Bob Costas: Poster Boy For Gun Control

English: US President George W. Bush speaks with Bob Costas of NBC Sports during an interview ``while attending the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bob Costas, sports journalist at NBC, knows a great deal about the Olympics and is well known for his knowledge of the Games. He has also recently shown himself to be an advocate for gun control. During a monologue to the United States public regarding the Second Amendment, Costas borrowed an article by Jason Whitlock (quoting him directly) regarding the murder/suicide of Jovan Belcher and Kasandra Perkins. During his 1 ½ minute recital, Bob Costas insisted that the two would still be alive if not for the right of U.S. citizens to own a gun privately.

Many journalists and Americans consider this to be spurious logic. What Bob Costas fails to point out is that, while the Jovan Belcher situation was a tragedy, guns are far less dangerous than cars. For instance, Olympic sprinter Daniel Batman of Australia died in a car accident. Being an authority on the Olympics, he would know this, yet Costas does not propose stopping people from privately owning and driving cars which are statistically more deadly than guns worldwide. Jovan Belcher only used the most convenient weapon.

Jovan Belcher was a burly NFL linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs. His girlfriend Kasandra Perkins was tiny by comparison. Belcher was strong enough to have committed murder with his bare hands or using any item that was readily available. A gun was not Belcher's only option for violence. 

Bob Costas received some bad press for his comments about this case but did not respond, citing a lack of time. This makes it difficult to engage in any fruitful discussion with the journalist over his borrowed diatribe and his point of view, about which many Americans strongly disagree. In the meantime, he must be eagerly awaiting the XXXI Olympic Games in Brazil. He will surely be sharing his views about Olympic sports people and various forms of harm they can do to themselves in the run up to Rio's highly anticipated event.

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Five-Time Olympic Gold Medalist, Missy Franklin Valued In The Millions For The University Of California, Berkeley

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 30: Missy Franklin of the United States celebrates with her gold medal and an American flag during the medal ceremony for the Women's 100m Backstroke on Day 3 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre on July 30, 2012 in London, England. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

The Gold medal predictions for the 2012 Olympics, came in like expected as Missy Franklin won another one in the final heat. The US. Five-time Olympic gold medalist and swimming phenom, Missy Franklin is one of the most dominant athletes to compete on the NCAA level as well.

Franklin would have earned herself around $1.5 million in endorsement revenues if she decided to go professional after London, according to Sports Business Journal. It would have however made her ineligible for NCAA competition.

The swimming superstar has her reasons why she chose to compete in college instead of making the move. Yet if she carefully weighed her options for a long term career in the sport, she really doesn't have an option. But she is committed to attend the University of California at Berkeley which raises the question how much would she be valued at for the Golden bears?

Compared to superstars like LeBron James and Derek Jeter, who passed by the NCAA to go professional, neither of them had the brand power which Franklin now has in her hands. Franklin is truly an American phenomenon who has spent much of her time in front of a camera.

For her, there is no professional league at least not on the level of the NFL or the NBA. Swimming's international governing body is still at its infancy and has not been propelled in the USA to a high level of interest among sport fans.

USA class swimmers long for a professional circuit developed by USA Swimming but it runs through the core of the group to only developing world class athletes every four years

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The Olympics Are Nearly Here!

Olympic Games Message (Photo credit: chooyutshing)

Olympic Fashion

The entire country is going 2012 crazy and Olympic fever will hit fever pitch well before the games kick off in London at the end of July. Details of the torch relay which will go within 10 miles of 95% of everyone living in the UK were announced recently, and the torch will start its trip around the British Isles at the beginning of June. The sporting influence will also affect what we are wearing this summer, but as the head to toe shell suit and trainers look isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, there are a few more subtle ways to get into the sporting vibe.

Equestrian

The UK generally performs well in the equestrian events, and riding style is one of the easiest to incorporate into every day wear. Boots such as the Ariat Bromont are designed for riding, but look equally good as casual wear. Team your Ariat Bromont boots with jeans and a smart jacket, or with leggings for an even more horsey look. Riding tops and jackets don’t have to be super smart, and polo shirts and cotton tops are popular to complete the look. The key to this look is taking specific elements and teaming them with ordinary clothes to avoid getting too strong a look, as if you’d just stepped off your steed.

