Solid Gold

Living life like its golden

The Dynamic Duo

"While y'all was in limbo, I raised the bar up...I touched on everything...married to the game...rock a chain instead of wedding ring..."

Kayne West - The Glory

I named this story after a show that I used to watch in my youth...Solid Gold. It seemed appropriate as I wanted to give the US women's soccer and US women's beach volleyball teams their proper respect on GAME TIME. Before I get into the particulars, I'd like to give Marilyn McCoo a mention, while we were on the topic of the wildly popular TV series...because she is a champion in her own right.

I absolutely LOVE the Olympics and outside of men's and women's basketball, I enjoy softball, baseball, track and field, diving, swimming, archery, beach volleyball and no doubt women's soccer. 

Nike ran an ad campaign during the 2007 Women's World Cup for the US women's soccer team, as they were called the "Greatest Team You've Never Heard Of". It was a reverse psychology initiative as USA was the favorite, nevertheless, Brazil never got the memo as they shut out the USA 4-0 in the semi-final round. In Team USA's defense they played that match without the services of their ace goal keeper Hope Solo, however that is another story. 

To say that Brazil is the modern day rival is an understatement, move over Norway, there is another nemesis. The Brazilian women's team like their male counterpart, have superstars in Marta, and Cristiane. However Team USA playing without their superstar Abby Wambach 

did exceptionally well after their opening 0-2 loss to Norway, behind the play of Angela Hucles, Natasha Kai, Kate Markgraf, Christie Rampone, and Hope Solo. 

In the gold medal final it was a total team effort, as Solo shut out Brazil, and in extra-time at the 96th minute Carli Lloyd scored what would become the game winner, as USA outlasted the opposition 1-0. 

In women's beach volleyball, Misty May and Kerri Walsh continued their dominance over the world's best winning gold with style and teamwork. I first noticed this tandem during the 2004 Games in Athens, and while I've always been a fan of volleyball. Beach volleyball was new to me. May and Walsh are now as common and peanut butter and jelly. They are the best of the best.

They earned gold (without losing a single game throughout the Olympics) against host nation China, amidst rainy conditions which made for a tricky playing surface, by defeating Wang Jie and Tian Jia, in straight sets 21-18, and 21-18. Misty May and Kerri Walsh have now won 108 straight matches en route to back-to-back gold medals. 

Together they have made history as the best beach volleyball team to ever grace the sand. 

Stars and Stripes forever!