The 2012 London Olympics have been below average for Michael Phelps when you consider his success in previous Olympics, but the expectations this time around were definitely lower. Today was a historic day nonetheless as Phelps became the most decorated athlete in Olympic history. The 19 total medals is just mind boggling considering that 15 of them have been GOLD.
There is no doubt that Phelps is the greatest Olympic athlete of all-time, but how does he stack up against other athletes? In my opinion I would say he is easily top-5. You can throw in Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky as shoe ins for the top-5 as well.
Above all, Phelps handled today with such class being very cordial after losing the 200 fly which is an event he was won for over 10 years in a row in competition. You have to commend the guy for that. The storybook ending was in place after he bounced back with a great performance in the 4X200 relay as the anchor leg of the Gold Medal relay team. Sports sometimes provide perfect endings and that is the reason I love sports!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Swimming at the Olympics
The story of the Olympics so far has come from the pool. While many people predicted that Lochte or Phelps would be the number one story it is actually been Yannick Agnel of France. He has won 2 Gold Medals and both with outstanding performances.
His anchor leg in the 4X100 Free was the fastest split in the entire race and he overtook Lochte on the final 50 to get the Gold for France. It is ironic that last Olympics in the same race USA won Gold when Jason Lezak out touched the French team. This was probably the highlight of the 2008 Beijing Games as it kept Phelps streak alive and provided a photo finish that only a swimming or track & field race could provide.
His other race, which was today, was the 200 Free where he completely demolished the field. It really wasn't even close. It is hard to imagine beating this guy in a race as he is 6'8" and has such a fluid stroke. I am guessing we will be seeing him again in the 100 Free and the 4X200 Free Relay.
The other stories from the pool have been on the women's side with teenage phenoms winning Gold Medals. Missy Franklin (USA) won her first Gold Medal today in the 100 Back after an impressive closing 50. She did that minutes after swimming a semifinal for another event which makes it even more impressive. By the way she advanced to the final in the other event. Only 17, Franklin has a promising future ahead of her both in and outside the pool. She has made it clear that she will be attending college. With her skills she will definitely be able to go wherever she wants!
Another incredible story is that of Ye Shiwen (China) who has turned in the most dominating performance of any Olympian in the pool. She crushed the World Record in the 400 IM and the remarkable part about it you ask? Her last 50 m was FASTER than Lochte who won the Men's 400 IM. There is controversy around her though and allegations of doping. I hope for her sake they are not true, and if she does not test positive what a story it would be! Here is a NYTimes article with more information.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/31/sports/olympics/doping-scandals-cast-a-shadow-over-swimmers-success.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
If there is one moment I will remember from this Olympics for the rest of my life it will be watching the Medal Ceremony after Ruta Meilutyte (Lithuania) won the Gold Medal in the 100m Breast. Just a little background about Meilutyte got there. She is only 15 years old and her performance really came out of nowhere. She set an record in her prelim race which had everyone wondering who is this girl. Next she proved it wasn't a fluke by winning the semifinal, and finally she beat the decorated and favored Rebecca Soni (USA) in the final. Her Gold Medal also represented the first Gold Medal ever earned in the sport of swimming for Lithuania. While walking to the podium you could see the emotions on her face because she knew how historic her victory really was. She fought back tears to no avail as they called her name and started playing the Lithuanian National Anthem. For someone that young to accomplish something this historic is rare and you knew that every person back in Lithuania was glowing with pride. There is something about a national anthem and the emotions it displays that I cannot explain. Even though I didn't know the language I was transfixed watching knowing what this meant to Lithuania. It is simply put just a magical moment that only the Olympics can produce!
His anchor leg in the 4X100 Free was the fastest split in the entire race and he overtook Lochte on the final 50 to get the Gold for France. It is ironic that last Olympics in the same race USA won Gold when Jason Lezak out touched the French team. This was probably the highlight of the 2008 Beijing Games as it kept Phelps streak alive and provided a photo finish that only a swimming or track & field race could provide.
His other race, which was today, was the 200 Free where he completely demolished the field. It really wasn't even close. It is hard to imagine beating this guy in a race as he is 6'8" and has such a fluid stroke. I am guessing we will be seeing him again in the 100 Free and the 4X200 Free Relay.
The other stories from the pool have been on the women's side with teenage phenoms winning Gold Medals. Missy Franklin (USA) won her first Gold Medal today in the 100 Back after an impressive closing 50. She did that minutes after swimming a semifinal for another event which makes it even more impressive. By the way she advanced to the final in the other event. Only 17, Franklin has a promising future ahead of her both in and outside the pool. She has made it clear that she will be attending college. With her skills she will definitely be able to go wherever she wants!
