Gymnastics provide compelling theater

No consolation is really going to help.

For the second time in as many nights, I was glued to my TV for Olympic Gymnastics. Yesterday, the men struggled and eventually wilted under pressure, not to mention injuries, to concede the gold and silver medals to China and Japan. Last night, with a clear avenue for the lead the women's team, more specifically one woman wilted under the pressure to hand the Chinese their second gold in a row. I won't summarize it, partly because I'm no gymnast savant, secondly because someone already did a much more thorough job.

But I don't need to be an expert to know compelling television. Even though the US didn't win the gold, there's nothing more gripping than watching someone compete with the pressure of the world on them. Especially when that someone can really fill out a sweater. She failed, it happens, she just happened to fail when everyone was watching. When she fell for the second time, in my head I could only echo the words (changed for her), "She must be the sickest woman on the face of the earth." She's in luck - no one remembers who came in second.

I'm also glad someone came out and said it, instead of beating around the bush - those Chinese girls are way under age. I'm not sure anyone can watch and somehow convince themselves that some of those girls are even close to 16. And Bela was absolutely on the mark calling it out without hesitation; not some politically correct assertion by bringing up the controversy. Bottom line is, some of them aren't even close to legal age. That doesn't devalue their incredible performance, but it does question integrity.

Alicia Sacramone is hot [LB Sports]
China adds women's gymnastics gold [NBC Olympics]
Forget Phelps, watch Korolyi [Awful Announcing]