Strasburg and the Nationals defeat the Braves 4-1

Stephen Strasburg (photo by Nir Levy)

Stephen Strasburg absolutely dominated the Atlanta Braves and earned his 15th win of the season in breathtaking fashion.  Strasburg's Washington Nationals defeated the Braves 4-1, improving their record to an MLB best 77-46 and taking a season high 7 game lead over the Braves in the NL East.  According to coolstandings.com, the Nationals now have a 99.8% chance of qualifying for the playoffs.  Postseason baseball has not been played in the nation's capital since 1933.

Stephen Strasburg (photo by Nir Levy)

Strasburg tossed 10 dazzling strikeouts in 6 innings to pad his league leading strikeout total and lower his ERA to a minuscule 2.85.  The right hander overpowered the Braves with a devastating arsenal of pitches that included a fastball that averaged a blistering 96.2 mph, a changeup that routinely tops 90-91 mph and a knee-buckling curveball.  The torrid speed of Strasburg's fastball helped disguise his similarly scorching changeup, which he threw 8 times in the game for 4 strikeouts.  Strasburg's performance is especially impressive given that he was forced to deal with the second rain delay of his career.  The game was paused for 51 minutes after the second inning due to heavy rainfall.  If the delay had spanned a mere 10 minutes longer, manager Davey Johnson would have removed Strasburg from the game.

Ian Desmond (photo by Nir Levy)

Strasburg received plenty of run support from his teammates who ensured he would walk away with yet another curly W.  The Nationals have suddenly become one of the league's top offenses, leading the majors in runs scored since the all-star break.  Shortstop Ian Desmond belted a towering home run in the 2nd inning for the first run of the game.  Desmond leads all shortstops with 19 home runs despite having missed a month this season due to an oblique injury.  In the 5th inning catcher Jesus Flores brought home Desmond and first baseman Adam Laroche with a 3-run homer to put the game out of reach.  It was Flores' first home run in nearly two months.

Jesus Flores (photo by Nir Levy)

Strasburg has now pitched over 145 innings this season and is rapidly approaching his widely discussed "shutdown day."  Nationals' general manager Mike Rizzo has repeatedly declared that Strasburg will be shut down for the season once he reaches an innings total of between 160 and 180.  This is Strasburg's second season back from Tommy John surgery, which was performed in order to repair a torn ligament in his elbow. Standard medical procedure states that a pitcher should be limited in his first two seasons back from the surgery.

All photos in this post were taken by me, Nir Levy.

Washington Redskins Quarterback Preview

Robert Griffin III was drafted 2nd overall by the Redskins
(Al Bello/Getty Images)

After a nearly two decade long search for a franchise quarterback, the Washington Redskins believe that they have finally found their savior in the form of Robert Griffin III, whom the team drafted with the 2nd overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft.  The Redskins were forced to part with an unprecedented package that included three first round picks and a second round pick in order to acquire a high enough pick to draft Griffin.  Griffin, a product of Baylor University, won the Heisman trophy this past season as the most outstanding player in college football.  He has every trait that a team wants from a franchise quarterback both on and off the field.
Griffin possesses elite athleticism which he uses to elude defenders as a runner, and more importantly, extend plays with his feet.  He ran the 40 yard dash at the NFL combine in a blistering 4.41 seconds, has a 39 inch vertical jump, and even qualified for the semifinals of the 400 meter hurdles at the 2008 Olympic trials.  Unlike many mobile quarterbacks, Griffin also has the ability to make every throw.  He demonstrated his pinpoint accuracy during his senior year at Baylor by completing an astounding 72.4% of his passes.  He is also lauded for his quick release and his absolute cannon of an arm.
Griffin's work ethic and intangibles are considered to be among his strongest attributes.  He is an army child and had discipline and hard work drilled into him at an early age.  He stays out of trouble and doesn't party, drink alcohol or smoke.  Griffin's magnetic personality has earned him the immediate respect of the entire Redskins' locker room.  The veterans listen to him and the younger players revere him, an extremely rare occurrence for a 22 year old.
The Redskins' backup quarterback is Rex Grossman, who started 13 games for the team last season and has mastered offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's offense.  Grossman is a very capable backup and has demonstrated the ability to move the offense and lead a team to a victory if he is given the opportunity to play.  Grossman's fatal flaw is his penchant for turning the ball over.  He had 20 interceptions last season along with 8 fumbles and single handedly lost a few games for Washington last season.
The Redskins' third string quarterback is Kirk Cousins, whom the team drafted in the 4th round of this past NFL draft with the hope that he will eventually become the team's primary backup.  Over his final three seasons at Michigan State, Cousins won more games than any other quarterback in the Big 10 conference.  He threw 3 touchdown passes in the 4th quarter of the Redskins' second preseason game against the Chicago Bears.

Robert Griffin III
(John McDonnell/The Washington Post)

The Redskins faithful have sky high hopes for RG3 who undoubtedly has the talent and desire to deliver.  The fans need not temper their excitement at the arrival of the franchise savior, but should keep in mind that he is a rookie playing behind an offensive line that will likely have trouble protecting him.  As long as Robert Griffin is able to stay healthy and show improvement through the various peaks and valleys of his rookie season, 2012 will be a success for the Washington Redskins.

Dwight Howard Trade Analysis

Dwight Howard is going to Hollywood (news444.com)

After an entire year of constant drama, the Dwight Howard free agency saga is finally and thankfully over.  The NBA's top big man has been traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, following in the footsteps of legendary centers Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal each of whom was traded to the Lakers during his respective career.  The 4 team deal that sent Howard to L.A. also included the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets.  In addition to acquiring Howard, the Lakers also received guard Chris Duhon and forward Earl Clark from the Magic.  The 76ers got center Andrew Bynum from the Lakers and shooting guard Jason Richardson from the Magic.  The Nuggets received small forward Andre Iguodala from the 76ers.  The Magic got shooting guard Arron Afflalo and forward Al Harrington from Denver, center Nikola Vucevic and forward Moe Harkless from Philly, Josh McRoberts and Chritian Eyenga from the Lakers, along with 3 future first round picks and 2 future second round picks.