Official Clothing

Never missing the chance for a merchandising opportunity, the organisers of the 2012 Olympics have produced a full range of clothing for both children and adults to tie in with the Games. The tshirts, hoodies, track pants and caps might not be at the cutting edge of fashion, but they are the ideal items to wear to the gym, and keep as a memento of the time the Olympics came to the UK. Kids will love the brightly coloured tshirts with the official games mascots, whereas adults may prefer the subtle Team GB logo items.

Accessorise Olympic Style

For those not into sportswear, show your support for Team GB by wearing a badge, or buying one of the official Team GB scarves. The scarves are being sold through Next, and everyone who buys a scarf is entered into a prize draw. Red, white and blue has been a popular colour combination for many years and choosing accessories and outfits from this colour palette will help you get into the Olympic spirit while not dressing up as an Olympic athlete.

Fly the Flag

Using Union Jack motifs on clothing and accessories is nothing new, and the importance of 2012 with the Jubilee celebrations and the Olympics ensures that clothing and accessories with the Union Jack are more popular than ever. All of the major stores are producing tops, bags, belts, shoes and numerous other items which enable you to fly the flag and take pride in being British and supporting the Olympic squad. This is a great way of getting some Olympic flavour into your outfit and accessories without going the whole distance and buying the Ariat Bromont boots for the riding look, or the tracksuit in an attempt to emulate Usain Bolt.

Trot2.com offer a great range of clothing, accessories and footwear including the Ariat Bromont range of boots for equestrian and casual wear.

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How Winning A Gold Medal Can Change An Athlete’s Life

Usain Bolt in celebration about 1 or 2 seconds after his 100m victory at Beijing Olympics 2008, breaking the world record. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Legends will undoubtedly be made at the London Olympics. It’s a time when records can be broken and greatness assured. That’s why it really is the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’.

Every athlete dreams of competing in the Olympic Games. The honour of representing your country on the world stage is something we would all love to do. But as well as national pride, there is also individual glory to be won, and in some cases, lost.

Lightning Bolt

In the Beijing Olympics in 2008 there was only one name on everybody’s lips: the phenomenon that is Usain Bolt. Widely known in athletic circles before the games, it was the 100m sprint final that created the legend. Breaking the world record with an astonishing time of 9.69 seconds, Bolt could have run faster had his shoelaces been done up and had he not, somewhat unbelievably, slowed down to celebrate towards the end. He was to shatter his own record and post the superhuman 9.59 seconds two years later in Berlin.

One Giant Leap For Mankind

The Mexico Olympics in 1968 are chiefly remembered for one thing: Bob Beamon going down the runway and literally taking off at the end. His long jump of 8 feet 9 inches was incredible, setting a world record that would last for almost 25 years. Watch the video of his jump to see the visual definition of pure athleticism and grace. It became known as the ‘Leap of the Century’. Although the record was finally beaten by Mike Powell in 1991, Beamon’s monster jump still remains one of the greatest ever sporting moments.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

It wouldn’t be right, in this year of the London Olympics, to not have a Brit featured in the list. Luckily for us, this one just happens to be arguably the greatest Olympian of all time. There have been many spectacular medal hauls over the years. Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz went home with sack fulls of gold, but to win five golds from five different Olympics is something very special indeed. That’s exactly what rower Sir Steve Redgrave achieved in the 2000 Sydney games, sealing his place in the Olympic record books forever.

The Dark Side

But not all legends are created for the right reasons. In 1988 at the Seoul Olympics, Canadian Ben Johnson blistered home in a new world record pace in the 100m. But he was later found to have taken performance enhancing drugs. Stripped of his medal, Johnson’s name went down in history but for all the wrong reasons.

Thankfully, the number of positive Olympic legends far outweighs the negative and the games still represent everything that is great about sporting achievement. This year who knows what we might see. Records will undoubtedly fall, great races will be won and hopefully we will see legends being born right before our very eyes. That’s what the Olympics means, not just to the competitors, but to all of us at home watching. It’s going to be great.

Clinton Armitage was once a promising athlete until injury forced him to retire at just 16. Today he writes a regular blog on all things Olympian, sharing his love and passion for athletics with a growing online community. He lives in East London, close to the Olympic Stadium.

