Spice Girls Reunited!

Five of Great Britain’s favorite ladies definitely spiced up the Closing Ceremonies this past Sunday. I don’t know about you, but I LOVE the Spice Girls! My sister and I used to watch their movie, Spice World, all the time when we were younger. The girls – Sporty, Scary, Baby, Ginger, and Posh – reunited once again at the London Summer Olympics 2012! Their performance reminded us why we love their “Girl Power” so much.

Catch the full performance here. What did you think?

Written by Guest Blogger, Maria Cafferata

posted by Sandybn
08.14.12
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USA Beats Spain to Claim the Gold Medal

Sunday, 10 AM EST, the USA men’s basketball team faced Spain to reclaim their gold medal from the Bejing Olympics.  The gold was fought for hard by both sides.  Spain had a size advantage, led by the two Gasol brothers, Pau and Marc, who both measure up to about 7ft. However, the U.S. was more versatile on both the defensive and offensive side of the court.  Neither team had a commanding lead though out the game with Spain only trailing by one point at the end of the third quarter!

Kevin Durant led the scoring with 30 points throughout the game, while LeBron James scored a total of 19 points. He led the team through the stretch with a pivotal dunk and a 3 pointer to seal the victory.  With the win, LeBron James joined Michael Jordan as the only two players in history to win a gold medal in the Olympics, an NBA title, regular-season MVP, and NBA Finals MVP all in the same year.

After the win the team, there will still be a big debate whether the 1992 Dream Team put together 20 years ago would beat the 2012 team.  Now that they have both won gold and showed off their phenomenal talents, the answer will remain uncertain.

Written By Guest Blogger, Matt Goldberg

posted by Sandybn
08.14.12
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USA Men’s Basketball Looking Sharp

Thursday’s game against Nigeria showed the world just how dominant the US Men’s Basketball team can be.  Nigeria had a record of one win and one loss coming into the game, while the US team came in undefeated.  The game set many Olympic records – unfortunately not in Nigeria’s favor.  The US started the game shooting from three-point range and ultimately scoring 29 3-pointers, a new USA Olympic Record.  The team started off with a 15-2 point lead and took off from there.

The game was unbelievable with one of the best shooting performance I’ve ever seen. The team shot 71.1% overall from the floor.  The excellent shooting skills of Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony seemed contagious. LeBron James and Kobe Bryant didn’t even play the second half!

The final score of the game came out to be 156-73…an 83-point victory!  The 156 points that the US scored set a new Olympic record for most points scored in a game, originally set by Brazil with 138 points.  Nigeria was too outmatched, showing no signs of fight during the blowout win.  Carmelo Anthony was the main US star in the game.  Although, he only played 14 minutes, he was in the zone scoring 37 quick points and beating Stephan Marbury’s 31 points setting a new scoring high for the men’s USA Olympic record.

Hopefully the US team can continue their shooting prowess and success, ultimately resulting in gold medal.  For now, however, can their opponents show up and play?  Or will every game from here on out be a blowout?

Share your comments below!

Written by Guest Blogger, Matt Goldberg

posted by Sandybn
08.06.12
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The Greatest Olympian…Ever

After last night, many are now saying that Michael Phelps is the greatest Olympian, ever. Phelps won his 20th Olympic medal in the men’s 200-meter individual medley event. He became the first male swimmer to win three gold medals in the same event, consecutively.

He went against his own teammate, and biggest competitor, Ryan Lochte. In the semifinals, Lochte came in first and Phelps in second. However, in the finals, the positions were switched.

This gold medal was his 16th gold medal, but his 20th career medal.

Check out the schedule here so you can stay up to date on all the Olympic happenings!

So, tell us, what’s your favorite event in the Olympics?

Written by Guest Blogger, Maria Cafferata

posted by Sandybn
08.03.12
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Team USA Olympians in College

The term “Student-Athlete” takes on a new meaning when it refers to Team USA’s Olympians who are still in college. These athletes aren’t just committed to their sports, they are also dedicated students. When we found this article on Huffington Post College, we just knew we had to share. Keep reading to see if any athletes from your alma mater will be competing in London.

BREEJA LARSON – TEXAS A&M

This 20 year old swimmer set four records…just during her freshman year of college! Now that she’s finished her sophomore year at Texas A&M, she’ll be competing in the 100m breast stroke in London.

DAVID BOUDIA – PURDUE UNIVERSITY

A 23-year old diver from Purdue, Boudia also competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He is expected to medal in London, so keep your eyes peeled!