The Lakers are the obvious winners in this trade, becoming the team to beat in the Western Conference.  The Lakers had already acquired 2-time MVP point guard Steve Nash in a trade with the Phoenix Suns this offseason, and small forward Antawn Jamison, who has averaged 19.5 points per game for his career.  The Lakers starting lineup of Nash, future hall of fame shooting guard Kobe Bryant, small forward Metta World Peace, 4 time All-Star power forward Pau Gasol, and Howard, is now arguably the top starting 5 in the league.  Howard, the NBA's best center, is a perfect fit for the Lakers on the court.  Howard is the NBA's top defender and won the NBA's defensive player of the year award three consecutive times.  With Howard protecting the paint, Bryant and Nash, each of whom has 16 years of NBA milage, will not have to worry as much about staying in front of the league's younger and speedier guards.  Offensively, the Lakers have acquired a perfect fit for their Princeton offense.  The Howard-Nash pick and roll will be one of the most effective plays in the league this season, utilizing one of the best pick and roll ball handlers in the history of the league in Nash and the insanely athletic Howard who is very efficient scoring off rolls to the basket.  Gasol has proven in the past that he can work extremely well with a dominant post up center like Howard, and when they build chemistry on the court the Lakers offense will be impossible to stop.  With Bryant, a top 10 player in NBA history, waiting on the wing, defenders will not be able to double team Howard as they often did in Orlando.  Needless to say, anything but a championship trophy will be considered a disappointment in Hollywood.

Nuggets' general manager Masai Ujiri has done a masterful job rebuilding the team over the past two seasons.  His latest acquisition, the ultra athletic Iguodala, is the quintessential player for Denvers' run and gun style of play.  The Nuggets' average the 2nd most possessions per game in the NBA, the most fast break possessions and are among the most efficient teams in the league in transition.  Iguodala is one of the league's single most effective players in transition, scoring on over 79% of his field goal attempts on the fast break when he is not the primary ball handler.  Iguodala is also one of the league's top perimeter defenders, and has demonstrated great instincts playing the passing lanes.  Iguodala will thrive in Denver now that he is not being asked to be the primary focal point of the offense.

Philadelphia is the third major winner in this deal.  By acquiring Bynum, the 76ers have acquired their first bonafide NBA star since the team traded Allen Iverson to the Nuggets back in 2006.  Bynum is the 2nd best center in the league, behind Dwight Howard, and gives the Sixers an advantage in the paint over all the other teams in the East.  Bynum appeared to be unsatisfied with the number of touches he received on the Lakers; in Philly the offense will revolve around his ability to post up.  Jason Richardson joins a logjam at the shooting guard position.  With 2010 number 2 overall pick Evan Turner and recently signed Nick Young vying for minutes, Richardson will not receive as much playing time as he has in the past.  Bynum will be a free agent at the end of the season and will most likely resign with the team because it can offer him more money and years than an other team.

While I wouldn't call the Magic losers in this trade, it appears that they could have certainly received much more for Howard who is undoubtedly a top 5 player in the league.  Afflalo is the best player Orlando received in the deal; he can be penciled into the role of starting shooting guard for the team.  Afflalo, an excellent perimeter defender, is coming off a career year in which he averaged 15.2 points per game.  By acquiring Harkless and Vucevic, the Sixers' first round picks the last two seasons, along with the future draft picks, the Magic have begun their rebuilding process in earnest.  While the Magic received much less than the Hornets did in the Chris Paul trade, or the Nuggets did in the Carmelo Anthony deal, it is possible that the front office intended to do so.  The Magic have realized that in order to avoid being a mediocre team that either drafts at the end of the lottery or loses in the first round, an organization has to have elite players.  The Magic are unlikely to be a destination for top free agents, and therefore must rebuild through the draft.  This process will take years, and the Magic will likely be awful for several seasons, but if the team is fortunate it may luck into the next Dwight Howard.

Team USA Wins Gold

The United States men's basketball team defeated Spain in the gold medal game 107-100 on the final day of the London Olympics.  Team USA completed an extremely entertaining Olympic tournament by winning its 50th consecutive game, and its 2nd consecutive Olympic gold medal.  

Team USA brought home the gold (sneakernews.com)

The title game was a hard-fought, back and forth affair between the top two teams in the world.  This must watch event was attended by countless celebrities including Henry Kissinger, Tom Cruise, David Beckham, Arnold Schwarzenegger and even the Queen of Spain.  

From the opening tipoff it was clear that the Spaniards had arrived ready to challenge the Americans.  Spain played with a desperation that it had been missing for the entire duration of the tournament, and its defensive effort and intensity was readily apparent.  Offensively, the Spanish game plan centered on exploiting the size advantage of 7 footers Pau and Marc Gasol.  The Gasol brothers combined  for 41 points in the game, with Pau scoring 24 to go along with 8 rebounds and 7 assists.  The Gasols' effectiveness scoring in the paint on an array of jump hooks, turnaround jumpers and dunks forced the Americans to focus their defensive efforts on preventing interior scoring, which created open outside shots for Spain.  Juan Carlos Navarro was the main beneficiary, scoring 14 of his 21 points in the first quarter.