Another incredible story is that of Ye Shiwen (China) who has turned in the most dominating performance of any Olympian in the pool. She crushed the World Record in the 400 IM and the remarkable part about it you ask? Her last 50 m was FASTER than Lochte who won the Men's 400 IM. There is controversy around her though and allegations of doping. I hope for her sake they are not true, and if she does not test positive what a story it would be! Here is a NYTimes article with more information.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/31/sports/olympics/doping-scandals-cast-a-shadow-over-swimmers-success.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
If there is one moment I will remember from this Olympics for the rest of my life it will be watching the Medal Ceremony after Ruta Meilutyte (Lithuania) won the Gold Medal in the 100m Breast. Just a little background about Meilutyte got there. She is only 15 years old and her performance really came out of nowhere. She set an record in her prelim race which had everyone wondering who is this girl. Next she proved it wasn't a fluke by winning the semifinal, and finally she beat the decorated and favored Rebecca Soni (USA) in the final. Her Gold Medal also represented the first Gold Medal ever earned in the sport of swimming for Lithuania. While walking to the podium you could see the emotions on her face because she knew how historic her victory really was. She fought back tears to no avail as they called her name and started playing the Lithuanian National Anthem. For someone that young to accomplish something this historic is rare and you knew that every person back in Lithuania was glowing with pride. There is something about a national anthem and the emotions it displays that I cannot explain. Even though I didn't know the language I was transfixed watching knowing what this meant to Lithuania. It is simply put just a magical moment that only the Olympics can produce!
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Olympic Tape Delay
It is a tad bit frustrating when you are a big sports fan like myself and the grandest of all sporting events, the Olympics, is put on tape delay. The reason it is such a big issue for me is due entirely to Twitter which has changed the way we watch sports. Everyone wants information instantly and Twitter provides a platform for that whether it is sports related or not. Journalists have successfully used their Twitter handles to keep avid sports fans updated on all sports large and small. Many of those journalists over in London are going to continue to provide up-to-the-minute details about the festivities and you can't blame them for that. Why can't NBC follow suit and give us live feeds of the actions?
It is all about the benjamins! Sponsors and advertisers want to reach the largest audience as possible and in order to do that they push everything back to primetime. Or at least they offer NBC (which is owned and operated by Comcast - ticker CMCSA) more money if it airs on a tape delay. Its unfortunate that the Olympic Games are so entangled in American commercialization, but I suppose that is reality in a capitalistic economy.
Luckily I have a few options. 1) turn off my phone 2) Try and watch the live feed online or on my smartphone 3) Enjoy the Olympics via Twitter
There is no way I can do #1. The best option is definitely #2 but that is not always going to be practical. #3 is interesting because I have done it already with numerous sporting events and it may be the preferred way of following sports in the next decade.
It is all about the benjamins! Sponsors and advertisers want to reach the largest audience as possible and in order to do that they push everything back to primetime. Or at least they offer NBC (which is owned and operated by Comcast - ticker CMCSA) more money if it airs on a tape delay. Its unfortunate that the Olympic Games are so entangled in American commercialization, but I suppose that is reality in a capitalistic economy.
Luckily I have a few options. 1) turn off my phone 2) Try and watch the live feed online or on my smartphone 3) Enjoy the Olympics via Twitter
There is no way I can do #1. The best option is definitely #2 but that is not always going to be practical. #3 is interesting because I have done it already with numerous sporting events and it may be the preferred way of following sports in the next decade.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Opening Ceremony - Beijing
Beijing did it right. Here is the best Opening Ceremonies in the history of the Olympics. It will most likely never be duplicated. Such attention to detail and reverence to Chinese culture and history.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsDY1Ha83M8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsDY1Ha83M8
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Perspective
Today was a great day! While on the golf course I met an incredible person. Al (the TSV (Timing Station Volunteer) on No. 2 at Jones Creek Golf Club) and I were chatting and he mentioned how he used to be a scratch golfer, but his game had slipped since then. It was not due to a lack of excitement or practice. Al was in an accident that left him paralyzed. He has since regained a lot of feeling in his body but still has no feeling from below the knees. Through tragedy Al found a renewed sense of love and passion for the game of golf. He appreciates it so much more now and regrets taking it for granted prior to his accident, which is why he spends his time volunteering for the AJGA tournament at his home club.
Al can teach us all a great lesson. Take nothing for granted because it can all be taken away at a moments notice. The story has a good ending though. Al is now able to enjoy at least two rounds of golf every week and can still break 90! He told me golf was more difficult now, but he enjoys it more now than he ever has at any time in his life. Thanks, Al, for a little perspective!
