning to catch the all-important evening prime time viewing in the United States and Brazil, where beach volleyball has a wide following.

This year, officials have also tightened up the enforcement of a 1999 rule that players must serve within 12 seconds of the last point ending - a decision some players put down to broadcasting needs.

“It’s a very dynamic sport and the international rules have been changed for television,” said Australia’s Natalie Cook, who has competed in every Olympics since beach volleyball joined the Games in 1996 and won the gold medal in Sydney.

Quicker turnarounds make for faster-paced television but are not easy on the players, particularly in Beijing.

“The more time you have between points, the more you can recover from the last point and get some water. It’ll be tough on the players in such hot and humid conditions,” said Brazil’s Renata Ribeiro.

For all the time pressure television piles on, players also hope that their moment in the media sun will help bring in more cash for courts, training and prizes as well as educate people about the sport.

“There’s still an element of people thinking it’s all about bikinis,” said Cook. “But once they actually watch a match, they realize how dynamic and athletic it is so they stay and stop talking about sex.”

So in honor of this amazingly fun to watch (and play) sport we have decided to put together a little slide show of sorts to highlight some of beach volleyballs biggest stars:

WATCH Jose Canseco Get His A** Beat in His Boxing Debut

We reported the initial announcement of this fight months ago (don’t ask me why, because I honestly don’t know) and we are know pleased to bring you the results. Jose Canseco had issued an open challenge to box any “celebrity”, thus the “War on the Shore” concept was born.

The highly anticipated battle (sarcasm of course) finally went down last night and it featured a 6′4 Jose Canseco getting slapped silly by former NFL return man Vai Sikahema - who stood 5′9.

How bad was the ass whooping you ask - Well. Putting it in layman’s terms: It was bad. Very bad:

“It took less than one round for has-been, whistleblowing Jose Canseco to get his ass handed to him by former Philadelphia Eagle Vai Sikahema at the “War at the Shore” last night. Vai — who’s only 5′9″ — knocked 6′4″ Canseco down twice before the fight was stopped.”

Here is brand new footage of the fight. It includes the highlights (Canseco getting pummeled), as well as some post fight analysis from every bodies favorite sporting news pundit - Stephen A. Smith.

I never realized how funny it was watching a snitch get beat down in the manner Canseco did last night. It’s literally like watching karma play out in front of your eyes.

Obama Camp Contemplates Sponsoring a NASCAR in the Sprint Cup Series

JOLIET, IL - NASCAR’s BAM Racing team has presented Barack Obama’s presidential campaign with a potential sponsorship deal in the Sprint Cup series later this year, but it doesn’t look like an Obama car will be burning rubber on the track anytime soon.

BAM team spokesman Rhett Vandiver told The Associated Press on Friday that the team made a sponsorship proposal to the Democratic presidential hopefuls campaign, and has made similar proposals to the campaign of Republican John McCain and at least one third-party candidate. Late Friday, the Obama campaign said there would be no sponsorship.

“The Obama campaign will not be sponsoring a car in the Sprint Cup series, though we will continue to look for ways to reach out to voters and convey Senator Obama’s message of change.” said Bill Burton, an Obama campaign spokesman

Sports Illustrated first reported the proposal on its Web site, saying Obama’s campaign is in talks with BAM, a part-time operation that hasn’t raced in recent weeks, to sponsor its No. 49 car in the Aug. 3 race at Pocono.

It would have been a fairly bold move within a sport whose competitors spend all year turning left on the track but tend to lean to the right politically.

BAM’s choice of drivers and car brands might have been a little too sticky politically for the Obama camp.

The car, a Toyota, the only foreign automaker racing in NASCAR, would be driven by veteran Ken Schrader.

According to the Federal Election Commission’s Web site, Schrader gave $1,000 to the campaign of North Carolina Republican congressman Robin Hayes in June 2004, and a total of $2,500 in 2003 and 2004 to the failed Virginia congressional campaign of Republican Kevin Triplett, a former NASCAR official.

Also according to the FEC, Mrs. Ann Schrader of Concord, N.C. and Ken Schrader Racing donated a total of $2,000 to President Bush’s campaign in May 2004 and $900 to the North Carolina Republican Executive Committee in August 2004.

NASCAR has been playing an increasing role in politics, as so-called “NASCAR dads” were considered a key constituency in recent elections.

A Cup series car carried a George W. Bush logo in 2004 but wasn’t officially associated with the campaign. And Democratic presidential hopeful Bob Graham sponsored a truck in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2003.

Golf Icon Greg “The Shark” Norman Forced to Pay Ex-Wife $100 Million in Settlement

This story falls into the category of “making men cringe” nationwide. Legendary golfer, and course designer Greg “The Shark” Norman has been ordered by a judge to pay his wife a whopping $103 million dollars as part of their divorce settlement.

Norman has already dished out half the total amount and will be paying the rest in various forms over the next couple of years:

“A court filing reveals that the golfer — who took up with tennis bunny Chris Evert last year and married her recently — just forked over $50 mil to Laura Andrassy. And now, reports the Palm Beach Post, he has to give her $30 mil over the next 15 years, in addition to houses, jewelry, and other jack that totals over $20 million. Love costs!”

I don’t care how wealthy or famous you are - $103 million dollars is a huge chunk of change, an amount that would make any person sick to their stomach if they were forced to fork it over to their ex.

*Video* It’s That Time of Year Again: The Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain

Get out those track shoes because it’s time to start running - that is if you are in Pamplona, Spain of course. Today marked the official “running of the bulls” kick off celebration which included, well, the first day of running with the bulls.

People took to the cobblestone streets earlier today, and while the usual chaos ensued (people getting trampled, grown men crying, etc) the injuries only hit a total of 13, with no goring’s reported, only minor nicks and scratches.

Here is video from today’s festivities, look closely at about the midway point and watch the spectators who thought they were safe from the action find out the hard way that they weren’t:

The Associated Press reports that the whole run took just over four minutes, which is a bit slow by the standards of Pamplona’s Fiesta de San Fermin, as the festival is known.

It was the first of eight scheduled runs. The most crowded ones will be next weekend, when the throngs of thrill-seekers will swell dramatically as people pour into Pamplona from out of town for two days of revelry and Adrenalin.

The fact that this year’s festival began on a Monday meant a lighter turnout.

“There were a few tense moments, but I think everything went quite well. There were fewer people than at other times,” said 29-year-old runner Aritz Lopez, from Bilbao.

Many of Monday’s participants wore traditional white trousers and shirts and red kerchiefs around their necks. They carried rolled-up newspapers - a tool for gauging how far away a charging bull is.

Before the sprint, local runners paid tribute to a beloved Pamplona native, Inaki Ochoa de Olza, a veteran mountain climber who died in the Himalayas in May. He also was a regular runner at San Fermin.

The running of the bulls became world famous with the publication of Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel “The Sun Also Rises” and also is known for its all-night street parties.

Since record-keeping began in 1924, 14 runners have died.

The last fatality from a goring was a 22-year-old American, Matthew Tassio, in 1995. In 2003, a 63-year-old Pamplona native, Fermin Etxeberri, was trampled in the head by a bull and died after spending several months in a coma.

On Sunday a young man died after falling 30 yards from an ancient wall that encircles the old quarter of Pamplona. Authorities identified him Monday as Aidan Holly, a 23-year-old from Ireland, and quoted friends as saying he had been drinking.

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