Former Olympic boxer angry over Trayvon verdict vows never to wear U.S. flag again

Former U.S. Olympic boxer Terrell Gausha is so disgusted over the George Zimmerman verdict — he's vowing to never wear an American flag again.

Gausha -- who boxed in the 2012 London Summer Games -- started wearing the American flag on his boxing trunks after his Olympic run ... but told TMZ he's done with that now in the wake of Zimmerman's acquittal in the killing of Trayvon Martin.

The Cleveland native added, "How can I wear my stars and stripes proudly in a country where they make a big deal out of Mike Vick fighting dogs; but not a young innocent black male's life."

Gausha added, "When I represented my country in the Olympics I was proud to wear my flag. I even wore it on my head on the way to the ring. What happened this weekend was a slap in the face."

Ironically, the African-American fighter made his professional boxing debut as part of a "Red, White and Blue Night" last November.

Gausha — who is 4-0 as a pro —isn't eligible for the U.S. team in 2016 — but it doesn't sound like the 25-year-old middleweight would be interested anyway now. He told TMZ he refuses to rep a "nation with so much racism and hatred."

Kobe's wife couldn't be married to a man 'that can't win championships'

Vanessa Bryant, wife of five-time championship winning Los Angeles guard Kobe Bryant, in an article in New York Magazine said, "I love basketball.  And I know what goes on behind the scenes, so I have a different perspective on things, but still, I certainly would not want to be married to somebody that can't win championships."

Good thing for Ms. Bryant— and the mister as well—  her husband plays on the Lakers and are primed to make a serious run at another title with the additions of point guard Steve Nash and center Dwight Howard.

In the article— featuring basketball wives including Knicks center Tyson Chandler's wife Kimberly— Bryant touches on everything from her ice queen image, rumors of a near fight with Khloe Kardashian and the post game kiss she gives Kobe on the way to the locker room.

"If you notice, I am the only one allowed in that tunnel," she boasts.

But it seems to be all about winning that keeps everything real in the Bryant home.

"If you're sacrificing time away from my family and myself for the benefit of winning championships," she said. "Then winning a championship should happen every single year."

The couple, who have been married 10 years, have seen their share of hard times off the court.

In 2003, three days after he was charged with sexual assault, she received an "apology gift"— a $4 million, eight-carat purple diamond ring.  Last December, she filed for divorce after rumors of infidelity surfaced.  They later reconciled their differences and the split is off for now.

The couple were seen out and about together in London at the Olympic Games where Kobe helped lead the U.S. basketball team to a second straight gold medal.  That should keep her happy for a while.

Diamonds and gold.  I'm seeing a winning pattern here.

10-year old boy gives his medal to heartbroken Canadian relay team

After a Canadian relay team was denied a bronze medal through a technical  disqualification process at the London Games,  a young boy is sending his own soccer medal to the crushed athletes as a token of his appreciation for their sacrifice and hard work.

Ten-year-old Elijah Porter wrote a letter to the 4x100m men's relay team on his Twitter account hoping it would "touch their hearts." The post was noticed by runner Justyn Warner who re-tweeted it to his thousands of followers.

Along with the handwritten letter was a photo of the Timbits soccer medal the Newfoundland youth won as a four-year old.  The letter read:

"When I heard what happened on Aug. 11, I knew it was wrong. The rules were not right.  We're Canadians.  We persevere.  We create better lives for each other.  The cold didn't stop us from living in the north.  We didn't lose the War of 1812.  We adapt and survive."

The Canada team lost the bronze after coming in third place behind Jamaica and the U.S..  The squad was disqualified after it was ruled Jared Connaughton, running on the third leg, stepped on the line as rounded the bend.  The team was already celebrating their astounding finish— with Canadian flags draped around their shoulders— when they were informed about the ruling.  Tears of joy turned to tears of heartbreak.

The letter and medal from the home schooled boy may not be Olympic bronze but is tugging at the heartstrings of the team and a whole country.

Porter wrote "It's just a Tim Horton's medal, but I thought it was better than making it out of paper."

Warner called it "amazing."

Porter, who suffers from Asperger's syndrome, says he hopes to become a biologist when he's older and continue to help out other athletes— if he hits it rich.

"If I get rich, and, if I remember, I will donate money to the summer and winter Canadian Olympians," he said.

