8/22 (Strasburg Extra) Quickie

From the NYT's Tyler Kepner this morning, defending the Nats' plan to shelve Strasburg:

"The way to win a title is to reach the playoffs as often as you can and hope everything breaks right one time."

But is that really true? Let's look at a healthy selection of the last decade of World Series winners:

2010 Giants
2008 Phillies
2006 Cardinals
2005 White Sox
2003 Marlins
2002 Angels
2001 Diamondbacks

These were teams that didn't make the playoffs consistently before winning a championship.


And that's just the last decade. Before that, if you take away the Yankees dynasty -- which was a function of institutional (and non-replicable) financial advantage as much as anything else -- the reality is that the way to win a title is pretty clear, particularly in the Wild Card Era: Get into the playoffs when you are having one of Those Years.

Kepner's model described above didn't work for the mid-90s Braves. It didn't work for the early-90s A's. Those two would-be dynasties collected division title after division title... and combined to win as many World Series titles as the one-year-wonder, title-or-bust Marlins ('97 and '03).

"Hope" is not a strategy. The two staples of October -- luck and the variance of small sample sizes -- almost always beat the best-laid organizational plans.

Flags fly forever. The history of baseball -- of any pro sport, really -- is that if you have the very unique and viable chance to win a championship, you do whatever you can to win it that year. Because there are no guarantees the next year, no matter how good your roster looks.

If the Nationals' window really is "five years," I would rather win a title this year and miss the playoffs the next four than make the playoffs this year and each of the next four but without winning a championship, with nothing to show for the run but a "Division Champ!" or "Wild-Card Earner!" t-shirt. Nobody wears a "Made the Playoffs" ring.

Kepner quipped: "With apologies to The Social Network, one playoff appearance isn’t cool. You know what’s cool? Five playoff appearances"

Actually, making the playoffs a lot isn't cool.

You know what's cool? Winning a World Series.

-- D.S.

UPDATE: Loyal reader Steve S. emailed me to take issue with my analysis of the Yankees: "I feel that you unfairly wrote off their dynasty run as a result of a huge financial advantage.

"This link shows the payroll for every MLB club from 1994 to 2006. If you review it you will see that from 1994 to 2001 (using the loss in the 2001 World Series as the end of the dynasty) you will see that the Yankees had the highest payroll 6 of the 8 years, but that most years the number two spender was just a little behind them.

"In fact the numbers don't really start going crazy until 1999, which was a result of re-signing Bernie Williams and trading for Roger Clemens more than anything else. Also, the Braves were in the top 5 every year from 1995 to 2000, further weakening the argument that the success was due to a financial advantage.

"The Yankees core was made up of wisely chosen players, some homegrown. Jeter, Posada, Brosius, O'Neill, Knoblauch, etc. Since 2001 the Yank's financial strength has actually hurt them since they now chase big names, not big producers."

 

(Still, S.S. says: "Anyway, your larger point about going all in when you have the chance is right. Nothing is guaranteed. When you have a hot hand going, ride it.")

08/21 (Very) Quickie

History! Minor-league baseball oddity Billy Hamilton stole his 146th base of the season on Tuesday night, breaking Vince Coleman's old (seemingly unbreakable) record. Hamilton is going to shatter it.

I like sneakers very much, although I gave up collecting them when the kids came along, but there isn't a chance in hell I'd pay $315 for any sneaker, let alone LeBron X's.

Anyone want to trade for MJD? Probably quite a few. Anyone want to pay him what he wants? Probably a lot less.

Seahawks starting rookie QB Russell Wilson for preseason Week 3: I'm a big Wilson fan, and I hope he wins the starting job for the regular season. I suspect Flynn will be the guy... to start.

I'm quite sure Roger Clemens could still pitch at the MLB level. Maybe the Nationals should sign him -- that's just as absurd a notion as benching Stephen Strasburg for the playoffs.

The Joe Paterno book: All I know is that Joe Posnanski, a writer I like very much, had just about the toughest job in the world on this. Once the Sandusky story broke, it was never going to work out.

Slowest sports week of the year by far? Slowest sports week of the year by far.

-- D.S.

8/18 (Very) Quickie

Last day in St. Augustine... then back to DC.

AP CFB Top 25: Wow, two dozen AP-sponsored "experts" really think that USC would beat either LSU or Alabama?

