Fantasy Olympian

We've moved

2009-09-20T15:58:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone! Check out our new home at www.fantasyolympian.com. Thanks for your interest!

Draft Prep

2009-08-13T15:12:00.003-04:00

Well, we're officially six months away from the Opening Ceremonies in Vancouver on Feb. 12... not to mention six months away from LIVE reports from Vancouver from some of your favorite Olympic fanatics (women's hockey, moguls and biathlon, here we come!). It's never too early to start planning out your draft. Check out what ESPN has to say about who to watch for 2010.

Also, to further your excitement about the games, consider these rivalries.

If you're checking in about participating in this year's fantasy games, keep your eye on the site for more information as things get closer. We may be moving to a new Web address soon, but we will keep you posted. Also, if you participated last year, watch your e-mail in late November/early December for sign-up renewal. We certainly plan to be back again this year bigger and better than ever!

I.O.C. Hates Pitching and Catching

2009-08-13T11:00:00.004-04:00

Update on the sports for 2016: golf and rugby are getting closer, but the I.O.C. shut out baseball and softball.

According to the NYTimes, "five sports were rejected — baseball, softball, roller sports, squash and karate — in a vote by the 15-member I.O.C. executive board, which met in Berlin."

In an earlier post about the 2016 games, I supported rugby and roller sports because both are fun to watch. I'm glad that I was half right.

But, it's too bad that golf is getting preference over softball. More people can enjoy and participate in softball than in golf. And the USA lost our dominance in softball, which was the main argument for removing it. Poor decision by the I.O.C.

I do hope, as the article suggests, that they vote to remove BMX cycling. It fits better in the X-Games.

UPDATE for 2012: women's boxing is in!

Want more Olympic sports? Just don't call 'em that.

2009-07-08T16:00:00.004-04:00

Wouldn't it be great to see Olympic sports more than once every four years? Wouldn't it be nice to scout badminton players and marathoners, speed skaters and ski jumpers -- to enjoy their craft all year long?

The USOC and Comcast agree with you, and they decided to launch a TV network devoted to Olympic and Paralympic Games. Billed as a way access thousands of hours of programming, "The channel is slated to launch next year, to cover Olympics sports that don’t get the coverage in mainstream sports channels, and focus on U.S. athletes working to compete in the biggest sports competition."

Rather than focus on the benefits to global sport, the IOC focused on its trademark and rebuked the channel because of the word "Olympics." That, and they don't want to jeopardize the plush NBC contract.

Fingers crossed for cooler heads and availability in 2010.

Via PaidContent.org

Aug. 17 UPDATE: It's never going to happen. The U.S. Olympic Panel has shelved its TV Network plan under IOC pressure. [Link to Bloomberg.com article via PaidContent.org]

Vancouver Gets Ready for Prime Time

2009-05-21T17:50:00.009-04:00

With a major international event comes international scrutiny.

So, the Vancouver Star asks a very important question: does the torch look like a joint? Organizers are downplaying the resemblance, but the fact is it will be passed by 12,000 people over 45,000 kilometres.

Meanwhile, the *ahem* ladies of the night are getting media training to field questions about local laws.

Dancing Indoors

2009-04-07T18:27:00.003-04:00

Those headed to Vancouver for the games won't have to wear a coat every day.

The Vancouver Sun reports that "the 2010 Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies will be indoors for the first time in the history of the Olympics." Convenient, sure, but I was hoping to see real-time igloo building and snowmen as part of the ceremonies.

And, if you happen to be in the area, you too can get in on the fun. The Vanoc committee is still looking for volunteer performers, provided you pass the audition and can spend hundreds of hours in rehearsal. You have until May 1 to submit your information online. Good luck to all you tiny (indoor) dancers.

New Events for 2016

2008-11-14T14:51:00.004-05:00

We all knew during the Beijing games that it was the last year for baseball and softball. But, what takes its place?

On Nov. 14, seven sports (events?) made their case for the 2016 Olympics, incuding rugby, baseball, softball, golf (!?), karate, roller sports and squash.

We won't know for a year, but which ones do you like? I'm in favor of rugby and the ambiguous "roller sports." Because the first is awesome to watch and the second means the U.S. can probably win some gold.

Olympians in Chicago

2008-09-03T14:24:00.008-04:00

Team USA and NBA stars Dwyane Wade, Carmello Anthony, Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant. Kobe gave us a wave right before this picture. I'm not sure why Paul is staring me down.

You'll have to trust me here, but these are members of the USA gymnastics team. You might be able to tell that Nastia Liukin is in the back, wearing white.

Here comes Michael Phelps (and, of course, his mother... do you think she has to get a substitute principal when she misses school?). From what I could tell, Phelps was the only athlete who showed up separately from the rest of the group.

Hey Michael, you're tall. Embrace it. Stop slouching.

Part of the Phelps entourage exits the area. I'm guessing Oprah put together that escort.

Redeem Team member Carlos Boozer, with two members of the gold medal-winning women's basketball team.

I came, I saw, I took blurry pictures

2008-09-03T10:17:00.003-04:00

As you may have heard, Oprah's season premiere episode will feature 150 Olympic medalists and help promote Chicago for the 2016 Olympics. The show will air next Monday (September 8), but they are taping it in Millennium Park this morning, right across from my office. Since I have to work, I didn't get tickets, but I did stop by this morning to check out the scene. I'll post some pictures later, but here were my impressions.

-It certainly seems that Chicago loves the Olympics (or at least loves Oprah). The line at 8:00 a.m. stretched as far as the eye could see. I walked past at least 5 blocks of people waiting in line down Michigan Avenue... and these were just the people waiting to get lawn seats. That doesn't account for the additional 2,000 people who waited in long lines last Saturday to get pavilion seats.

-Perhaps I was being naive, but I kind of thought I would be able to walk through the park and at least get a look at the stage. That was not the case. They had that place locked up tight, with police barricades stretching the length of the park on all sides and lots of police (not to mention Oprah's security folks, who dress like secret service and talk into their sleeves). I quickly realized I would have to get creative if I wanted my visit to be worthwhile. I saw a group of folks with blue wristbands (different than those given to the people in line), so I decided to see where they were headed. I followed them around to a back door, which was by the press entrance. There were tons of press lined up, so I figured that this is where the athletes were arriving. There were remarkably few "civilians" back there (probably scared off by the cops), so I shimmied right up the barricade.

-The first athletes I spotted were Chris Bosh and Tayshaun Prince, sporting gold medals and Team USA warm-ups. They were actually inside already. Rumor was that everyone on the Redeem Team was able to make it except LeBron. I guess Oprah has some pull. I came to find out that most of the athletes arrived about 10 minutes before I got there aboard double decker buses (wish I had seen that), but the star of the show was yet to arrive: Michael Phelps was still on his way.

-Next up was the women's gymnastics team, led by Nastia Liukin. I didn't see Shawn Johnson, but it looked like the rest of them were there. Of course, it was hard to see from my vantage point because all the girls were shorter than the railing... which was a stark contrast to the men's and women's hoops players.

-Other Olympians I saw: Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Carmello Anthony, Chris Paul, Jason Kidd, Dwight Howard, Carlos Boozer, Candace Parker, Lisa Leslie, a couple other members of the women's basketball team (sorry ladies!), a couple guys who I am pretty sure were swimmers, and a few indoor volleyball players.

-For the Mizzou fans in the crowd, I'm also pretty sure I spotted Ben Askren. The hair and the chin are, of course, pretty distinctive. The only thing that gave me pause was the fact that Ben didn't actually win a medal (he'll get'em in London, though... just you wait). I yelled out an "M-I-Z" but got no response. Either he didn't hear me or it wasn't him.

