[Yi Jianlian vs. Nene at the London Olympics, original image via AP]

D.I.Y. stands for “Do-It-Yourself,” and it’s all the rage amongst the hipster kids aiming to minimize reliance on others to get things done (trust funds be damned). D.I.Y. can involve noble satisfaction. Have a leaky sink? Fix it yourself. There, satisfied. In a sense, this entire self-published blog website started as a D.I.Y. But D.I.Y. doesn’t work so well on the basketball court, as Wizards fans are all too aware.

Nene is not a D.I.Y.-er, and for this, John Wall’s point guard ability will blossom. For that matter, the entire Wizards team could flourish when they relent to the reliance on others. Might you be listening, Jordan Crawford?

Nene and the Brazilian team moved to 3-1 in Group B play after deconstructing China on Saturday and will finish the preliminary round with a game against Spain today. With the 98-59 victory (Brazil doubled China’s score by halftime, 42-21), Nene didn’t even have to play in the final two quarters, resting whatever might ail him (such as his ongoing plantar fasciitis). A highly effective 11 minutes off the bench in the first half was all Brazil needed; Nene contributed six points, five rebounds, two assists, and a steal in this time span. Brazil’s entire team put on an impressive display of unselfish basketball, even with the knowledge that China, now 0-4 in group play, has little in terms of talent. Nene’s contributions to the Brazilian team could have implications on how the Wizards will run their offense next season, as they would like to incorporate the same unselfishness cultivated by Nene on the international stage.

Read more »

President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and First Lady Michelle Obama were in attendance for Team USA’s 80-69 victory over Brazil in an exhibition at the Verizon Center on Monday night. Lebron James led USA with 30 points, and the U.S. forced Brazil into 23 turnovers, taking control of the contest in a decisive 16-2 second quarter run. The President and Vice President receieved a standing ovation upon entry into the arena, but those cheers turned to jeers when Michelle refused to smooch her husband during the Kiss Cam Jumbtron segment. President Obama didn’t appear to be a fan of the wave at a Washington Nationals baseball game a few years back, so maybe his better half draws the line at these silly public displays of forced kissing theatrics. Couples who refuse to at least peck one another are usually mocked, subject to mass peer pressure by camera operators. The First Couple did not receive any special treatment, the Kiss Cam returned to the Obamas in the second half. This time around, with their daughter Malia cheering next to them, Michelle relented and allowed Barack to lay one on her to the roaring crowd’s approval.

Watch the following video of the White House Kiss Cam Developments:

Read more »

Breaking your hand is not very conducive to blogging, hence, some project(s) I’ve been working on have come to a crawl. They’ll get done eventually, but until then, here’s some good readin’ for ya.

First Links: Washington Wizards material

Same ol’ Wizards…just bringing players back, not making a drastic, knee-jerk moves…..status quo, right? That’s a fallacy says the Pradamaster of Bullets Forever.

What? Dan Steinberg caught a glimpse of DeShawn Stevenson’s new tattoo of a bridge across his stomach and failed to capture it on camera for the DC Sports Bog?

[UPDATE: Steinberg has a whole blog entry on DeShawn - but still no pics - most off-the-wall quote: "Myself. I'm the new Dennis Rodman. Without getting in trouble." -DeShawn Stevenson.]

Read more »

flickr/kk+

Now that the greatest Olympics of my lifetime (of 28 years) has concluded, it’s time for me to wonder, why do team sports get slighted in terms of medal events?

The dedication it takes for one to succeed at an individual event is truly amazing. All of the worldwide buzz and attention shed upon Michael Phelps and his accomplishment of eight gold medals is more than justified. At no point have I felt over-saturated with the media coverage surrounding Phelps.

However, something must be said about the unity and cohesion it takes to succeed as a team. It’s a display of the true human spirit of being able to work together to accomplish one goal. In my opinion, this is more difficult to achieve than striving for Olympic success alone….if only slightly, because my intent is not to subtract from individual competition.

Read more »