(Look, we all know where this is going: USC will run the table and play the SEC champ -- either LSU or Alabama -- in the national-title game, and get demolished. You're welcome.)

MLB: I can hate the Strasburg shut-down and still be giddy at the idea of the Nationals surging into the playoffs with a rotation that can win the NL pennant.

EPL: As it has been for the past decade or so, I continue to ride with Tottenham.

Paterno: From the early leaks, Posnanski's Paterno book isn't going to help Paterno's image. Things might shift from "benignly evil" to merely "doddering," but it won't help.

NFL: Jeff Demps goes to the Pats, playing for a coach that (a) loves Urban Meyer-coached freaks and (b) knows how to use them. Demps in space? If you didn't watch him at Florida, you have no idea.

NBA: Thunder sign Serge Ibaka to an extension. The big question: Can they afford to match the inevitable "max" offer James Harden will get from another team next summer? If they can, they can count on multiple rings over the next few years; if they can't, I'm not sure Westbrook-Durant-Ibaka is enough. (It could be, which says a lot more about those three guys than it does about Harden.)

Two weeks until college football starts.

-- D.S.

8/16 (King Felix) Quickie

The scorecard of Mariners' broadcaster Dave Sims, tweeted out last night after King Felix's perfect game, the 23rd in MLB history and first for Hernandez, one of the great pitchers of the generation. (h/t: Deadspin's Erik Malinowski)

8/14 (Very) Quickie

Happy 25th birthday, Tim Tebow. (Four years ago, I think I did a half-dozen posts on his b-day.)

The Jets are practicing the Wildcat with Tebow in media silence -- or, at the very least, Rex Ryan is screwing with everyone. But the better bet is that he's figuring out the arbitrage with NFL offensive orthodoxy to gain an advantage he'll exploit.

Strasburg Watch: I'm with Joe Sheehan -- even if you buy into an innings limit (and I don't), the Nats appear to have mis-managed that profoundly.

Olympic sprinter (and former Florida RB) Jeff Demps -- one of my favorite Florida players of all time -- is entering the NFL and a free agent. Would love to see him on the Jets.

Chad Johnson Watch: What a joke. (But I'll be watching Hard Knocks tonight, with the rest of you!)

Does it matter who the Big East hires as its new commissioner?

A tale of two knees: Brian Urlacher (that doesn't bode well) and Andrew Bynum (at least Bynum is going for the controversial -- and seemingly effective -- "German treatment.")

-- D.S.

08/13 (Very) Quickie

Made my Olympics "Best of..." picks yesterday, but Usain Bolt leads the way. In the end, the biggest winner was probably London, which did an admirable job of hosting.

Dolphins cut Chad Johnson: Best. Hard Knocks episode. Ever.

Rory wins PGA by a ton: Tiger might not be back, but Rory sure is.

The big battle at Penn State is clearly the folks inside the institution who accept the NCAA penalties versus the ones who hate the fact the school accepted them (even in the face that the alternative was a four-year "death penalty.")

NFL Preseason: Andrew Luck appears to be everything we thought he would be.

Plaxico Burress on the Patriots? Ha. I suppose anything could happen.

Varsity Dad: Yesterday, Gabe wanted to go through the Top 200 fantasy football rankings and try to name the team for each player -- it was funny to see which guy he knew immediately (Darren Sproles, really?) and which he was stumped by (Jay Cutler...hmm.)

More later.

-- D.S.

08/12 (Very) Quickie

*The MVP of the 2012 Olympics is... Usain Bolt.
*Although it's hard not to love hometown hero Mo Farah.
*That said, my favorite athlete was McKayla Maroney.
*And yet the biggest U.S. "name" or "face" will be... Michael Phelps.
*USA women's hoops > USA men's hoops?
*Re Chad Johnson: "Hard Knocks" as the week's top NFL news source?
*Honey Badger: Can pick whichever 1-AA school he wants.
*Tiger: The Olympics hangover ends quick if he wins a PGA title.
*That's a ton of money for Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart.
*Derek Lowe in a Yankees jersey? Insult to injury for Sox fans.

08/11 (Dwight) Quickie

St. Augustine, Fla. -- On the annual pilgrimage to Tim Tebow's hometown. (Ha: Or maybe just where my wife enjoys spending our summer vacation.)

