Discussion our Favorite Olympians

Patrick: How about we talk about our favorite Olympic team or Olympian? I know I’m torn because there’re literally tons to choose from. That said, have at it. Shoot, y’all may inspire me to pick.

Russ: Hello, everyone. All right, so I would like to acknowledge the 1976 U.S. Boxing Team.

Patrick: Sugar Ray’s year, right?

Donald: Yep.

Russ: Right. They had Sugar Ray Leonard, Michael Spinks, Leon Spinks, and Howard Davis leading the 11-man team. Easily one of the greatest boxing teams I’ve ever seen. 7 of the 11 members earned medals, with 5 of those medals gold. Sugar Ray Leonard, the Spinks brothers—Leon and Michael—Leo Randolph, and Howard Davis—who, just so you know, was voted the best boxer of the whole tournament—all got gold.

John: And, if memory serves, Sugar Ray won all 5 of his fights.

Russ: A quick add-on: Many of the boxers went on to win championships as pros.

Patrick: Right, right, Russ. John, what do you have?

John: All right, so two teams stand out for me: the most dominant team ever and just a very good story I want to tell. So, the dominant team is the very first Dream Team. 1992. The United States were getting fed up with not winning any medals using amateur basketball players—college players just prior to the NBA players taking the Olympics by charge for many, many years. Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan—dynamic trio.

Donald: And, shoot, think about the rest of them cats: Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, David Robinson, uhm…

Patrick: Chris Mullin, Patrick Ewing, John Stockton, Clyde Drexler and, shoot, Scottie friggin’ Pippen!

John: Don't forget Duke's Christian Laettner, the only college player. That was a heckuva team. Obviously, they dominated the field and won the gold. And the one thing that was almost as overwhelming as the talent this U.S. team possessed was the collection of enjoyable personalities.

Donald: Those players were celebrities big time. And we know they partied!

John: Of course. And before I forget, let me send a shoutout to the 1980 hockey team. Our—the U.S.—self-image was in shambles, while the team formerly known as the Soviet Union was considered an unstoppable machine. However, luckily for the U.S. team, they had a head coach named Herbert Paul Brooks and he and his “team that could”… did. With a victory in a match that later came to be known as the “Miracle on Ice,” the U.S. team conquered not only the unstoppable machine, but also the poor U.S. self-image that had been created.

Russ: That was good, John. I’d nearly forgotten about that.

Patrick: To be honest, y’all, I’ve heard of it, but had no idea the details of it. Could be a helluva documentary, too. All right, Don…what you got, baby?

Donald: Let’s see…so I’m going to lean on Simone Biles. With her staying strong and keeping her head up, as well as still able to attempt to perform during the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. With her connection to Larry Nassar, who was a physician who treated high-profile, elite athletes, but who came to be known as sexually abusive to many of his clients—including Simone Biles—she began to suffer mentally. Someone we’ve associated with topexcellence, she became unable to overcome and had to withdraw. That she had the courage to stand up and down nails my top spot.

Patrick: Good deal, fellas. Y’all done captured it all.

Vendors Russell Adams, John Hagan and Donald Morris chat about the world of sports with Executive Assistant Patrick Edwards.

Any comments or suggestions? Email pedwards@streetwise.org