Year Long Suspension or 8 Games: Deal or No Deal, Vilma

Man, I thought that this whole Bounty Gate issue was past for the most part but it seems to have come up again thanks to the league.

Jonathan Vilma is in the midst of suing Roger Goodell for Defamation over Bounty Gate and getting suspended for his part in it allegedly. Vilma wants to clear his name and find out what the NFL has on him when it comes to this case. The NFL (Goodell) apparently doesn't want to go this route and wants to avoid the courtroom altogether. The league has offered as part of settlement package to reduce Vilma suspension from a year long to 8 games which means Vilma could play this year for the Saints. Vilma has to drop the Defamation lawsuit in order to get this.

Interesting that the league is trying to sweep this under the rug and move on. This can be seen as a sign of weakness. Maybe the league and it's pope (Goodell) are not infallible and can be challenged by the players through an alternate route (what a radical thought). That's definitely what this offer by the league is saying. Vilma hasn't accepted the offer, that we know of, and quite frankly I hope he doesn't take it. I want to see if the league really has anything against Vilma and if the evidence is just. Now again defamation lawsuits are very hard to win and I still don't like his odds but this case could show the players and the fans just what the NFL thinks is enough for punishment.

P.S. Thoughts and prayers to Andy Reid and his family.

Andy Murray Wins Gold for Great Britain

About a month ago, Andy Murray failed to win Wimbeldon as Roger Federer claimed his 17th Grand Slam title. It was the 4th final that Murray had lost and this one most likely hurt the most considering it was Wimbledon. Murray, however, would get some redemption.

The Olympics have tennis (duh) and Andy Murray wasn't going to let Great Britain down. He managed to play his way to the final where he was set up to play (well, what do you know) Roger Federer. Now Federer was looking to complete the Career Golden Slam in this final which would be the cherry on top of the icing on the cake the size of the Alps. Andy Murray, however, was ready to take the cherry away. Murray was strong from the beginning and just didn't give the Fed a chance. Murray won the match 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 and takes the Gold Medal in tennis.

Murray does get a win on the Olympic stage and does it for Great Britain. It's wonderful to get a gold medal in any event, even in Tennis. It's ironic he won it on the same court he lost on less than a month ago. Would he have liked to have won Wimbledon? Sure he would have. But to me there is nothing like getting a gold medal and to be able to look back at your life and say that I was a gold medal Olympian... Nah, still not better than a Grand Slam title. I tried, Murray.

Usain Bolt: Still the Fastest Man Alive

Last night in London was perhaps the biggest single event in the Olympics: the 100 M dash. The event that basically decides who is fastest once again had an interesting final. Usain Bolt was there and among the other finalists was his main threat, upstart, and training partner, Yohan Blake. In fact, Blake was the World Champion of the event going in and had been a thorn in Usain's side for a while now. It seemed that he finally got the thorn out. Usain Bolt set an Olympic record on the way to a win and a gold medal as he ran a 9.63. Bolt claims gold becoming only the 2nd man to claim gold in the 100 m with the other being Carl Lewis.

If there was a movie role for the part of Flash of the Justice League, you would still have to favor Usain Bolt for the part. Bolt's throne was being contested and he stepped up to defend it well. Yohan Blake did finish 2nd so he's considered the 2nd fastest in the world. Bronze went to Justin Gatlin of the US. Still, the island of Jamaica has to feel on top as they still have Usain Bolt as the fastest man along with another Jamaican next to him. That nation has to be very proud of those two.

Congrats to Usain Bolt on still being he fastest man in the world. Can you spare some speed for the 49ers?

Phelps Takes Gold in Last Career Olympic Event

As the 1st week of the Olympics comes to a close, so does the magnificent career of Michael Phelps. He just finished his last individual event a day before with a gold and now looked to finish his Olympic Career in the 4 X 100 M Medley Relay with his teammates. The team around him was Matt Grevers, Brendan Hansen and Nathan Adrian and Phelps ran the third with his Butterfly stroke he swims so well. The US were in 2nd at the time but they were in first when Phelps was done with his leg. Nathan Adrian then entered the water and secured the lead for the Americans for good. The US take gold by almost two seconds leaving Japan with Silver and Australia with Bronze. Michael Phelps gets his 18th gold and 22nd overall medal in his last Olympic Event ever.

The swimmer with the golden stroke goes out with a win and atop of the podium. Phelps has had no regrets (apparently) during his Olympic career and how could anyone with all those medals. It's just hard to believe that the ride is over so quickly. It seemed like just yesterday he was winning golds at Sydney in '04... and then I was hearing about his achievements for the first time in '08 (I wasn't that aware at the time, okay). The point is that one of the greatest individual athletic careers is over and I feel like it was very brief. Perhaps that's the nature of the Olympics: barely comes around and then gone before you know it.

