So, Thomas may have gotten to sit in the GE suite at the Olympics but today we got to sit in the Suite at DKR Texas Memorial Stadium, I think I like my seat there best. The world is right by the way with football starting and it’s really just plain AWESOME. I thought i would sneak a peak into what the suites look like the day before the game. It’s reallly amazing but I wouldn’t trade my standing seat on the field for the suite life, unless they had sirloin steak medium with mushroom sauce.

Here’s a sneak peek at the new North End Zone at DKR. The media got a tour on Monday, after the weekly press conference.  This is a view of the concourse and a view from the field. Make sure you check out the names added to the top of the second deck– it looks like the Cowboys Ring of Honor with the names of the players who have retired numbers with the team.

 

I never met John Denver but what a great song “it’s good to be back home again” and we got back to the good ole’ USA just in time to spend 2 hours on the tarmac because of the computer glich in Georgia. But through the problems we finally made it home and I’d like to thank Casey Limousine and driver Rome for making my trip home painless. I didn’t even have the energy to put my suitcases up the stairs to my house and what an awesome thing the good folks did at KXAN for us when we got home.

What a great experience and how great it was to meet everyone from across the world. I never did find the shirt from Coca Cola that said “I’m from Earth”. I saw some great things and really enjoyed all of the emails from many of you responding to my blogs and they were appreciated. I can’t even explain the emotional high from seeing all of the athletes I’ve follwed win gold, silver or bronze and share the disappointment when things didn’t go as well as they had hoped. It’s hard to put into word now because my mind is mush but in a few days when I can reflect, I will share those thoughts as well.

Secondly….if you’re going to care about human rights, the environment or whatever, then you need to do it 24/7/365 and don’t make the two weeks the world comes together your stage. Having been there in person to feel the presence of the President, I can tell you it was the right thing for him to do. President Bush made his own statement by not just showing up for the opeing ceremonies like many world leaders did, but President Bush went out and visited with the Athletes and attended many of the events and made his own statement and that was heard louder than had he stayed home. I was there and could feel the vibe and so it was a good thing and those candidates who say we should’ve done this and that, and that’s the one semi political statement that I will make at this point. I have many more but what the world needs now is love sweet love and the really great part about this is that the world is ready for it.

Third, fresh air is good, I mean really good to smell. BBQ and Mexican food and hot sauce and it’s just really good to be home again.

After 25 days in China its time to go back to Austin.  What a 25 days it was, starting with a trip to the Great Wall of China and then that last event I saw in person was the women 4×400 relay winning gold thanks in large part to Sanya Richards kick at the end.

 Getting a chance to not only see a summer Olympics up close, but a country filled with so much mystery was an opportunity I do not take for granted.   

 All told our totals look something  like this.  16,000 miles round trip, we interviewed  roughly 75 Olympians that  won some 65 medals including  one who left  Beijing with 8 gold and a  pot of gold waiting  at  home. We did in the neighborhood of 200 live reports from our rooftop  studio for not only Austin, but Indianapolis, Providence, RI, Norfolk, VA, Grand Rapids, MI, Dayton, OH,  Springfield, MA, and Ft. Wayne, IN.

 The best part was covering athletes and coaches  from  Austin  who were so accomadating  whether their heart was broken or they had a  gold medal hanging around their neck.

 A big thanks to KXAN photographers Todd Bynum and Thomas Costley along with my friends from WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids,  Jack Doles, Brian Sterling and Dan Limbaugh.

I was standing outside my favorite venue the other day: the Water Cube and we had just completed a round of interviews when this guy came up and asked me if he could have my shirt. I have been asked to take pictures, swap Olympic pins, etc. but never for my shirt.
His name turns out to be Mervin Austin and I was wearing my AUSTIN NEWS shirt, so it all made sense. Rather than give it to him there, running the risk of showing off my abs and gun show, we made a deal to meet and he would give me one of his countries shirts in exchange.
here is that video of the exchange and he threw in a free booklet to boot.

Now, that give me another idea, I’m headed to the Olympic green to see if i can trade someone a USA hat for a Spain or some other countries hat.

It’s the Olympic barter system

Just when I thought I was out of gas on Day 23 here Beijing, Sanya Richars and the USA 4×400 relay team gave me a shot of adrenaline.  Richards ran  the anchor leg to perfection.   It was a come from behind effort that had the 91,000 in the Birds Nest on their feet.  Richards actually passed Russian Federation’s Anastasia Kapachinskaya with  about 80 meters to go, just about the exact point her hamstring cramped sending her from  gold to bronze in the 400 Meter final.