Celebrating the gold medal (business insider)

The U.S. did a fantastic job making the extra pass to find open 3-point shooters on the perimeter.  In the first quarter Team USA converted on 7 of 10 3-point shots which spread out the Spanish zone and created driving lanes to the basket.  Spain was forced to switch to man-to-man defense in order to counter the Americans' scorching outside shooting, which allowed the US to take advantage of the various mismatches it posed.  Kevin Durant was the star of the game for Team USA, scoring a game high 30 points with 5 threes.  Durant was extraordinary in every facet of the game.  His spot up shooting was sensational, he got the Spanish into foul trouble by earning 10 shots at the charity stripe, blew by defenders on his way to the basket, led the break, forced turnovers on defense, and controlled the boards by having a game high 9 rebounds.  Lebron James, who has already won a championship this year with the Miami Heat, had yet another excellent game with 19 points, 7 rebounds and a team high 4 assists.  James had two consecutive baskets with 2 minutes left in the game to put the game out of reach and secure the victory for Team USA.  The first was a mesmerizing dunk  and the second a back breaking 3-pointer with a man in his face.  Kobe Bryant also had a huge game for the US, scoring 17 points including 3 three pointers.  Chris Paul, who earned the game ball, scored 8 of his 11 points in the decisive 4th quarter.

Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and Carmelo Anthony (USA Today)

While this US team did not dominate their opponents in the manner that the Dream Team did in 1992, its incredible accomplishments against very tough international opponents are worthy of a round of applause and will be remembered for years to come.

San Diego Chargers Season Preview

(via Ticket King Mandi)

The San Diego Chargers have been among the NFL preseason Super Bowl favorites for over half a decade.  From 2004 until 2009 the Chargers qualified for the postseason as division winners five times. After two consecutive seasons of toiling in mediocrity, the underachieving Chargers are no longer considered to be an elite football team.  Countless Chargers players have stated that they are tired of flying under the radar, and that they are itching to get back into the playoffs.  Head coach Norv Turner, who has a 49-31 record in five seasons with the team, and General manager A.J. Smith, who has been with the team since 2003, will likely be dismissed if the Chargers do not play up to their potential this season.

Philip Rivers (zimbio.com)

Whether the Chargers return to the postseason hinges on the performance of starting quarterback Philip Rivers, one of the elite signal callers in the league.  Rivers, a four time Pro Bowler, is perennially ranked at the top of the NFL passing statistical leaderboard.  Rivers led the league in passing touchdowns and quarterback rating in 2008, passing yardage in 2010, yards per pass from 2008 through 2010 and was ranked among the top five in the NFL in the aforementioned statistics countless times.  Rivers is the ideal quarterback for Norv Turner's offense, which places an emphasis on the intermediate and downfield passing game.  Rivers is arguably the league's toughest pocket passer, a quality that is crucial in order to run Turner's offense, which requires the quarterback to take five and seven step drops and therefore face plenty of defensive pressure.  Rivers' toughness allows him to step into his throws knowing that he will get knocked down, and deliver accurate throws on time.  In 2007 Rivers led the Chargers to the AFC title game, and showed off his gutsiness by playing in the final game despite an ACL tear.  He is regarded as one of the most accurate passers in the league and his ability to throw the deep-ball is renowned.  Rivers had a down year last season and turned the ball over 27 times, the bulk of which occurred during a six game losing streak for the Chargers.  He rebounded to throw 11 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions in the final five games of the season, in which the Chargers went 4-1.  If Rivers returns to form, he certainly has the ability to lead the Chargers back into the postseason.

Philip Rivers' passing weapons have undergone a significant overhaul this offseason.  Gone is two-time Pro Bowler Vincent Jackson, who signed a lucrative contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the offseason.  In his stead the Chargers had brought in Eddie Royal from the Denver Broncos and Robert Meachem from the New Orleans Saints.  The speedy Royal will serve as a slot receiver for the Chargers and has already built a solid rapport with Rivers.  In addition to his role in the passing game, Royal will serve as the punt returner for the Chargers, and provide them with a threat in the return game that they have been missing since Darren Sproles left the team last offseason.  Meachem, who will likely start at receiver, has averaged 16.1 yards per catch for his career and will help spread the field and provide the Chargers with yet another big play threat in the vertical passing game.  The Chargers' other starting receiver will be the 6 foot 5 inch Malcolm Floyd, who led the league in yards per catch with an average of 19.9.  Floyd's size advantage over defenders in the opponents' secondary will provide Rivers with a deep threat opposite Meachem.  Vincent Brown, a second year receiver out of San Diego State, proved during a week 10 loss to Oakland in which he had 5 receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown, that he has the potential to be a key contributor to the Chargers' passing game.  The big question mark surrounding the Chargers' wide receivers is health.  Royal missed 4 games with a concussion last season and Floyd has started only 9 games in each of the past two seasons due to a variety of ailments.

Antonio Gates (sports crunch)

Tight end Antonio Gates is an 8-time Pro Bowler, a 5-time All-Pro and was thought of as the top tight end in the NFL for the majority of the last decade.  Gates missed 9 combined games the past two seasons due to several different foot injuries.  This offseason Gates has lost 5 pounds and appears to be completely healthy for the first time in over two years.  If Gates is able to have a rejuvenation this season by staying healthy, the Chargers' passing game will be truly special.

Ryan Mathews
(fantasy-fools.blogspot.com)

The Chargers' running game this season will revolve around Pro Bowl running back Ryan Mathews, who was 10th in the league with 1,091 rushing yards and an excellent 4.9 yards per rushing attempt.  Mathews ranked 5th among running backs in receiving yardage and provides Rivers with a tremendous safety valve in the flat.  Last season Mathews finally justified his selection as the 12th overall pick in the 2010 draft as the heir to future hall of famer LaDainian Tomlinson.   With the departure of running back Mike Tolbert, who signed with the Carolina Panthers in the offseason, Mathews will be given a chance to get the carries in short yardage and goal line situations.  Mathews had a great training camp and appears prepared to become the featured back in the Chargers' offense and average 25 touches a game. The only two concerns regarding Mathews are fumbles and injuries.  Mathews was tied for the league lead among running backs with 5 lost fumbles last season.  The Chargers' offense as a whole was uncharacteristically careless with the football last season and should be much improved this year.  In his short two year career, Mathews has already missed 6 games due to injury, and may miss a game or two this year after breaking his clavicle in his first carry of the preseason.  As injury insurance, the Chargers have signed veteran running back Ronnie Brown and fullback Le'Ron McClain, each of whom has had a 900 yard rushing season in his career.  If Mathews is able to stay healthy he should be able to seize the role of every-down back for San Diego.

