ITT Greekchat talks sports

[Tulip86]

Tonight is Orange!

Denmark - The Netherlands

[melindawarren]

Originally Posted by AXOmom

^^^Yes, my daughter was a club gymnast for quite a while (went through level 9) and has coached as well, so we watch it obsessively. Just got done watching the first night of Visa's. Marta Karoli should just save herself some time and call daughter - she's had the team picked out for a year now (at least) LOL.

I've been banking on Douglas, Maroney, Raisman, Ross, Weiber, with Finnegan and Price as alternates.

Saddened to see Bross and Sloan not have such great nights. I miss the days when we had fiery Bross.

[AXOmom]

Yeah, that's the lineup she has in mind as well. Gabi is the one who's impressed me in that she's come up so far so fast. A year ago I would have picked Jordyn and Ali as the all-arounders but now I'm thinking Gabi and Jordyn. Daughter would have loved to see Nastia pick it up and go as an alternate just because she loves her and has a sentimental attachment to her, but they can't afford that at this point and I agree that Finnegan and Price (I'd probably lean towards Finnegan) are the better bets.

I hate to see any girl have a bad night, but Rebecca Bross looks miserable and she has for quite some time now. I just never get the feeling she really wants to be doing this, but maybe that's just her persona. I also don't think, as talented as she is, that she has it mentally and it's a mental sport. That's the "it" factor Jordyn has- she's just about as mentally tough as anybody I've seen (since Karly Patterson, I think).

I love Bridgette and Alicia, but they (and probably Nastia as well) need to face the writing on the wall. It's a sport for the young, and now that they can only take five, they never had a great shot. I think it would just be better to retire on their own terms rather than be told, ala Chelsea Memmel, that they, in effect, don't want you.

PS - She just called said a guy just did a triple twisting tsuk on vault - unbelievable.

[KSUViolet06]

I follow gymnastics as well.

Going with Jordyn, Gabi, Sarah, McKayla, Aly. Not sure on my alternates yet.

Agreed on Shawn & Nastia. With the larger team, one of them might have been a maybe. Not so much now.

Fun fact: I did not have cable for 9 months and got it back SPECIFICALLY for the purpose of gymnastics coverage. lol.

[melindawarren]

I agree about Bross, mentally. I think she's disgruntled and tired and, as you say, talent can only get you so far if you just don't have the competitive mentality.

Chellsie is one who saddens me. I'm still sad she couldn't go in 2004 and nail it then, because that was probably her best bet for an Olympic medal beyond the team one she got in 2008.

Considering there are only 5 on the team this time around, it's really risky to take someone who doesn't even attempt an event. Yes, you need event specialists (like Maroney), but everyone needs to be able to pick up the slack, if necessary. That's why Alicia and Nastia are weak options (I believe Sloan competed everything, but she's not much of a safe bet, either. This is her first time competing in, like, 3 years).

If someone needs to watch her back, IMO, it's Aly. With Gabby and Jordyn as likely AAs (I've been thinking that, too) and Aly so weak on bars (not that Jordyn is good at bars AT ALL, but Jordyn's Jordyn), she's the one who should be sweating a little.

ETA: KSU, you think she'll go Finnegan over Ross?

[KSUViolet06]

I think so. I just have this feeling.

[melindawarren]

That would be cool with me, too. I love Kyla, but I think Sarah has this gymnast "look" going for her.

[AXOmom]

I agree with Ali watching her back in that I think unless Gabi falls apart at the trials, she's probably got that second all-around spot at this point (and she did fall apart at Pacific Rim, so that's possible), but I think she's secure as far as being on the team just because she is so consistent. Gabi's amazing, but she's really young and really still pretty new to this whole thing, so how they will handle that pressure is always a question mark. Same with Kyla Ross - even more so for her since she's even younger and newer.

I respect KSU's opinion, but unless something happens to Ross (injury or complete mental breakdown), I think she's got it over Finnegan - even though I like Finnegan and would give her the alternate spot. Not that the USAG Olympic Committee has called to ask my opinion mind you. LOL.

[melindawarren]

Gabby is fully capable of having a meltdown (if anyone also follows skating, she's got a bit of an Alissa Czisny quality to her).

I guess the TF would look something like this:
UB: Weiber, Douglas, Ross
BB: Douglas or Ross, Weiber, Raisman
VT: Raisman, Weiber, Maroney
FX: Douglas or Maroney, Raisman, Weiber

This keeps headcasey Gabby from having to worry about her Amanar (but it does leave Weiber on bars, which isn't really a good thing. At least it keeps Aly off bars). Kyla gets to show off her bars and no one has to sit through that FX again . When you look at it like this, though, Gabby doesn't look like a very good AA next to Aly. And it's clearly problematic for Gabby if Kyla and McKayla get the "or" spots I mentioned. Then again, as we know, Gabby could totally panic at Trials.

[AXOmom]

She could, but I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt at this point and say if she holds up at Trials the way she has in the last two meets. I think they will want two girls going all-around hoping that they'll have two in the top three (since I think they aren't as secure about an all-around gold this time around). It's just a really tough call - particularly on vault. We are sooo stacked there so do you go with Aly on vault and take Gabi off and just have one going for all-around? You can't really put Aly in at all-around because you can't have two decents (Jordyn and Aly) on bars and stand any chance of winning the team gold, but you might swing it (LOL) with a great (Gabi), a really good (Kyla) and a decent (Jordyn).

I actually love Kyla's floor (she does usually stay in bounds and stick it). Daughter doesn't like the music (she LOVES Phantom but she thinks that cut sounds too Floor Expressy), but I like it.

[melindawarren]

I just get so freaked with Gabby on vault. It appears entirely mental, too (although some believe it's a mechanical issue. I disagree).

[AXOmom]

Yeah, I get that. I THINK (might be wrong, and I don't have daughter here to ask), it's a fairly new vault for her. Personally I think it's a mix of both. They're right in that she isn't always square going into it and that tends to propel her off to the side, but on the other hand, I know from watching daughter struggle with some issues on certain events for years, you can get so stuck doing something a wrong way that it does become a mental thing that's hard to get passed. Kind of like Vanessa Atler on bars - a bad habit and some poor form that turned into a major mental block on an event.

At least, as they say, it's a good problem to have on that event - way too much talent to choose from.

[melindawarren]

Yeah, I see that when I'm watching. Still, while there is a physical component, it seems like fear more than a serious technical problem that could be corrected if Chow just...corrected it. She needs to go back to basics on vault and rework her technique just a little bit to overcome this stumbling block.

And yes. If she had to have a weak event, I'm glad it's vault and not bars/beam.

[TonyB06]

Game 1 NBA Finals

Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder. This series represents the first time the NBA scoring champ (Durant) has faced the NBA MVP (James) in the Finals since 1997 (Jordan v. Malone).


predictions?

[KSUViolet06]

Thunder in six.

/from my Laker fishing boat.