 While Richards is still looking for that first individual gold medal, thanks to her amazing  anchor leg, teammates Allyson Felix,  Monique  Henderson and Mary Wineberg go home with gold of their own.

 Let the closing ceremonies begin!

I would be remise if we didn’t thank Mack Brown and the University of Texas football program for making a lot of the Beijing dreams come true. Every athlete and coach to a person talks about the commitment the UT athletic deparment makes to what we refer to as OLYMPIC SPORTS. or the non-revenue sports. Recently I talked with Mack Brown before we left for Beijing about the role Texas Football plays in funding other sports at UT. I can say that not only is Mack proud of all the athletes representing UT but understands and embraces the responsibility football has on generating revenue for all sports.

The bottom line is that it takes commitment and monies to run all of the sports at UT and you just don’t see that at many other Universities especailly in a variety of sports. I know many other schools have great representation but the diversity of Texas athletes is unique. So a big Gold Texas Medal goes to Mack and the gang for accepting that responsibility and also putting a team on the field for the past decade that allows other sports to flourish.

it also takes making it a priority to win and do it right and DeLoss Dodds and Chris Plonsky are also to be commended for their role in the outstanding tradition and reputation of the UT athletic program AROUND THE WORLD and not just in the USA.

So come early, cheer loud and support all of the sports at UT. and no, I’m not on the payrool but being here and listening to the stories of athletes and coaches and seeing the big picture, one must understand the importance of what it takes to send 23 current or former Longhorns and coaches to the Olympic Games.

it also speaks highly of Coach Rick Barnes and Augie Garrido who have also put their perspective programs in a revenue generating postion. Way to go Rick and Augie and it won’t be long before other sports start finding themselves in that position. If you have a season ticket or have given to the athletic department, you helped them in Beijing as well, so be VERY PROUD OF THE LONGHORN ATHLETES COMPETING here in Beijing.

This trip has been amazing because I’ve been around a lot of the folks we’ve covered at the University of Texas. I’ve seen the ups and downs and through it all when we all get together on the perch, it’s awesome. I’m not much of a hand shaker and prefer hugs and there have been some great ones on this trip. Many of the best hugs were not necessarily for those who were celebrating, but for the true winners in life. Eric Shanteau, Sonya Richards and today, Cat Osterman. I’ve followed Cat for many years and today was a good time to share a great “we still love you and are so proud of you” hug. Cat has changed the face of softball in Texas. I have 5 wonderful neices and I am so proud of Cat for paving the way for my little girls to be able to do whatever they want. I know she was so upset today, but so gracious in her time and it was truly great to spend quality time and of course I showed her the Ad I’ve grown to love. LOVE SPORT EVEN WHEN IT BREAKS YOUR HEART….well, Cat, our hearts are broken because we know how hard your heart is broken, but we are EXTREMELY PROUD OF YOU.

Let’s go CHICAGO and get the games of 2016 and bring back softball so we can see the Cat maybe one more time go for the Gold.

We’ve gotten to see our share of medal winners come by the NBC workspace here and today was no different. Four members of the Gold Medal USA Women’s soccer team dropped by and well, quite frankly, it’s what we call GO USA time. We act like tourist taking pictures; taking video of them taking video of us and it’s really a cool experience.

So, amongst all of the heartache are some great moments: moments we will not ever forget and it’s truly a time where we can celebrate a victory for the good ole USA.

Okay, so we admit it. We have waited until the last minute to do any souvenier shopping, sort of. We have looked here and there but the selection doesn’t compare to Salt Lake City back in 02. The sizes are all different as well and you have to catch the store on the right day or you have the “slim” pickins. We sort of hit a Gold Mine at the USA house the other day and are planning a trip back, but then there is all of the other things that go with bringing gifts back.

Our new solution might be to order on line, have it shipped to our house and then pass them out like we had them all along. Roger has looked for this one particular shirt for a while now and we shot a video of about thirty seconds where we went. This particular mall was deep into Beijing and when security guards start following you around, it’s not like here where tourist are expected. Nothing happened and everyone was nice but the selection and size thing really puts us to the test for finding souveniers.

But we do have internet connections.

BONNIE TYLER~~~~~the past couple of days have reminded us all of a song Bonnie Tyler made popular “nothing but a hearache”, it’s been hard to watch folks you have followed for years not realize their dream of an Olympic Gold Medal. Thats the true nature of sports in that you don’t always get what you want and then out of no where, comes a surprise performance. The only thing that remains beautiful in sports is that they tried, they put their pride on the line and went for the gusto. Better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all. There have however been some brilliant moments for TEAM USA …. i’m reminded to team td, never looking back; only at the adventure ahead….