Congrats to Michael Phelps on a magnificent career. I wish him a great life after swimming and hopes he finds something he loves doing... provided that he doesn't take after his idol, Michael Jordan (the original Favre).

Douglas Takes Gold in Women's All-Around

A couple days ago, the US women's gymnastics team won gold for the first time in the event since 1996. On that team was Gabby Douglas, a 16 year old African American who was standing on top of the world with 4 others from her country. Last night she stood alone at the top.

The Women's All Around in Gymnastics was last night in London which is supposedly Gymnastic's biggest prize. It had been won by an American the last two times and Gabby sought to be the third. She went through the Vault, the Uneven Bars, the Beam, and then lastly was the Floor. After a fine performance, Gabby waited for the others to go to see if she would take the gold. All that remained was Victoria Komova of Russia. After what looked like a great Floor Performace, the whole stadium waited for her score to see who to crown. Both her and Gabby looked on to see that Komova had just come up short. Though her score was better than Gabby's on the floor, she came up short overall with a 61.973 while Gabby got a 62.232 overall. Gabby Douglas, known as "The Flying Squirrel," flies away with gold in the Women's All-Around.

First, congratulations to Gabby Douglas on winning the Gold. It's truly a dream come true for her and any gymnast. She actually tweeted about it writing "WOW such an AMAZING experience! Thank you all for your support, love and prayers love you all!!! #oncloud9 <3." While I am happy that her dream came true, I couldn't help but feel sorrow for Komova. Gymnastics is one of those sports where you don't have a very long time in your prime and to simply get into the Olympics is a combination of skills and age. You train and work so hard for the biggest moment in your life (at a young age, mind you) I can't help but feel sorry for anyone when they fall just short of getting gold. It's just one of the toughest things to imagine.

Then from a different perspective, someone has to always lose and it wasn't Gabby. Way to go on the win. Smile for the Wheaties Box.

Silas Redd Leaves Penn State for USC

Of the outcomes from the scandal at Penn State came the opportunity for the players there to transfer without penalty to another school if they wanted to. The overall theme from the players, however, was not to abandon ship but to tough it out and remain together. However, not all stayed on this message and jumped ship anyway. On the edge of the ship was Lane Kiffin and USC calling for Silas Redd, the RB for Penn state. This last week has had USC recruiting Silas Redd for him to come play for them and Redd has decided to oblige. Redd will now play for the Trojans and can play immediately if he wanted to as opposed to sitting out one year like other student athletes that would transfer. He is one of five players who left the program at Penn State.

A big loss for Penn State on the field and the locker room. He will certainly be missed considering he ran for over 1,200 yards last season. Now this whole scandal has impacted the program and the players considerably and for that I don't blame Silas Redd for leaving. We don't know what Redd's motivations were when he came to Penn State and they could've changed or been affected by this scandal. For all we know, he's seeking to be at a place to get attention for a possible pro career and he no longer sees Penn State as a place to do that.

I do understand the message of unity from the players but we can't forget that everyone makes decisions for their best interests. Silas Redd is doing just what he thinks is best for him as are the players staying at Penn State.

Phelps More Decorated than the Queen

With the Olympics here, there have been many stories to follow that no one can keep up with. One that everyone in the world can keep up with is Michael Phelps. He is chasing the all time medal record of 18. He already secured a silver from the 4 x 100 M Freestyle relay and yesterday he participated in two events to help him get past the record. He first had to settle for Silver in the 200 M Butterfly and then went into to help team USA in the 4 x 200 M freestyle relay. He actually didn't seem to do much in that event, comparatively. He went last and but by the time his turn came around, team USA had a huge lead that Phelps couldn't lose. US take the gold in the event and Phelps takes his 19th medal in his Olympic Career officially becoming the single most decorated Olympian.

While Phelps on an individual level hasn't been his best, he still gets medals and still gets a gold. With 19 total medals and a 15th Gold Medal (Most Gold All Time), the critics will now praise Phelps as the greatest Olympian who ever competed. While I will say he is one of the best, I'm not sure he is the best ever. He's definitely the most decorated and he will certainly have more chances at medals in this Olympiad, but it's swimming... that's it. It's one sport that gives someone the opportunity to win many medals. By the number of events you have to do, the Decathlon is the greatest Olympic sport and it's champion the greatest. OK, the medal carries more weight that any swimming medal at the very least.

My point is valid, though. Michael Phelps is without a doubt the best swimmer of all time but that doesn't necessarily make him the greatest Olympian of all time.