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USA Teams Underacheiving

Q Quincy1,000+ posts
Red, white & boo

From baseball and basketball to tennis, golf and s****r, U.S. overmatched on world stage

By EDDIE PELLS
ASSOCIATED PRESS


On the Fourth of July, a 160-pound Japanese man overcame an American nearly 75 pounds heavier in a hot dog eating contest.

Silly? Sure. Symbolic, too.

Whipped at Wimbledon, whomped in the World Cup, beaten in baseball, Americans can't seem to win much these days - whether it's on the pitch, the court, the diamond or a ridiculous eating contest.

Coming soon: The World Basketball Championships, where the U.S. team is in rebuilding mode after an embarrassing bronze-medal performance at the Athens Olympics. And the Ryder Cup, where the Americans lost badly on their home turf two years ago and will probably be even bigger underdogs in Ireland in September.

What to make of all this underachieving from the world's only superpower, the country that invented half the sports it gets beaten in and that used to strike fear in the hearts of overmatched opponents from South America to Siberia?

"It is our next great challenge and it should alarm us, because we have to intensify our efforts to support our athletes," said Jim Scherr, head of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

No big audience for s****r
In s****r, the United States has rarely been competitive on the international stage. The Americans went 0-2-1 at the World Cup and , on Friday, the U.S. S****r Federation announced it would not renew the contract of coach Bruce Arena.

Theories bandied about for America's most recent failure started with the most obvious: While s****r is a big-time participant sport for kids, there is no significant audience for the sport in the United States, which in the long term undermines participation at elite levels.

"When I see youth s****r, I see too much organization, too many kids standing around in line waiting to shoot," U.S. captain Claudio Reyna said in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated.



Basketball embarrassments
In basketball, the U.S. team is coming off two embarrassments, a sixth-place finish in the 2002 World Championships and a bronze-medal performance in Athens.

Looked on as selfish (players), disorganized (management) and unable to handle it all (coaches), USA Basketball had to rethink the way it does business.

In came Jerry Colangelo as the managing director and Mike Krzyzewski as coach. Their biggest change is that they will no longer go searching for teams from year to year. In place is a 24-man roster made up of players who have committed to the team through the Beijing Olympics.

From those 24, coaches will activate 12 for competitions, but the other players will remain on the roster and with the team. The hope is this system will build some continuity.

The first major test of the new system comes next month at the World Championships in Japan.


Tennis decline
In tennis, America's downfall at Wimbledon - no players in the quarterfinals for the first time since 1911 - was stunning, though maybe it shouldn't have been.

Currently, there are four Russian women among the top seven. The United States, meanwhile, has only one top-10 man (James Blake) and one woman (Lindsay Davenport).

At Wimbledon, Donald Young, long viewed as the next great U.S. tennis star, lost in the third round of the boys' tournament. U.S. players went 2-6 in the girls' event.



Ballplayers not serious enough
The U.S. baseball team, loaded with All-Stars, didn't reach the semifinals at the inaugural World Baseball Classic in March.

"I believe that if it happens again with this kind of tournament, some of the people including the players who didn't believe it was serious will have to believe now that it is serious," said Giants manager Felipe Alou, a native of the Dominican Republic.

In golf, the U.S. Ryder Cup team could be faced with bringing unknowns Brett Wetterich, Vaughn Taylor and Lucas Glover to Ireland to join Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson against Colin Montgomerie, Jose Maria Olazabal, Sergio Garcia and Padraig Harrington.



Softball redemption
The U.S. women's softball team lost its first international game in three years last year and its first championship game since 1997.

The team is currently seeking redemption at the World Cup in Oklahoma City, where it is 4-0 through Saturday's games .
Original Post

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T theEH1,000+ posts
You know, I'm going to take a differant approach to this subject.
Growing up, I remember that I would alway's root for the underdog.
And I alway's believed that as an American that we wear the underdog in sport's.
And it felt good to beat the more powerful team's in sport's.

To be the top dog mean's you have know place to go but down.