I made my points about Dwight Howard on the Lakers yesterday (scroll down to the post immediately below). I will say that I reject the moralistic stuff that "petulant" Dwight was "rewarded" for his "infant-like behavior" by "getting" a trade to a championship team. Meh, is that really worth worrying about? Howard is the edge case of edge cases, not a litmus test for How All Athletes Should Act To Win Approval From Pundits (Who All Basically Acted The Same Way Earlier In Their Careers).

I say all that and can still say that if you're a Magic fan, I feel tough for you -- I don't think the deal you got now was as good as the one you'd get from Houston, although I really like Arron Afflalo and there is potential in Moe Harkless. Orlando wasn't getting out of this as an NBA title contender (they weren't an NBA title contender with Howard anyway); their goal should be the Treadmill of Mediocrity. I have come around to the idea that there is nothing wrong with the Treadmill of Mediocrity if winning a championship is entirely unavailable to you, which covers roughly all but 3-4 franchises in the NBA at any given moment.

More:

*LSU boots Tyronn Mathieu: Damn right it hurts their chances of winning the SEC (and, thus, qualifying for the SEC's automatic entry into the national-title game), and damn right it deprives fans of watching the single-most electrifying player in the country. It might nick Mathieu's draft stock (see Jenkins, Janoris) but it won't hurt his NFL future (see Jenkins, Janoris)

*Tim Tebow's Jets debut: Are people really going to put stock in his completions total or the one pick or the score of the game? It's the first step in an inevitable progression to Tebow starting at QB for the Jets, nothing more or less than that.

*Olympics (which aren't over yet but between Howard and Mathieu and Tebow, drifting dangerously close to seeing its quadrennial window of public attention slam shut): The women's 4x100 relay team was absolutely brilliant. What a wonderful group.

*Tiger leading PGA: For now. That's basically all analysis of Tiger early at a major -- "leading for now."

*Lane Kiffin vs. USA Today: I love that my colleagues at USAT couldn't stand Kiffin's double-talk about not voting his own team No. 1 and checked to see that, in fact, he did vote them No. 1, a legit story. The stupid part is that all Kiffin had to do was say: "Damn right I'm voting my team No. 1." It's not like there isn't a legitimate argument to be made that they are No. 1 in preseason.

*Strasburg Watch: I wouldn't shut him down as long as the team was in the playoff hunt. If he blows out his arm and has to sit out all of next season rehabbing, staring at that World Series Championship flag will be the ultimate curative.

More later this weekend.

-- D.S.

08/10 (Dwight Howard) Quickie

So Dwight Howard to the Lakers, eh? It may only last a year (Dwight will still enter free agency next summer), but the Lakers pull off a coup, landing the league's best center to go with arguably the league's best-passing point guard and its most dominant shooting guard of the past decade, who still has enough in the tank to make it interesting.

And, oh by the way: The Lakers are apparently also keeping Pau Gasol. That's a Big Four if you're keeping track. A very Big Four. Arguably the most talented foursome since Jordan-Pippen-Rodman-Whoever, if not Magic-Worthy-Kareem-Whoever and Bird-McHale-Parish-Whoever. The point is: It's an incredible group.

The Lakers' Big Four is every bit as good as Miami's Big Three -- better, if you consider the balance and extra star; slightly worse, if you consider LeBron to be the most dominant force in the NBA, whether you paired him with Wade and Bosh or 6-year-old Gabe and 3-year-old Jonah Shanoff. And the Lakers' Big Four is better than the Thunder's Big Three.

It is nothing short of gobsmacking that the Lakers would be able to land Howard without having to give up Gasol. And all of a sudden, the Lakers are the team to beat in the NBA next season -- a short run for the Heat dynasty.

More pieces from the deal:

*Sixers get Bynum: Love this risk. Bynum is the best center in the East, moving within an hour of where he grew up and will be treated like the franchise cornerstone he has always wanted to be. When you have the chance to get a year to recruit a top-tier free agent like Bynum, you do it.

*Nuggets get Andre Iguodala: Arron Afflalo is an underrated player -- savvy on offense, hard-working on D. He has a reasonable contract (albeit one lasting a bunch of more years). But Iguodala is arguably the best perimeter defender in the NBA. You're not doing anything in the West if you can't lock down either Durant or Harden when you play OKC -- Iguodala can defend either/both. His deal also expires after the '14 season.

