There are many sports in the Olympics that the average American knows nothing about and cares even less. Team Handball, Synchronized Diving, Equestrian Dressage...even games we are familiar with like badminton and table tennis bear no resemblance to the games we have played. Case in point...last night I watched a table tennis match featuring the two best players in the world from China. The speed & power was incredible...the reflexes needed would surpass even the best hitters in baseball...rallies of 16 to 24 hits were not uncommon at speeds that even looked fast in slow motion replay. The fact is, we in the US, have not cornered the market on interesting and competitive sports. Team handball is a combination of basketball, hockey & rugby and would be a crowd pleaser in this country if we were exposed to it more often. It's nice to be reminded every four years, that the world is a varied and interesting place and even though we like to think we are the best in everything...it's good for the soul  to be humbled once in awhile.

There are alot of jealous people out there and when alcohol is involved...that jealousy can turn violent. We don't know if that is what led to the attack on Montee Ball on the Madison campus this week...but it wouldnt be surprising if he was singled out by the five perps that beat him to the ground. Some people cant handle the success of others and need to lash out. I follow Ball on Twitter and he seems to be a positive and humble guy. Hopefully he recovers quickly and the guys who ganged up on him are found and dealt with.

Ryan Braun says the Brewers will keep fighting despite being 14 games out in the Central race. He also says don't discount a sweep of the Astros just because Houston is in rebuilding mode. Sweeping a major league team is still a challenge regardless of the star power involved.

The critics of Rickie Weeks have been silenced as he is really in the groove now...something like 13-27 in the last week...and hitting well for awhile now.

The replacement refs were in Green Bay yesterday along with Commisioner Roger Goodell. Mike McCarthy didnt want to get into the discussion about the refs...saying it will all work out and everybody is playing under the same rules. Let's see if he feels the same...when some high school ref blows a call in a regular season game and the Packers lose.

Plover won their opener at the American Legion AAA State Tournament in Appleton...beating Kimberly 17-4. They were upset in last years State tournament but certainly have the firepower to make another run this year. They play Beloit today.

Songs of The Day   (from my I-pod)

Jungleland-Bruce Springsteen (1975) a centerpiece of "Born To Run" featuring a classic Clarence Cleamons solo

Junk Food Junkie-Larry Groce (1976) a 'one hit wonder' although Groce also appeared on 9 Disney music albums that sold millions of copies