tangledupinblue

You know what I am particularly sick of? Jackasses who know nothing about basketball, who wouldn't -- I repeat again for the general public -- know a hand check from a bounced check flouncing around saying "The USA Basketball team is embarrassing iteself in Athens. Those millionaires aren't trying. I hate them, go Argentina!"

Most who say this probably haven't watched a game in this tournament, probably would have a hard time telling you the difference in the rules between the NBA game and the international game, and would have a bitch of a time rattliing off the USA starting five let alone naming one of their new Argentine sweethearts.

There may be a LOT of things wrong with the USA mens basketball program, but NONE of it is related to the effort put forth by these players. These are the guys who said 'yes' to USA basketball after the first 15 players said 'no'? Where the fuck are Kobe, Shaq and KG? Where is Kidd, where the hell is T-Mac? Well . . Rape trial,quest for personal vengence, dunno, rehab, chill time. That's where they are. We certainly need an outside shooter, so where is Ray Allen? Oh wait, he turned us down too! So, it's not like these guys were forced to go to Greece, and it's not like they are touring the Parthenon and drinking uzo before tip-off. They busted their asses against Lithuania, and flat out got beat.

Why? Because they have 6 players with the same game -- none of whom can hit a fucking three, which is essential in this game. Why? Because this team is as ill-conceived as Damien. But that is not the fault of the individual athletes who are trying to learn a game very different from the one they play for a living on the fly.

Allen Iverson still hasn't won a ring -- and he is playing with a broken hand. This isn't a sport like synchronized diving, where this is it, this is their crowning moment, the end of all they train for, a moment where they are conditioned to leave it all out there. This is something Iverson et. al do for love of country and do it at a time that is damn important to any chance they have at a ring next year. Think the Sixers are psyched that the Answer is already injured 4 weeks before camp opens? Think the Spurs are happy that they are one Angolan leg sweep away from a lost year or the Cavaliers, knowing they are one false move away from cataclysm?

Blame David Stern, but don't call the players embarrassing, especially those of you who don't know what the fuck you are talking about -- and you know who you are. I hope USA hoops shuts everyone up this weekend, and if there are 5 Americans rooting for their country, that plain sucks.

there. much better.

Oh, and Larry Brown, coaching genius -- start playing Lebron James more or I will peel your skin off and light you on fire.
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Hey finally got a camera to take pictures of the farm, but first, here are the domestic animals . . .

the noble fidel!



the lovely esperanza



and the both



Will be good to have many pictures of the farm. Tiny camera.