by Eric Velazquez<\/p>\n
So Long, \u201cPre-Olympics\u201d<\/b>
\nWell, they\u2019re here. If there was the remotest chance of the U.S. women\u2019s water polo team backing out of the Olympics, it flew out of the window today (today here, tomorrow there). Coach Baker\u2019s Dozen wrapped up its pre-Olympic training, with the opening ceremonies being held later on this evening.<\/p>\n
The workout, which was held in the Ryde Competition Pool, went well and was followed with a post-practice team meeting. And while the details of the meeting may have to remain between the players, there was no denying the emotion of the moment. A couple of moist eyes could be seen as the meeting broke and the girls headed to the bus. They\u2019re here.<\/p>\n
Heather Petrie summed it up: \u201cI\u2019m tired of waiting. I\u2019m ready to play.\u201d<\/p>\n
Team USA takes to the water tomorrow night (Sept. 16) against reigning world champion Holland at 7:30.<\/p>\n
Who\u2019s in Goal<\/b><\/p>\n
While coach Baker has made no secret of his plans to utilize both goalkeepers in the tournament, it has not yet been announced who will be in goal against the Netherlands for the tourney opener.<\/p>\n
No matter the rotation, Baker is confident that he\u2019ll have a tremendous keeper in goal for every game. We\u2019ll just have to sit back and wait\u2026<\/p>\n
Momentum vs. Tradition<\/B><\/p>\n
In looking at how the U.S. matches up with Holland, there\u2019s a lot more that goes into it than comparing x\u2019s and o\u2019s. While both teams have proven themselves as talented programs, worthy of Olympic competition, Holland has taken home more world titles in the sport than any other nation. However, Baker\u2019s Dozen has proven to have a flair for the dramatic, winning its fair share of big games in the last year. So how does one measure momentum versus tradition?<\/p>\n
One looks at the scoreboard tomorrow night around 8:40 p.m.<\/p>\n
Laughable<\/p>\n
World class athletes. Gifted students. Pillars of discipline. These are a few things that come to mind when one thinks of Olympic water polo players.<\/p>\n
But while they may be the best of the best today, their pasts aren\u2019t without irony. Team USA goalkeeper Bernie Orwig, for example, got a \u2018U\u2019, or unsatisfactory, on her first grade report card\u2026in P.E.<\/p>\n
The Skinny on Sydney <\/b><\/p>\n
To full flush or to half flush\u2026that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of hellacious flushing, or to take arms against the wasting of water, and by half-flushing, conserve it. Well, perhaps Hamlet never contemplated the flush so intensely, but in Australia, someone obviously has. Each toilet is equipped with two \u201cflush
\nbuttons.\u201d One button, the one on the left, is for the half flush, or the \u201cmore mild\u201d bathroom experience. The other button\u2026the other godforsaken,
\nlast-ditch approach to flushing\u2026is the \u201cfull flush.\u201d This flush is for the \u201cmore intense\u201d bathroom experience that might require a more thorough flush.
\nThe \u201cfull flush\u201d, as its called, is a frighteningly efficient approach to plumbing. It\u2019s so intense, that at times, there have been doors thrust closed from the ensuing whirlwind. Good for the Aussies to have contrived such a marvel of waste disposal. I just wouldn\u2019t get caught sitting during a \u201cfull flush\u201d\u2026you might lose something.<\/p>\n
In other news, the warmer temperatures of which I spoke last time are now beginning to give way\u2026not to cold, but to rain. And with the Opening Ceremonies only hours away, the organizing committees are hoping that the gathering clouds behave. Perhaps a few simultaneous \u201cfull flushes\u201d could suck the storm away? Might be dangerous. I would equate simultaneous full
\nflushes to the \u201ccrossing of the streams\u201d in Ghostbusters. In any event\u2026the games will go on.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Eric Velazquez So Long, \u201cPre-Olympics\u201d Well, they\u2019re here. If there was the remotest chance of the U.S. women\u2019s water polo team backing out of the Olympics, it flew out<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":61451,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[105,7508,2125,176,881,160,7502,7504,185,2129,7397,7409,7507,1756,584,479,2112,7501,7506,7510,2124,7511,124,102,7503,6817,3554,147,7505,7509,3888,48,238,3890,62,541],"class_list":["post-1773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-zzzzzzzzz","tag-australia","tag-australian-organizing-committee","tag-brenda-villa","tag-california","tag-canada","tag-captain","tag-captain-and-head-coach","tag-captain-and-head-coach-for-the-newly-formed-womens-water-polo-team","tag-coach","tag-commerce","tag-el-toro-high-school","tag-eric-velazquez","tag-eric-velazquez-sydney","tag-guy-baker","tag-italy","tag-john-vargas","tag-julie-swail","tag-last-ditch-qualifier","tag-main-press-center","tag-main-press-center-in-sydney","tag-maureen-otoole","tag-media-types","tag-netherlands","tag-olympics","tag-p-m-coach","tag-pacific-ocean","tag-romania","tag-russia","tag-ryde-aquatic-center","tag-ryde-aquatic-center-in-sydney","tag-stars-and-stripes","tag-the-olympic-games","tag-the-olympics","tag-the-stars-and-stripes","tag-united-states","tag-utah"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\r\n