*Magic get...: Well, they get Afflalo, who is solid, if not spectacular. They get Nikola Vucevic who is a bruiser, but no one that Sixers fans will miss. They get Al Harrington, who shoots a lot. And they get Moe Harkless, who has some potential, but that's about it. (And with Harrington on the team, good luck with getting shots.) And they get a bunch of really mediocre draft picks, because the Sixers, Nuggets and Lakers won't be Lottery teams. Is this really the best Orlando could do? Was this better than Houston's offer? Was this better than Brooklyn's offer?

More:

*Usain Bolt wins 200: Again. Along with his 100 gold, following up his double gold in the 100 and 200 in 2008. Does nothing to change the idea that he is the greatest sprinter of all time. If he wants to crow about it a bit -- or dump on Carl Lewis? He's earned it. It might not be your cup of tea, but you can't say he hasn't earned the right to say whatever he wants.

*US women's soccer win gold: An unstoppable team, with no signs of slowing down. The "revenge factor" against Japan is precisely what they needed to stay sharp. That and Carli Lloyd.

*US goes gold-silver in the decathlon: Remember when Bruce Jenner was the king of the U.S., Wheaties box, etc? Now, you'd be hard-pressed to find fans who could name both guys who went 1-2. But still: An amazing accomplishment a half-century in the making.

*NFL Preseason starts in earnest: Peyton's body didn't fall apart, so that's a win.... RG3 looked terrific, which was awesome to see... and don't miss Steelers rookie Chris Rainey (a favorite of mine when he was at Florida) with a zip-zoom-to-the-moon TD run.

-- D.S.

08/09 (Olympics) Quickie

The Olympics are winding down, but not without some drama: Misty and Kerri's third straight Olympic gold in women's beach volleyball, Allyson Felix winning the 200, more US gold in the women's long jump and men's 110 hurdles, USA hoops cruising to the semis (and Nic Batum's never-to-be-forgotten crotch-punch on Spain's JC Navarro). We've still got women's soccer gold today (US vs. Japan) and watching Bolt destroy the 200 and the always-entertaining 4x100 and 4x400 relays.

Ever the instant-historian, I'm fascinated by the "Best Evers" in their respective sports: Misty May and Kerri Walsh, Usain Bolt, Kim Rhode, Michael Phelps (obviously).

I can't help presuming that in LeBron, we're watching the greatest player to ever participate in Olympic basketball, catapulting past Michael Jordan's '84/'92 combo. And the potential that, in Missy Franklin, we've just got our first glimpse of another "Best Ever."

This is, of course, why we watch: To see "best ever" performances -- maybe not of all time, which is a luxury, but there's something appealing about "personal best," to watch someone culminating a lifetime of commitment with a gold (or even a silver or bronze).

There was this moment during Bolt's 200 semi where, immediately afterward, this young South African competitor rushes over to Bolt to give him a hug -- partly it was out of respect, partly out of admiration and partly out of his joy to come in second.

Imagine coming in second to the greatest sprinter in the history of the world -- not a bad place to be.

We also watch for the disappointment and the surprises and the collective "moments" and rooting interest in sports we mostly couldn't care less about the other 3 years and 50 weeks of every four-year stretch. But what a joy to watch greatness -- the achievement and the pursuit.

More:

*Best thing I read today, this week, this month and in the lead-up to the college football season: Wright Thompson on Urban Meyer. Give yourself 15 minutes to read it, then set aside some other time to think about two things: (1) Do you think there's any way that Meyer can change his essential nature -- can any of us? And (2) What are the personal costs you are willing to assume to achieve professional success? What level do you expect/demand from your sports heroes?

How does this second question make you think about Andy Reid and the tragic death of his son Garrett? Without presuming to know how he parented -- Andy was clearly more involved after Garrett got older and got into more trouble -- what about the choices Andy Reid clearly made about how involved he would be with his kids when they were little and most likely to benefit from his influence, versus his obsession with creating a professional career for himself at the highest levels of football? There is always a trade-off, and we don't talk about it enough.

*NFL Camping: I was all set to pick Trent Richardson in my fantasy draft far higher than almost anyone would find reasonable -- back of the first half. Now, news of his knee surgery makes me a wee bit nervous about that kind of investment. Tough break for the Browns, because this has ominous foreshadowing written all over it.

