CAUSE FOR CONCERN

How the Tokyo Olympics became a case of greed, lies, and propaganda

How the Tokyo Olympics became a case of greed, lies, and propaganda
Just give Simone Biles the gold medal in gymnastics. Photo by Getty Images.

The Tokyo Olympics start Friday. Big mistake. The IOCC already postponed the Games once from last year. They couldn't wait another year to stage a safer, more vaccinated Olympics with more fans and less COVID fear?

Tokyo is one of the world's largest, most educated cities, with a population of about 38 million people. Japan is a highly developed first world country with 126 million people. The vaccination rate in Japan is 21.6 percent, less than half the rate in the U.S., and COVID is rebounding big time here. Tokyo is in an official COVID state of emergency, with cases rising every day in the past month.

The most alarming statistic is this: a recent poll has 83 percent of Japanese not wanting the Games to be held. That's up 14 percent from three months ago. They really don't think hosting the Olympics during a health emergency is a good idea.

Some athletes, like rising American tennis star Coco Gauff, aren't attending the Olympics because they've tested positive for COVID at home. Some already have tested positive after arriving at the Olympic Village in Tokyo, where 4,000 athletes from around the world will live in close quarters. The Olympics could turn into a super spreader event. A public health official in Tokyo was on CNN this week urging organizers to call off the Olympics. The Olympic Village bubble already has sprung a leak, he said.

The world couldn't wait another 12 months to watch canoe slalom races? Bruce Springsteen's daughter in horse jumping? Artistic swimming? Three-on-three basketball shouldn't be an Olympic event. Three on three is when the other guys don't show up at the playground.

There was a rumor that Olympic organizers ordered fragile cardboard beds that would support the weight of only one person – to discourage sex among the athletes. First, how out of touch are the organizers if they think fit, world class athletes in their 20s need a bed?

Besides the rumor wasn't true. The beds are sturdy and recyclable.

It will look weird when athletes stand on the medal platform and put sanitized medals around their own necks by themselves. While wearing gloves. So stupid.

There won't be fans in the stands, but there will be fat cat sponsors, thousands of media and 11,000 athletes. You want to make money? Invest in cotton swabs. Everybody will be tested regularly.

Here's how to make the Olympics safer and nobody gets sick. Just give Simone Biles the gold medal in gymnastics and Novak Djokovic the gold in tennis and say good night. I am interested in the basketball competition because the U.S. men will be challenged for a change, and the U.S. women are fun to watch.

Tennis won't have Roger Federer (injury) or Rafael Nadal (rest). The top U.S. woman, No. 4-ranked Sofia Kenin, and the GOAT Serena Williams aren't playing.

Only six teams made the baseball competition and I'm rooting for Israel because I know one of the players who helped the Jewish State qualify. Jeremy Wolf was part of the 2016 Trinity national D3 champions.

Major Japanese corporations and Olympics sponsors announced this week that they won't be sending executives to the opening ceremony. Sponsors include the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., Fujitsu and NEC Corp. No word from the Japanese TV network that airs the Super Terrific Happy Hour.

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The Texans will look to get back on track this Sunday against the Colts. Composite Getty Image.

C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans are looking for answers after their passing game couldn’t get going in a loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Houston’s passing attack had been a strength all season, and the Texans ranked fifth in yards passing per game through their first six games. But on Sunday at Lambeau Field, Stroud was limited to a career-low 86 yards in the 24-22 loss, which snapped a three-game winning streak.

Stroud was 10 of 21 and didn’t have a touchdown pass for the first time this season. The second-year player was under duress for much of the day and was sacked four times and hit seven other times.

“We have to go back to the drawing board and see what those issues were,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “As we watch the film, we’ll see what happened, starting for me the communication and just guys being on the details of the job.”

The Texans scored a season-high 41 points in a win over New England a week earlier in which Stroud threw a season-best three touchdown passes despite being without star receiver Nico Collins.

They were unable to replicate that success Sunday with Collins out for the second of at least four games after a hamstring injury landed him on injured reserve.

Stefon Diggs led the team with five receptions against the Packers, but they only amounted to 23 yards. Tank Dell, who the Texans expected to step up with Collins out, was targeted four times but didn’t have a catch.

Stroud discussed the importance of getting Dell more involved in the offense.

“We have to find a way to try and get him the rock early and often and then go from there,” he said. “It has to be a focus for us, not only just him, but the whole offense clicking early. That is really my job to get the ball out on time and to where it is supposed to go. So yeah, that definitely has to be fixed.”

Ryans spoke about his confidence is getting Dell going.

What's working

The Texans have forced seven turnovers combined in their last two games after they hadn’t caused any in their previous three games.

Houston scored 16 points off three turnovers Sunday. The Texans had two interceptions and recovered a fumble on a punt. In their win over the Patriots, they scored 17 points off a season-high four turnovers.

What needs help

The Texans won’t get to where they want to be this season if Stroud doesn’t get back on track. Before Sunday, last year’s AP Offensive Rookie of the Year was averaging more than 262 yards passing a game, giving the team confidence that the problems in the passing game are fixable.

Ryans knows the line must give Stroud more time to throw and said the coaching staff will focus on improving in that area this week.

Stock up

RB Joe Mixon continued to shine Sunday in his second game back after missing three games with an ankle injury. Mixon, who is in his first season in Houston after a trade from Cincinnati, had 25 carries for 115 yards and two touchdowns against Green Bay.

Mixon is confident the Texans will rebound this week if they quit making mistakes.

“Does it look I’m worried? I’m not worried at all,” he said. “Like I said, we got a ... good football team. At the end of the day, we are our own worst enemy.”

Stock down

Dell was unable to help Stroud get the passing game going. The second-year player had a solid rookie season with 709 yards receiving and seven touchdowns in 11 games before breaking his leg. But he hasn’t been able to build on that success this year and has just 194 yards receiving with one score in six games.

Injuries

LB Azeez Al-Shaair (knee), LB Henry To’oTo’o (concussion), CB Kamari Lassiter (shoulder) and S Jimmie Ward (groin) all missed Sunday’s game and it’s unclear if any of these starters can return this week.

Key number

3 — Safety Calen Bullock had his third interception Sunday to tie Dunta Robinson and Jumal Rolle for most interceptions by a rookie in franchise history through the first seven games. He leads NFL rookies in interceptions this season and is tied for third-most among all players.

Next steps

The AFC South-leading Texans (5-2) return to division play Sunday when they host the second-place Colts (4-3), who have won two in a row and four of five.

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