He's still bugging his mom wanting to know if she mailed the medal and letter yet.  Something tells me the team already got a message— loud and clear.

Olympic Village becomes one big yard sale

If you've ever wanted to sleep in the same bed as Hope Solo or dry off with the same chlorine-scented towel as Michael Phelps, here's your chance.

A website called 'Remains of the Game' has been launched to sell off the contents of the athletes village  and items from the Olympic Park.

Everything is for sale including mattresses, sheets and furniture from the athletes' bedrooms.  You could plop into your own lime-green Olympic bean bag chair wrapped in warm comforter with colorful Olympic symbols printed on it.

An umpire chair from the diving events was listed at £200 ($250) along with javelins, a 2012 parasol or a traffic wand for £3.5  (five bucks).

While Britain tries to recoup some of its costs for the 2012 Olympics by turning the aftermath into the world's biggest garage sale, the world turns its eyes to Rio in 2016.

I have my eye on one of those purple suits with the light-bulb derby that the volunteers wore at the closing ceremonies.  Kind of British with a little pimp.

Usain Bolt goes from breaking records to spinning them in DJ booth

Usain Bolt just keeps on running.  The Jamaican track star didn't waste any time after taking gold in the 4x100 relay before sprinting from Olympic Stadium to party in East London on Saturday night.

The triple gold-winning runner already showed he can break records but, at the London hotspot Puma Yard,  Bolt showed he can spin them too after he turned DJ and spun some vinyl for a packed crowd.

"He came on stage and grabbed the mike," DJ Manny Norte told The Associated Press.  "The energy went up tenfold.  It was electric.  Everyone was very excited to see him."

Whether it's at 9.63 seconds or 33 rpm's, Bolt seems to be the man.

Word is that the man who won gold in three events—100 meter, 200 meter and relay—  proved he is just as comfortable mixing music as well.

"I am happy and did what I did and I came here to be a legend," said Bolt at the club which has been used as Jamaica's home base.  "I am now, so I am very happy with myself."

Bolt's happiness carried over to the adoring crowd.

"It was an historic event," said Norte who spun alongside Bolt.  "It's not every day you get to play to a crowd with the fastest man on planet ... You can tell he loves his music— his pop and reggae.  We mixed the tracks a bit."

The fastest man in the world posed for pictures and chowed down on Jamaican food with his teammates and British hip-hop artist Clement Marfo in between sets behind the turntables.

"We always come out here and give it our best," said Bolt.  "At this Olympics we did great, so for me, it was an honor to share it with these guys and do wonderful and extraordinary things."

After attending his sponsor's party in East London's Brick Lane area, Bolt ran over to the posher Movida in London's West End. The club spokesperson Martina Pokorna said his group included Bolt's teammate Yohan Blake and British swimmer Rebecca Adlington.

She said they were given a Nebuchadnezzar— the equivalent of 20 bottles— of Aces of Spades champagne.  It has a retail value of 80,000 pounds ($125,000).

"They left at 6 o'clock this morning," she said.

It's a nice start but the real party doesn't begin until Bolt touches back down in Jamaica.

Ukraine boxer has best gold medal dance in London

Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine won the heavyweight gold medal in the Olympic boxing tournament on Saturday night, outlasting Italy's Clemente Russo 14-11.

The Ukrainian— who sported one of the most interesting haircuts (half a Mohawk?) at the London Games— literally danced his way around the center of the ring after being announced as the winner.

Usyk's astonishingly nimble Cossack-style victory dance had a little Ed Grimley mixed in but the fighter is judged in the ring and not on Dancing with the Stars.

The 6-foot-3 boxer had reason to kick up his shoes.  Usrk is the third Olympic gold medal winner in Ukraine's history joining Wladimir Klitschko and Vasyl Lomachenko.

Usyk broke up a close fight with Russo heading into the third round.  The much taller Usrk pummeled the Italian with some big shots before taking over the match.

There might be a few more Ukrainian jigs in the ring this weekend.  The Ukraine boxing team will lead the Olympic field with five medalists.  Lomachenko goes for his second Olympic gold Sunday.

Russo took home his second straight Olympic silver medal.

