When it comes to the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Luke DeCock of The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., chooses to remember the athletes and not the issues surrounding Rio before the Games.
"We'll remember [Simone] Biles doing it better than anyone ever has, [Katie] Ledecky and [Michael] Phelps swimming into history, [Usain] Bolt being Bolt, Ibtihaj Muhammad and Simone Manuel destroying both stereotypes, and the competition," DeCock wrote.
"We'll remember wrestler Helen Maroulis leaping into her coach's arms after one of the great upsets in Olympic history over a 13-time world champion and three-time gold medalist, Abbey D'Agostino helping Nikki Hamblin to the finish line after they collided, the utter dominance of decathlete Ashton Eaton and the U.S. women's basketball team and gymnasts.
"And we'll remember Ronnie Ash's grace and poise after tripping over the final hurdle within reach of a medal, Ryan Held's tears of joy, Mike Krzyzewski returning home with a third gold.
"The legacy of these Games will be that not everyone is equipped to host, no matter how good the intentions. The modern Olympics has become too large to build from scratch every four years. There are cities that can do this well, unfortunately all first-world cities, with the infrastructure already in place. The Summer Games need to go there in the future, and stay there: Tokyo, Beijing, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, London, Paris, Madrid, Sydney, Melbourne, Toronto, Moscow and so on.
"Rio may finally have put an end to the obsolete idea that the Olympics is a movable feast.
"Still, the athletes overcame all of it. They delivered. All you can ask is they give it their best, and they did, unforgettably. So, for that matter, did Rio. Sometimes, your best just isn't enough for a medal."
Oh boy
Talk about your unfortunate golf threesome.
Jhared Hack, Adam Schenk and Ryan Yip were all tied for seventh at 15-under par 198 after the third round Saturday of the Web.com News Sentinel Open in Knoxville, Tenn.
Schenk and Yip, though, were able to finish in the top 10 Sunday with a sixth-place finish and a tie for eighth, respectively. Schenk shot a final-round 65 and finished 21-under 263, while Yip (67) was at 19-under 265.
Hack, who had a final-round 68, finished 11th and shot 18-under 266.
"So Schenk hits the drives, Yip hits the irons and Hack hopes he doesn't 3 putt," tweeted Web.com Tour golfer Bryan Bigley, who finished in a tie for 27th at 13-under 271.
He said it
From Brad Dickson of the Omaha World-Herald:
• "The Penn State football team reportedly failed to tip a Jimmy John's driver on a $1,200 order. If any opposing player scores vs. Penn State next season and points to the bench while shouting, 'This is for Jimmy John's!' I'll give him 100 bucks."
• "Tom Brady missed Thursday night's preseason game after cutting his thumb. He said that's the last time he tries to deflate a football by hand."
• "The Twins-Astros game in Minneapolis was rained out on Umbrella Night. The Twins' new Director of Irony called it 'The greatest night in sports history.' "
SPORTS QUIZ
Since Bret Bielema left Wisconsin after the 2012 season, how many full-time coaches have the Badgers had?
ANSWER
Two. Gary Andersen (2013-2014) and current coach Paul Chryst. Barry Alvarez coached Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl in January 2013, but as an interim coach.
Sports on 08/23/2016