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The Human Side Of The Olympic Athletes-Life In The Olympic Village 2012

Olympic Games 2016 (Photo credit: hops_76)

The Olympic Games are nearly here and the whole country is buzzing with excitement. The Olympics has brought so many benefits to the UK, not least the fact that thousands of athletes from across the world will be staying at the Olympic Village.

That’s going to amount for lots of washing and a few worn out washing machines needing repairing. But just how much washing will athletes get through at this year’s Olympics. How much shampoo will they use and how much food will they eat? Find the answer to these and other interesting Olympic Village facts below:

How many people will live in the Olympic Village?

During the 2012 games over 14000 officials and competitors will live in the village. During the Paralympic games over 4000 people will sleep, eat, meet their families and prepare for competition in the Olympic Village.

What will happen to the Olympic Village after the games?

After the games, the Olympic Village will be converted into housing. Many of these homes will be used by London’s keyworkers, like teachers, nurses and policemen.

How much food will be eaten by visitors to the Olympic Village

The 14000 people living in the Olympic Village during this summer’s games will not be the only ones chowing down. As well as the fully equipped kitchens of the Olympic Village homes, there will be hundreds of food outlets scattered around the Olympic park too, meaning that over one billion tonnes of food could be consumed during the games.

What will happen to the Olympic Park when the games are over?

After the games the Olympic Park, which is about the size of Alton Towers, will be turned into one of Europe’s largest urban parks. The park will be able to be enjoyed by all Londoners and visitors from further afield.

How many trees will be planted in the Olympic Park?

Up to two thousand trees will be planted in the Olympic Park and 2000 more at the Olympic Village, which makes the Olympics one of the biggest ever tree planting drives in the UK. The park will also contain the largest urban wetland in the UK, with a river and marshes which will contain over 300,000 different types of plants.

How many washing machines are in the Olympic Village?

There have been over 12000 washing machines fitted in the Olympic Village and each Olympian is expected to produce around 20lbs of washing over the course of the games. Washing machines are going to be kept busy in the Olympic Village so washing machine repair London could be in demand.

How much shampoo will the Olympic Villagers use?

Each villager is expected to use on average one bottle of shampoo during their Olympic adventure, which equates to over 14000 bottles of shampoo used during the entire games.

The Olympic Games is filling the UK with a real buzz of excitement and when you consider these Olympic Village facts it’s easy to see just what an enormous event this year’s Olympics will be, so good luck UK!

Jordan Murphy is a London based journalist and blogger. His insightful tips, interesting articles and lifestyle ideas make for a very interesting blog on all things London. When not writing his blog he loves to watch all sports, including athletics.

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A Great Olympian Let Down

Image by duncan via Flickr

Who else is feeling completely underwhelmed by what is supposed to be the biggest event in recent British history? No, I'm not talking about the royal wedding, though I'll admit that the excitement surrounding Pippa Middleton's unremarkable behind suggests that the British public felt a similarly damp spark.

No people, I'm talking about the Olympics. I'm so bored by the inane faux-excitement that I'm even thinking of taking a cycling holiday next July just so I can actually do some exercise rather than watch other people do it. 'Traitor!' I hear you shout. 'Kill joy!' you exclaim. Maybe I'm a bit of both, but there's just too much to hate about the whole thing.

1. The UK aren't going to win

Think of how we did in the World Cup in 2010: we think we're pretty damn good until we're confronted with the genius sportsmen and women from just about every other country in the world and then realise we're rubbish. The worst thing is that we can't say that it's because they have more money to spend on training and facilities. No one's got any money! Hurrah!

No, we just have to admit that while we're good at important things like wearing hats, genteel walking holidays in the Lake District and electing poor heads of state, in the sports department we're just like the nerd who gets picked last for the basketball team. Tim Henman, bless his tennis whites for trying, was a regular disappointment. This is not to diminish his achievements: he's better at tennis than 99.9% of the world's population – a sexy statistic if you're Tim – but the public and the media all too easily forget their own mediocrity and joyfully massacre this poor bloke's career. If he's not grand slamming willy-nilly at Wimbledon, he's basically as impressive as Wayne Rooney's hair transplant.

