What’s the buzz from the world of sports? Here are some items that will have people talking:
1
There is a term in track and field known as “pulling up lame.” But what Jeneba Tarmoh pulled Monday was just flat-out lame.
The sprinter, as has been well-documented by this point, finished in a dead heat with Allyson Felix in the 100 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials, but since there was no format in place on how to break the tie, the pair was given the option of deciding the final spot on the Olympic team via run-off, coin flip, or one runner conceding it to the other.
Eventually, the two agreed on a run-off … until Tarmoh backed out of it Monday.
It’s true that USA Track and Field should have had a policy in place on how to resolve situation. But Tarmoh ostensibly backed out because she felt she was “robbed” of third place, which she admitted Sunday. How one can train their whole lives to compete in the Olympics then back out seemingly out of pride by no means represents the values of a champion.
Tough to say if Felix is faster than Tarmoh, but it’s not hard to say she’s more deserving.
2
Central Florida basketball player Marcus Jordan, son of Michael Jordan, was arrested this weekend for causing a disturbance in Omaha and was reportedly “animated, intoxicated and uncooperative.”
This adds to Jordan’s past indiscretions, which includes reportedly dropping $56,000 at a casino and costing UCF its Adidas deal by refusing to wear something that wasn’t Nike.
The bad news for Michael is that he has to deal with a child who seems to be struggling with having a living legend for a father.
The good news? It’s a mild distraction from the Bobcats.
3
Monday was the end of an era for two female athletes — Kim Clijsters and Dara Torres.
Clijsters played her final match in the main draw singles at Wimbledon, having said prior to the event this was going to be her last.
She was defeated in the fourth round by Angelique Kerber in a rather un-Clijsters result of 6-1, 6-1.
“Some days it’s good, some days it’s great, and some days it’s not good enough. And that’s something that I’ll never regret. I’ll never say that I didn’t work hard enough or I didn’t practice hard enough,” Clijsters told reporters.
In the pool, Torres, 45, missed out on a sixth Olympic bid. She was trying to qualify in the 50-meter freestyle.
“This is really over,” she said. “That’s it, I’m going to enjoy some time with my daughter, have a nice summer and cheer on the U.S.”
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