So excuse me for taking a differant view, But I think in the Long Run. That it will be a good thing that we have to claw back to respectablety.
It will make us a stronger team. So be patient, and let nature take it's course.
I would much rather see a home grown effort, than something made up by the Media. JMHO
EH
dad10dad10100+ posts
Who cares?

Personally I rather like to see the overpaid, over-rated basketball players go down in flames. I'd rather see a bunch of rag-tag amateurs go for the gold than that bunch of over-hyped, overconfident, egomaniacs.

But that's just my opinion. Smile


S****r? Good enough for 'em.

Baseball has been covered here alot, I can't add anything more. Does it matter that much? really?

Tennis?? Yawn . . . .

Why is this writer so concerned with some nationalistic notion that the US should dominate everything? Isn't it enough for him that the US pretty much dominates world politics and throwing its weight around? Now we have to kick everybody's @ss in every sport known to mankind too?

Really, I'd rather stroll on down to the local ball park and watch a good HS/College/Cape League game than get worked up about this sort of athletic sabre-rattling.


But I WAS kinda glad that some fat american didn't win the hotdog eating contest. That was a cliche we didn't need to brag about.
Last edited by dad10
Q Quincy1,000+ posts
Natiional pride seems to be lost in the modern day United States of America.

There seems to be so much complacency that all signs continue to lead this nation to be satisfied with mediocrity.

Next we will be taking down the score boards and there will be no winning and losing.

Even if I remain the lone voice calling into the void, I will seek to awaken national pride and the spirit of excellence in this nation.

Mediocrity is winning and can only be followed by the collapse of the nation entirely.
G gotwood4sale10,000+ posts
WillieBoBo:

quote:
Originally posted by WillieBobo:
Mediocrity is winning and can only be followed by the collapse of the nation entirely.


I would second that, but that would take some amount of conviction and energy, and besides I don't really have time to fuss with national pride and all...right now I've got to run down to the Circle K and check all of my loser lottery tickets and see if there are any second chance winners amongst them...it all takes time don't you know!

C'mon you losers...make daddy happy!

Wink


BTW: I agree with you...that was a great post WillieBoBo!

Last edited by gotwood4sale
Midlo DadMidlo Dad10,000+ posts
Willie, I'm amazed that you have a world view that suggests that no other nation in the world would ever catch up to us in any sport. How can you think that?

As for baseball, I think it is sufficient to point out that baseball game outcomes always involve some element of chance. Better teams improve their odds and thereby their overall winning percentages, but no one goes undefeated. In tournaments that depend upon single or even double elimination, someone always wins, but it isn't always the best team.

But then again, if you think the Americans should always be the best team just because we're Americans, I think the word for that is xenophobic.
Q Quincy1,000+ posts
You have all the excuses of a person accustomed to losing.

In the days when the United States of America was a proud nation our greatest competition was the USSR. Our goal was to beat them in any and all endeavors including sports. China has since emerged.

These are two nations who had similar or greater populations than our own. Simliar pride in their nations and ways of life.

To compete or even lose to China or the USSR was commendable, but only fed the desire to win next time.

Today we have problems competing not only with island nations, but nations made up of half an island. I'm sure you'll have an excuse why a nation with less than a tenth of our population can continue to dominate us in sports.

There is only one reason this is being allowed to happen. The powers that assemble our representative teams think that it is good enough to just show up.

While the USOC attempted to gain access to USA sports in the Olympic games, the agency formed by an act of Congress to promote our games and assemble our representative teams was woefully inept in the endeavor.

But I'm sure you find an excuse for their failings as well.

I'll bet it really annoys some people that they have to stand and be inconvenienced before baseball games due to the playing of our National Anthem.
S 2seamer100+ posts
Ok, I'll take a hack at this. Years ago, we were always trying to knock the "Professionals" off of the block using amateurs. The USSR, E. Germany, and other Communist Bloc Nations had professional athletes, most of whom could teach Bonds and Canseco a few things about excellence through steroids. They looked at sports as National Pride...a great way to prove that they were better than the evil USA...and in return, many in the US felt the same way.