MILES CHAMLEY-WATSON – PENN STATE UNIVERSITY

At Penn State, Chamley-Watson studies Business and Finance, but outside of school, this 22 year-old competes on the US Men’s Foil team in Fencing. He qualified for the third spot on the team and is ready to show off his skills across the pond.

SAM MIKULAK – UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

At 19, Mikulak just finished his sophomore year at the University of Michigan. He will be the 1st from his university to compete on the USA Men’s Gymnastics team. During trials, he was forced to compete with a broken ankle, but that did not stop him from making the cut.

EMMA COBURN – UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT BOULDER

When it comes to Track & Field, 21 year old Emma Coburn is one to keep an eye on. This senior from the University of Colorado at Boulder is ranked the fourth fastest American EVER in steeplechase. We can’t wait to watch!

SARAH SCHERER – TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

We’re very excited to watch 21 year old Sarah Scherer compete in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Event in London. This TCU student became interested in the sport of shooting at the age of nine and is now competing as an Olympian.

To see the rest of the student athletes that will be competing in London, check out the full article here. Don’t forget, the Opening Ceremonies are tonight!

posted by Sandybn
07.27.12
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Men’s Basketball Olympic Team Trying to Recapture the Gold

The men’s basketball Olympic Roster has just been announced! The team will be defending its Olympic Gold Medal from the 2008 Beijing games.  The 12-man roster includes five players from the last Olympic run including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony.  The team will also include five players from the FIBA Tournament in 2010 including Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Andre Iguodala, Tyson Chandler, (the defensive player of the year in last years NBA season) and, most importantly, reigning scoring champ of the NBA, Kevin Durant.  Blake Griffin and James Harden, international league newbies, were also added.  Overall, the team is a versatile group with a wide range of strengths.

This year’s roster is very different from previous Olympic games.  Tyson is acting as the only center for the team.  In addition, the US is going to play without Dwyane Wade, their leading scorer from 2008, and other huge contributors Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh all due to injuries.

Things have changed tremendously since the 1992 dream team (including Jordan, Bird, and Magic) was formed and proceeded to win by an average of 43.8 points per game. With basketball growing throughout the rest of the world, the team will have some tough competition.  Almost all of the countries competing in this year’s tournament have current and former NBA players.  Back in 2008, the gold medal game against Spain was surprisingly close. However, the US pulled away in the home stretch and went home with a 118 to 107 victory.

This year Spain is going to be another big test for the US, with the seven-foot tall brothers of Pau and Marc Gasol returning trying to make a run at gold.  Additionally, Tony Parker will be key for France, as well as Manu Ginobili for Argentina.  An exhibition game will take place in Las Vegas against the Dominican Republic July 12th and the first game of the Olympics will be against France on July 29th.

Will you be tuning in?

Written by Guest Blogger, Matt Goldberg

posted by Sandybn
07.11.12
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VISA Championships Preview

This year the VISA Championships are being held at the University of St. Louis, Missouri, and broadcasted on NBC. They start today with an opening ceremony, few men’s competitions, ending on the 10th with the champions being announced. The reason for this tournament is to determine who is going to advance to the 2012 Olympic trials that will be held in San Diego, California.

Just like with the Olympics, I am rooting for my girl, Jordyn Weiber! Weiber is coming into this tournament as the reigning national champ of the US, World, AT&T American Cup, and Kellogg’s Pacific Rim All-Around Champion…talk about a resume! However, one a few of the up and coming gymnasts are also worth watching. Here are a few to keep your eye on this summer…

Aly Raisman is a member of both the 2010 and 2011 World teams, took 2nd at AT&T classic, and recently just won the Secret classic. Watch her floor performance this weekend – chances are, you have never seen anything like it. Also keep your eyes peeled for McKayla Maroney, the World Champion on vault, and Gabbie Douglas, an amazing bar performer. Rebecca Bross, Kyla Ross, and Sabrina Vega are also amazing gymnasts, but don’t forget the returning veterans.

Yes it is true, Nastia Liukin is coming back to steal all of the young men’s hearts away (mine included). Personally, I think that she has an exceptionally high chance of making this year’s Olympic team due to her incredible beam and bar skills. She won 5 medals during the 2008 Beijing games, one of them being the gold medal for all-around. She will be accompanied by her old teammates Alicia Sacramone and Bridget Sloan, who, though they might not be favored, shouldn’t be counted out of the race.

Between the up-and-comers and the veterans, the competition is going to come down to who can execute a perfect routine despite the high pressure. Who will you be rooting for?

Written by Guest Blogger, Stephen Brooks

 

posted by Sandybn
06.07.12
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