-Now, the moment you've all been waiting for: Yes, I saw him. Michael Phelps was the last athlete to arrive, along with his mother and his sisters. Now, I'm not going to say he's a prima dona, but his entourage seemed a bit excessive. When three black Escalades and two unmarked police cars pulled up, the folks around me started to speculate that perhaps Barack Obama was showing up... or (GASP) it was finally Oprah!!!!! I was intrigued by the possibility of Obama, but couldn't care less about Oprah, so I was happy to see it was Phelps. He took a reasonable amount of time with the media before heading up to the staging area. But if you need to know how famous Phelps is, here's an example: As he was working his way down media row, two double decker buses and a trolley filled with the Olympians' families arrived. These people are all related in some way or another to Olympic medalists... and some of them were practically falling off the bus trying to get a shot of Phelps. I managed to get a pretty good one, which I hope to post later.

-After Phelps, I had to get going (sorry ladies, no Oprah photos here), but I could tell she was coming because the media was all still in place. All in all, an interesting morning. It's not very often you see that many world class athletes in one place. It's also the closest I've ever been to an Olympic gold medal (that is, until Lee wins gold in the Modern Pentathlon).

Final Results

2008-08-24T14:30:00.003-04:00

All the calculations are finished and we have our winners:

Gold: Fans of Gro Hammerseng (Ed/Will) from the Jenny Thompson Division

Silver: The Minstrel Winos (Julie) from the Jesse Owens Division

Bronze: Bristol Olympics (Peter) from the Mary Lou Retton Division

It's also worth giving some recognition to Jim's Dino-Crushers (Jim) who won the Jim Thorpe Division and just missed out on the overall bronze thanks to the tie-breakers. All four of these teams featured Michael Phelps, but three divisions were won by non-Phelps teams:

Tamara Willit Hurt (Leslie) won the Carl Lewis Division.

The Torch Bearer (Christy) won the Matt Biondi Division.

Uncle Sam's Chariot of Fire (Jeremy) won the Mark Spitz Division.

Now, on to some other awards:

Non-Phelps Gold Medal: Tamara Willit Hurt (Leslie), who racked up 47 points without Phelps. Leslie would have won in four different divisions... and not just because she is the Commissioner's wife.

Worst Score with Phelps: Panda-monium (Virginia & Caroline), who scored just 35 points despite having 24 from Phelps.

Dark Cloud Memorial Certificate of Participation: Cool Runnings (Charis), who scored just 4 points and finished last. You'll get'em next time, Charis.

Most Ironic Name: Mao Tse Bronze (Shawn), who lived up to his name by finishing with - you guessed it - the bronze in the Mark Spitz Division.

Biggest Draft Steal: Shiffer Brains (Brian), who got 8 points from Matt Grevers, who he drafted in the 12th round.

Biggest Draft Bust: Cool Runnings (Charis), who missed the news about Morgan Hamm's injury and picked him in the first round... and never cut him.

Best Team Name: Beijing Saddles (Jason) from the Jenny Thompson Division.

Highest Scoring Division: Jenny Thompson Division with 239 points (we had to throw out the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Division, which had 8 people, and the Jim Thorpe Division, which had Australian athletes).

Lowest Scoring Division: Carl Lewis Division and Mark Spitz Division (tie) with 206 points each.

Final Standings:

1	Fans of Gro Hammerseng	Ed	59
2	The Minstrel Winos	Julie	57
3	Bristol Olympics	Peter	55
4	Jim's Dino-Crushers	Jim	55
5	Cubicle Farm Medalists	Kat	52
6	Team TBD	Gavin	52
7	Girls Rule, Boys Drool	Courtney, Channing, Campbell	49
8	Tamara Willit Hurt	Leslie C.	47
9	The Torch Bearer	Christy	46
10	North of the 49th Parallel	Roel	44
11	Hellooo Olympian!	Dan	43
12	Rough Riders	Zeb	42
13	Shiffer Brains	Brian	41
14	Uncle Sam's Chariot of Fire	Jeremy	40
15	Team (Your Company's Name Here)	Lea D.	40
16	Jersey Sea Turtles	Lauren	39
17	Beijing Saddles	Jason	39
18	Team TBD	Megan	38
19	The Fighting Irish	Sara	37
20	Baylor Beijing Ballas	Brandon	37
21	Hollywood's Heroes	Mike	37
22	2Gym=1Swim	A.J.	37
23	Two Hookers and a 41-year-old Mom	AOL Sports	36
24	Phelps' Body Double	Bryan	36
25	Big Momma	Melissa	36
26	Team TBD	Robby	36
27	REDSTORM	Daniel	36
28	Panda-monium	Virginia and Carolyn	35
29	WeGotGuns!	Scott	34
30	The Gold Diggers	Dustin and Gretchen	34
31	Team TBD	Weston	34
32	Team TBD	Tom C.	33
33	Orangeblooded	Mike	32
34	Mao Tse Bronze	Shawn	32
35	America's Red Army	Shawn R.	31
36	Team TBD	Steve	30
37	DrewsCrew	Jim	30
38	Thunderball	Marc	30
39	The Orioles	Conor	29
40	Puscifer	Laura	29
41	Destinee's Hookers	Cameron	29
42	Team TBD	Joel	29
43	Gang Green	Joe	29
44	H.I.P.P.O.S	Maria S.	28
45	Bling-Bling	Travis	28
46	Team TBD	Eric	28
47	Team TBD	Benjamin	28
48	Team TBD	Clay	28
49	The Drunken Sailors	Helen	28
50	The Fighting Song	Matt K.	28
51	The U.S. of France	Andrew	27
52	Team TBD	David	27
53	Chicago 2016	Tom G.	27
54	The Riptides	Maeve	27
55	Agent XXIX	Brandi	27
56	Dim Sum of This	Lauren	26
57	People's Republic of Boozin	Susan, Patrick, Erica and Paul	25
58	Summer Surge	Wilson	25
59	USA Rocks the Olympics	Isaac	24
60	Redeem Team	Derek	23
61	THE Cinderella Story	Stephanie S.	23
62	Aces	Hadra	22
63	Run Like You Stole Something	Wagner	22
64	Team Ryder	Leslie	21
65	Marion Jones Steroid Puddle	Scott	21
66	an yun	Lee D.	20
67	USA RULES	Dennis	18
68	The Hoyas	Dave	18
69	FatGuyWins	Cory	17
70	Oerter Team	Steve S.	17
71	Cool Runnings	Charis	4

The Future

2008-08-24T13:39:00.008-04:00

With the 2008 Summer Games at an end, we would like to thank all of you for making Fantasy Olympics a huge success. We’re crunching the numbers right now and will have the official results posted later today.

Some of you have asked whether we will be back in 2010. Our goal is to be back bigger and better than ever. We are working to develop partnerships that will allow us to provide additional content and better draft analysis. We will still approach the Games with the same friendly, all-inclusive attitude that you’ve come to expect from the birthplace of Fantasy Olympics, but with access to more news and analysis for the true Olympic junkies.

We expect to have even more participants in 2010. To that end, we are working to develop a more user friendly website. We value the opinions of the Fantasy Olympics community, so we encourage you to contact us at fantasyolympics@hotmail.com if you have any recommendations for the 2010 Games.

We would like to thank everyone again for being a part of this year’s Fantasy Olympics. We never anticipated that so many people would be interested, and it has been fun to see the idea grow. We hope everyone had a good time and will join us again in 2010!

Down to the wire

2008-08-22T14:41:00.003-04:00

With just a couple days left in this year's Summer Games, things are coming down to the wire here at Fantasy Olympics. Through Day 13, Fans of Gro Hammerseng (Ed/Will) has a commanding five-point lead over all competitors for the overall title. Thanks to bronze medals from Jill Kintner and Steven Lopez, it looks like Will and Ed will finish with 59 points overall. Is that enough?

The Minstrel Winos (Julie), currently in second place, could end up with 60 points if Bernard Lagat gets gold in the 5000m and Team USA wins the 4 x 400. An overall title is within reach... if you trust the USA track team.

Bristol Olympics (Peter), Cubicle Farm Medalists (Kat), and Jim's Dino-Crushers (Jim) are all tied for third right now with 52 points, but barring a big surprise, none of them look to have enough firepower to catch the leaders. If they remain tied, Kat and Peter both have China as the tiebreaker. If that happens, we (unlike the international gymnastics federation) would call it a tie.

