RebKell's Junkie Boards

[jammerbirdi]

I will understand a cricket-fest here. Don't think you'll be hurting my feelings.

But for those who might be interested, let's say we did things differently in this country with our national team. A player could only compete in one Olympic games and one worlds representing team USA. If you've done a worlds but not yet an Olympics, you're good for an Olympic team but no more worlds. If you've done an Olympics but not yet a WC, you're good for that WC nod but ineligible for any further Olympic teams participation.

If these were the rules today what would our current Olympic team roster look like? Obviously, to impose this thinking over the situation with no preparation or planning which we would hope Team USA would be actively doing if they were actually operating under these restrictions will create a shock to the system in terms of who is actually available this time out. But whatever, it's not going to happen so what's the harm.

Anyway. Also... the folks who run this, USA Basketball, wow... do they not have jobs for life apparently, or what. If I had the power to change all things I would put Becky Hammon in charge of Team USA. Becky, who famously experienced what it is and was like to know that she would never get a roster spot on her own country's Olympic team and took such a dramatic action to experience what it would feel like to participate as an athlete in the Olympics. Give Becky these rules and let her run USA Basketball. Clean house.

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Every woman who has ever been presented with a career/sex quid pro quo in the entertainment industry should come forward and simply say, “Me, too.” - jammer The New York Times 10/10/17

[linkster]

I posted this elsewhere but it fits even better here:

Tell that to this guy. Al Oerter won 4 gold medals in the discus at the Olympic games in 1956, 1960, 1964, and 1968. And remains one of the most amazing accomplishments and one of the best stories in Olympic history.

Maybe the Swiss and Germans should send there 5th best bobsled teams so others have a shot. Or maybe the US Olympic T&F trials should pick others besides the top performers.

Or maybe they should do away with medals altogether and award participation trophies to all the athletes?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP7ky3IvOLA

If I was to make a suggestion about changing the Olympics it would be to eliminate the jingoistic "battle of nations" by banning all national anthems and replacing them with a song of the gold medal winner's choice. Wouldn't it be better to hear something off of Earth Wind & Fire's "We are the World" instead of the SPB?

[ClayK]

This is a tough one because you'd pretty much have to go back to 1996 and start allocating from there. For example, which Olympics do you use Sue Bird? And which one for Taurasi?

Then once you eliminated them, you'd have to construct the next roster.

It's an interesting idea, though ...

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Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā

[jammerbirdi]

[ClayK]

I get it: Starting today ...

Well, all the oldies get their last shot

Bird
Whalen
Augustus
Catchings
Taurasi

Then I'd say this is the last dance for

Fowles
McCoughtry

If I can only use Griner, Moore, EDD and Charles once, probably not this time around -- and definitely not Stewart.

Leaving five spots for veterans:

Parker (duh)
Bonner

would replace EDD and Moore.

We need some punch up front, so even at the risk of being a Paris supporter, I think, choose from

Paris (bulk and just a few minutes each game)
Lavender
Bone

for Griner and Charles

Needing one more guard, choose from

Pondexter
Toliver

Or go with

Dupree

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Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā

[jammerbirdi]

[jammerbirdi]

I got one. Shoni Schimmel. Don't give me any of this business about her weight. Who are we to judge? She's a Native American, for God's sake! What the heck is wrong with you people.

Seriously, though. You have to be kidding me keeping Shoni Schimmel off of Team USA's Olympic squad. The girl can ball. You want to talk about an inspiring story? Get her even slightly in shape and you'd have had THE story of the 2016 Olympics and one that would have played very well in a country with a large native 'Indian' population of its own.

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Every woman who has ever been presented with a career/sex quid pro quo in the entertainment industry should come forward and simply say, “Me, too.” - jammer The New York Times 10/10/17

[jammerbirdi]

Nneka! Thank you, myrtle.

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Every woman who has ever been presented with a career/sex quid pro quo in the entertainment industry should come forward and simply say, “Me, too.” - jammer The New York Times 10/10/17

[jammerbirdi]

Cappie's never played? Well there's your geezer for us old folks. Dupree has already done this though, right? If not, that's a shoe in there. Wasn't she a dandy in the last WCs?

I'm sorry. I'm declaring this argument for the jammer. Like Trump the other night. Calling the race instantly.

Knocking every repeat Olympian off this 2016 roster, using a very restrictive policy that Team USA would never adapt, and with no preparation or planning whatsoever, you can easily put together an awesome squad in place of what we're sending to Rio.

