If only it was easy

Germany is going to win these Olympic Games. Up until today we thought we had a chance, but it did not happen. That said, based on the number of injuries, disqualifications and other things that happened with this team, they performed very well. Our medal total is not yet final, but it looks like the mid 20's. Now you will all read about all of the things that your team went through. There will be chatter about Shani and Chad, Bode, behavior, etc. I guess what no one will decide to write about is the fact that the Olympic Games are incredibly challenging. There is a reason that these medals contain actual gold in them. They do not come easy. Unfortunately somewhere in all of the analysis writers have decided to focus on the easy targets and use them as reasons for a lack of perceived success. Heaven forbid that competition is just that - competition.

I want to talk about two things you all have probably heard about, the men's hockey team and Chad versus Shani. Let's start with hockey. Mike Modano does not get it. Plain and simple. He is a tremendous player, has done great things for USA Hockey, but he missed the boat on this one. Did the team miss expectations? Of course. Did USA Hockey do everything in their power to help this team succeed? YES! USA Hockey did whatever was needed to be done to get the team ready to play. Apparently some players believe that USA Hockey needs to find housing for families (while they did not give families a room, they did provide assistance with hooking families up with hotels, etc) and do other things. The question would be why? Also, remember that one or two guys chirping about things that bother them does not mean that the team is in agreement.

Shani and Chad. My oh my did the media love this one. Let's consider the facts. You have two athletes who are incredibly successful. In the last two years they have each won the world all-around championships. Let's add in that these two guys have entirely different approaches to life and competition. They came up in radically different environments. Then lets add in the little fact that they both want Olympic Gold. Any one of those things is enough for a writer to have field day and try to cause a riff. All of them combined are a gold mine. These are two tremendous athletes, who are very driven, and thankfully they both compete for the United States. By the way, they won a combined total of 5 medals, somewhere in the teens of total medal production.

They have the same practice times, basically the same routine...and oh yea - they share an apartment here in the Village. It is an apartment with four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Have you ever heard that before from any of these intensive, in-depth reports about these two athletes? Exactly.

It is awesome being in the Village.

The goodbye's have begun. It is actually very strange. We have been saying goodbye to people over the last few days - athletes and coaches, volunteers, our NOC Assistants. Some of these folks we just met, others we have known for a while. Everything changes when you live in the Village - either you become closer, or.... Thankfully we did not have any of the or's on this trip. It has been a great 30 plus days of making friends and having fun.

Our first mass group of goodbye's was the men's hockey team. Most of them left early on Friday morning. It was weird to see them go - it really felt like they had just arrived. I asked all of you to have faith in them. Were they a bad team - not even close. Of their six games, five were decided by a goal. Finland - who eliminated them, went out and blanked Russia last night 4-0. We had a good team, just could not get a break or a lucky bounce. That happens. It is sport, right?

That is it for today from the Village. It is hard to believe this journey is coming to an end. Just so you are aware, Bobby will be posting tomorrow and then I will wrap it all up sometime after closing ceremonies. The good news is that I have one Dew and 1 day left. Sometimes a plan works perfectly.