Most of the division titles have been locked up, but there are four divisions worth keeping an eye on. In all four, the team holding Phelps is on the ropes:
-In the Carl Lewis Division, Tamara Willit Hurt (Leslie) is 3 points away from a shocking upset. Leslie can get those points in either the men's or women's 4 x 400 relay.
-In the Mark Spitz Division, Uncle Sam's Chariot of Fire (Jeremy) will win with ease, despite not having Phelps.
-In the Matt Biondi Division, Shiffer Brains (Brian) will knock off the favorite if Bernard Lagat can win the 5000m on Saturday. The Torch Bearer (Christy) also has an outside shot at the upset.
-In the Shannon Miller Division, it all comes down to the 4 x 400 relay. North of the 49th Parallel (Roel) needs a gold or silver from LaShawn Merritt in that event to avoid the upset at the hands of Jersey Sea Turtles (Lauren).

Plenty of action left! And some of you thought it was impossible to beat a team with Phelps.

Judgment Day

2008-08-20T23:49:00.003-04:00

Today (Thursday) could be a judgment day of sorts in many divisions, with lots of key medals being handed out. As I type this, Walsh/May-Treanor have just won the gold. Here's what else is on deck throughout the day:

Medal events:
-Men's water polo, gold medal match (USA v. Netherlands), 6:20 a.m. EST
-Softball, gold medal final (USA v. Japan), 6:30 a.m. EST
-Women's 57kg taekwondo final (likely featuring Diana Lopez), 7:15 a.m. EST
-Women's 200m final (headlined by Allison Felix), 7:30 a.m. EST
-Men's 68kg taekwondo final (likely featuring Mark Lopez), 7:45 a.m. EST
-Women's 10m platform final (featuring Laura Wilkinson), 8:00 a.m. EST
-Women's soccer, gold medal match (USA v. Brazil), 9:00 a.m. EST
-Men's 400m final (headlined by Jeremy Wariner and LaShawn Merritt), 9:20 a.m. EST
-Men's 110m hurdles final (featuring David Payne and David Oliver), 9:40 a.m. EST

Other big events:
-Women's volleyball, semifinal (USA v. Cuba), 12:35 a.m. EST
-Women's basketball, semifinal (USA v. Russia), 8:00 a.m. EST
-Decathlon events (headlined by Bryan Clay), all day

Of course, if the volleyball match was any indication, it looks like the weather might wreak havoc on the outdoor events. The BMX final scheduled for Thursday has already been postponed until Friday. As always, we'll wait until Thursday evening (in the U.S.) to post the results from all of today's events so we don't ruin it for anyone who only believes Olympic news when it comes from the lips of Bob Costas. If you refer to any results in the comments section, please label it as a spoiler.

Favorite Olympic Storylines

2008-08-20T12:00:00.008-04:00

There are still four days left of this 29th Olympiad, but I couldn't wait for this post. There have already been so many amazing moments, and you've commented on several. What does our league thinks has been the best?

Is it that Usain Bolt looks like he's out for an evening jog? Even though Bob Costas ripped into the fastest man in the world live on the air.

Do you prefer the women's gymnastics? Shawn Johnson hasn't stopped smiling since she arrived in Beijing, and Nastia Liukin methodically took home the gold. All this while overcoming allegations of rigged judging (Ed. note: I wouldn't be surprised).

Is it that Michael Phelps is now the winningest Olympian, gets his own NBC page and eats in one day what you should in one week (this is equally gross and impressive).

How about the USA softball team, which is bossing the competition so badly that the IOC voted it out of the 2012 games?

Online Surveys & Market Research

Second half push

2008-08-17T19:57:00.004-04:00

Well, we're just over halfway done with this Olympics and we've already had our share of breathtaking moments. If you haven't been blown away by the performances of Michael Phelps (with some help from Jason Lezak), Nastia Liukin, and Natalie Coughlin, I'm not sure what to tell you. Plus, did you see that 100m final from Usain Bolt? Ridiculous.

There have also been some fireworks in the Fantasy Olympics. Powered by Phelps, Cubicle Farm Medalists (Kat) has racked up an astonishing 51 points over the last nine days to take the overall lead. The question will be whether all the teams with Phelps can hang on. The only remaining medal hopefuls for Kat's team are Darvis Patton, Marcie van Dusen and Diana Lopez, so this is a long way from over.

Even more surprising, some divisions are being led by teams without Phelps. With the help of some great value in the middle and late rounds (Lezak, Margaret Hoelzer, and Matt Grevers), Shiffer Brains is leading the Matt Biondi Division and could pull off the huge upset if Liukin, Bernard Lagat, Muna Lee and Mikele Barber can bring him home. Another battle is brewing over in the Mark Spitz Division where Uncle Sam's Chariot of Fire (Jeremy) is tied for first with Panda-monium (Virginia & Caroline), which features Phelps. It's also tight in the Shannon Miller Division, where the Jersey Sea Turtles (Lauren) trail the Phelps-powered North of the 49th Parallel (Roel) by just two points.

It looks like it should be a tight race all the way to the finish and you never know who will surprise. Two years ago, we thought it would all come down to Shani Davis vs. Chad Hendrick before Julie Mancuso surprised us all with the gold. Who will it be this year? Let's take a look at the events coming up over the final week.

1. Lots of folks who couldn't get Phelps hitched their wagon to the U.S. Track team. They have been disappointing so far, but there's lots of running to do. The biggest event may be the men's 400m final on Thursday, which should be a showdown between 2004 gold medalist Jeremy Wariner and his American rival LaShawn Merritt.

2. Wednesday will the start of four big days if you have a member of the U.S. taekwondo team on your roster (also known as the Lopez family). A Steven Lopez three-peat could mean three huge points for your team.

3. The team finals at the end of the week will be huge. The softball team and women's hoops are expect to win without difficulty, but you never know at the Olympics. The women's soccer team should face a much stiffer challenge. The date circled on my calendar is next Sunday, where we'll see if the Redeem Team can finish off its gold medal run. Plenty of fantasy points to go around.

4. The beach volleyball finals are on Thursday and Friday, which could reward important medals late in the week if the remaining U.S. teams can avoid the upset.

Hope everyone is having fun!

Best ever?

2008-08-14T17:31:00.002-04:00

Everyone from Bob Costas to LeBron James seems to be caught up in Phelps Phever. He's already got more gold medals than anyone else in history and could have three more by the time it's all over... not to mention what he might do at the next Summer Olympics in London(I might start tanking my team now to get in position for the 2012 draft). But is he really the best Olympian ever? Lots of people say yes, but this guy says no.

What do you think?

Open letter to the U.S. women's gymnastics team

2008-08-13T13:30:00.003-04:00

Lea found this great open letter to the U.S. women's gymnastics team via The Best Week Ever:

"Dear U.S. Olympic Women’s Gymnastics Team,

I am proud of you. You are a group of strong, intelligent, artistic women whose thighs could easily kill a man. So what if a group of 4-year-olds beat you? So what if some of you wobbled, stumbled, or fell? There’s a whole hell of a lot that you did and CAN do:

You still have the ability to do flips in the air and land on a strip of wood that’s no wider than this box of chicken fries I’m eating right now.
You can hurl your body into the air, do some crazy twists and turns, land on your BROKEN ankle, stick the landing, and still manage to smile like a champion.
You can run across a giant mat that looks bouncy and fun but sounds (and feels) like it’s made of concrete when you land.
You can rock a shiny leotard that looks like it was painted onto your body.
You don’t need to wear a pound of glitter on your face to make yourself look like you’re an adult.

China only beat you by 2.375 points. Most of that gap was a result of China’s impeccable performance on the uneven bars, not because of Alicia Sacramone’s fall off the balance beam. In case you couldn’t hear the announcers, who reminded us of this fact 400 times throughout the event, the girls on the Chinese team were taken away=2 0from their parents when they were still toddlers. At least you’ve got family! And you’re hot!"