Al can teach us all a great lesson. Take nothing for granted because it can all be taken away at a moments notice. The story has a good ending though. Al is now able to enjoy at least two rounds of golf every week and can still break 90! He told me golf was more difficult now, but he enjoys it more now than he ever has at any time in his life. Thanks, Al, for a little perspective!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Negative Political Ads
Both sides of the political aisle in the 2012 election have run negative ads against their opponent. I definitely love talking politics with people, but often times things can get way too personal and out of control. But the one aspect about campaigning that bothers me are negative political ads. Don't get me wrong, negative political ads are effective, but I hate them! They say nothing good about yourself and only bad things about your opponent. Essentially you are saying vote for me instead of this other person because he/she sucks at their job. To me it just shows you are desperate when you cannot highlight your own good attributes and instead resort to pointing out weaknesses of your opponent.
Here is where I am going to say things that might offend some people. Let's be honest here most politicians suck at their jobs wasting everyone's time by making promises they will never keep. Why do we deal with this crap? Everyone is just vying for power, and getting in way over their head. You have politicians making statements just to be heard. We should have more targeted governmental responsibilities even if it includes electing more government officials. Who is to say that 50 Senators is still the correct number? 435 Reps might not be enough either with the growing complexity of the world we live in.
It would be better if we had informed politicians making decisions. I will never forget when the whole financial crisis was going down the Fed had a meeting with the Senate or House (sorry I don't remember). Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve was answering questions and this idiot Rep/Sen from NC asked what company he was the CEO of? Are you kidding me??? You are a Rep/Sen and in the middle of the entire financial crisis you don't know who the Chairman of the Federal Reserve is? CLUELESS!!
The best part of the whole matter though was when Ben Bernanke went with it and said he was is the CEO of Princeton Economics (he used to be the Chair of the Department). She went ahead and asked her question after everyone else in the room, and millions of people at home like me were dying laughing at the joke.
I can't wait for January when we will have a POTUS that will be able to finally get back to working again instead of campaigning. Frankly it is the biggest reason I am going to vote for Obama because he will be able to do his job for 4 years while Romney only has 2.
Here is where I am going to say things that might offend some people. Let's be honest here most politicians suck at their jobs wasting everyone's time by making promises they will never keep. Why do we deal with this crap? Everyone is just vying for power, and getting in way over their head. You have politicians making statements just to be heard. We should have more targeted governmental responsibilities even if it includes electing more government officials. Who is to say that 50 Senators is still the correct number? 435 Reps might not be enough either with the growing complexity of the world we live in.
It would be better if we had informed politicians making decisions. I will never forget when the whole financial crisis was going down the Fed had a meeting with the Senate or House (sorry I don't remember). Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve was answering questions and this idiot Rep/Sen from NC asked what company he was the CEO of? Are you kidding me??? You are a Rep/Sen and in the middle of the entire financial crisis you don't know who the Chairman of the Federal Reserve is? CLUELESS!!
The best part of the whole matter though was when Ben Bernanke went with it and said he was is the CEO of Princeton Economics (he used to be the Chair of the Department). She went ahead and asked her question after everyone else in the room, and millions of people at home like me were dying laughing at the joke.
I can't wait for January when we will have a POTUS that will be able to finally get back to working again instead of campaigning. Frankly it is the biggest reason I am going to vote for Obama because he will be able to do his job for 4 years while Romney only has 2.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Embrace Job Interviews
Over the past couple days I have been involved in quite a few interviews. I love the job process...searching through resumes and trying to pick out the most qualified candidates. Unfortunately I have a lot of experience doing interviews and applying for jobs. I was unemployed for 4 months a few years ago and it was not a pleasant time. Everyone out there just keep trying and you will definitely find something.
The two most important things for me when I am doing an interview with someone are:
This process has served as a lesson for me as well because I know inevitably I will be on the other side of the room sooner rather than later.
NOTE: Big props to the candidate that displayed her Twitter handle prominently on her resume. She was applying for a Communications/Marketing job so it was very appropriate and shows great insight. Maybe that is common nowadays, but honestly after seeing that I was going to give her an interview regardless of what the resume had. Go figure the rest of the resume was pretty solid as well!
The two most important things for me when I am doing an interview with someone are:
- The first impression you give. Usually in the first two minutes I have a good idea or how the interview is going to go.
- When a potential employer asks if you have any questions you better have a few ready to go. You can tell what type of mental process a person has by the types of questions you ask. Employers want to see you how analyze their company or question some of the details of the job descriptions. Even stock questions like "What's the next step?" or Is there any potential for full-time employment (for an internship position) or upward mobility in the company. Always prepare at least 4-5 questions ahead of time just in case some of them get answered.