NBC takes heat for hot video of female Olympic athletes

Female athletes have been garnering a lot of the attention at the 2012 London Games, but NBC  apparently thinks the reason people are watching is because of their bodies and not their abilities.

The network was getting a lot of criticism Friday morning after releasing a video called "Bodies in Motion," a slow motion montage of female athletes set to what the website Jezebel describes as "soft core porn music."

In the video, all of the women compete in scantily-clad sports and the camera angles seem to concentrate on the ladies' specific body parts— i.e. T & A.  They also throw in some lip licking and teammate hugging for more thrills.

The video shows only women in bikinis, short skirts and tight uniforms.  So if you're looking for any fencers or judoka, don't bother.

It is noteworthy that NBC has not yet released an all-male version of "Bodies in Motion."

NBC did not make the video embeddable and attempts to download the page Friday morning was met with an error message, according to the New York Daily News.  A media representative told the newspaper he was "looking into" whether or not the video had been taken down.

Belgian Olympic cyclist sent home after drunken night is caught on camera

The Belgian Olympic Committee says it has told cyclist Gijs van Hoecke to leave the Olympics after photos appeared of him looking drunk and unable to walk while leaving a London nightclub on Tuesday night.

The unconscious Hoecke was carried out of the club by his hoodie-wearing pals and appeared to have wet his pants as well.

Even sober, he probably sounds drunk trying to pronouncing his own name.

The committee said in a statement Thursday it made its decision after consulting with the team leader  of the Belgian cycling squad.  Van Hoecke did not win any medals.

Several British and Belgian newspapers had published photos of the 20-year old— with his wet pants falling down and his eyes closed— being dragged into the back of a vehicle.

Van Hoecke told Belgium's VRT radio and television network that he regretted  what happened, but he was just "letting off some steam" after two years of hard work.

He added, "It would have been better if I had not done that here ... in London."

Yeah.  The Stella Artois is cheaper in your homeland.

Pistorius, South Africa to run in 4x400 final after not finishing heat

Oscar Pistorius will get another shot to run at the 2012 Olympics after South Africa won an appeal to advance to the 4x400-meter relay final— even after his team failed to finish the heats of the 4x400 race.

The double-amputee was on the track but didn't get to run in the heat Thursday because a teammate  tumbled out after colliding with a Kenyan runner.  South Africa, silver medalists at the last world championships, filed an appeal to be restored to the final.

Pistorius will get another chance after a jury of appeal said South Africa "had been severely damaged" in the collision between Ofentse Mogawane and the Kenyan, Vincent Kilu, who cut across him too soon in the second section of the Thursday morning heat.

The jury of appeal decided to give an additional lane 9 to South Africa in Friday's final "even though they did not finish the race."

It was a crazy morning for the South African team after Mogawane crashed and dislocated his shoulder, leaving Pistorius waiting in the changeover lane for a baton that never came.  The frustrated runner raised his hands in the air after he realized the race was lost.

"It's not the place you want something like this to happen," Pistorius said.

South Africa launched an appeal, but Pistorius, at first, said he had little hope of his team continuing on to the final.

"Even a protest isn't any consolation," said the man who has overcome many obstacles. "It's frustrating.  It's so hard.  You have so much support from back home."

Then came the surprise ruling that Kilu had cut across Mogawane, causing the collision.  It is very rare for a team to get reinstated if it doesn't finish a race.

Pistorius now has a second chance to leave London with more than the legacy of being the first double-amputee to compete in an Olympics.

According to the IAAF, the Kenyan team looked at video replays and agreed that its runner was at fault.

Something tells me the world thinks the jury's decision was the right thing to do.

Remote-controlled Mini Coopers that retrieve track and field equipment a big hit at Olympics

The London Games are using remote-controlled Mini Coopers to shuttle track and field equipment— like javelins, discuses, hammers and shots— back to the throwing area after they are hurled by the competitors.  Even dropped relay batons are getting the V.I.P. treatment.

The fleet of three miniature cars are a big hit at the Olympics and work harder than the teen aged volunteers who control them.  The little cars run in four hour shifts and travel up to four miles a day carrying a single discus, hammer, shot and up to two javelins back to where they were tossed from.

But are they a violation of the IOC's ban on advertising?  Corporate branding is banned from athletes uniforms or on the field of play and these BMW replicas are getting a lot of screen time.