The Chargers' offensive line's poor play was the primary reason the team struggled during the first part of the 2011 season, and its stark improvement over the final 5 games of the season explains the team's success at the end of the season.  Over the final 5 games of the season, Philip Rivers was sacked only 2 times, while over the course of the first 11 games of the season, the line allowed him to be sacked 28 times.  In San Diego's vertical passing game, if the offensive line is able to provide the quarterback with enough time to allow routes to develop downfield, turnovers will be minimized and big plays will happen with more frequency.  The left side of the Chargers' line underwent significant change last season after former Pro Bowlers Marcus McNeill and Kris Dielman were forced to retire due to injuries and concussions.  The arrival of left tackle Jared Gaither, who the Chargers signed off of waivers with five games remaining in the season, caused significant improvement in the play of the offensive line, and solved a season long search for someone to protect Philip Rivers' blind side.  Left guard Tyronne Green started in the final five games of the season and will likely earn the starting job to start the season.  Center Nick Hardwick is an experienced former Pro Bowler and is able to call for any necessary shifts or adjustments in the offensive line.  Right guard Louis Vasquez and right tackle Jeromey Clary each have several seasons of experience under their belts.  The Chargers projected starting unit played together during the team's excellent 4-1 stretch to end the season and will raise the level of play of the entire offense if it is able to stay on the field.

San Diego's 3-4 defense had a disappointing season in 2011 after being one of the top units in the NFL the prior season.  In 2010 the Chargers allowed the fewest total yards in the league, however, in 2011 the team fell to 16th in the NFL.  San Diego forced the fewest fumbles in the league in 2011 and had only 32 sacks, 15 fewer than the team had in 2010.  The area in which the Chargers' defense truly struggled was on third down, where it allowed its opponents to convert a first down a league high 49% of the time.  In 2010 the Chargers were tied for second best in the league in third down defense at only 34%.  Due to the unit's struggles in 2011, defensive coordinator Greg Manusky was let go.  Taking his place is John Pagano who has been the team's linebacker coach since 2005.

Defensive end Corey Liuget, the Chargers' first round draft pick in 2011, had a quiet rookie season but is expected to break out this year and make a huge impact on the Chargers' pass rush.  Nose tackles Antonio Garay, who has 8 combined sacks over the past two seasons, and Cam Thomas, who was second on the team with 4 sacks last season, are capable of wreaking havoc on the interior and are effective in stopping both the run and pass.  The Chargers drafted Kendall Reyes from UConn in the 2nd round, and any production they receive from the talented defensive end will be welcomed.

Melvin Ingram (bdsbperiod)

The Chargers' linebacker corps is the strength of the defense and should be even better this season after making key offseason additions.  The team's top pass rusher in 2011 was Antwan Barnes who used his speed off the edge to lead the team with 11 sacks.  Outside linebacker Shaun Phillips has long been a top-end pass rusher in the league.  Phillips had a disappointing 2011 in which he missed 4 games due to injury and had only 3.5 sacks.  He should be able to return to form and may even come close to matching the 11 sacks he put up in his Pro Bowl season in 2010.  In free agency the Chargers signed impactful outside linebacker Jarrett Johnson, who was a mainstay on the Baltimore Ravens excellent defense.   The Chargers drafted linebacker Melvin Ingram with the 18th overall pick in the NFL draft.  Ingram was a consensus first-team All-American, and registered 10 sacks in his senior year at the University of South Carolina.  He is considered to be one of the favorites to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.  Rounding out the linebacker rotation are starting inside linebackers Takeo Spikes, who has 14 years of NFL experience, and Donald Butler, who is entering his third year in the league.  The additions of Ingram and Johnson, along with an improvement in health for Phillips should significantly improve the Chargers' ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks and force turnovers.

Eric Weddle (catscratchreader)

The Chargers' secondary slipped a bit last season after allowing the fewest passing yards in the league in 2010.  Free safety Eric Weddle was the best defensive player on the team last season and proved that he is among the elite safeties in the NFL.  The ball-hawking Weddle had a league leading 7 interceptions to go with 88 tackles and was named a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro for the second consecutive season.  The play of starting cornerbacks Antoine Cason and Quentin Jammer slipped a bit last season, however, an improved pass rush by the front 7 should help them bounce back this season.  Veteran strong safety Atari Bigby, whom the Chargers signed from Green Bay, and 3rd round draft pick Brandon Taylor from LSU will compete for the starting strong safety position.

Nate Kaeding (icon sports media inc.)

The Chargers' special teams unit was much improved after a disastrous 2010 campaign in which it derailed a season in which the Chargers were ranked 1st in both offense and defense yet still failed to qualify for the playoffs.  Punter Mike Scifers is one of the best at his position in the NFL, and consistently gives the team great field position.  Placekicker Nate Kaeding is the most accurate field goal kicker of all-time.  Kaeding tore his ACL on the first play of the 2011 season and missed the entire season.  As long as he shows no ill effects of his injury, Kaeding should win the starting job over Nick Novak who replaced him last season.

Season Outlook:  The Chargers certainly have the talent to rejoin the ranks of the elite teams in the NFL.  As long as the offensive line is able to give Philip Rivers enough time to allow routes to develop downfield, the Chargers' offense will be explosive and among the highest scoring offenses in the league.  Assuming that Ryan Mathews remains healthy, he will be one of the top running backs in the league, and play the soon to be extinct role of the do-it-all back.  The San Diego defense will have a much improved pass rush after retooling over the offseason, which should in turn improve the pass coverage and create turnovers.  The Chargers will win their division with a record of 11-5 and return to the postseason.

