Don't doubt this U.S. men's basketball team -- and sure don't challenge them, either. Especially if it's going to make Kobe Bryant flash his NBA MVP form. Bryant scored 25 points in his best game in Beijing, and the men's U.S. Olympic team advanced to the semifinals by beating Australia 116-85 on Wednesday night.
Usain Bolt of Jamaica broke the world record by winning the 200 meters in 19.30 seconds Wednesday night, becoming the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to sweep the 100 and 200 gold medals at an Olympics. Bolt is the first man ever to break the world marks in both sprints at an Olympics. Not even Lewis or Jesse Owens managed that.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin asked to be traded, saying he doesn't feel his situation can be resolved and declaring he has no relationship with coach Ken Whisenhunt. "I'm a football player. That's about it," Boldin said Tuesday when asked to characterize his dealings with the coach these days.
As the softball screamed into the seats, Crystl Bustos had a three-run homer, Monica Abbott had a four-run cushion and the U.S. team's Olympic winning streak finally looked safe. Not before the Americans had to sweat like never before. There's one more game for gold, then one last goodbye. Pushed to extra innings after routing nation after nation, the U.S.
Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, the last player to hit for the Triple Crown, was resting comfortably Tuesday night after having triple bypass heart surgery. Yastrzemski, who turns 69 on Friday, had the operation at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he underwent tests after experiencing chest pains in the morning, said his spokesman, Dick Gordon.
Bernard Lagat advanced to the 5,000-meter final, hoping to salvage his Olympics and maybe start a rally Wednesday for the struggling U.S. track team. Lagat won his heat in 13 minutes, 39.70 seconds to move on to Saturday night's medal race. He didn't qualify for the 1,500-meter final, adding his name to a list of high-profile American flame-outs at the Bird's Nest.
One night the Tampa Bay Rays play long ball. The next they rarely get the ball out of the infield and still beat the Los Angeles Angels. The surging Rays won for the ninth time in 11 games Tuesday night, using Willy Aybar's two-run single to break an eighth-inning tie in a 4-2 win over the Angels that gave Tampa Bay the best record in the American League.
Greg Maddux is back with the Los Angeles Dodgers for another stretch drive following a 120-mile trip up the California coast. The Dodgers reacquired Maddux from the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, getting the future Hall of Famer and cash for two minor leaguers to be named or cash. "It's nice to be back," Maddux said with a smile.
Billy Wagner has more pain and swelling in his pitching elbow, and the New York Mets' All-Star closer is out indefinitely. Wagner had an MRI on Tuesday that revealed additional inflammation in his left elbow -- an alarming sign after he spent most of the past two weeks resting his ailing arm. Now, the NL East leaders don't know when he might be able to return to the mound, if at all, this season.