Scoring Correction for Fantasy Olympics

2008-08-12T15:18:00.005-04:00

As one of you noted in the comments below, the scoring for Peter Vanderkaay is incorrect. NBC's Web site originally listed him as a member of the 4 X 100 relay team (in the preliminary rounds), but that is apparently not the case. We will adjust the scores accordingly when we do our daily update this evening. Please note that the current 3 points listed for Vanderkaay do not include his bronze medal, which will be reflected in the Day 4 update. We apologize for any confusion.

Olympic Fever is Fun to Contract!

2008-08-12T12:00:00.003-04:00

Commissioner put it well in 2006 when he named his team: If You Don’t Have Olympic Fever, It Might Be Dysentery. If you have it, then you know that the only prescription is...more gold.

Today, as The Onion News Network reprots, the deadly virus sweeping China is just Olympic Fever.

Rest easy, World. It's a good problem to have. And continue enjoying the games.

Medal Counts and Rules Recap

2008-08-11T12:00:00.006-04:00

Your Fantasy Olympics Committee hopes you are enjoying the already epic Olympic competition. (Did you see that swimming relay? Amazing.)

In case you’ve not noticed, all medal counts will be updated by the Commissioner or a member of the Fantasy Olympics Committee. We aim to update medal and division counts by the end of the working day (Eastern time). So keep checking back to see where you stand.

Also, we recap here the Rules and the Announcements to reiterate how we score the league:

1. For this Olympiad competition, we randomly divided 85 teams into 11 leagues. In light of the increased number of athletes at the summer games (nearly 600 on Team USA), each team picked 12 athletes plus 1 tiebreaker country. We will crown 11 league winners, in addition to an overall champion. The prize will remain the same as in the past: unending respect and admiration, and maybe a free drink from each of the other participants the next time you see them.

2. Remember: Each player will select a total of 12 athletes. Any athletes not drafted will be deemed Free Agents. Teams may add, drop or trade players through their first event. Whoever holds the athlete at the time of his or her first event is locked in and cannot remove the athlete from the roster. A player may draft a tiebreaker country in any round, but remember that the medals won by that country will only come into play in the event of a tie.

3. Medals in team sports can only count once toward the final total, and team sports can only be chosen by one person per league. For example, someone pinning their medal hopes on USA Basketball should choose the team, not LeBron James. After that team is chosen, no one else can choose that team.

4. However, anyone who competes in an individual sport (i.e., swimmers, runners, etc.) should be chosen individually, and each relay medal will count toward your total. The basketball player can't win an individual medal. However, if you take Lezak—SERIOUSLY, HOW GREAT WAS THE 400 FREE RELAY!?!—you do so because he can win medals in several events. Same thing with Venus or Serena. The point is that you get all medals for any athlete who compete in individual events, even if some of those medals come in relays.

5. The winner will be the team with the most points at the end of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Points will be assigned as follows: 3 points for a gold medal, 2 points for a silver medal, and 1 point for a bronze medal. Each team’s final score will be based on an aggregate score from his or her 12 players.

6. Each player will also select one non-USA country whose gold medal count will be used to determine a winner, in the event of a tie among two or more players’ aggregate scores. If the gold medal count fails to break the tie, then the silver count, and finally the bronze count, will be used.

7. We do not weight any sports.

8. Have fun. And tip your waitstaff. They’re working hard for you.

Tracking the Summer Games

2008-08-08T12:00:00.007-04:00

Happy Olympics Day, everyone! The rosters are set, and The Original Fantasy Olympics league is ready.

As competition begins, here is a roundup of some ways to track the games and your atheletes:

* The great Beijing Olympics FAN! has a live blog of the lighting ceremony, and many other on-the-ground updates you can't get anywhere else.

* Deadspin has their own Olympics channel and Beijing bureau.

* CBSSports.com has dedicated coverage and headlines that can help you manage your roster.

* A small upstart company, "Google," has their own Olympics gaget through iGoogle. I really hope that site catches on.

* If you're on Twitter.com--and you should be--follow http://twitter.com/beijingolympic and http://twitter.com/NBCOlympics for real-time updates.

* There's always the Bejing Olympic Games Official Website: http://en.beijing2008.cn/video/

* The official medal results are at NBC 2008 Summer Games website, and we'll be posting them in the divisions, as well.

* Here's a report on what it's like to watch the Opening Ceremony in Japanese.

* We are using this site as a resource for daily score keeping. (Note: participants on a relay team receive a medal even if they do not compete in the final, and even if ESPN includes them, they will not be listed as part of our results.)

Any other tools or websites you like? Post links in the comments, won't you?

Team USA loses key athletes to injuries

2008-08-08T06:54:00.006-04:00

Injuries always have an impact on fantasy sports. But with the Olympics, something is notably different. Unlike an injured football or baseball player, an injury to an Olympic athlete doesn't represent a seasonal setback, it represents, in many cases, an end to a dream.

As the XXIX Olympiad nears, several U.S. athletes have sustained injuries that will keep them from competing. Women's soccer star Amy Wambach went down recently with a leg injury that will keep her sidelined in Beijing.

Paul and Morgan Hamm, the stars of the Men's gymnastics squad, will be forced to watch the games as well.

U.S. boxer Gary Russell Jr. collapsed trying to make weight and is out of the competition.

And a knee injury will keep tennis player Lindsay Davenport out of singles play, although she is still holding out hope for the doubles matches.

So before the games get underway and we become consumed with those competing, it is appropriate to recognize these injured athletes who have put in countless hours over the past several years in preparation for Beijing.

Even though they won't get to compete, we are proud of them. We thank them for representing themselves and our country with class, and we wish them all the best in their athletic careers.

Let The Games Begin!

2008-08-08T01:12:00.003-04:00

With the Opening Ceremony only a few hours away, all the Fantasy Olympics divisions and rosters are set. We hope you all are looking forward to the next 16 days as much as we are!

Good luck to everyone! Enjoy the Games!
The Fantasy Olympics

Fun features

2008-08-05T20:00:00.004-04:00

Some fun Olympic features on AOL in honor of the Games, which start Friday (08-08-08 at 8 p.m. on NBC)!

First, a pretty challenging quiz, even for the Olympics obsessed like myself.

Also, there's a "Where are they now?" photo gallery that updates us on some of the more memorable athletes of Olympics past.

I'm not sure if this is a joke or not, but it says diver Greg Louganis (he of the famous head smack on the board) is going to be a host/judge on an upcoming TV show called... wait for it... "So You Think You Can Dive" (:::cringe:::).

And what's Maurice Green up to these days? "Currently dates Claudia Jordan, who holds case No. 1 on NBC's 'Deal Or No Deal.' Also appeared in reality TV show 'Blind Date'."

Ouch! It really saddens me how many former greats have become involved with reality TV (Yeah, I'm talking to you, Bruce Jenner).

Originally posted on The Columbus Dispatch's Celebrity Surveillance blog.

p.s. Thanks for the tip, Derek!

Who's next?

2008-08-05T08:57:00.004-04:00

Carl, Jesse, Jim, Mark and Matt are all having their second (or in some cases, like, ninth) shot at glory with Fantasy Olympic divisions named after them. Jenny Thompson is in line for the next division, but after that...well, that's where you come in. Who's next?

Jackie Joyner-Kersee? Flo Jo? Mary Lou Retton? Paul Hamm?

Sorry...Bob Costas is not eligible.

Leave us your suggestions in the comments section.

***EDIT***
Well, with the requests to play pouring in and the name suggestions not, we went with the executive decision of adding the Jenny Thompson, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Mary Lou Retton divisions.

Suggestions still welcome, though. Leagues can still form up until Thursday, provided you can complete your draft by that night.

