Thursday Morning Medal Count, and the Day Ahead

A big day on the track was one of the biggest reasons that Team USA has taken the overall medal lead from China, and has opened up a pretty sizable gap in the process.

Today, China has a chance to win two gold medals in women's boxing and women's 10m platform diving.  Team USA is going for gold in those same two events, plus women's soccer and women's water polo.

A silver medal has already been obtained by Haley Anderson of Santa Clara, Calif., in the women's 10k marathon swim.  More room for improvement there, and that women's soccer final, the rematch of the World Cup just one year ago, should be one of the best games of the tournament, men's or women's.

Oh, and synchronized swimming?  Absolutely not a sport. 

Saturday Afternoon Medal Count

As Team USA and China continue to assert their dominance over all other nations, its not time for Team USA to assert its dominance over China.

The real sports, such as anything Track & Field related or any team sport are starting to inch closer to handing out medals, and China doesn't have a great shot in really anything anymore.  Sure, they can keep stacking up their badminton medals as high as they want, but ultimately, Team USA will take the overall lead and maintain their gold medal lead til the 12th.

Thursday Afternoon Medal Count - Most Gold or Most Overall?

Team USA is slowly but surely closing in on the gold medal total.  At this stage in the Olympic Games, the question always arises - which is more important, most golds overall, or most medals overall?

The age-old question.  To win a gold medal, to be the best of the best in the entire world has to be an unparalleled feeling.  It not only provides the athlete with a sense of accomplishment and pride, but the entire nation.

By the same token, earning a medal of any metal is one of the most impressive feats in sports.  When we lose the gold to China and get silver, it stings, but if we're beaten by Australia in, say, a swimming event, then I welcome that silver with equal enthusiasm and pride.

In the immortal words of Ricky Bobby, "If you're not first, you're last," but does the same ring true during the Olympic Games?  Does standing atop any position on the podium getting a medal around your neck really mean that you are last?  To be able to compete in the Olympics, and to be able to take home a medal is the ultimate dream for any athlete.

No country is going to win nothing but gold medals alone.  Winning a smattering of medals in the 302 sports is the goal of all 204 countries competing.  If you ask me, the most medals overall is far more impressive than overall golds.

The overall medal count will get dicey as badminton and table tennis draw to a close, but as the team sports close in and track and field events loom large, I think Team USA is in a good place.

These Badminton Teams Should be Disqualified for Life

Eight women's badminton players have been thrown from the Olympics, and this time, it didn't involve Twitter.  The four teams - one from China, two from South Korea and one from Indonesia - have been dismissed for attempting to throw their matches in order to get a better spot in the next stage of play.

All four teams wanted to get themselves to the bottom half of the standings when the tournament reached the knockout rounds, trying to avoid match-ups with fellow countrywomen.

Attempting to rig the Olympics is one of the most pathetic things I have ever heard in my life.  As if I needed another reason to root against South Korea or China.  One of the worst parts was that these teams subjected the entire audience to a poor excuse for Olympic competition.  Even the crowd knew what was going on, and started to boo and chant against the teams involved.

The only good thing that can come from this is that its one less chance those countries have to get a medal, which could not make me happier.  Be sure to watch the video of it, its absolutely mind-boggling that they thought no one would notice.

Monday Afternoon Medal Count

Where the hell is China getting all these golds?  Maybe they should try to compete in some real events once in a while...

Either way, the United States sits just one medal behind the leaders, with both countries pulling away from the pack.  Twelve events will be handing out medals today, so we could see some shake-ups in the top 10, but stay tuned and we'll let you know if anything interesting happens.