*More NFL: I'm totally rooting for Terrell Owens, well past the twilight of his career, to make it in Seattle.

*Meanwhile, if you missed the first episode of "Hard Knocks" with the Dolphins on Tuesday night, it was outstanding.

Note: Taking the family down to Florida for our annual summer pilgrimage to St. Augustine, but I look forward to having some time to write and reflect while I'm down there. Posts continue here, daily.

-- D.S.

08/06 (Bolt) Quickie

Wow. I'm not sure there's much I can add to the discussion of Usain Bolt's jaw-dropping 9.63 in the 100M finals yesterday, except to marvel at how EASY it was for him.

He started slow -- cautiously, so he wouldn't get a false-start DQ -- was seemingly behind (or "behind"), then simply zoomed past the fastest group of runners ever assembled.

It wasn't even close. It was less than 10 seconds, but felt like an entire three-act play: Seeming conflict (he's behind!), thrilling middle (look at him surge!), triumphant conclusion (easy win!)

What also isn't even close is that Bolt is the greatest sprinter of all time. I think because of that -- not to mention the best-ever competitive set -- he deserves consideration among the Top 10 Olympians of all time.

Here's how good Bolt is: The second-best story of the 100M -- Tyson Gay openly weeping after the race -- was entirely a reflection of Bolt. Gay is one of the greatest sprinters of all time, did his absolute best... and it wasn't even close. Now, maybe he was weeping at not medaling, but even Justin Gatlin's response was a variation on "What can you do?"

Bolt's mastery of the event -- one of the handful of signature events in all of sports -- is so extreme that I'm not sure any other athlete or team is as dominant against an insanely competitive field as Bolt is of the sprinters.

That he does the entire thing with panache -- his pre-race and post-race preening for the cameras are part of the show, because he backs it up -- only makes it all the more spectacular.

*****

More:

*McKayla Maroney: Ah, McKayla. So pissed at losing, and I love it. She could have settled for a simple second vault to secure her gold, but she went for the tough vault -- because it's her event, because that's how she's hard-wired... to assume she would not just win gold, but nail the toughest routine (HER routine) while doing it -- and that's why I think she's even more awesome for it.

*Sonya Richards-Ross: Hell, almost as dominant in her event (400M) as Bolt is in his. What an electrifying talent.

*Andy Murray gets his title at Wimbledon, over Federer no less. That it was Olympic gold and not a Slam title shouldn't make it any sweeter for him that he was able to pull it off in front of his countrymen, who were jubilant for him in a way that the staid Wimbledon crowd never could be.

*Is it too late to say again how much I love a jubilant Serena? Her win made me think of my favorite athletes of all time, and she's on the short list. It was so fun to watch her domination of Sharapova with my kids and explain who Serena was and why I'm such a fan.

*Today: Gabby on the uneven bars. Women's soccer semi. And Spain vs. Brazil in hoops, with the loser avoiding the US as long as possible -- massive game-tanking potential.

*Non-Olympics news: The NFL preseason started last night, which means it's time... to start thinking about my fantasy drafts. (Nah, but just a reminder that the Saints and the post-bounty-punishment reality are the most compelling storyline of the season.)

*Meanwhile: In what shouldn't be unexpected, the NFL is negotiating with the Saints to reduce player suspensions -- the NFL got the P.R. bump it needed from "looking tough," and now they can back down on the suspensions because people aren't paying attention to it anymore.

*Penn State Watch: Did you see that Penn State football commit who backed out to pick Notre Dame? There's going to be a lot of that this year. (And that doesn't even count the top WR who bolted for Oklahoma -- as with RB Silas Redd, more power to him.)

*The Garrett Reid story is so sad -- you don't have to be a parent to lament how badly Andy Reid and his family must feel. Condolences to the Eagles family.

*The Mars landing should affirm your faith in what we can accomplish in science.

-- D.S.

08/05 (Olympics) Twitter

One of the things I love about the Olympics is the way you can suddenly -- even instantly -- get enthralled by a sports event you otherwise wouldn't care about.

Case in point: The men's 10K final, which started slow but ended as dramatically as you could imagine, with Britain's own Mo Farah sprinting to gold in front of a frenzied crowd, and his training partner Galen Rupp finishing 2nd, the first medal for an American runner in the 10K in half a century. It is impossible not to love that, even if shortly afterward, it's on to the next.

