For Michelle

My friend Michele missed out on much of the Beijing Olympics because she lives in Norway and it was not covered as obsessively as it is in the U.S. (NBC paid $500 million for the rights, you'd better believe they were going to show it non-stop). I love the Olympics. The pomp. The circumstance. The pagentry.

Here are some amazing images from the games that will stick with me. I grabbed most of them from This is Life blog. It's great and I suggest you check it out as it's always worth a visit.

Comcast Not that into Phelps


Check out the screen shot from Comcast for Michael Phelps after he won his fifth gold medal of the Beijing Olympics (he has since won another). Apparently, he's not as pretty as Ryan Lochte, but you'd think they could at least put his full face on their website...

Olympic Champions Quiz

Head on over to Miss Cellania and take her US Olympians Quiz. I got 11 of 15 right. Not great, but not too bad.

Spank Bank Friday

His name is Koji Murofushi an Olympic Hammer Thrower from Japan. Normally, not into Asian guys--not racist, just a preference--but Koji (along with his amazing legs) is a definite exception (along with Yun-Fat Chow). Check out my new love below.

Bloodtype? Weird... still hot, but weird

Olympic Up Close & Personal:
Alvaro Paseyro

Sport: Judo
Country: Uruguay
Hotness: Gold Medal

Alvaro Paseyro was the Uruguayan Judo contestant in the x weight class at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. He may have come in fifth at the Olympics, but he’s on top of my list as a stud. He can body-slam me anytime.




From what I've read--and there's not much out there--he hurt his back and isn't "Judo-ing"* anymore. Hopefully, he's still gorgeous. Well, in my mind he is... and he has an accent!

I'll comment on the current Olympics some other time... I'd do it now, but Michael Phelps is about to knock off another Olympic record...

And if anyone knows the music in this video, I'd love to know what it is.



*What is the term for that? Wresting has wrestlers, ball games have players, what does one call someone who participates in Judo?

From The Temple of Hera...








...the Olympic Flame has been lit--which we won't see until late tonight PDT--and the games have begun. As we look forward to the Olympic Games in Beijing, a final look back at some of my favorite pics from the countdown:

For Jill...

I bet you can't tell which country I'll be rooting for...

Hint: USA! USA! USA!

“Let the Games Begin!”

With the opening ceremony for the 29th Olympiad of the Modern Era set to commence in Beijing just hours from now*, here are a few opening ceremonies/cauldron lighting moments from the last ten Olympiads (plus, London 1948 and a little bit 'o somethin' special).

7 Years in the making, 31 New Venues, 205 Countries, 10,000 Athletes; all intersecting at one amazing moment:



Athens – 2004


(The Giant Doobie)



Sydney – 2000


(Note: when the cauldron is shaking that’s the guys inside kicking the crap out of the thing to get it to move)



Atlanta – 1996


(Sniff.)



Barcelona – 1992


(Best. Lighting. Ever.)



Seoul – 1988



Los Angeles – 1984



Moscow – 1980


(Never saw this before… kinda glad I missed it.)



Montreal – 1976



Munich – 1972


(No actual video… just stills.)



Mexico City – 1968



London – 1948



BBC Grandstand for Atlanta


(Gone with the Wind, surprisingly “American”)



And a little Olympic eye-candy!


(hubba-hubba)


















*by now the cauldron is lit and everyone in China has gone to bed.

Olympic Countdown: One Day More!

With one day more to go, let's look at the fine gentlemen who play Water Polo. Yes, let's look... and drool.

Lose the hat... keep the ball.

Yes, please.

So... what's happening under the water?

Holy moly...

Woof!

He can grab ahold of me anytime!

What are they thinking about while playing with their mouths...

Huddle close boys!