Ye Shiwen accused of doping

Many members of the media have insinuated that Ye Shiwen, the 16 year old Chinese gold medalist in both the 200 Individual Medley and the 400 Individual Medley, has been doping.  Aside from the fact that she has achieved so much at such a young age, the media claims to be suspicious of Ye because she swam the final 50 meters of her 400 IM faster than Ryan Lochte, the gold medalist in the men's 400 IM, swam the final 50 of his race.  Ye's time of 28.93 was no doubt incredibly fast, however, in the past women have had similar splits in distance events.  Italy's Federica Pellegrini swam the final 50 meters of her world record breaking performance in the 200 freestyle at the 2009 world championships in 28.60, a time faster than that of Yi.  Kate Ziegler swam the final 50 of her record breaking performance in the 1500 meter freestyle in 29.27, just 3 tenths slower than Ye.  There have been several other swims by women in international competitions in which the final 50 has been similar to that of Ye.

Lochte's final 50 of 29.10 was fairly slow by his standards.  In the past he has swum several much faster splits.  Additionally half of the field in the finals of the 400 IM swam the final 50 faster than Ye.  Michael Phelps' last split in his world record breaking 400 IM at the Beijing games was 27.85, a substantially faster time than that of Ye.

It is extremely disrespectful and unprofessional that reporters have dampened what was supposed to be the happiest day of Ye's life, by publicly accusing her of doping, despite the fact that she has never tested positive for any performance enhancing drugs.  Those same reporters have never questioned Ruta Meilutyte, the 15 year old Lithuanian who went from being ranked 14th in the 100 breaststroke before the Olympics to winning the gold medal in the event.
I want to make it clear that I don't believe that Meilutyte is guilty of doping, but am bringing her up in order to demonstrate that the primary reason that the media is accusing Ye of doping is not solely her age nor her performance in the final 50 meters of her race.  Ye is being bombarded by doping accusations because of the Chinese history of doping.  Between 1990 and 1998, 28 Chinese swimmers tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.  Unfortunately, no matter what Ye does and no matter how many drug tests she passes,  her accomplishments will always be viewed with suspicion because of her country's history.

Olympic Update (Swimming and Track and Field)

Day 8 of Swimming:

Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands, the champion of the 100 meter freestyle, won the gold medal in the 50 meter freestyle with a time of 24.05, a new Olympic record.

Sun Yang of China proved that he is the world's top distance swimmer.  After having won the 400 free and having taken the silver in the 200 free, he won the gold medal in the 1500 meter freestyle on the final day of the competition with a time of 14:31.02, a new world record.

The U.S. Men's and Women's 4x100 medley relay teams
(Sports Illustrated)

The United States won the women's 4x100 meter medley relay and set a new world record in the event.  Missy Franklin led off by swimming the backstroke leg of the relay and Rebecca Soni followed with the breaststroke.  The Russians, however, remained in close pursuit.  Dana Vollmer, the world record holder in the 100 meter butterfly opened a huge gap, and Allison Schmitt anchored to bring home the gold.

The United States men's 4x100 medley relay followed suit in what was the final event of Michael Phelps' illustrious swimming career.  Matt Grevers led off with the backstroke, Brendan Hansen followed with the breaststroke, Phelps swam the butterfly and Nathan Adrian broke away from the field in the freestyle, giving Phelps the 22nd Olympic medal and 18th gold medal of his career.

Track and Field

100 Meters:

Usain Bolt
(Tyler Anderson/National Post)

Usain Bolt repeated as Olympic champion in the 100 meters, the world's fastest man competition.  Bolt broke away from the pack in the final 40 meters of the race.  The Jamaican broke his own Olympic record with a time of 9.63.  His countryman Yohan Blake, who had defeated Bolt in the Jamaican Olympic trials, won the silver medal with a time of 9.75.

Usain Bolt won by  a huge margin
(Reuters

American Justin Gatlin, the Olympic champion in 2004 who served a 4 year doping suspension from 2006-2010, took the bronze medal with a personal best time of 9.79, defeating fellow American Tyson Gay by only 0.01.




200 Meters:
Jamaica, a tiny island in the Caribbean with a population of fewer than 3,000,000 people, continued to exert its dominance of the track and field sprinting events by sweeping the medal stands in the men's 200 meter race.  Usain Bolt cemented his status as one of the greatest sprinters of all time by becoming the first man to ever win both the 100 and 200 meter sprints in consecutive Olympics.  Bolt won the gold medal with a time of 19.32, and nearly set an Olympic record despite intentionally slowing down substantially at the end of the race.  Yohan Blake, the silver medalist in the 100 meters, won the silver medal with a time of 19.44.  Warren Weir won the bronze with a time of 19.84.

The Jamaicans swept the 200 meter sprint
From left: Warren Weir, Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake
(AP/Lee Jin-man)

Team USA dominates Argentina in the third quarter to remain undefeated

Chris Paul
(Abaca via Si.com)

The United States' men's national basketball team defeated team Argentina 126-97 to remain undefeated in group play heading into Wednesday's quarterfinals.  Team USA had a very poor first half, its third consecutive subpar half following its historic 83 point drubbing of Nigeria.  At halftime the US led by only one, having ceded 59 points to the Argentines, and defensive effort was evidently lacking.  Argentina exploited the US's lackadaisical defense by spreading the ball to create open 3's, and getting the ball to the rim via backdoor cuts.  Manu Ginobili  had a brilliant first half for the blue and white, scoring 16 points and making full use of his dazzling array of crafty moves, including his patented eurostep.  Chris Paul's 14 first half points, among them 4 timely three pointers, kept the Americans in the game.

