The Olympics

[Ash Wednesday]

I :heart: figure skating and hockey.

My parents never had much and I grew up in the working class.... but they did invest in a timeshare at the right time............

Whistler BC........... future site of the olympics in Vancouver BC!!!!!!!!!!!
3 hours drive from my hometown.

:nanny:

[Philippe]

my dad almost got the job to be president of those vancouver olympics

soo close

[Phikoz]

USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA!!!!!!!!!!

gotta love the olympics.

anyway, here is someone to cheer for, found this on catholic.org

[quote]EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. (CNS) -- St. Bartholomew Parish in East Brunswick has much to be proud of -- one of its parishioners and a former altar server is competing in the Summer Olympics with the hope of bringing back the gold.

Heather Ann O'Reilly, a graduate of St. Bartholomew School, is the youngest member of the 2004 U.S. women's Olympic soccer team.

She and her teammates beat China 3-1 in their final exhibition game Aug. 1 in East Hartford, Conn., then headed for Athens, Greece. They were scheduled to play against Greece in their opening game Aug. 11 on the island of Crete.

"I still have to pinch myself when I think about making the Olympics," the 19-year-old forward said. "I mean, it's the Olympics. You see them on television and you're in awe of it. Now it's me being part of it."

"I don't think she's realized how much she's accomplished in just a short time," said her father, Andrew, an All-American middle-distance runner at Villanova University in the late 1960s and early '70s.

He will follow every game along with wife Carol and their three other children, Michael, Steven and Kevin.

Those who watched O'Reilly grow up while handling her local celebrity status will also pay close attention.

"She's a great kid, a very down-to-earth person who hasn't let all this turn her head," said Msgr. Michael J. Alliegro, pastor at St. Bartholomew.

Father Joseph J. Kerrigan, parochial vicar in the parish during 2000-04, said: "She seemed mature well beyond her years. Heather was a good example of how anyone who is blessed with extraordinary talent can still carry themselves humbly and with good cheer."

O'Reilly never forgot how blessed she is, even after an injury forced her to miss her first Women's World Cup last summer.

"I was completely bummed," she told The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Diocese of Metuchen. "Of course, I hoped that God would stand by me and he did. I'm grateful. I'm in a good place and doing what I want to do."

The injury came just 74 seconds into an exhibition game against Ireland, a game where she was making her first start for the national team. O'Reilly collided with Ireland's goalkeeper Emma Byrne, but still managed to score on the play. She suffered a broken left fibula and torn ankle ligaments.

"I was pretty down because I worked so hard to get my spot on that team," she said. "It took me awhile to come to grips with that. But I knew I had so much to look forward to, so I didn't have a long time to mope about it."

O'Reilly recovered in time to help the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill go 27-0 and win its 17th NCAA Division I soccer tournament.

During the regular season, she played in 25 games, starting 20, and scored 16 goals with 11 assists for the Tar Heels.

In the tournament, O'Reilly broke the North Carolina university's record for goals in an NCAA tournament with eight and added two assists for 18 points. She was named most valuable offensive player of the NCAA Final Four, scoring in all six of her team's playoff matches, including once in the semifinal and twice in the NCAA title game.

When she takes the field for her first Olympics, she'll be in the shadows of heralded stars Kristine Lilly, Julie Foudy, Mia Hamm, Joy Fawcett and Brandi Chastain. But O'Reilly will see playing time and hopes to be a factor in the team gaining a medal.

"Those girls are like my big sisters, I used to have their posters up in my bedroom," O'Reilly said. "They've showed me what it's going to be like. But they're just people."

O'Reilly was not scheduled to be one of the team's 11 starters, but will definitely get on the field.

"My role will be a complementary one. I will be coming off the bench. We have six games in two weeks. So I think I will definitely see playing time," she said.

O'Reilly, who is basically Hamm's backup at forward, will likely play late in games to help ratchet up the offense. Her ball control skills have been compared to Hamm's and her speed to former team member Tiffeny Milbrett's.
[/quote]

[Dave]

This thread has really deviated from its original subject.

[MorphRC]

Im watching bits and pieces.

[Donna]

Well, I've no desire to see them, either, but nothing against them.

You can always PM me, Dave, to chat...or not, just as you like.

BTW, you've got your avatar wish...he's praying for you.

[RandomProddy]

[quote name='Tony' date='Aug 14 2004, 08:28 AM'] I love the olympics.. just feel jipped the US doesnt have a Soccer or baseball team in it this year [/quote]
Britain can't compete in the soccer, which smells of elderberries

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='RandomProddy' date='Aug 15 2004, 12:50 AM'] Britain can't compete in the soccer, which smells of elderberries [/quote]
why not?

[RandomProddy]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' date='Aug 15 2004, 07:51 AM'] why not? [/quote]
England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland compete as seperate teams in the world cup and international games therefore we don't compete as a national team.

[Tony]

[quote name='RandomProddy' date='Aug 15 2004, 12:54 AM'] England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland compete as seperate teams in the world cup and international games therefore we don't compete as a national team. [/quote]
Man it would of been cool to see Roy Keane on the same side as Owen, Becks and Allan Shearer

[RandomProddy]

[quote name='Tony' date='Aug 15 2004, 07:56 AM'] Man it would of been cool to see Roy Keane on the same side as Owen, Becks and Allan Shearer [/quote]
Yeah, Ryan Giggs too

Rugby has a similar thing, but they have a united team called the "British Lions".

[MorphRC]

Australias gonna beat all yall tushs!!!!!!!!!!

GO AUSSIE GO!!!!!!!

[homeschoolmom]

Is this where it turns into a drunken brawl? I mean, isn't that how international soccer matches are supposed to end?? :hide:

[Tony]

crocodile hunting aint in the olympics mate

[MorphRC]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' date='Aug 15 2004, 04:33 PM'] Is this where it turns into a drunken brawl? I mean, isn't that how international soccer matches are supposed to end?? :hide: [/quote]
Lol. Yeah pretty much