- Now that a few days have passed to let everything sink in, we feel like we can accurately crown the single best story of the 2012 Olympics. South Africa's Oscar Pistorius (pictured right) was possibly the most significant competitor in this year's games before he even stepped on the track. Pistorius was born with a genetic defect in his legs and had them both amputated when he was less than a year old. However, he started wearing a type of leg brace called "cheetah blades" at a young age that he put on basically the same way his brother put on shoes.
- Fast forward to 2012 when, after much debate over whether his legs constituted an unfair advantage, he was finally allowed to participate in the Olympics. Just showing up and competing would have been enough, but Pistorius did not come just to race, lose and wave to the crowd. He finished second in his first race, the 400 meters, and his team finished second in their first round race for the 400 meter relay.
- The semifinal of the 400 meter dash brought even more intrigue, and a new entry into the saga in the form on a 19 year old from the tiny country of Grenada, Kirani James (pictured left). After winning the 400 meter semifinal and eliminating Pistorius, James recognized Pistorius by asking him to exchange their official entry tags as a sign of respect. In the finals, James then went on to win the 400 meters, becoming the first athlete from Grenada to gain a medal of any kind in any event.
- To further illustrate what kind of person James is, after he was documented by NBC's camera crews for a couple days in advance of the Olympics, a camerawoman asked if he could sign something for her daughter. Without thinking, the 19 year old James addressed the article to the girl and added the note, "Your mother is very proud of you." That may be true, but I doubt it's the same level of pride that James feels from Grenada after bringing home his country's first ever medal, gold or otherwise.
King Felix is Perfect
- Felix Hernandez had the biggest day of his professional life on Wednesday when he threw a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays. It's only the 23rd perfect game ever to be thrown in Major League History yet somehow, it's the third thrown against the Rays in the last few years, the third no-hitter thrown in Seattle this season and the third perfect game thrown this season. Phil Humber of the White Sox and Matt Cain of the Giants were the other perfectionists of 2012 (so far).
- Since 2009, of the 15 no-hitters thrown in Major League baseball, the Rays have been no-hit four times, which wouldn't be so shocking until you realize that the Rays have been one of the best teams in baseball since 2008 when the franchise made the World Series and started a run of 3 playoff appearance in 4 years. Even more surprising is the fact that they have won 8 of their last 9 games, with the only loss being this game, the most embarrassing kind possible for the hitters.
Melky Cabrera Suspended
- Melky Cabrera, the MVP of this year’s All-Star game, was suspended on Wednesday for 50-games after testing positive for performances enhancing drugs. The San Francisco Giants outfielder is the first player this year to test positive.
- Cabrera accepted the suspension that will have him out for the rest of the regular season and for 5 games after that, either in the playoffs or the beginning of next season. Cabrera was hitting .346, a career high.
No comments:
Post a Comment