Even if the cars don't have a logo, critics claim the bright colors and novelty of them is blatant advertising.

Similar gadgets have been used before in previous Olympics but I think the problem with these blue and orange Minis is that they are so cute— even more than the real-size versions.  Who hasn't stared at one of the little buggies stuck between a couple of gas guzzling SUVs while in traffic and smiled?

It's a victory for the little, little guy.

Can't wait for the first innovative joy-sticker to use the four-wheeled butler to bring him a Red Bull from the snack bar.

France player lands vicious punch to Spain player's crotch

France's Nicolas Batum— whose basketball team was about to be eliminated from Olympic play— threw a flagrant fist into the groin of Spain's Juan Carlos Navarro's after France's Ronny Turiaf sent Rudy Fernandez into the sidelines with hard foul in the final minutes of play.

The France team believed that Spain lost on purpose to Brazil the other night speculating that they dumped the game to keep Spain on the opposite side of the bracket from the U.S..

Spain has not lost an Olympic game to anyone but the U.S. since 2000 and the France squad was insulted that it may have been considered the lesser team.

"I wanted to give them a good reason to flop," Batum said after the nut shot.

If you can't hit your shots, you might as well hit 'em where it hurts suddenly seems to be the mantra of these games.

The players from both teams had to be separated after Batum's low blow.  Navarro made one of his free throws after the foul and Spain went on a 12-0 run before the frustrated French team scored again.

Marc Gasol finished the game with 14 points, but it was defense that won the game for the usually high-octane Spain team.

The Spanish kept hopes alive for the gold-medal rematch against the Americans— who beat them 118-107 in Beijing in 2008.

Discus gold medalist Robert Harting celebrates by going 'Hulk' and clearing hurdle

Discus gold medalist Robert Harting of Germany put on a couple of shows Tuesday night in London.  The first was during the actual discus event.  The second was his victory celebration after throwing the disk 68.27 meters.

Following his win, Harting ripped off his shirt like The Incredible Hulk, flexed his muscles, then ran down the track shirtless— except for the German flag draped around his broad shoulders.

To top it all off, the 28-year old track star cleared a hurdle on the track which was set up for the upcoming  women's 100-meter race.



"If you see me coming out of a stadium without a shirt," the exuberant German exclaimed.  "You know it was good."

Harting's celebration was probably the best of the 2012 London Games so far.

Burly men can jump.

Michael Phelps leaves party with mystery woman and gold medals

Michael Phelps continued to collect gold even after his 2012 Olympics was over.  The swimmer was seen leaving a "boozy" London party with a golden-haired mystery woman after celebrating at the exclusive House of St. Barnabas-in-Soho, according to The New York Post.

Phelps celebrated his 4x100 meter relay victory with his teammates and he kept the party going by getting into a waiting SUV at around 4 a.m. with his blue-eyed beauty with the red, white and blue fingernails.

The couple reportedly smuggled a couple of bottles of Stella Artois into their ride while a triumphant Phelps showed off some of his gold medals for the cameras.

The leggy-woman was a little more camera-shy and hid from the photographers but, once inside the car, she smiled seductively.

Even though the 27-year old Phelps' Olympic career is over, the swimmer said he still woke up at his usual 6 a.m. training time.

"I only had three or four hours of sleep last night, then I woke up and couldn't fall back to sleep," he said.

It sounds like Phelps is having a hard time with retirement already and he still has to wait 38 more years for social security benefits.

"It's kinda weird. It's very strange, the first day of not having to swim and never having it again," he said.  "I'm not sure right now how I feel.  It's really confusing."

Phelps said he plans to spend his first day of retirement with his biggest fan, his mother Debbie, and would not be going near a pool except to watch the Olympics and world championships.

The competitive part of my career is over, but it doesn't mean my involvement with swimming is over," he said.  "I'm still going to be involved, but looking at it from the outside."

I'm sure there will be other mystery woman coming in and out of Phelps' new life of leisure. Wearing a bundle of gold medals around your neck can't hurt.

Oscar Pistorius and Kirani James exchange name plates after race

In what has to be one of the most touching moments of the 2012 Olympics, Oscar Pistorius— who just finished last in his men's 400-meters heat and would not advance to the finals— was approached by the  winner Kirani James and the two exchanges name plates after the race.