Kevin Durant (US Presswire)

As soon as the second half began, team USA opened the floodgates, outscoring Argentina 42-17 and demonstrating why it is the most feared team on the planet.  The US began the half by repeatedly posting up Lebron James, the best player on the planet and a mismatch regardless of who is trying to defend him.  Lebron bullied his way inside, scoring 9 of his 18 points in the 3rd quarter, and worked the ball out to shooters on the perimeter.  Kevin Durant caught fire in the quarter, draining 5 consecutive three pointers, and scoring 18 of his game high 28 points.  Durant, the NBA's leading scorer in three consecutive seasons, had previously stated that he was excited to take advantage of the shorter international three point line.  He put his scoring prowess on display for the world with his 8 for 9 shooting performance from downtown.  Carmelo Anthony, whose 37 points in the blowout win over Nigeria set an Olympic record, hit a buzzer beating three pointer at the end of the quarter, and fell over in agony after being punched in the groin by Argentina's point guard Facundo Campazzo.  Campazzo's cheap shot earned him scornful looks from many of the Americans, and an earful from Kobe Bryant.
Durant, James and team USA's swarming defense put the game out of reach by the time the 4th quarter rolled around.  One of the most incredible highlights from the game was a forceful dunk by Andre Iguodala in the second quarter that sailed through the net, bounced off his chest, went back up through the net, and was ruled a missed field goal.
Team USA will meet Australia in the quarterfinals of the Olympic tournament on Wednesday, while Argentina will face Brazil.  If the two sides each win their respective games they will face off in the semifinals on Friday.

Day 7 of Swimming at the 2012 London Olympics

Women's 200 Meter Backstroke:

Missy Franklin (European Photopress Agency)

Missy Franklin, the 17 year old from Colorado, added to her medal haul Friday night by winning the gold medal in the 200 Backstroke.  Franklin's time of 2:04.06 shattered the world record, and defeated silver medalist Anastasia Zueva of Russia by nearly 2 seconds, an eternity in the swimming pool.  Franklin's American teammate Elizabeth Beisel won the bronze medal.  Franklin, the breakout star of these Olympic games, had already won gold in the 100 backstroke and 4x200 freestyle relay, silver in the 4x100 freestyle relay, and qualified for the finals of the 100 and 200 freestyles.

Men's 100 Meter Butterfly:

Michael Phelps (Reuters)

By winning the 100 Meter Butterfly, likely the final individual event of his swimming career, Michael Phelps further cemented his legacy as arguably the greatest Olympian of all time.  The victory gave Phelps his 17th Olympic gold medal and 21st overall Olympic medal, by far the most by any athlete in the history of the Olympic games.  Phelps became the first swimmer to ever win two individual events in three consecutive Olympics. 

At the halfway point of the race, victory appeared to be far from certain for Phelps, who was 7th at the turn.  In the final 50 meters, Phelps charged ahead to the lead, as he has often done in his illustrious career, winning with a time of 51.21, nearly a second and a half off his world record in the event.  Chad Le Clos of South Africa, who shockingly defeated Phelps in the 200 butterfly, tied for the silver medal with Evgeny Korotyshkin of Russia.  On the podium, Le Clos told Phelps that he had long looked up to Phelps as his hero, and the two embraced in a moment that demonstrated Phelps' far reaching impact on the sport of swimming.

Women's 800 Meter Freestyle:

Katie Ledecky (Toni L. Sandys/Washington Post)

Katie Ledecky, the 15 year old swimming phenom from Bethesda, Maryland, won the gold medal in the 800 freestyle.  Ledecky's meteoric rise to Olympic champion has included over 15 seconds of improvement in the 800 since the beginning of the year.  Ledecky burst out to a shockingly fast speed in the 800, pushing well ahead of defending Olympic champion and world record holder Rebecca Addlington of Great Britain.  Ledecky never let up, held her form and won the gold with a time of 8:14.63, only half a second off of the world record.  At this point in the evening, the United States had swept the gold medals, and continued to exert its dominance in the swimming world.  Mareia Belmonte Garcia of Spain won the silver medal, her second of these games, and Addlington took home the bronze. 

Men's 50 Meter Freestyle:

Florent Manadou of France won the 50 freestyle, the shortest Olympic event, with a time of 21.34.  Cullen Jones of the United States had a terrific performance in winning the silver medal, and world record holder Cesar Cielo Filho of Brazil claimed the bronze.  Manadou entered the Olympics with only the 10th fastest time in the world this year, but surprisingly came out on top.  His sister Laure was the gold medalist in the 400 free at the 2004 games in Athens.

Cullen Jones, Florent Manadou, Cesar Cielo Filho (Al Bello/ Getty Images)

Day 6 of Swimming at the 2012 London Olympics

Women's 200 Meter Breaststroke:

Rebecca Soni (Martin Bureau/AFP/Getty Images)

American Rebecca Soni set yet another world record in the 200 meter breaststroke with a time of 2:19.59.  Soni, tearing across the pool in her trademark pink suit, became the first swimmer at the London games to repeat as champion in an individual event.  Satomi Suzuki of Japan won the silver medal and Russia's Yulia Efimova, Soni's training partner in California, won the bronze.

Men's 200 Meter Backstroke:

Tyler Clary (Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

Day 6 of the Olympics for Ryan Lochte, in which he swam the finals of both the 200 backstroke and 200 IM with under 30 minutes of rest in between, was supposed to be the day in which he was to be coroneted as the world's greatest swimmer.  Lochte was attempting to be the first man in over 35 years to capture two individual golds in the same night.  Lochte appeared primed to repeat as Olympic champion in the 200 backstroke, and grabbed an early lead in the event.  Lochte led the race through the final turn, however, never pulled far away from the competition.  In the final 25 meters of the swim, Lochte weakened and was passed by both American teammate Tyler Clary  and Ryosuke Irie of Japan.  Clary, the gold medal winner, set a new Olympic record with his time of 1:53.41.  Irie's silver medal was Japan's 9th swimming medal of these games.  Lochte's bronze medal had to have been disappointing for him, but he graciously smiled on the podium and realized that winning an Olympic medal is nothing to take for granted.  Israel's Yakov Toumarkin finished 7th in the finals, the greatest achievement in Israeli swimming history.