BTW: The read of the morning is SI's Tim Layden on that race, one of the best pieces of deadline writing I've read this year.

More:

*Michael Phelps finishes with gold -- that's 22 medals overall in his three-Olympic career, including 18 golds, which is double the nearest Olympian. Hell of a way to wrap a career.

*Meanwhile, US swimming is in great shape -- the Missy Franklin-led women's 4x100 medley relay team won gold and broke the world record while doing it. Franklin probably has two Olympics still to go, and she could easily finish her career with more than a dozen medals, mostly gold.

*The men's 100m semis and final are today. Usain Bolt is a must-see, but so is the rest of the most compelling field in track. Here's a good essay from Joe Posnanski on the 100.

*USA Hoops: Lithuania got as close as anyone will get to knocking this team off, and good for them -- if you can't win a gold, universal respect is a pretty good consolation prize. USA is going to roll on from here. (BTW: Lots of love for Russia's coach David Blatt. Instead of my Wizards hiring the mediocre Jerry Sichting as an assistant coach, I would have loved for them to bring in Blatt. Presume Randy Wittman doesn't want an assistant coach so clearly more talented than he is.)

*Serena: I tweeted this yesterday just after she won -- Jubilant Serena is one of my favorite images in sports.

*McKayla Maroney is my favorite of the gymnastics Fab Five (or "Fierce Five," in Maroney's view). She'll be the heavy favorite in the vault after her stunning leap in the team comp.

Enjoy the day.

-- D.S.

08/01 (Phelps) Quickie

What a jaw-dropping day yesterday: Michael Phelps loses his signature event at the wall touch, then turns around and wins his record-setting 19th medal (gold, no less, in a U.S. rout).

Greatest Olympian ever? No question.


But my favorite moment was the sincere joy on Phelps' face for Chad Le Clos, who was overwhelmed by the moment. Phelps was pissed immediately after the race, in the water, but by the time he got to the medal stand, he was relaxed and able to enjoy the moment for Le Clos. Honestly, that is the essence of the Games. (Meanwhile: The interview with Le Clos's dad. Oh wow.)

Also, the reason to watch on TV, even though I saw the race live in the afternoon: The NBC reaction shot of Phelps' mom, who thought Phelps won, raised her arms and face in exultation, only to be told by her daughter a moment later that Phelps had come in second.

Meanwhile, the women's gymnastics gold was no less compelling in primetime than it was live -- maybe even more so; NBC knows how to weave a narrative, combined with awesome footage that the BBC world feed just doesn't have. This is a fun "fab five," and McKayla Maroney's vault was the most spectacular moment of the Games so far for the U.S.

More later.

-- D.S.

07/31 (Olympics Tuesday) Quickie

I've been immersed in Olympics live-blog coverage for USA Today all day. I won't spoil things here until tomorrow morning, in case you're waiting. The swimming is worth watching tonight, whether you know what happened or not.

Meanwhile:

*Tunisia hanging with USA Hoops for a quarter qualifies as one of the great moral victories in the history of basketball. And I'm not even kidding.

*MLB Trade Deadline: Ryan Dempster to the Rangers. Between the Angels getting Greinke and the defending AL champs getting the Cubs' ace, the AL West is going to be superb -- and if both teams make it to the playoffs (even one in the Wild Wild Card one-game playoff), both are tough outs.

*Penn State RB Silas Redd transfers to USC: It will be very interesting to see what the reaction is -- clearly, he is within his rights to leave. Still: There will be plenty about his perceived disloyalty. I side on "Good for him."

(Meanwhile, USC gets that much better. I still don't think they can hang with the best of the SEC -- whether that's LSU or Alabama, it almost doesn't matter -- but they certainly size up as a team that will run the table and position itself for the second spot in the title game against the SEC champ.)

Much more later.

-- D.S.

07/30 (Olympics) Quickie

First, about the whole #nbcfail thing: I have absolutely no problem with the decision by NBC to tape-delay. And the ratings bear that out -- if you get out of the Twitter vortex, you realize most people are fine with it. And you can watch anything you want live, via the Web or tablet app.

EXCEPT: The Web and tablet live video feeds have been shaky -- I was OK on Saturday, but missed a bunch of swimming on Sunday because of iffy feeds, which was maddening. Presuming NBC can work out those issues, there is nothing wrong with having a "live online now, taped on TV later" strategy.