Pistorius— who made history by becoming the first double-amputee to compete in an Olympics— was such an inspiration to his Grenadian competitor, that James asked to make the exchange of the bibs after the heat.

"He's an inspiration for all of us," James said.  "He's very special to our sport."

A great complement from a great competitor.

The Blade Runner, as Pistorius is called, runs on two carbon-fiber prosthetic legs and has been an inspiration to many long before he made the South Africa track and field Olympic team.

The Olympics ares still not over for the 25-year old Pistorius.  He will compete in the 4 x 400 relay on Thursday and the South African team has a good chance to medal.

Ryan Lochte admits to peeing in the pool

It might be best to avoid the pool after swimmer Ryan Lochte has been paddling around in it.  The American Olympic swimmer, who has won five medals at the London Games, has admitted to urinating in the pool.

"Not during the the Olympic races," the swimmer told U.S. broadcaster Ryan Seacrest.  "But I sure did in warmups."

Everyone said he was a whiz in the water.

Asked by Seacrest, during a live radio broadcast, if he ever "went" in the pool, the glib Lochte laughed, "Of course, we all do."

Why does the 27-year old Lochte do it?

"I think there's just something about getting into the chlorine that you just automatically go."

I don't think we're going to be seeing to many swimmers take their pre-game sips from the water anymore— especially when they see Lochte aimlessly floating around the pool with a relieved grin on his face.

It's unclear what made Lochte admit in public to taking a leak while wearing his Speedos but— after his mother told the world her son is a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am type of guy— all I have to say is TMI from this family.

Olympic beach volleyball sweepers do it to Benny Hill theme song

The women's Olympic beach volleyball tournament is probably the most fun place to be during any Olympics but this year the fun has gotten downright silly.

Tons of sand have been poured onto the courtyard known as Horse Guards Parade and turned the stodgy square into Huntington Beach with a Big Ben.

Not many sports athlete's wear less clothing than female volleyball players and those that do are usually getting arrested.  At the 2012 volleyball tournament, the dancers who conga between points wear more clothes than the women.

The the most bizarre highlight of the tournament might be when the sand sweepers come out to rake the court to the saxophone strains of "Yakety Sax"— better known as the Benny Hill song.



While the venue is usually being bombarded with rock songs, Yakety Sax is a refreshing alternative to California punk and a tribute to all those wacky British comedians we grew up with.  Who can forget the lecherous Benny chasing around the buxom nurses with his cane.  Coincidence?  I think not.

Downing Street may never be the same. I wonder if the Ministry of Silly Walks is nearby.

Korean fencer stages dramatic sit-in after controversial loss

South Korea's Shin A Lam refused to leave the fencing piste for over an hour to protest a controversial judge's call that had cost her a chance at a gold medal at Monday's London Games.

Shin had to be physically escorted off the piste by officials after her coach argued against the award of a winning touch to Germany's Britta Heidemann in the epee semi-final on what looked like a bogus point.

Heartbreaking shots of the 25-year old Korean fencer crying on the piste in a bizarre protest against the clock being reset from zero to one second that cost her the victory and a chance at gold— especially since Shin thought she had the match in hand.  She did not move after the final touch was awarded to her German opponent.

Replays show that Heidemann's winning thrust came after what seemed like more than one second.




After initial discussion from the officials and a protest by the Korean team,  Heidemann—the defending champion from Germany— ran off screaming with joy after the final decision.  Shin sat dejectedly under the spotlight of the piste with her helmet at her side and tears running down her face while 7,000 rambunctious spectators tried to figure out what was going on.

Shin's coach, Shim Jaesung, filed a formal protest with the FIE (Federation International d'Escrime), the sports governing body, which was rejected.

"Shin told me, 'I am okay,' but I fear she is not okay," said the beleaguered coach.

In what is considered the second fastest object in sports— behind a marksman's bullet— the two double-touches of Heidemann's epee still had to add up to more than a single second.

Olympics to use soldiers and students to fill empty seats

Prime seats at many Olympic events have been noticeably empty and will be filled by soldiers, teachers, students and volunteers to save organizers the embarrassment of the sponsor-issued no-shows.

During the first few days of the 2012 London Games television cameras couldn't help but show the vacant seats— which are usually center stage and with the best views of the sports.

