Dallas Sports Blog

​Was chatting up Michael Johnson the other day about the relative impact of the looming Super Bowl XLV in comparison to what he's seen happen to Olympic cities. Economic impact, enduring legacies, improved infastructures and whatnot.

Johnson, a five-time gold medalist and Dallas' most decorated Olympian, had two interesting points.

1. Dallas, once and for all, can prove to the world it's not Dallas.

2. Dallas, in theory, is capable of some day hosting an Olympics.

He's serious, on both accounts.

Toldja Michael Phelps wasn't perfect.

Well, didn't I? Actually, I warned that he was overrated. But still.

In other news, Richie Whitt = Jeff Spicoli as well. 

Who knew the Olympics' Golden Girls live just north of here?

As usual, I didn’t make time to watch the Olympics last night. But I heard we have another “home-grown” golden girl.

What Carly Patterson did for Allen, Nastia Liukin will apparently do for Parker.

Which prompts two responses on this gloriously "chilly" Friday:

*You go, girl.

*Where the hell is Parker? Oh, there it is. -- Richie Whitt

Over-hyped. Clap. Clap. Clapclapclap. Over-hyped. Clap. Clap. Clapclapclap.

I know, I know. But hear me out.

Michael Phelps, the U.S. Olympic golden boy, isn’t overrated athletically. He’s amazing, of course. In Beijing he’s 5-for-5. As in gold medals and world records. We’re all impressed down here on Earth. Inspired even.

Best swimmer ever? Fine. Most decorated U.S. Olympian ever? Non-negotiable. But best Olympian ever? Hold your equestrian horses.

Cool. Just wish he'd carve a Mavs' logo in his scalp once in a while.

Got into a teensy tiny debate last night/this morning over the Olympics.

My friend – like NBC Sports president Dick Ebersol – says there’s nothing like wrapping yourself in the flag and rooting for try-hard athletes who make proud, passionate sacrifices to represent their country. She gets all goose-bumpy and inspired watching the Olympics, the purest sports left on our planet.

I – like Mavs’ owner Mark Cuban -- say the event has deteriorated into nothing more than a giant transparent business, neatly packaged and crammed down our throats as patriotism. I get nauseated at NBC and corporate sponsors like McDonald’s incessantly dictating to us who the “heroes” are, then marketing and exploiting them for profit.

So, what do you say? -- Richie Whitt

Could you take this dude? Do you even care?

At the risk of getting my ass kicked by a 106-pound 19-year-old, Luis Yanez should shut his pie-hole and follow the rules. That is, if like he says, his dream is to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing.

Duncanville’s Yanez, one of the planet’s top light flyweight boxers, apparently went AWOL from his U.S. team for about three weeks. While his coaches wanted him to be training in Colorado Springs, he was in Dallas, allegedly attending to an ill sister, getting a plaque from a politician and going to a party thrown for him by friends and family.

Sure enough, the Olympics are in the air.