Jim Lampley???

[Al Masters]

While explaining how the Brits are dominating the cycling events,
he went on to say.(paraphrase).

Now if only the IOC would allow darts,snooker and sideshows,
the Brits would be great.(now this may be true)LOL.

Am i nuts or is that moronic statement to make on TV?

I am not British,and felt it was a pot shot towards them,
any Brits here?

Would that statement bother you guys or is it just the truth
wrapped up in a cute comment?

[daggerkobe]

He was banging this until he decided to go Mike Tyson on her face. He has awful judgement to say the least.

[jjgold]

I love lampley one of best ever

[seaborneq]

The media kept that hush hush. The last time I saw him on Larry King he was still married to Bree I think. They both like to hear themselves talk. We should be hearing a lot more about this in the news and sports media\

[pavyracer]

I love watching the Olympics on NBC. It's the only network that you know who came 7th in a race but not the winner assuming the 7th was an american and the 1st was someone else.

[jjgold]

Lampley was great years ago giving scores for college football on Sat's for ABC

[englishmike]

As an Englishman, the answer to your question is it's pretty much the truth wrapped up in a cute comment, but not only cute, it actually shows he's got a handle on current events. Darts for example is absolutely booming in the UK with good prize money, good ratings and big crowds at the arenas they play the big tourneys in, tickets for the major tourneys are very hard to get. The debate in the UK has been this: Why shouldn't Darts be an olympic sport if Archery is an Olympic. You can actually make the argument that Darts is more skillfull than archery because archers use a bow and arrow whereas Darters use just their arm, it really is just them and the board, no technoligy. Also, take baseball. Baseball is marginal at best, played in very few countries in the entire world, yet baseball is an olympic sport although I do concede I think it's out in 2012. Snooker is another sport thats big in the UK, in its heyday 15M people watched the world final in a country of 60M. What's the difference between snooker and soccer? In soccer you put a ball in a goal, in snoker you put a ball in a side pocket. You could argue that 8 ball pool has more right to be at the olympics than synchronised diving, how many synchronised divers can you name? These arguments are being made in the UK because the Olympics are there in 2012. Lampleys comments were indeed cute.....and pretty accurate.

[pavyracer]

You can't be serious. You can't play professional soccer while drinking beer and smoking. Isn't that what snooker players do?

[englishmike]

Darts players drink and smoke whilst playing, it's a traditional pub game but players have cut down on their drinking with $200,000 checks to be won.

[englishmike]

Make smoking an olympic sport like synchronised diving. You could have marks for smoke-ring style and biggest amount of smoke inhaled.

[Al Masters]

MIKE,what about the sideshow comment, you didn't address
this part of his comment as it is the clincher in his statement that makes me feel
it was a pot shot.

[englishmike]

I'm not really sure of exactly how he meant it. It's hard for an american to call out a country for sideshow sports whislt Baseball and softball are still in. Also, I've got news for Mr Lampley: When you talk about sideshow sports, the only country that is interested in the superbowl and the world series, by and large, are the US. If you go to any country in the world they will have heard of David Beckham, Ronaldo, Deco, Pele etc. If you go to MOST countries in the world they haven't got a clue who Vince Lombardi, Joe Montana, Brett Farvre etc are. Don't get me wrong, I'm not being critical, I'm merely pointing out that the US has four major sports that are pretty much viewed as 'sideshows' in the rest of the world so there issome irony in his comments but I'm sure he wasn't meaning any offense, I listen to him all the time on xx sports radio in San Diego and he's always struck me as a knowledgeable and intelligent guy.

[englishmike]

GB just won their 14th Cycling medal and become the most succesful olympic team ever. No sideshow there.

[fiveteamer]

smoke and drink?

George Best?

[englishmike]

George Best once turned up for a game after being out on the beer for two days and two nights. He scored the winner.

[Willie Bee]

Now if only the IOC would allow darts,snooker and sideshows, the Brits would be great.(now this may be true)LOL.

Actually, I think he said "darts, snooker and dog shows." Either way, and not being a mindreader, I can only assume he meant it a bit tongue-in-cheek. If he had told an Aggie joke, maybe said something like, "If only the IOC would sanction wool judging, agriculture and bull riding, maybe some Texas Aggies would be winning medals," should I take that as him putting the university down?

People need to be less sensitive and lighten up, that's my two cents.

[englishmike]

I agree. I didn't take it as an insult, and anyway, for the zize of the place the Great Britain team are punching way above their weight in the medal table. See you Friday WB!