Now, the Cold War's over. I'd wager that far less people give a rip about the Olympics than did, say, 20 years ago. I don't know anyone that cares about whether or not Tiger can help bring home the Golf Cup thingy (whatever it's called), the ONE guy I know that followed the World Cup cringed when I kidded him about the guy that got headbutted and dropped like a bad habit never having a shot at REAL football, and no one I know cares about Wimbledon because McEnroe and Connors are too old to act like jacka**es while the Royal Mum nibbles on her tea and crumpets.

Our Pro basketball team has evolved into a fundamentally challenged, one dimensional, spoiled club of multi-gazillionaires that make more yearly than the GNP of the entire continent of Africa and half of South America combined, yet they can't play defense or set a play to hit an open man for a jumper.

Our baseball team likewise, consisted of a bunch of overpaid prima donnas that decided to just show up on the 'ole sandlot and swing for the fences from their heels, while the teams that were successful spent time practicing the fundamentals that our team sorely lacked, like moving runners over, playing small ball, and getting the guy in scoring position home.

I don't really place any National Pride in our sports teams...my National Pride is reserved for those men and women as young as 18 years old that are gutting it out everyday doing a thankless job fighting a growing worldwide war on terror.
Q Quincy1,000+ posts
National pride should be inherent in our daily lives. From flying the flag to fighting for the flag and all that it represents. Pride in those who represent the flag from the athlete to the soldier.

It should be reflected in those that we cast our votes for from dog catcher to president.

Krushev said many years ago that this nation would fall from within.

The path to indifference and mediocrity will lead us to that fall.
Midlo DadMidlo Dad10,000+ posts
Seems to me Krushchev's nation fell from within some time back, so he's hardly an authority to quote, not even from the grave.

Your comments suggesting that those who understand that you cannot win all the time are disrespecting our country and the national anthem ... well, that's just darned offensive. Shame on you for equating sportsmanship with a lack of patriotism.

The rest of what you say is just bunk.

It would suit me if the entire world came to play baseball at such a high level that we could go anywhere in the world and have a toe-to-toe 7-game series. To the extent that some countries may already be there, I say, great!
Q Quincy1,000+ posts
More excuses. You'll be ready with some excuse when our bobsled team loses to Jamaica.

Did Krushev's nation fall or are they infiltrating and taking over this nation? You did notice that the kickball game knocked off MLB during the World Cup.

I find your acceptance and tolerance of mediocity offensive when applied as the standard for this nation.

The line about losing a game is based on a long season, not a ten game tournament.

You'll just keep apologizing for poor planning and poor training amongst other things.

You have gotten accustomed to losing.
Last edited by Quincy
T theEH1,000+ posts
They made a movie a couple of year's ago, called Miracle.
About a bunch of over achieving amateur's.
And it felt good all over again.

I haven't seen a Movie about are Dream Team Basketball Player's.
And I'm sure it would not get much of a response as far as a feel good story.
You can't Create are make up a media Hyped sporting event.
It has to come from the Heart, Are it just won't work.JMHO EH
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
For me, some events (like the OLYMPICS) that only allowed amateurs that now allow professionals lost my interest years ago.

Years ago you worked your butt off preparing for the Olympics because the Golden prize meant endorsements and a job in professional sports, not just wearing the gold for your country. There seems to be no motivation anymore, many of those that compete already have fame and fortune. And it is JUST not in the US. An athlete competing that already has a successful career, is most likely doing it because it is the one thing he/she DOES NOT have.

JMO.
TRhitTRhit10,000+ posts
WILLIE

I repeat it again-- you are a very sad example of an American Citizen if you are--answer the question--ARE YOU?

Trust me--you come in my neighborhood with your totally warped mind you can be expected to be escorted out by the police-- you are dangerous with your way of thinking

AS GM has noted in his post without saying it--you are off base by too much-- CIAO BABY
Last edited by ClevelandDad
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