I think the punishment shouldn't be conventional at all. Guys are still gonna try and steal a call with a flop at the risk of getting a tech. I think that the refs should deploy a little humiliation and make floppers wear this T-shirt for the 10 minutes:
Could the current USA team beat the dream team? 2012 Olympics -- Michael Jordan 'laughed' at Kobe Bryant's Dream Team boast - ESPN Ok, I admit. When I heard this question the first time, like MJ, I laughed pretty good. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I jumped to a wrong conclusion. I was jumping to the same wrong conclusion that many others jumped to and that is this: Kobe was insinuating that his current team was a better team, which he was not. He was simply asked if he thought his team could beat the dream team. Every team is beatable. In fact, the dream team was only up by about 4 in the last game against Spain with two minutes to go. What's Kobe suppose to say, no, we could never beat the dream team, not even on their worst night and our best night. Not even on our best night ever and their worst night ever. What Kobe is guilty of is falling into one of those traps that these reporters like to create: being asked a loaded question designed to make national news. He could have worded his answer better so nobody would have jumped to a wrong conclusion and at the same time, make the reporter look stupid for asking such a moronic question. Instead, Kobe took the bait, answered poorly, and got laughed at. Even though he was correct. Sure the dream team was better. But all teams are beatable if they do not bring it every night and the other team is inspired. And no doubt, this current team is no slouch. If all of them played the game of their lives, and the dream team took the night off, the dream team could have been beaten.
I look at the matchup like this: PG: Lebron James vs. Magic Johnson SG: Kobe Bryant vs. Michael Jordan SF: Kevin Durant vs. Larry Bird PF: Kevin Love vs. Charles Barkley C: Tyson Chandler vs. David Robinson Now, this would be an extraordinary matchup, IMHO. The problem is that the Dream Team can bring another lineup of: PG: Stockton SG: Drexler SF: Pippen PF: Malone C: Ewing off the bench, and the current squad just can't compete with that depth and that front court. You're right, Buckeyes, in that Kobe was asked a loaded question, and that he was accurate in that his team could beat the Dream Team, but it would take an "on" night vs. a very "off" night from the Dream Team.
I guess i must be missing something because I have no trouble with the idea that thus team could compete with and beat on any given night, the dream team.
It wouldn't be Larry Bird starting at the 3, it would be Pippen. The Bigs on the Dream Team would run wild.
I heard a story on NPR where they had a supercomputer break down all of the stats and probabilities. The findings determined that the Dream Team would win 53% of the time against the current roster. That's a lot closer than I would have thought.
The winner in a Dream Team vs USA 2012 matchup would very much be determined by whose rules they play with. If they play according to 2012 rules, USA 2012 would have the edge. Half the dream team would foul out before the first half is over for invading Wade & Bron's personal space.
Disagree..........I think the current refs would give MJ a 5 foot halo of protection Bird and Magic would get 4 feet. Barkley would get 2 inches.
The dream team's defense would be stifling if their legacy was on the line. MJ and Pippen on the floor together on D would have that teamwork intangible that would be tough to disrupt.
Who would or could cover Charles Barkley aka the USA's best player in 1992 on the current team, Carmelo Anthony?
Barkley would make 'Melo cry. Probably the best candidate to defend Barkley is Iggy. Durant would be another option as he's got length but Barkley was a lot stronger than KD.
India has 1.24 Billion people. In their entire history.....they have won 22 medals at the olympics. Michael Phelps after the medly tomorrow will have also won 22 medals. Must be that U of M education...... One billion vs. one: Michael Phelps' one-man medal haul could match all of India - Yahoo! Sports
This is pretty impressive too considering Bangladesh has a population of 150M, more than 15 times Swedens population: Bangladesh at the Olympics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I went to MSU. I have absolutley no school pride regarding the Spartans so feel free to rip on MSU or East Lansing all you want. I would have went to Michigan if I could have got in with my grades. I was a solid "B" student in high school. ...I've had good times in Ann Arbor.