Some possibilities (they're getting kinda weak): The Magnificent Seven (the 1996 Gold Medal Gymnastics Team... thanks, Kerri Strug!), Al Oerter, Ray Ewry, Flo Jo, Shannon Miller, Paul Hamm, Mia Hamm (no relation)

Fantasy Olympics in the News

2008-08-04T23:00:00.002-04:00

TheFantasyOlympics.net is starting to spread out from our little corner of The Internets. Check out these stories:

CBSSports.com

"Finally, a reason to follow the entire Olympics"
http://www.sportsline.com/spin/story/10918856

Track author Cameron Martin's Team in the Jesse Owens Division.

San Antonio Express-News

"Olympic fantasy void is now filled"

And more on his blog:
http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/fantasysports/

The Columbus Dispatch

"Fantasy Web site mining for gold"

Rob Oller highlights the Ohio angle.

China and "The Internets"

2008-08-04T22:26:00.007-04:00

With the national coverage that Fantasy Olympics has generated in the past few weeks, we couldn't help but notice the one place where no one has taken notice:

China.

The reason: they are not allowed to.

It turns out our site is among many sites currently banned in China. It stems from the Chinese government's filters that screen sites using words like "fantasy" among others.

RotoNation, a popular fantasy sports blog (who has also been banned), has the story.

Favorite Olympic Moments

2008-07-29T12:00:00.004-04:00

We are 10 days away (less than a fortnight!) from the start of the games, and Olympic coverage is kicking into gear. All this has me thinking about some of the best moments from past games.

When I think "Great Moments," I answer yes to the question, "Do you believe in miracles!?!"

What are your favorite moments? The Dream Team? Women's gymnastics gold? Michael Johnson? Phelps? They're all nicely compiled here:

And, of course, there are the great ads. Can you beat the Dan vs. Dave ads that Reebok created?

[Clip via CNBC.com SportsBiz blog, which has a new interview with the guys.]

Fantasy Olympics 101

2008-07-20T13:15:00.004-04:00

Since almost everyone is new to the Fantasy Olympics, I thought it might be helpful to dish out some advice before your drafts. Hopefully everyone has received the "Athlete Spreadsheet" I sent out to participants. My suggestion is that you use that as a guide if you don't have time to do your own research, but I strongly recommend that you at least Google somebody before you pick them so that you don't end up with an athlete who just withdrew from the games or didn't qualify in all his events. And feel free to go with someone not on the list. That's the beauty of the Olympics. You never know who's going to win.

Now, a few words on strategy:

1. The biggest consideration on every pick is achieving a careful balance between the number of events and the medal potential. There is obviously a premium on athletes with more than one event because that means they have more opportunities to win medals. But be careful... speed skater Halie Kim and skier Bode Miller were both first round picks in 2006 because they were in four and five events respectively, but both came up with nothing. Meanwhile, the winning team in 2006 was powered by three snowboarders who only had one event each, but combined for 8 points. It's a careful balance.

Beyond the obvious strategy of picking athletes who are likely to medal in multiple events (I'm talking about you, Michael Phelps), my advice is to use your early picks on athletes in multiple events with at least some medal potential. Swimmers are a great place to start, as are gymnasts and to a lesser degree, track athletes. You can always pick up a "guaranteed" medal later (i.e. Women's basketball or soccer), but you'll only get one. Wait until the late rounds to take a flier on your favorite equestrian star.

2. Because of everything mentioned above, Michael Phelps (who might win as many as 8 gold medals this year) should be the consensus No. 1 pick. While that gives the person with the No. 1 pick a huge advantage, it's not a guarantee. Remember: Anything can happen at the Olympics. While none of us wish injury on Phelps, he could pull a muscle just like anybody else. You also never know what newcomer might emerge in the pool to challenge him.

That being said, there are also some ways to combat the Phelps advantage if you are not lucky enough to get the first pick. Start by trying to land some of his teammates on the relay teams. That will allow you to ride his wave of success and negate some of the points earned by the person in your league who has Phelps. But remember, don't waste an early pick just to get guaranteed points. Pick someone early who has a chance to come close to Phelps' medal count (for example, gymnast Shawn Johnson, who is projected by some to win at least four medals), and save your swimmer for a later round. Remember, there are three other men on each of Phelps' relay teams. Plenty of medals to go around.

3. Lastly, have fun with this... it's not like there's money on the line. If you really love gymnastics, try to get a gymnast. If you are an avid fencer, grab a fencer in a late round. The point is to make the Games fun to watch and give you a stake in the competition. Just make sure you do your homework and know who has a legitimate chance to medal in that sport. There are some events where the U.S. team has not medaled in decades. There's no point in wasting a pick on someone who is going to finish 52nd. For further details, ask Dark Cloud about its 2006 strategy of drafting biathletes and cross country skiers.

Got more insights for this year's competitors? Put them in the comments

Fantasy Olympics Announcements

2008-07-18T15:23:00.005-04:00

With the Games just 20 days, 16 hours and 35 minutes away (thanks NBC), there are a few things to announce.

1. Draft orders have been posted. The drawings were done randomly from a hat by a disinterested third party. The Administrators did not pick their own draft orders (though you might be suspicious if you see who is picking No. 1 and No. 2 in the Carl Lewis Division). Take a look at your league page for the draft order so you can plan accordingly.

2. Per the suggestions in the original rules post, we have adopted one rule change. Team sports can only be chosen by one person per league. For example, someone pinning their medal hopes on USA Basketball should choose the team, not LeBron James. After that team is chosen, no one else can choose that team. However, anyone who also competes in an individual sport (i.e. swimmers, runners) should be chosen individually and their relay medals will count toward your total.

3. We looked into weighting certain sports to avoid the obvious advantage for the first overall pick, but we just haven't been able to implement it this year. Maybe in the future. But for now, congrats to those teams who won the Michael Phelps lottery.

4. In light of the fact that some drafts are taking place soon and there are few publications out, we will be sending out a list of American athletes later today, roughly ordered by how many events they will be in and their likelihood of success. It will be a very rough estimation, so feel free to rely on this in your draft, or go with your own list. Just thought it would be helpful.

Carl Lewis' Finest Moment

2008-07-17T12:00:00.006-04:00

Lea posted this video in the Carl Lewis Division, and on her own blog, but I had to move it onto the main page.

Thanks for finding this, the best thing Carl Lewis has ever done.

Olympics Fantasy

2008-07-16T12:00:00.004-04:00

See what I did there? I reversed the name of this site and made it a sexy headline.

Speaking of that, if anyone is fretting about their picks, perhaps you can just pick an Olympian by their cover. Gawker.com picked their Top 25: http://gawker.com/5025316/glory-of-the-games-25-olympic-hotties

Any votes for/against? Because you could pretty much add all the swimmers to the list. Any more? Leave 'em in the comments.

Also check out the Athletes to Watch Widget... now part of the sidebar on each league page.

Olympics athlete news at NBC Olympics.com!

Full House

2008-07-05T22:59:00.003-04:00

Thanks everyone for the great response. I'm officially declaring us to be at full capacity, with 21 participants spread over 3 different leagues. If you have signed up to play, keep an eye on your e-mail over the next couple days for further information about leagues, drafts, etc. Looking forward to a great competition!

Let's get it started

2008-06-30T12:29:00.004-04:00

I have posted the rules below regarding this year's Fantasy Olympics. We're always open to suggestions to improve the league, so let me know if you have any rule-change suggestions.

The 2008 Summer Olympic Games are fast approaching, so we need to get our participants squared away in time to organize drafts, etc. Thus, if you are interested in playing Fantasy Olympics this year, let me know by this Friday, July 4. Shoot me an e-mail at fantasyolympics@hotmail.com.

Also, if you want to be able to post during the Games, let me know and I'll add you as an administrator on your league site. Good luck everyone.

2008 Fantasy Olympics Rules

2008-06-30T12:27:00.007-04:00

1. The teams in this year’s competition will be divided randomly into three leagues. In light of the increased number of athletes at the summer games (nearly 600 on Team USA), each team will get to pick 12 athletes plus 1 tiebreaker country. We will crown three league winners in addition to an overall champion. The prize will remain the same as in the past: unending respect and admiration, and maybe a free drink from each of the other participants the next time you see them.