This process has served as a lesson for me as well because I know inevitably I will be on the other side of the room sooner rather than later.
NOTE: Big props to the candidate that displayed her Twitter handle prominently on her resume. She was applying for a Communications/Marketing job so it was very appropriate and shows great insight. Maybe that is common nowadays, but honestly after seeing that I was going to give her an interview regardless of what the resume had. Go figure the rest of the resume was pretty solid as well!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Ernie Els's Major Victory
Yesterday morning I woke up excited knowing that I was going to watch the Open Championship. No one really knew what to expect. The potential headlines could have been numerous...Scott Runs Away with 1st Major, Tiger Snatches #15, G-Mac Keeps the Trophy in Northern Ireland...but the one that actually happened was far down the list. Secretly I was pulling for Ernie who I had always respected as a player after he had an amazing year in 2000 when he finished 2nd in 3 majors (Tiger got in his way there!). He started off his round pretty slow but really caught fire on the back-nine. Around 12-13 I was thinking to myself Ernie has got a chance here if he can get to -8. He had some great chances including No.16 & 17 where he left his birdie putts pretty much dead center and SHORT! It was frustrating to watch as Ernie had been so close in other tournaments, but his putter had let him down. Going into 18 I was screaming at the TV (a bad habit of mine for all sports) hoping that he could make that last birdie and have an outside chance at a playoff. Well, he made that putt and years of agony with the short stick (now long stick) went flying away with the ball he threw into the stands.
Now Ernie had to play the waiting game. Adam Scott was falling fast, but he still had a chance on 17 and 18 to finish par-par and win his first major. It was not meant to be though as he found trouble around the green on 17 and then made a questionable decision on the tee of 18. As his par putt slide by the cup on the closing hole, I felt almost nothing although I had been going crazy 15 minutes earlier. Sometimes our feelings of joy can be erased by another person's sorrow. All golf fans felt terrible for Scott including Ernie himself.
During the press conference, Ernie spent almost the entire time talking about Scott and how bad he felt for him. The majority of it though were words of encouragement in an effort to build up the confidence of his friend. Ernie had just won the biggest tournament of his recent career and all he could think about was Scott. Talk about class!
Ernie Els is a better person than he is a golfer. He may have 4 career Majors but here are his greatest accomplishments in my opinion.
1) The legacy on the golf course Ernie Els will leave is not as a champion but as the trailblazer for the youth of South Africa. Many great golfers have come up through South Africa because of the money and recognition Els has put into the junior programs in his native country. Trevor Immelman and Louis Oosthuizen both major winners have come from his program in South Africa. Els is not the original trailblazer as that was Gary Player. This reminds me of a great quote from Sir Isaac Newton.
"If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants"
Ernie realizes that he was the beneficiary of Gary Player's efforts and he wants to pass the torch onto the next generation of South African golfers.
2) If you haven't heard of it Els for Autism is a foundation that the Els's family has started to raise money for research and recognition of autism. 1 in 88 children have autism although many cases go undiagnosed. Going public with his son's (Ben) autism took great courage from his family. He deserves admiration for the courage of making such a private manner public, and also for his efforts to find solutions to autism which is a part of many peoples' lives.
I hope someday to be as gracious as Ernie Els and everyday he serves as a reminder to always be giving of your time and money to benefit the lives of others. Thank you Ernie and congratulations!
Now Ernie had to play the waiting game. Adam Scott was falling fast, but he still had a chance on 17 and 18 to finish par-par and win his first major. It was not meant to be though as he found trouble around the green on 17 and then made a questionable decision on the tee of 18. As his par putt slide by the cup on the closing hole, I felt almost nothing although I had been going crazy 15 minutes earlier. Sometimes our feelings of joy can be erased by another person's sorrow. All golf fans felt terrible for Scott including Ernie himself.
During the press conference, Ernie spent almost the entire time talking about Scott and how bad he felt for him. The majority of it though were words of encouragement in an effort to build up the confidence of his friend. Ernie had just won the biggest tournament of his recent career and all he could think about was Scott. Talk about class!
Ernie Els is a better person than he is a golfer. He may have 4 career Majors but here are his greatest accomplishments in my opinion.
1) The legacy on the golf course Ernie Els will leave is not as a champion but as the trailblazer for the youth of South Africa. Many great golfers have come up through South Africa because of the money and recognition Els has put into the junior programs in his native country. Trevor Immelman and Louis Oosthuizen both major winners have come from his program in South Africa. Els is not the original trailblazer as that was Gary Player. This reminds me of a great quote from Sir Isaac Newton.
