We're rested and refreshed after a three-year vacation, but cleaning off all this dust will take a while. Nevermind. Let's rock like it's, well, 2012.
Reading time, two minutes:
• What's next for Erin Cafaro, Modesto's first two-time Olympic gold medalist, you ask? I'm guessing an ultra-marathon or triathlon.
• First, it was Turlock's Ali Cox, an Olympic silver medalist rower. Then, it was Cafaro. Who jumps into the boat next?
• Cafaro hiked Modesto's Olympic gold medal count to five. Be proud, Mo-town.
• A dead heat on best nickname at the Olympics: South Africa's Oscar Pistorius, the "Blade Runner," and gymnastics all-around champion Gabby Douglas, the "Flying Squirrel."
• If pushed, we lean toward "Blade Runner." It's all too real.
• Don't miss McKayla Maroney in the vault. Bad toe and all, she flies about two feet higher than the rest.
• And we're told Michael Phelps (18 career gold medals, 22 medals in all) sluffed off in his training this year?
• Ryan Lochte overplayed his act, but his 11 career Olympic swimming medals are second only to Phelps.
• Lochte's biggest mistake was his date of birth, much like Phil Mickelson versus Tiger Woods.
• Missy Franklin (four golds) still swims for her high school team. Think she'll own some intimidation points?
• While praising Phelps, remember Carl Lewis: 10 track and field medals, nine of them gold.
• More love for Lewis: Four straight Olympic golds in the long jump. Outrageously great.
• Historians took note of Galen Rupp's silver in the 10,000 meters. It's only the USA's third-ever medal in that event and the first since Billy Mills' shocking victory in 1964.
• And when the anthem for Serena Williams' gold medal reached "our flag was still there," it flew away!
• The Athletics' 13 walkoff victories give them a chance to beat both Texas and the Angels in the AL West. Of course, everyone predicted that.
• The A's trade of catcher Kurt Suzuki looked like a salary dump, until: He was batting .218 with one home run. Johnny Bench he was not.
• Wait until Pablo Sandoval returns to the Giants lineup. Then we'll find out if they're better than the Dodgers.
• Attention, high school football fans: 19 days away from Week 0.
• Fresno State's transition from Pat Hill to Tim DeRuyter (pronounced De-Rooter) will not be as difficult as the Bulldogs' switch to a no-huddle spread offense.
• The final word on Hill from a grad: He gave the Bulldogs a legit identity and corrected some major academic wrongs. Hard to find fault with that.
• Team USA basketball rallied from behind for a five-point victory over Lithuania. Sorry, LeBron and Kobe, they'll be no more talk about beating the Dream Team.
• The late Joe Paterno's fall from grace trumped Woods'. No one got hurt with Tiger, other than his image.
• No one has logged more bus miles in the California League than Modesto Nuts manager Lenn Sakata. If you need directions to Lancaster, Adelanto or Visalia, he's your man.
• The Olympics coincided with the opening of NFL camps. I'm relieved. Stressing over that sixth-round draft pick's hamstring injury would have ruined the summer.
• Give credit to the NFL. No one sells non-games better.
• Hot dogs, ice cream and apple pie were served at Graceada Park for Cafaro's gold-medal party in 2008. Soon, we'll party again.
Just double the order.
Bee staff writer Ron Agostini can be reached at ragostini@modbee.com or (209) 578-2302.
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