2. A live draft for each league will be held on a date TBD via AOL Instant Messenger. If you do not have an AIM account, please procure one or plan to share with someone during the draft. If you wish to name your own team, submit it to the Commissioner (Bryan) by the time your draft begins, or risk having a name chosen for you.

3. Draft order will be determined by a random draw conducted by the Commissioner. Round 1 will go in order from 1-5, round 2 from 5-1, round 3 from 1-5, etc. Each player gets one pick per round for 13 rounds.

4. Each player will select a total of 12 athletes from the

U.S.

Olympic team. Any athletes not drafted will be deemed Free Agents. Teams may add, drop or trade players through their first event. Whoever holds the athlete at the time of his or her first event is locked in and cannot remove the athlete from the roster. A player may draft a tiebreaker country in any round, but remember that the medals won by that country will only come into play in the event of a tie.

5. The winner will be the player with the most points at the end of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Points will be assigned as follows: 3 points for a gold medal, 2 points for a silver medal and 1 point for a bronze medal. Each player's final score will be based on an aggregate score from his or her 12 players.

6. Medals in team sports can only count once toward the final total. For example, even if a player selects two members of the U.S. Basketball Team, they can only earn points for one medal in basketball.

7. Medal counts will be updated by the Commissioner or a member of the Fantasy Olympics Committee (i.e. anyone with Blogger access to the site).

8. Each player will also select one non-USA country whose gold medal count will be used to determine a winner, in the event of a tie among two or more players’ aggregate scores. If the gold medal count fails to break the tie, then the silver count, and finally the bronze count, will be used.

Connecting the World of Olympic Athletes

2008-06-26T10:40:00.006-04:00

Lenovo is producing a yearlong program that turns more than 100 Olympic athletes worldwide into bloggers and video-bloggers.

If you want to follow athletes from around the world, check out http://summergames.lenovo.com or http://2008.lenovo.com/.

(Full Disclosure: my company is helping this project, but I thought it relevant enough to post.)

Of Torches and Hamms

2008-06-25T12:00:00.004-04:00

As the Commissioner pointed out today, the U-S-A! and other countries are qualifying their Olympians, which means we're getting close to the luckiest day of the year: 8-8-8. The Hamm brothers are in, and The Chairman tells me there were no problems as the torch passed through Tibet. It must be true!

All this is to say that we're getting excited around here for Fantasy Olympics '08. Rules, participation and details to come soon.

What the 2006 Winter Olympics Taught Me

2006-02-27T21:56:00.000-05:00

These are a few of the lessons I learned from the Winter Olympic Games:

1) If you’re female and you snowboard, you’re hot. There’s just something about it.

2) Speeds near 90 m.p.h. are typical in bobsled, luge, and skeleton races. Amazing.

3) Olympic ski teams have incredibly large support crews that manage and support the athletes, ranging from engineers that prepare and test the equipment to meteorologists who predict the racing conditions.

4) To “boot out” is a speed skating term meaning to lean so far into a turn that the side of the boot of your skate touches the ice, lifting the blade from the ice, and sending you sliding into the wall.

5) Bob Costas is still the man.

6) The Olympic Games are about pure competition, in a form that we don’t get to see too often in modern sports. They are experienced in seeing a person fall off the face of a mountain, lay injured and motionless, and then the next day appear back at the top of that same mountain; or a speed skater crying at the start line because her grandfather, who had traveled to see her compete, had died just hours earlier; or a favored biathlete who had fallen in the first seconds of his race be given a chance to win as his countrymen move to the front of the pack to slow down the race until he recovers. Despite some of the media criticism, I think the Olympic Games are fantastic, and I hope they endure and continue to provide a venue for great competition and for “struggles.”

I think the first fantasy games were a complete success. Congratulations to Bryan and Dustin who showed us what it takes to win the game. Good job on pulling ahead for the bronze, Jeremy. I was glad to participate. See you back here again for the summer games in ’08.

It's all over

2006-02-26T00:05:00.000-05:00

The closing ceremonies are nearly upon us and all the U.S. medal hopefuls have competed. That means this year's winter games -- and the inagural year of Fantasy Olympics -- are over. Here are the final results:

Gold: If You Don't Have Olympic Fever, It Might Be Dysentary (Bryan) - 20 points

Silver: Cuddling with Lee's Mom (Dustin) - 18 points

Bronze: Jer-Bear's Stairwells (Jeremy) - 8 points

Certificate of Participation: Dark Cloud (Lee) - 4 points

Amazingly, this year's contest turned out exactly like the pre-Olympic power rankings predicted. Looks like SI was on top of things. Still, we weren't without our share of surprises. Those are outlined below.

Before I get to my post-Olympic awards, I just wanted to take an opportunity to share my thoughts on the Olympic games. I've listened to the American media complain all week about how "disappointing" the U.S. team has been in Torino. It's clear to me that these people haven't done any research on Olympic history. Yes, Bode Miller was a disaster, Lindsey Jacobellis cost herself a gold medal by showboating and the Shani Davis-Chad Hedrick feud was ugly for a while. But lost in all this were the heroes of these games... people like Ted Ligety, Julie Mancuso and Joey Cheek. And let's make one thing clear: this year's team has performed better than any U.S. team in history at an Olympics held outside the United States. The old medal record for such an Olympics was 13; this year's team netted 25, just two shy of the all-time American record set four years ago in Salt Lake City. They finished second in the medal count for the second straight winter games -- only traditional powerhouse Germany did better. So let's get some perspective, people. The media is so quick to jump on anyone who makes even the smallest mistake -- like poor Sasha Cohen, who is being roundly criticized for winning a silver medal -- that they lose sight of the big picture. Either that, or Americans are so arrogant that they expect to win the medal count every time out, even though the Americans have never done so at a Winter Olympics. Contrary to what has been said over the last week, this Olympic team has not been a disappointment; in fact, it has been one of the most successful American teams of all time. So let's take the time to enjoy it!

Post-Olympic Awards

MVP: Chad Hedrick
With a trio of medals, Hedrick racked up a total of six points to lead all athletes. If not for an unlikely gold medal for Julia Mancuso, Hedrick would have led Dustin's team to victory.

Biggest Draft Bust: Halie Kim
Kim was the only first-round pick that didn't win multiple medals -- and she did win any. Lee's team never really stood a chance as Hedrick, Davis and Ohno kept winning more medals. The closest Kim came to a medal was a fourth place finish in the women's short-track relay.

Biggest Draft Steal: Hannah Teter
The golden girl of the halfpipe wasn't picked until the sixth round, providing Bryan's team with three valuable points late in the draft.

Biggest Disappointment: Bode Miller
Miller will now rank with Reebok's Dan and Dave as the biggest Olympics disappointments of all-time. Powered by Nike's "Join Bode" campaign and the media frenzy surrounding his comments on 60 Minutes, Miller was the most-hyped ahtlete coming in to this year's Games. He was a favorite to medal in as many as five events. Instead, he left with no medals and was disqualified from more races than he finished.

Biggest Surprise(s): Julia Mancuso and Ted Ligety (tie)
Coming into the Games, everyone was talking about the medal chances of alpine skiers Miller, Rahlves and Lindsey Kildow. But Mancuso and Ligety shocked the world by winning gold while the rest of the alpine team came up empty handed. The timing of Mancuso's winning runs will make her a Fantasy Olympics legend, as her gold medal provided the winning points for Bryan's team.

Biggest Story Line: The Shani Davis-Chad Hedrick feud
The feud between these champion speed skaters spilled over into the league, as Davis scored crucial points for Bryan's team and Hedrick carried Dustin's team to a near-victory. Thankfully, Davis and Hedrick were finally able to bury the hatchet, and Davis was seen cheering Hedrick on duing the 10,000m finals. Hopefully, Bryan and Dustin will be able to overcome their differences as well.