"If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants"
Ernie realizes that he was the beneficiary of Gary Player's efforts and he wants to pass the torch onto the next generation of South African golfers.
2) If you haven't heard of it Els for Autism is a foundation that the Els's family has started to raise money for research and recognition of autism. 1 in 88 children have autism although many cases go undiagnosed. Going public with his son's (Ben) autism took great courage from his family. He deserves admiration for the courage of making such a private manner public, and also for his efforts to find solutions to autism which is a part of many peoples' lives.
I hope someday to be as gracious as Ernie Els and everyday he serves as a reminder to always be giving of your time and money to benefit the lives of others. Thank you Ernie and congratulations!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Thoughts on Penn State
Today the Joe Paterno statue was taken down in front of Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa. It is amazing to believe the cover up of the child abuse scandal. It permeated so many levels at Penn State including the once universally revered Joe Paterno to the President of the university. Tomorrow there is word that major sanctions from the NCAA are going to come down on the program and the university that are "unprecedented." Whatever the verdict of those sanctions, this clearly marks a shift in NCAA jurisdiction and implementation of sanctions. Typically there is a process where the school is notified and there is a chance for appeal. This time however Penn State is at the mercy of the NCAA.
For obvious reasons Penn State deserves what they get because an oversight of that magnitude is unacceptable.The bigger question for me is what does this say about us as human beings? So many people let this slide and said nothing. I truly believe that making these terrible decisions could have happened almost anywhere across the country. Is it human nature to go against our morals when we have lots to lose? We have seen it from time to over history...slavery, Holocaust, etc and unfortunately I think we will see it again.
I aspire to conform to a high moral code, but I cannot say with 100% certainty that I would have done something in this case had I been in the shoes of Penn State administrators. This most unfortunate situation has served as a lesson for us all to step up when we see something wrong. Hopefully our society will learn from this tragic mistake.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Redemption
Today I was watching my favorite movie, Shawshank Redemption, and it got me thinking about the word redemption. It is defined in the dictionary as the following:
Redemption is not something that is given to you. It is something that is earned through hard work or many moments of suffering. Often times, redemption involves overcoming a mistake or bad decision. I have made many bad decisions in my life that have hurt myself and others. I can live with the ones that hurt myself, but the ones that really bother me are the ones that affect others.
By the end of this blog I hope (pun intended) to find redemption like Red did in the movie. But, in order to do that I need to alter my lifestyle. I also need help. Just like Red had Andy to help him I will need others to be that guiding light for me.
In my life I am very independent and untrustworthy of others, and it holds me back. At work I am a micro manager and often times difficult to work with because of my stubbornness. Step by step I will atone for my faults and come out a better person in all aspects of life.
- an act of redeeming or the state of being redeemed
- deliverance; rescue
- Theology: deliverance from sin; salvation
- atonement for guilt
- repurchase, as of something sold
Redemption is not something that is given to you. It is something that is earned through hard work or many moments of suffering. Often times, redemption involves overcoming a mistake or bad decision. I have made many bad decisions in my life that have hurt myself and others. I can live with the ones that hurt myself, but the ones that really bother me are the ones that affect others.
By the end of this blog I hope (pun intended) to find redemption like Red did in the movie. But, in order to do that I need to alter my lifestyle. I also need help. Just like Red had Andy to help him I will need others to be that guiding light for me.
Me llamo es Kyle
There are many reasons a person starts a blog. They can be persuasive, educational, therapeutic, exploratory, among other things, but the reason I am starting one...I don't know.
That simple phase is the story of my life currently. All aspects of my life, personal, spiritual, vocational, come back to those four words. During the next steps in my life I hope to become a better person and maybe have some answers to the questions that clutter my mind daily.
So here goes nothing! Over the next year my goal is to post something everyday. It might be something that inspires me or even something that points out my weaknesses of which I have many. It should be pretty easy, but I am sure there are obstacles down the road I am not aware of right now. Maybe people will read this...maybe they won't. To question I have a definitive answer: I don't care!
That simple phase is the story of my life currently. All aspects of my life, personal, spiritual, vocational, come back to those four words. During the next steps in my life I hope to become a better person and maybe have some answers to the questions that clutter my mind daily.
So here goes nothing! Over the next year my goal is to post something everyday. It might be something that inspires me or even something that points out my weaknesses of which I have many. It should be pretty easy, but I am sure there are obstacles down the road I am not aware of right now. Maybe people will read this...maybe they won't. To question I have a definitive answer: I don't care!
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