Camilla Andersen of Denmark and Mia Hundvin of Norway are two of the best team handball players in the world. They're also registered partners in Denmark, likely an Olympic first. Their team met in competition on Sunday, with Hundvin and her mates beat Andersen and the Danes, 19-17. Both teams are expected to contend for medals.
The other openly gay athletes at
the Games are American diver David Pichler and French tennis player
Amelie Mauresmo.
BOTTOM OF THE WEEK
IOC CENSORS
The IOC removed from the bios of Hundvin and Andersen the fact that they are a lesbian couple. Also removed from the Danish team bios was the fact that badminton champion Camilla Martin once posed scantily attrired for a men's magazine. So much for tolerance and diversity.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
OLYMPICS: EXCITING
OR SO OVER
The Summer Games in Sydney were by far the biggest
news of the week.
For American fans, much ire was directed at NBC for its decision to show nothing live, even when possible. It helped contribute to a sense that these Games were less interesting than in year's past. It's hard to watch an event where you knew the results 12-18 hours in advance.
Outsports' readers weighed in with their Olympics thoughts, with most saying there is something missing this year. But the Olympics did have their fans. Some sample comments:
An anti-NBC comment from Chip:
``Folks, I have to say that there has been some very exciting activity over there. Our men advanced
to the football quarters for the FIRST TIME. Our women's team is the best in the world. Women's water polo could win the gold in the first ever Games competition, and our men could double that
effort.
``But will we know? Will we get to see the best two-meter man in the world in Chris Humbert score on Hungary? Probably not. It's not just our loss. It's our loss as a nation. Being a part of a national team is one of the most exciting thrills as an athlete. Being able to share that joy with the rest of your countrymen is part of that thrill. But our men and women are representing us without any of us knowing it. Why? Because NBC is choosing not to.
``I don't buy the argument of the 15-18 hour difference. It can be tape-delayed six hours. No one will know the difference anyway if they wake up in the morning and watch a football match. Or have
the chance to see our boys of summer hit a walk-off homer. Or see the Stars and Stripes flying high above the rest as we continue our run through the other events.
``I can guarantee you that the Olympics is a very special moment. If we learned anything from hosting, it's that it is a time of celebration. It is a celebration of sports and its triumph over
the mundane routine of everyday life. The Olympics, in every other country, holds an honored niche in society. Members of national teams in other nations are revered. I'm not saying we have to go
that far. I just want to be able to see them, knowing what it takes to get a ticket to the Games. The least we can do as Americans is watch them. NBC can do a great job with most of its events. It
really needs to take a look back at this and reassess its commitment to these games. It's a good thing the athletes are there for themselves, their families, and the joy of being an Olympian.
It's certainly not for the TV exposure.''
A Pro-Olympics take from OlyBoy2000:
``Every four years we have a very special two weeks that, in my opinion, is unsurpassed by any other sporting event, than any Super Bowl, any Stanley Cup, any world cup. This is the best in the world,
and that's it. And it's more special to me than any other event. So I am glad that I have found a way to enjoy it. By avoiding the daily news so I can enjoy it as if it were live.
``And yes, the human interest stories are getting a little sappy and a little frequent, but I've found that after watching those, these athletes become more than just empty names that will fade
after four years. These are the real athletes. Wonder why they don't do those type of stories during American professional sports? Because it would be mostly about greed and power.
``I just hope that when our real athletes come home from Sydney, they will be welcomed and congratulated and celebrated, instead of being told that their Olympics "sucked," that no one cared
about their life stories, and that just because we couldn't see it absolutely live, that we didn't care to watch their victories and defeats.
``OK, I am going to return to the happiness that watching the Olympics games brings me. I hope some of you will find a way to experience it as well.''
A huge NBA trade was completed that saw 12 players move among four teams.
The New York Knicks traded 38-year-old center Patrick Ewing to the Seattle SuperSonics in the deal that moved forward Horace Grant to the Los Angeles Lakers and forward Glen Rice to New York. Nine other players were also involved.
It's always hard to gauge trades right when they happen, but it's hard to see Ewing carrying the Sonics to a title. Rice helps the Knicks with their outside shooting, while Grant gives the Lakers some beef up front to contend with the powerful frontline players of Portland.