Men's 200 Meter Individual Medley:

Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte
 (Mark Duncan/AP)

The 200 IM was the single most anticipated and dramatic event of these Olympic games, featuring the second showdown between Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte.  Lochte, the world record holder in the 200 IM, had won the first battle between the two by blowing away the field in the 400 IM on day 1 of the Olympics.  Before the second showdown, both swimmers were under excruciating pressure, not having performed quite as well as they had hoped in the London games.  When Phelps was called out of the waiting room he appeared more physically nervous and stressed out than he ever has been before a race.  Lochte had just finished swimming the 200 backstroke, disappointingly failing to defend his title as Olympic champion, and was granted special permission to cool down in the diving well. 

The 200 IM would be the final chapter in the greatest swimming rivalry of all time.  Phelps got off to an incredible start and was under world record pace in the first half of the swim.  In the butterfly leg of the swim, Phelps' strongest stroke, he took a slight lead as expected.  In the subsequent 50 meters of backstroke, Phelps really exerted himself, surprisingly extending his lead over Lochte, with the knowledge that if he allowed Lochte to come back, Lochte would likely win the race.  Lochte was unable to catch up to Phelps in the breaststroke leg of the swim, and by the time he began to make up for lost ground in the final freestyle portion of the event, it was too late.  

Michael Phelps with the gold medal
Ryan Lochte with the silver
(Reuters)

Phelps held on to win the gold medal, his record breaking 20th Olympic medal, and became the first male swimmer to ever win a gold medal in an individual event at three consecutive Olympics.  Phelps' time of 1:54.27 was only 0.04 off the world record he set in the event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, proving that his supposed demise had been greatly exaggerated.  Lochte's silver medal was the 11th Olympic medal of his career, moving him up to a tie for second behind Phelps on the all time Olympic medal list among US male athletes.  Lochte leads all athletes at the London games with 5 medals.

Laszlo Cseh of Hungary won the bronze medal, the 5th Olympic medal of his career.  Had Cseh swum in any other era he would be a multiple gold medal winner.  His tremendous career is overshadowed by Phelps and Lochte, who swam all of the same events as the Hungarian.

Women's 100 Meter Freestyle:

Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands won the 100 meter Freestyle.  Her time of 53.00 set a new Olympic record.  Aliaksandra Herasimenia of Belarus won the silver medal, her country's second at the London games.  Yi Tang of China took the bronze.

Ranomi Kromowidjojo (Matt Slocum/AP)

Day 5 of Swimming at the 2012 London Olympics

Men's 200 Meter Breaststroke:

Daniel Gyurta (Matt Slocum/AP)

Daniel Gyurta of Hungary has come a long way since winning the silver medal in the 200 Breaststroke as a wide-eyed 15-year old at the 2004 Athens Olympics.  Gyurta had an extremely disappointing Beijing Olympics four years ago, failing to medal in his signature event, and failing to qualify for even the semifinals in the 100 breaststroke.  This time around Gyurta performed to his full capability, setting a new world record in the 200 Breaststroke with a time of 2:07.28.  Japan's Kosuke Kitajima, who was attempting to become the first swimmer to ever win the same event in three consecutive Olympics, charged ahead of the field in the first half of the swim well ahead of world record pace.  Gyurta did not panic and instead swam a strategic race, charging back like a freight train in the final 100 meters of the swim to win his first ever Olympic gold medal.  Michael Jamieson of Great Britain was willed to a silver medal by the fervor of the wildly cheering London crowd.  Kitajima, who had won every individual breaststroke event at the previous two Olympics, was passed for the bronze medal by his countryman Ryo Tateishi in the final meters of the swim.

Jiao Liuyang (David Gray/Reuters)

Women's 200 Meter Butterfly:

Jiao Liuyang of China won the 200 Butterfly with a time of 2:04.05.  Jiao, the silver medalist in Beijing continued the Chinese dominance of the event by pushing past Mareia Belmonte-Garcia of Spain in the final 25 meters of the swim to win the gold medal.

Men's 100 Meter Freestyle:

Nathan Adrian (Martin Bureau/Getty Images)

The 100 meter freestyle is the single most prestigious event in swimming competition.  This year's stacked field only added to the drama and intensity of the race.  The competitors included Yannick Agnel, the French national hero from the 4x100 freestyle relay and gold medal winner in the 200 freestyle, Cesar Cielo Filho, the Brazilian world record holder and 2009 world champion in the event, James "The Missile" Magnussen, the Australian defending world champion in the event, Nathan Adrian, the fastest American in the event, and Brent Hayden, the Canadian record holder and 2007 world champion. 

Nathan Adrian's finish (NBC)

The event certainly lived up to expectations and proved to be one of the most memorable races in recent memory and an instant classic.  Adrian got off to a furiously fast start with his arms churning at unimaginable speeds.  Adrian began to slow down in the second 50 and Magnussen surged ahead to take the lead going into the wall.  When Adrian had finished swimming, he was certain that Magnussen had out touched him.   One quick glance up at the scoreboard allowed him to let out a roar of victory.  Adrian had won the gold medal with a time of 47.52, defeating Magnussen by the slimmest of margins, only one 100th of a second.  Adrian's victory denied Australia of an opportunity to win its first individual swimming gold medal of these Olympic games.  Adrian is the first American to win the event since Matt Biondi in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.  Hayden took home the bronze medal.

Women's 4x200 Freestyle Relay:

American relay (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

The American women's 4x200 freestyle relay matched its male counterpart in dominating the event and claimed yet another gold medal for the United States.  By the time that Allison Schmitt, the gold medalist in the 200 freestyle, dived in to anchor for the United States, both the Americans and Australians had pulled far ahead of the field.  Schmitt had yet another incredible swim, helping her relay teammates Missy Franklin, Dana Vollmer and Shannon Vreeland set a new Olympic record and defeating the Australians by a full body length.

Additional Notes:

Women's 200 Meter Breaststroke Semifinals:

Rebecca Soni of the United States broke a world record with a time of 2:20.00.