Griner
EDD
Stewart
Diggins
Sloot
Dupree
Nneka
Shoni Schimmel (By God)
Cappie
Lavender
Toliver
Chiney

It's doable, is my point. And, as we've said, if the reality was this then it would be incumbent upon Team USA to manage and plan these rosters better over time.

I just really believe anything is better than what we have now. Anything is better than entrenched immovable personal on and off the court at Team USA. There should be more movement through the ranks of the entire system. People have been doing this too long and that's why the bias is towards all the tried and true until they're closer to 40 years old than they are to 20. Not right, IMO, and not acceptable.

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Every woman who has ever been presented with a career/sex quid pro quo in the entertainment industry should come forward and simply say, “Me, too.” - jammer The New York Times 10/10/17

[GEF34]

Assuming everyone is 100% healthy, I would go with the following.

Guards
Alana Beard
Skylar Diggins
Odyssey Sims
Monica Wright

Forwards
DeWanna Bonner
Elena Delle Donne
Candice Dupree
Nneka Ogwumike
Chiney Ogwumike
Breanna Stewart

Centers
Brittney Griner
Jantel Lavender

Since age isn't an issue, I put Alana Beard on the team to be the veteran leader, and she can bring defense, and play the guard or forward spot. Skylar and Odyssey would be the main guards, but Monica Wright can come off the bench and give a breather to either of them and she can score and play defense.

The Forwards are obviously the strength of the team, DeWanna, Elena and Breanna can stretch the floor, Candice is a great high post player, Nneka and go in and out, Chiney can be another spark and she can give help to Brittney and Jantel in the paint.

I think I have followed the rules you set in this thread, let me know if I am off on a player and I will make the needed adjustments. And of course injuries would change players as well.

[GEF34]

[jammerbirdi]

[LFO]

This thread makes no sense. Once the Olympics allowed professional basketball players, the 4 year window of college was gone.
The Olympics are about the best. Period.
Obviously, individual qualification sports is measured. Team selection is open for debate by each country, but term limits makes no sense.

[GEF34]

[jammerbirdi]

[ArtBest23]

[Luuuc]

[GEF34]

[myrtle]

[linkster]

[jammerbirdi]

Yeah, SMH about this argument now about what the Olympics are supposed to be about. Luuuc says it's about the best of the best. GEF says it's about uniting nations. LFO says something about since the whole thing was opened up to pros.

This is all a giant rabbit hole. We can all assert it's about anything we want to make it about. You don't get to tell me what it's about. lol. I mean, you can, but I don't have to accept it. I'll tell you what I think it's about.

It's about young people and athletics and the promotion of national participation and pride.

People, for instance, are going to poo-poo my suggestion of Shoni for the Olympic team. She is a Native American for crying out loud. We committed genocide against her people and they still are a population that exists in some never NEVER land of severely lowered expectations.

And she can ball. She's a professional. Out of shape, yeah. Maybe we have training facilities and capabilities in this rich country for our Olympic athletes. But she was the MVP of the WNBA ASG. She CAN play.

So, however, keeping with my idea of what it's all about, meaning national pride and participation, what would it mean to have Shoni Schimmel on the Olympic squad. And believe me, this isn't the first time anyone has had this conversation. It was a conversation that occurred. Think of the tears of pride that would roll down the faces of Native Americans in this country who have had NOTHING like this in years to get behind.

Who among us can possibly think that the Olympics and Team USA shouldn't be about that? Well, whatever. We're all entitled to our opinions.

Leave Shoni off the team. Whatever.

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Every woman who has ever been presented with a career/sex quid pro quo in the entertainment industry should come forward and simply say, “Me, too.” - jammer The New York Times 10/10/17

[GEF34]

[LFO]

To qualify for the Olympics.
I will again say that individual events are about qualification. Unfortunately, an injury or the flu or a bad day or whatever could prevent an athlete from qualifying.
In team sports, i am sure there has been
many discussions, in every country, about who was left off the national team in curling/soccer/hockey/handball/volleyball.....etc.

[UK1996]

I'd go with
PG: Vandersloot/Sims
SG: Diggins/McBride/Bentley
SF: EDD/Bonner
PF: N. Ogwumike/C. Ogwumike
C. Griner/Lavender/Bone

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Kentucky Wildcats, Sky, & Spurs

[Howee]