Best Free Agent Move: Lee picks up Kathleen Kauth
Lee was the only one who managed to pick-up a free agent that actually earned a medal for his team by dropping biathlete Jeremy Teela and picking up Kauth of the U.S. women's hockey team to earn a bronze medal.

Worst Free Agent Move: Dustin drops Ben Agosto
When Michelle Kwan withdrew from the competition, Dustin made what would have been the best free agent move of the Games by picking up Ben Agosto. If he had stuck with Agosto, Dustin would have earned another silver medal and finished in a tie for first. But a few days later, Dustin dropped Agosto and picked up Emily Hughes, costing himself two points.

Top Undrafted Athletes
-Danny Kass went undrafted and earned a silver medal in the men's snowboard halfpipe
-As the media swarmed to 2002 gold medalist Vonetta Flowers, Shauna Rohbock led USA-2 to silver in the women's bobsled competition.
-Three of the league's four teams picked up members of the women's curling team, but it was the men's curling team that emerged with a bronze medal
-Rosey Fletcher, appearing in her third Olympics, won bronze in the women's snowboard giant slalom.

I think that does it for this year's Games. The Fantasy Olympics were definitely a huge success, so we'll probably have even more teams for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. And as for the next Winter Olympics in 2010, I'll see you guys in Vancouver (yes, I'm actually planning to go... it should be a blast!)

Results

2006-02-17T10:03:00.000-05:00

Cuddling with Lee’s Mom (Dustin’s team) - 18

Chad Hedrick, speed skating: Gold, 5000m, 3 pts.; Bronze, 1500m, 1 pt. ; Silver, 10,000m, 2 pts.

Joey Cheek, speed skating: Gold, 500m, 3 pts.; Silver, 1000m, 2 pts.

Jennifer Rodriguez, speed skating

Seth Wescott, snowboarding: Gold, Snowboard Cross, 3 pts.

Ted Ligety, alpine skiing: Gold, Downhill Combined, 3 pts.

Jeremy Bloom, moguls

Jamie Johnson, curling

Mark Grimmette, doubles luge

Pam Dreyer, women’s hockey: Bronze, women's hockey, 1 pt.

Emily Hughes, figure skating

Canada

Dark Cloud (Lee’s team) - 3

Halie Kim, short track

Daron Rahlves, alpine skiing

Todd Hays, bobsled

Lindsey Jacobellis, snowboarding: Silver, Snowboard Cross, 2 pts.

Rachel Steer, biathalon

Erik Schlopy, alpine skiing

Casey FitzRandolph, speed skating

Kris Freeman, cross country skiing

Norway

Kathleen Kauth, women's hockey: Bronze, women's hockey, 1 pt.

Margaret Crowley, speed skating

If You Don’t Have Olympic Fever, It Might Be Dysentery (Bryan’s team) - 20

Shani Davis, speed skating: Gold, 1000m, 3 pts.; Silver, 1500m, 2 pts.

Lindsey Kildow, alpline skiing

Shaun White, snowboarding: Gold, halfpipe, 3 pts.

Gretchen Bleiler, snowboarding: Silver, halfpipe, 2 pts.

Julia Mancusco, alpine skiing: Gold, giant slalom, 3 pts.

Hannah Teter, snowboarding: Gold, halfpipe, 3 pts.

Tanith Belbin, figure skating: Silver, ice dancing, 2 pts.

Toby Dawson, moguls: Bronze, moguls, 1 pt.

Maureen Brunt, curling

Germany

Natalie Darwitz, women’s hockey: Bronze, women's hockey, 1 pt.

Jer-Bear’s Stairwells (Jeremy’s team) - 8

Anton Apolo Ono, short track: Bronze, 1000m, 1 pt.; Gold, 500m, 3 pts.; Bronze, men's relay, 1 pt.

Bode Miller, alpine skiing

Chris Witty, speed skating

Sasha Cohen, figure skating: Silver, women's figure skating, 2 pts.

Christy Wendell, women’s hockey: Bronze, women's hockey, 1 pt.

Cassie Johnson, curling

Steve Mesler, four-man bobsled

Wendy Wagner, cross county skiing

Anthony Lobello Jr., short track

Jay Hakkinen, biatholon

The Netherlands

Thoughts after Week 1

2006-02-16T14:29:00.000-05:00

After one week, we’ve seen a lot of surprises at the Olympic Games. Lee’s Mom has experienced the thrill of victory as upstart Ted Ligety won the gold. The Stairwells have experienced the agony of defeat as American “stars” Bode Miller and Apollo Ohno have come up empty. With a week to go, many more surprises could be on the horizon. But let’s take a look at where the teams stand so far.

1. Dustin – four medals, 12 points

Seth Wescott’s gold today in snowboard cross put Dustin’s team alone in first place. Already with four gold medals to his credit, Dustin may be on his way to breaking Eric Heiden’s Winter Olympic record of five gold medals. The best events are still ahead for Chad Hedrick and Jennifer Rodriguez… and who knows what else Ligety – certainly the steal of the draft in the fifth round – is capable of. Were it not for disappointing performances from Jeremy Bloom and Mark Grimmette, this contest could already be over. Still, Dustin appears to be in control for now.

2. Bryan – four medals, 9 points

After loading up early on snowboard medals, Bryan is going to need some help from Shani Davis and his duo of alpine skiers if he hopes to get past Dustin. Hopefully, Lindsey Kildow’s gutsy performance in the downhill will propel her to success in the events to come. Tabith Belbin also has a chance to medal. If these athletes step up, Bryan’s team still has a chance.

3. Jeremy – no medals, 0 points

Ohno and Miller have each laid an egg so far, but they still have five events between them. If they are able to win some medals, preferably gold, the Stairwells will be right back in the thick of things. A solid performance from Sasha Cohen is also a must. Not surprisingly, Jeremy’s cross country skier and biathlete came up empty.

4. Lee – no medals, 0 points

A Dark Cloud certainly seems to have settled over Lee’s Team. First-round pick Halie Kim looked awful in her first event and rumors of an injured ankle have to pose a concern about her medal potential. Lee’s best hope for a medal is probably Lindsey Jacobellis, who is the last medal contender from the high-powered U.S. snowboarding team. Rahlves and Hays also have a chance to reach the podium. As for the rest of his team, it will take a big surprise to get more than one medal from that group. Right now, he appears to be out of it… but never say never at the Olympics.

Random Olympic thoughts…

No, I am not a Bodeist. So stop asking, Nike… but seriously, has there ever been an American athlete with more hype do absolutely nothing? What? This happens all the time? Like every year at the NFL and NBA drafts? Are you serious?... either way, Bode needs to shut up and win something… Random note: Apollo Ohno is dating Allison Baver, also a member of the short track team. But I’m guessing they didn’t meet on the ice. Those speed skating outfits aren’t flattering on anyone… One thing we learned watching Lindsey Kildow’s gutsy downhill run: She could definitely beat me up. That girl is tough… Is Ohno turning into Dan Jansen? He seems to be falling down a lot… Just for the heck of it: Johnny Spillane… I feel bad for Michelle Kwan, but I think she did the right thing by stepping aside gracefully… The U.S. snowboarders have been dominant. But the real question is, does anyone outside of America care about snowboarding?... Shani Davis was the only world class speed skater that didn’t participate in the team pursuit and it cost Team USA medal. Selfish? You bet… Thanks to Johnny Weir, I think we can safely say that men’s figure skating has never been gayer than it is right now… The American men’s hockey team is terrible...

Weekend Update

2006-02-13T09:34:00.000-05:00

The preliminary power rankings hold true through the first weekend of spirited Olympic competition, with Bryan "I've got a fever and the only prescription is more halfpipe" Clark pulling ahead early. His snowboarder hopefuls went big, and pulled down three of the five medals for Team USA. Not to be out paced, the first draft for Dustin "Hugging the Turns" Torres brought home gold in the 5000m speed skating event.