Men's 200 Backstroke semifinals

Yakov Toumarkin of Israel qualified for the finals in the 200 Meter Backstroke becoming the first Israeli to qualify for the Olympic finals in swimming since Eitan Orbach in the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Toumarkin (Getty Images)

Day 4 of Swimming at the 2012 London Olympics

Women's 200 Meter Freestyle:

Allison Schmitt (AP)

The United States' Allison Schmitt, a product of the University of Georgia who trained with Michael Phelps and coach Bob Bowman in Baltimore in preparation for the Olympic games, submitted on the most dominant  and gutsiest performances of the Olympics thus far.  Schmitt strategically decided to pull ahead of the field early in the race, taking a full body length lead after the first 100 meters of the race.  None of her competitors were willing to challenge Schmitt early in the race, and by the time they picked up the pace, Schmitt was too far ahead for anyone to catch her.  Schmitt's time of 1:53.61 set a new Olympic record.  Camille Muffat of France, the gold medalist in the 400 freestyle, took the silver medal.

Men's 200 Meter Butterfly:

Chad Le Clos and Michael Phelps
(Reuters)

Michael Phelps of the United States was attempting to become the first swimmer to ever win the same event in three consecutive Olympics.  After Phelps' poor performance in the 400 IM, many wondered whether Phelps was still capable of producing the kind of performances he frequently displayed at the past two Olympics, in which he combined for 14 gold medals.  Despite leading from the beginning of the race, Phelps was never able to pull far away from Takeshi Matsuda of Japan and Chad Le Clos of South Africa.  While in the past Phelps would have broken far away from his competitors in the final 75 meters of the swim, this incarnation of Phelps lacked the same strong finish.  Although Phelps seemingly had yet another gold medal in the books, he was too far from the wall at the time that he took his final stroke.  While Phelps glided into wall, Le Clos properly timed his finish and was able to outtouch Phelps by five one hundredths of a second.  Le Clos stopped the clock with a time of 1:52.96, claiming another gold medal for South Africa which has had a tremendous start to the London games.  Matsuda took home the bronze medal.

Women's 200 Meter Individual Medley:

Ye Shiwen (Reuters)

China's Ye Shiwen, the gold medalist in the 400 IM, was caught in the midst of a tight race at the 150 meter mark of the 200 IM.  The 16 year old had yet another fantastic finish, pulling far away from the field in the freestyle leg of the swim.  Ye broke an Olympic record with her time of 2:07.57.  Alicia Coutts of Australia was the silver medalist, and the United States' Caitlin Leverenz took home the bronze.

Men's 4x200 Meter Freestyle Relay:

Michael Phelps and the United States' men's 4x 200 freestyle relay team destroyed the competition, keeping up the American tradition of dominating the event.  Ryan Lochte led off for the United States and made a superb field look ordinary by using his extraordinary turns to take a full body length lead over the field.  Connor Dwyer and Ricky Berens followed, with each one extending the lead.  By the time Phelps hopped in to swim the anchor leg for the U.S. there was no doubt that the Americans would add to their gold medal tally.  After winning the gold medal, Phelps' career Olympic medal count stands at 19, the most ever, adding to his legacy as the greatest Olympian of all time.  Yannick Agnel of France and Sun Yang of China, anchored for their countries, claiming the silver and bronze medals respectively

Michael Phelps, Connor Dwyer, Ryan Lochte and Ricky Berens
(USA Today)

Day 3 of Swimming at the London Olympics

Men's 200 Meter Freestyle:

Yannick Agnel (AP/David J Phillip)

The Men's 200 meter Freestyle was one of the most anticipated events of this year's Olympics and it certainly lived up to the billing.  The stacked field included American Ryan Lochte, the 400 IM gold medal winner, China's Sun Yang, the 400 Freestyle gold medal winner, South Korea's Park Taehwan, the 400 Freestyle silver medalist, German's Paul Biedermann, the world record holder, and France's Yannick Agnel, whose incredible comeback in the final leg of the 4x100 Freestyle relay secured the gold medal for France.  Agnel took the swim out at a blazing fast speed and was never caught, securing yet another gold medal for France.  Agnel stopped the clock at 1:43.14 and finished a full body length ahead of the field.  Park and Sun, both of whom train in Australia, tied for 2nd place to add silver medals to their impressive resumes.  Lochte missed the medal stand by only one tenth of a second.

Women's 100 Meter Backtroske:

Missy Franklin
(AP/David J Phillip)

Missy Franklin, the 17 year old from Colorado entered the London games with extremely high expectations, but even she could be excused for failing to perform in the finals of the 100 backstroke only 10 minutes after swimming in the semifinals of the 200 freestyle.  The six footer had a very poor start and fell far behind Emily Seebohm of Australia, the favorite after finishing the semifinals with the fastest time.  Franklin had a terrific finish and passed Seebohm in the final 10 meters to win the gold medal.  Franklin stopped the clock with a time of 58.33.  Aya Terakawa of Japan claimed the bronze medal.

Men's 100 Meter Backstroke:

Matt Grevers (Getty Images)

Matt Grevers of the United States won his first individual gold medal in the 100 meter backstroke.  Grevers set an Olympic record with his time of 52.16.  American Nick Thoman, whose grandfather was a swimming world record holder in the 1940's, joined his teammate, Grevers, atop the medal stand by claiming the silver medal.  Japan's Ryosuke Irie took home the bronze medal.

Women's 100 Meter Breaststroke:

Ruta Meilutyte, a 15 year old from Lithuania, won the gold medal in the 100 meter breaststroke, shocking the swimming world which expected American Rebecca Soni to win the event.  Meilutyte, who trains in England, stopped the clock at 1:05.47 winning Lithuania's first ever Olympic swimming  medal.  Soni, the world champion in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke, finished only one tenth behind Meilutyte to claim a silver medal for the United States.

Ruta Meilutyte (Twitter/Ruta Meilutyte)