Call it the Yankees luxury-seat syndrome— those empty $2500 seats behind home plate that are prevalent at every New York Yankees game.

Most of the unused seats at the Olympic events had been given to corporate sponsors who just don't show up for the preliminary rounds.  This includes some high-profile events like gymnastics and swimming.

"It is obvious some of those seats are not being used in the early rounds," said organizing chief Sebastian Coe.  "We take it seriously.  I don't want to see those seats empty."

Coe refused to name sponsors who are abusing the privilege of getting the best seats and not using them.  There have been calls from shut-out spectators to name the culprits publicly.  Coe doesn't believe "naming and shaming" the sponsors is true to the Olympic spirit.

"It is disappointing to athletes because they want to perform in front of full houses," said Daley Thompson, Britain's decathlon hero.  "I think in a lot of sports, they don't get full houses, and this is a brilliant opportunity for them."

The empty-seat syndrome is not exclusive to London.  It was a problem in Beijing four years ago.

Major U.S. sponsors like Visa and Coca Cola secure many of the tickets and give the freebies to winners of  promotional contests and important VIPs.  The sponsors claim they have no control over which events those fans choose to attend.

Filling the seats with deserving people is a good start.  On the other end of the spectrum, it remains to be seen if the organizers can do something about letting visitors get inside the Olympic Stadium to see the Olympic Flame— which can only be seen from inside.

Mystery woman in red crashes India's Olympic delegation

A mysterious woman in red has caused an international incident at the opening ceremonies of the London Olympics after she was spotted marching alongside the athletes and officials from the country of India on Friday night and nobody knows how she got there.

The apparent breach of security was downplayed by the Games organizers who claim the woman— dressed in turquoise pants and a red jacket— was a ceremony cast member and had been screened before she entered Olympic Stadium.

Photos show the young lady's red top standing out among the delegation of 40 Indian athletes decked out in their bright yellow and navy blue uniforms as they paraded inside the stadium. The mystery woman was leading the procession alongside the flag holder.

"We are totally dazed," Indian press attache Harpal Singh Bedi said.  "How can a person without any accreditation walk past?"

Indian officials are baffled by the interloper's identity but the media reports she is Badhura Nagendra— a graduate student living in London— who was one of the 10,000 volunteers performing in Danny Boyle's spectacular opening night ceremonies.

London organizing chief, Sebastian Coe was quick to defend British security— which has criticized for its hasty preparations— at the Games.

"Don't run away with the idea that she walked in off the street," he said.  He said organizers will have "our own discussions about the cast member who clearly got slightly overexcited."


Are they sure the gatecrasher wasn't just a frumpy Kardashian looking for free publicity?  

Bob Costas to hold moment of silence to commemorate '72 Munich Massacre

The backlash against the refusal of the International Olympic Committee to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1972 terrorist attacks in Munich has picked up a few key supporters six days before the London Games are set to begin.

Bob Costas, NBC's lead Olympics anchor, said he'll publicly call out the IOC for refusing to honor the 40th anniversary of the massacre of the Israeli athlete-hostages at the Munich Games and added that— if the IOC fails to allow a moment of silence during the opening ceremonies— he'll hold one himself on NBC's telecast as the Israeli athletes enter the arena.

"I intend to note that the IOC denied the request," said Costas.  "Many people find that denial more than puzzling, but insensitive, [so] here's a minute of silence right now."

It's a classy move on the most visible platform in sports broadcasting and— with the slayings at Aurora, Colo. weighing heavy on America's hearts— it is a gutsy statement about guns, violence and terrorism worldwide.

After Costas made his announcement, the White House joined in, saying, "We absolutely support the campaign."

Eleven athletes and coaches were slain in a botched German attempt to rescue the victims after being held as hostage by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Olympics.

Ankie Rekhess-Spitzer, widow of the slain fencing coach, has been trying in vain to seek an official commemoration of the tragedy.

She said the IOC called such a gesture "political" and "told us the Arab delegations would get up and leave.  To which I said, 'It's OK; if they don't understand what the Olympics are all about, we'll let them leave.'"

It's a simple gesture by Costas but could be far-reaching.  For Rekhess-Spitzer, it will be small consolation to the IOC's lack of compassion, but could be the start of something a long time coming.