Meanwhile:

There are two main dynamics at the Olympics, beyond winning gold: You can win silver, you can lose the gold.

Allison Schmitt? Won silver.
Men's 4x100 free relay team? Lost gold.

That's the whole thing -- expectations. Perceptions. That was the US's 4x100 to win, and Lochte couldn't do it. I called him a choker on Twitter immediately afterward, but that isn't fair to him -- it's the coach's fault for putting a swimmer without the right experience or skillset to anchor a 4x100 race (especially coming so shortly after Lochte's own 200 free semi heat). Blame Greg Troy.

Last thing: Yikes, you have to feel terrible for Jordyn Wieber. Those shots of her on TV last night were brutal -- and a reason to watch the tape-delay even though we all knew the results already. Devastating visuals, but an intrinsic and important part of the Games. We can argue whether the "only 2 from each country make it" is fair, but that's the way it is in swimming. It's harsh. If it was Raisman who finished 3rd and Wieber in the money, no one would be complaining.

As for the scoring of Wieber? Now THAT was unfair. It all combines to create the epic disappointment that seems to be as much a part of the Olympics as success.

-- D.S.

07/27 (Olympics) Quickie

How can you not love the Olympics? For what it's worth, I'm immersed in USA Today's coverage of the Games (along with Quickish coverage of the Games), so please visit both (and tell friends!)

I'll try to chime in here with little notes, etc. But it's going to be awesome. It's the first Olympics where my kids really know what's going on, so that's going to make it extra-fun.

-- D.S.

07/24 (Penn State, Cont'd) Quickie

Long term, Penn State football is going to be hurt badly by the scholarship reductions. In the short term, I'm most fascinated by how many players choose to leave.

There might be a quasi-macho attitude of "I made a commitment and I'm sticking it out!" but I'm not so sure that's the rational (or optimal) choice. I've been looking around for an expert take, and Andy Staples' evaluation is as good as any:

If you're an NFL prospect, you should leave. If you can get an offer from a top-level program, you should leave. If Penn State was the best you can do and your next-best alternative is a MAC school and the Little Caesar's Bowl, you should probably stick around. (That said: I can't imagine that even the weakest links of each Penn State recruiting class wouldn't be welcome at, say, Maryland or Rutgers, two nearby programs desperate for a talent infusion.)

If it was my kid? I don't know. That's a pretty awful football experience for the next 1-4 years. If they had NFL aspirations, I'd probably encourage them to see what else was out there. If college football was merely the means to a scholarship and diploma, I think there is a lot to be gained by going through the next 1-4 years at Penn State.

Most of all: I'd want to know that coach Bill O'Brien was going to stick it out with my kid -- if he bolts after next year because the situation is so brutal, what kind of message does that send the kids? If he is in it for the long haul, it's easier to join him. The problem is that even if he sincerely thinks he's in it for the long haul now, what happens when it's a slog two years from now -- with no end in sight -- and an NFL team comes calling with a sweet job offer that comes with no baggage?

There are no guarantees, which is why it is ludicrous for anyone to judge any player who chooses to leave. What is unclear is if the "Can leave at any time without penalty" extends throughout a player's remaining time at Penn State, not just a one-week window to make a life-altering decision. I hope it does include that provision -- I suspect it doesn't.

More:

*Ichiro: I feel for my Mariners friends, but I think all of them knew this was coming eventually. It was nice that the fans could give him an ovation last night, even if he was in pinstripes.

*USA Hoops: If I'm Spain, I'm tanking the game tonight -- lose by 30. Worst-case scenario is that they keep it close (or win) and the US is ultra-motivated for the presumptive rematch in the gold medal game. If I'm the US, I'm sizing up the Gasol brothers and the US size issues -- and playing Anthony Davis a ton. Give the kid a chance, Coach K. He's not Christian Laettner in '92.

-- D.S.

07/23 (Penn State) Quickie

I've seen a few people with the "We were... Penn State" line, and it is entirely apt.

The NCAA has obliterated that program.

The scholarship reductions -- 10 immediately, 20 per year for the next four years (capping them at 15 schollys per year and 65 scholarship athletes on the team, period) -- are brutal. You can't compete with that dearth of depth. Not against the Big Ten, not against the Atlantic 10.

