olympics

While soccer isn’t nearly as popular here as it is in other parts of the world, it seems to get its due in the US during the Olympics, at least. And when the women’s national soccer team won gold after a hotly-contested battle against Brazil at the 2008 Games in Beijing, its members became superstars.

It’s not uncommon for two siblings to excel at the same sport growing up, and for some select few that excellence can translate into Olympic success.

The 2012 US Olympic tennis team roster — which includes Serena and Venus Williams and Andy Roddick just to name a few — reads like a who’s who of the sport. But to casual fans, brothers Bob and Mike Bryan may not be as instantly recognizable.

The athletes that comprise Team USA in the Summer Olympics may have been born in the USA but their outfits? Not so much.

Many of the 49 men and women who make up this year’s US swimming squad — like Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Jessica Hardy and Rebecca Soni — have years of experience. But fresh-faced Missy Franklin is a relative newcomer to the sport.

McDonald’s has a monopoly on french fries at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

There have recently been two outspoken moral and religious athletes in the news lately. I would just like to say that it is about time we had some good athlete role models for our youth. Was anyone else sick of the football players making millions of dollars and getting thrown in jail for having their girlfriends killed, dog fighting and drugs? Or baseball players getting their records revoked for juicing? And basketball players cheating on their wives with young women who cry rape? Why is it that if over 90 percent of Americans believe in God (http://www.gallup.com/poll/147887/americans-continue-believe-god.aspx), does it seem like 100 percent of our professional athletes don’t? You may know at least one, if not both of the good role models I’m talking about.

US Olympian Matt Grevers, 27, will compete at the Summer Olympics in London at the end of this month. After hauling in three medals in Beijing in 2008, Grevers has trained diligently and seems destined to add to his personal medal count in 2012.

One day Quidditch may be part of the Summer Olympics. But for now the sport J.K. Rowling invented in her ‘Harry Potter‘ books will settle on holding its latest tournament in close proximity to the Games of the XXX Olympiad, which will take place in London later this month.

At 27 years old, swimmer Michael Phelps is at the top of his game. He’s won countless honors, awards and medals during his career, leading some to describe him as the greatest athlete in history to ever grace the sport.