Current rankings as of Monday morning Eastern Time:

If You Don’t Have Olympic Fever, It Might Be Dysentery (Bryan’s team): 8

Cuddling with Lee’s Mom (Dustin’s team): 3

Dark Cloud (Lee’s team): 0

Jer-Bear’s Stairwells (Jeremy’s team): 0

Pre-Olympic Power Rankings

2006-02-10T13:51:00.000-05:00

Using the Olympic medal projections from Sports Illustrated, I compiled the following power rankings. I know other projections might be different, but I just went with the one that was easiest to find. Obviously, it only matters how things turn out in a couple weeks, so this is just for kicks.

1. Bryan - 19
His team is anchored by Shani Davis, though he is already wondering if he made a mistake by passing on Apollo Ono. He put a lot of faith in the halfpipe hopefuls. If they fail to medal, he could end up near the bottom.

2. Dustin - 17
Hedrick is one of the guys that everyone is talking about. If he is able to medal in all his events, Dustin could run away with this one. Michelle Kwan is also a wild card. She's not expected to medal... which might be just what she needs to finally win one.

3. Jeremy - 13
Getting Ono at the fourth pick was probably the steal of the draft as the SI predictions have him second in total points only to Hendrick. Bode Miller is also a high risk/high reward proposition. If he is on his game, he could medal in every event. It's also just as likely that he won't finish half the events. Jeremy could win it all if Ono lives up to his expectations and Miller plays it safe.

4. Lee - 6
Lee's advantage is that he opted for athletes with a lot of events rather than those who are favored to win. If one of these athletes happens to catch fire this week, he could be right in the thick of things. Also, Casey FitzRandolph is a proven winner and could duplicate his Salt Lake City magic in Torino. The head scratcher of the draft was Lee's selection of two biathletes and a cross country skier. No U.S. athlete has ever earned a medal in the biathlon and the only cross-country medal was won by William Koch in 1976. Of course, if any of these athletes have a breakthrough Olympics, Lee will look like a genius.

Draft results

2006-02-10T13:39:00.000-05:00

Here are the draft results. Good luck everyone!

Cuddling with Lee’s Mom (Dustin’s team)

Chad Hedrick, speed skating

Joey Cheeks, speed skating

Jennifer Rodriguez, speed skating

Seth Wescott, snowboarding

Ted Ligety, alpine skiing

Jeremy Bloom, moguls

Jamie Johnson, curling

Mark Grimmette, doubles luge

Pam Dreyer, women’s hockey

Emily Hughes, figure skating (dropped Michelle Kwan, figure skating for Ben Agosto, ice dancing... dropped, Ben Agosto for Emily Hughes)

Canada

Dark Cloud (Lee’s team)

Halie Kim, short track

Daron Rahlves, alpine skiing

Todd Hays, bobsled

Lindsey Jacobellis, snowboarding

Rachel Steer, biathalon

Erik Schlopy, alpine skiing

Casey FitzRandolph, speed skating

Kris Freeman, cross country skiing

Norway

Kathleen Kauth, women's hockey (dropped Jeremy Teela, biathalon -- Feb. 10, 2:45 p.m.)

Margaret Crowley, speed skating

If You Don’t Have Olympic Fever, It Might Be Dysentery (Bryan’s team)

Shani Davis, speed skating

Lindsey Kildow, alpine skiing

Shaun White, snowboarding

Gretchen Bleiler, snowboarding

Julie Mancusco, alpine skiing

Hannah Teter, snowboarding

Tabith Belbin, figure skating

Toby Dawson, moguls

Maureen Brunt, curling

Germany

Natalie Darwitz, women’s hockey

Jer-Bear’s Stairwells (Jeremy’s team)

Anton Apollo Ono, short track

Bode Miller, alpine skiing

Chris Witty, speed skating

Sasha Cohen, figure skating

Christy Wendell, women’s hockey

Cassie Johnson, curling

Steve Mesler, four-man bobsled (dropped Steve Holcomb -- 2/23 at 11:35)

Wendy Wagner, cross county skiing

Anthony Lobello Jr., short track

Jay Hakkinen, biatholon

The Netherlands (dropped Sweden -- 2/13 at 3:23)

Draft time

2006-02-09T09:48:00.000-05:00

Draft time is set for 1 p.m. EST on Friday. Be there or be square. That gives us an hour to draft before my class at 1 p.m. CST... so make sure you are prepared.

Breaking News: Men's Curling---hurling?

2006-02-08T19:49:00.000-05:00

A show called "The Olympic Zone" has been airing on NBC at 7:30 this week. Tonight they had a profile on one of the members of the U.S. Men's Curling Team. The whole time he was making and pigging out on PIZZA. I know the games are still a few days away and I am not an expert on the typical diet of a curler, but this can't be good news.

Looks like Torino is already having its effect. Too bad we won't be able to count on a location like the States where they ALWAYS eat healthy.

Men's Curling stock = down, down, down

I felt the need to put the red flag alert on the wire for those unable to catch the program.

Draft order

2006-02-08T16:54:00.000-05:00

The order for the draft will be as follows:

Round 1:
1. Dustin
2. Lee
3. Bryan
4. Jeremy

Round 2:
1. Jeremy
2. Bryan
3. Lee
4. Dustin

Round 3:
1. Dustin
2. Lee
3. Bryan
4. Jeremy

Etc.

The draft order was set by a very scientific method. I put all our names on a piece of paper and drew them out of my backpack as I sat here in the Wash U law library. I know, I know... you're all very impressed.

One additional note: To accomodate the tie-breaker set forth by Jeremy below, the draft will have 11 rounds. You may choose your alternate country at any time, but keep in mind that the country's medal count will only be used in the event of a tie and it will not factor into your overall score.

Only two days until the draft, so make sure you know who you're taking (and if you have no clue, allow me to recommend cross-country skiers).

Doping Tests

2006-02-06T17:09:00.000-05:00

In accordance with the Fantasy Olympics Committee Eligibility Standards Section 220, Item 17, Line 304, "No player shall engage in the use of performance enhancing substances yadeeyadayada..."

Please send your urine samples to Bryan by Friday's opening ceremony. In fact, get your friends together and send him as much urine as you can. Only one sample will be tested, but he likes the taste.

Tiebreaker

2006-02-06T10:42:00.000-05:00

As if U-S-A olympic spirit wasn't about to seize the nation like a Vice Presidential heart attack, this contest certainly will.

Thanks to BC for getting the rules started. I suggest one minor tie-breaking addendum:

4.1) Each player will also select one non-USA country whose gold medal count will be used to determine a winner, in the event of a tie among two or more players’ aggregate scores. If the gold medal count fails to break the tie, then the silver count, and finally the bronze count, will be used. Failing a clear winner, a Burr/Hamilton-style duel in the Las Vegas sun will settle the issue.

Rules

2006-02-04T22:55:00.000-05:00

1. Live draft will be held on Feb. 10 via conference call. Time TBD. Happy birthday, Jeremy.

2. Draft order will be determined by a random draw conducted by Bryan Clark. Round 1 will go in order from 1-4, round 2 from 4-1, round 3 from 1-4, etc. Each player gets one pick per round for 10 rounds.

3. Each player will select a total of 10 athletes from the U.S. Olympic team. Any athletes not drafted will be deemed Free Agents. Teams may add, drop or trade players through their first event. Whoever holds the athlete at the time of his or her first even is locked in and cannot remove the athlete from the roster.

4. The winner will be the player with the most points at the end of the Winter Olympic games. Points will be assigned as follows: 3 points for a gold medal, 2 points for a silver medal and 1 point for a bronze medal. Each player's final score will be based on an aggregate score from his 10 players.

5. Medals in team sports can only count once toward the final total. For example, even if a player selects two members of the U.S. Hockey, they can only earn points for one medal in hockey.

6. Players will be responsible for updating their medal count on the Web site as their athletes compete. The winner will be subject to an audit at the completion of the Games by the Fantasy Olympics Committee.

7. A formal ceremony honoring the winner will take place via conference call during the Closing Ceremonies. Good luck.