Letting any incoming or existing player transfer without penalty -- no sitting out a year. I appreciate the loyalty of those who stay, but if it was me and I cared about the commitment I'm about to make for the next 1-4 years of my life, I'm leaving. It will be fascinating to see how many leave.

The fine ($60M) sounds huge, but it's a big school with a big endowment and rich donors. They'll put that together in a weekend. And it's $12M a year over 5 years -- hardly taxing for a school that size.

The bowl ban is of a piece with the transfer rule -- it speaks to the experience the athletes will have if they stay. It keeps the team from practicing in December. It keeps them off TV in bowl season.

And then there are the vacated Paterno wins from 1998-2011 -- entirely symbolic, but much more important than typical vacated wins, because of Paterno's place as the all-time winningest coach. That is about humiliation, and it is an appropriate piece of this punishment.

Taken in total, the punishment is as comprehensive and obliterating as any since SMU -- perhaps more. There is an argument that the program will be in tougher shape after this than if they had shut down the program for a year. I think the NCAA knew that.

The entire thing isn't justice for the victims -- not even close. But it is punitive for a football program that deserves it.

More:

*Sucks to be Adam Scott.
*NBA Summer League ends: Damian Lillard is even better than the hype.
*USA Hoops: Needs tests like Argentina yesterday to remind them to stay focused.

This Penn State story will dominate the day -- maybe all the way up to the Olympics on Friday.

-- D.S.

11 Years Ago Today: The First Date

I was going to tweet this story out in 20 parts, but that felt like a bit much (you don't say!), so instead I just republished the tweets below in one stream:

Quick story: 11 years ago today, I got set up on a blind date by a b-school classmate. I was in NYC for the summer...

I talked with my date briefly on the phone. I was living with my gram at the time, so suggesting we meet at 5:30 for dinner seemed normal

She politely countered with 7. I'm hardly a foodie. I actually went to the restaurant I had picked out the night before to scout the menu.

She met me outside the lobby of her building. She was probably like "Is he wearing khakis? He's wearing khakis." I was wearing khakis.

I suggested we head to the restaurant, but she said she had just gone there, so could we try something else? (But... my menu-scouting!)

We went for a walk. We stopped by West 4th Street and the basketball courts. She was as enthusiastic to stop and watch as I was. Swoon.

Chatting the whole way. I think we're hitting it off. We end up at a new restaurant but - yes! - it's the sibling of the one I picked out.

Still chatting away. She's from Gainesville and a die-hard Gators fan. I find that exotic. (Foreshadowing, cc: @timtebow)

On to the second bottle of wine. She is arguing offensive rebounding is underappreciated. Swoon. Context here.

Getting late. Walk her back to her apt. Realize my subway back to Brooklyn is out of service for the night. No, wait: For the next 2 years.

I awkwardly explain this. I'm more offended by the idea of spending $70 on a cab ride back to BK than I fear rejection asking to stay over.

The next morning my gram, back in Brooklyn, laughed at me on the phone. She sort of stopped giggling when I told her I'd see her Monday (!)

I called my shidduch friend, who asked how the date went. Me: "I'm still on it." Her: "WHAAAT?!" Day 2 of Date 1 was in full swing.

Another dinner out. A movie. Back to her place -- remember, the subway still wasn't running back to my gram's. Kinda late night.

I got up the next morning and realized I had a Page 2 column due. On no sleep, I filed some sleepy dreck, hoping I could fake it.

About 30 min later, I got a call from Lovinger. "This is... not good," he said. At the time, I was still sort of trying out. I was freaked.

He spiked the column. I promised to do better. What I really wanted to do was tell him about my improbable two-day first-date blind-date...

...And that I'm pretty sure I'm going to marry the woman I spent the weekend with. With that context, he'd understand, right?

Two weeks later, for our third date, she met me in Italy. (Longer story/better story here, via @awl)

Most things take a leap of faith, blind dates no exception. I had never had a good one, but I trusted my friend and had an open mind.

That first date, 11 years ago today, was the best day of my life. Thanks for 11 amazing years, @mimshanoff. I love you.

-- D.S.

07/20 Quickie

Just awful, heart-breaking news about the massacre in Aurora, Colorado last night. Among the murdered, an aspiring sports reporter named Jessica Ghawi, whose final blog post was about being in Toronto during the Eaton Centre shooting. Horrible tragedy.