After the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team defeated
Italy 93-61, the WASHINGTON POST's Sally Jenkins writes,
"It's time to bring back college players to the Olympics,
because what used to be a great event has become an
exhibition. ... The Americans will win the gold again in
2000, and it will be about as joyful and entertaining as
watching a butcher hang slabs in a meat locker." Italy's
Andrea Meneghin said after the game: "They [U.S.] grab your
shirt, push your back, slap your head, and kick your legs.
It was fun. I learn many things out there" (WASHINGTON
POST, 9/20). In Newark, Mike Vaccaro: "Aren't you proud,
America? This is your Dream Team now, howling and yowling
all over the Sydney Dome court, flexing and flaunting,
primping for the television cameras and bullying overmatched
referees" (STAR-LEDGER, 9/20). In Miami, Dan Le Batard:
"OK, already, we have the best basketball players in the
world. Everybody understands. ... But now, like an annoying
I-told-you-so, we keep hammering home how right we were
about all this, far less gracefully and far more loudly now,
and the whole thing feels obnoxious, as well as redundant.
... It feels a bit grimy. It feels a bit dirty" (MIAMI
HERALD, 9/20). In Boston, Dan Shaughnessy writes that
yesterday's game "was a sellout, but there was a little buzz
in the building." Shaughnessy: "Watching the Americans play
the Italians was like watching figure skating compulsories"
(BOSTON GLOBE, 9/20). In K.C., Joe Posnanski: "Dream team
3.0 is about as lovable as fire ants. People would root for
Hannibal Lechter to eat this team" (K.C. STAR, 9/20). But
CNNSI.com's Phil Taylor writes, "Sure the games are dull.
Live with it. ... [Y]ou don't rig the teams to ensure a
close game. If you want a script, go to the movies"
(CNNSI.com, 9/20). Dream Team G Gary Payton joked about the
change in attitude of opposing teams: "These guys don't even
ask for autographs anymore" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/20).
NOTES: IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch returned to
Sydney "for the remainder" of the Games after his wife's
funeral in Spain. Samaranch will begin his official duties
tomorrow morning (AP, 9/20)....NBC's Tom Brokaw, on the
Games: "There have been no dramatic political incidents
here. No blood rivalries or defections" ("Nightly News,"
NBC, 9/19)...In DC, Michael Wilbon, on Sydney: "It isn't
humanly possible for people to be friendlier and more
accommodating. ... Any reasonable person would have to give
these Games a grade of A right now" (WASHINGTON POST, 9/20).
....USA TODAY's Shriver & Baer write that one Sydney radio
DJ has developed his own brand of mascots around the Games:
"Out with Olly the kookaburra, Syd the platypus and Millie
the [echidna]. In with Harry Hypodermic Needle, Gretel
Growth Hormone and Uri Urine Test" (USA TODAY, 9/20).