2. Commuter Nightmare

I used to get a thrill out of being able to give (fake) directions to flabby German tourists. Now, I can't even be bothered to think up a lie because it takes up valuable commute time – I just push past them angrily to make sure that little old lady isn't the one getting the last seat on the tube.

During the Olympic summer, you can guarantee that every tired and unenthusiastic Londoner will be asked for directions every single day, ensuring that 10 minutes’ walk to the tube becomes 11 minutes, and that extra minute is enough to miss that all important connection at the end of a trying day. Thus, I predict an increase in commuter breakdowns of at least 5%, enough to push the NHS over the edge and into an even more disorganised state. Not good for treating tourists who have injured themselves after being inspired by the wrestling event.

3.British incompetence being advertised to the world

It's ok for us to make fun of ourselves, indeed, it's a vital part of the British psyche to whinge about how rubbish the UK is: the food, our film industry, schools and most of all, our attitudes. It is all a complete joke. However, the Olympic fiasco-in-the-making will give other countries a chance to point and laugh mercilessly at our awful attempts to create a world class event with world class culture hosted by world class people. Boris Johnson's hair will be beside itself with excitement, and will start shouting out obscenities during the opening ceremony. Suddenly, Silvio Berlusconi's Bunga Bunga parties will look like an attractive alternative event for the Italians coming to see the show.

Bemused tourists will arrive in Stratford, hoping for a bit of thespian action alongside the Olympics – what they'll get is a neighbourhood Londoners pass through as quickly as possible. And finally, chic and experimental sculptors from Canada will look at the ArcelorMittal Orbit and quite rightly wonder why we've created something that looks like a python getting it on with a trumpet.

Suri enjoys travelling, photography and writing, but definetly not the idea of the olympics!

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Gold Medal Predictions for London 2012 Olympics

Image via Wikipedia

On the 27th July, the opening ceremony for the 2012 Olympics will welcome over 10,000 athletes from around the world.

The 2012 Summer Olympics will have 302 different events and 26 sports.

Here are some of the predictions for the Gold Medal winners of 2012.

Track and Field

Men’s 100m Sprint: Usain Bolt

Currently the world record holder for the 100m sprint, Bolt’s amazing achievements in the field of sprinting will be remembered for some time. Having announced he will probably retire from sprinting after 2012, we can be sure he has something special planned for the crowd at Olympic Park in 2012.

Men’s High Jump: Ivan Ukhov

Currently one of the strongest competitors his field, Ukhov has but one fatal weak point. He does not use proper high jumping spiked shoes, which have caused him to perform poorly in wet conditions. Providing the weather stays dry, there is no reason not to expect him to win.

Women’s 100m Sprint: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

Currently the reigning champion in the event, she is a big favourite to take gold at London 2012. Named as the UNICEF National Goodwill Ambassador for Jamaica, she is sure to have a large following of children cheering her on.

Men’s Javelin: Andreas Thorkildsen

Currently the gold medallist from Beijing, and showing no real signs of being overthrown, Thorkildsen enters the 2012 Games as the favourite. He’s thrown a javelin over 90m already, and is certainly not afraid to do so again.

Women’s Javelin: Mariya Abakumova

While not the 2008 medal winners, she has shown such strong performances in the athletics meets leading up to these next Olympics it would be difficult to look past her as a favourite. These include the 2011 World Championships where she took Gold.

Swimming

Men’s 1500m Freestyle: Sun Yang

The 19 year old from China continues to defy sense on why an endurance sport such as the 1500m freestyle can see dominance from people so young. In 2010 he broke the long held Australian dominance on the world record, and looks to be a hot favourite to win in London 2012.

Men’s 100 Butterfly: Michael Phelps

Michael Phelp’s domination of a number of swimming events will continue in 2012, as he wins a few more medals including this one. Phelp’s amazing physique is one that is nearly perfectly adapted for competitive sprint swimming. Frequently accused of banned substance usage due to his amazing performances, Phelps regularly undergoes testing and has shown pass after pass on all his drug tests.

This analysis of professional services was brought to you by HirePulse, a service linking Australian business, contractors, consultants, freelancers and professional services. Article made in conjunction with Living Online.

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