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The Silver medalist from the Olympics beats the Gold medalist at the Olympics for amateur sport’s most prestigious prize?

That makes no sense.

I’ve completely lost respect for the Sullivan Award.

Read commentary on the IG Forum.

On Twitter Shawn linked to this photo on TwitPic.

UPDATE: Many disagree with me. Check the comments.

Seems there are two main reasons why #2 beat #1 for this award:

Johnson was second in online fan voting, which counted for one-third of the total. Barboza had 31 percent of the vote, Johnson 27 percent, Hansbrough 13 percent, swimmer Dara Torres 10 percent, Liukin 7 percent and the 4×100 swimming relay 5 percent.

It is awarded based on leadership, character, sportsmanship and the ideals of amateurism.

Des Moines Register

related – Latest Sullivan Award makes little sense

Utah coach Greg Marsden deserves more credit than anyone else for building the modern success story that is NCAA Women’s Gymnastics.

But he’s getting a bit of heat online after floating ideas for change to the current College system.

Greg feels Women’s NCAA Gymnastics is still not appealing enough to the “normal” spectator.

… we have done little to improve our image or increase interest in our championship. Our rules continue to be difficult for the occasional observer to understand, and post-season events are too long, too complicated and anticlimactic in nature. Other than when hosted by a few institutions, who have their own large following, attendance has been disappointing. …

His radical proposal — one that he does not expect to be supported anytime soon — is to make Championships a live TV event. (The 2009 Team Finals will be broadcast by CBS sometime in May.)

… If we hope to grow, it is not enough to appeal only to hard-core gymnastics fans or to fans of our institutions. We should consider changes that would also allow an opportunity for our final event to be televised live. As Steve Penny of USA gymnastics recently said, “because of the way media is now set up, if you’re not live, you’re not real.” This will require us to make the difficult decision about whether we continue to be more concerned with maintaining our participation numbers in post-season events, or whether we will create events that are more marketable. …

some of Greg’s Utah fans at Championships 2007 – larger version – flickr – makkeboome

Here are some of his ideas:

1. Compete five (or six) routines per event and count all five (or six) scores. You may substitute at the end of your line-up if someone cannot finish her routine due to injury, but there will be a 0.5 deduction and the injured gymnast may not compete on another event.

*Counting all routines would make everything much more meaningful, therefore more exciting and even allow for more upsets.

2. Average all scores to determine post-season qualification.

3. 32-Team Championships Format

Four NCAA regional sites:
1. Eight teams (and individuals) will be assigned to each regional site.
2. Two sessions on Saturday at 1 PM and 7 PM, with four teams (and individuals) in each session.
3. Winners of each session (and highest ranking individuals not with a qualifying team) move on to Semi Finals at NCAA Championships site.

NCAA Championships site:
1. Semi Final sessions will be conducted on Thursday at 1 PM and 7 PM.
2. Top two teams from each session qualify to Finals
3. Team finals will be conducted on Friday at 7:00 PM
4. Event finals will be conducted on Saturday at 7:00 PM

After carefully reading his full proposal, I’m convinced.

Greg’s right.

I agree with him that we need more upsets … like earlier this season when San Jose State beat Stanford. THAT would make the sport more entertaining.

I might be starting to see the gossipy appeal of Twitter.

Both Shawn and Nastia are in NY City this weekend, I see by their tweets.

Shawn took the red-eye. Nastia an early morning flight.

They are there as finalists for the Sullivan Trophy, the Oscar of sports awards. I predict Nastia will win.

Thanks Lori.

I fly to Lincoln, Nebraska today for the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships.

Buzz from the meet is that ticket sales are slow. Lincoln is a small College town distant from most major cities.

The host team did not qualify to team finals.

Still, the competition will be fantastic despite not being sold out as it was at Georgia last year, Utah the year before. If you can get there, I highly recommend it. Truly a life experience for any gymnastics person.

Anne Phillips posted an excellent video titled Pre-Meet Rituals For The Utah Utes. It’s from a home meet earlier this season.

We get a glimpse of what competition day is like for a College gymnastics team.

Click PLAY or watch it on Gymnastike.

http://www.gymnastike.org/assets/portal/add_ons/mediaplayer-4.2/player.swf

Wow. Love the excitement.

There’s some controversy over one of the Utah t-shirts:

… The shirt front says “Utah gymnastics,” and the back has the team’s 2008-09 slogan, “New Year, Our Year,” plus, in small red lettering below, “2009 national champions.” …

College Gymnastics Board – Utah fashion…

Don’t get too worked up over it. This is regular NCAA hype. The Utah girls are not arrogant nor overconfident.

Actually, Utah had a serious flu bug going around. Hopefully all the girls will be healthy in time for Championships.

I saw on Twitter that Nastia is cheering for Utah.

Championships will be hosted by Florida in 2010.

Beam Elements Named After Gymnasts Montage by MostepanovaFan.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (Audio disabled.)

To watch it with audio click through to GymnastTube.

Tinsica was the name of a gymnast? This is the first time I’ve every heard of it.

igorgymn1 has a similar montage – Named Gymnastic Elements. Balance beam

Related MostepanovaFan videos:

gymnastics – bar mounts video

acrobatic elements on beam

balance beam dismounts video

video guide to beam mounts

FIG Bar Release Moves video

WEEK 6 – Dancing with the Stars – Season 8, Episode 10 ( April 13 2009 )
In the sixth week of performances, contestants perform the rumba or the jive.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Their least appealing dance so far, I thought.

But Shawn Johnson & Mark Ballas are through to next week.

WatchDancingWithStars.com

related: Three-year restraining order granted against Shawn’s alleged stalker, Robert O’Ryan.

Spontaneously we decided to pad the base of one of our pit bars with a cylinder mat.

It worked surprisingly well.

larger original

Small kids can climb up on to the bar from this mat.

With the Barbie I can be a Gymnastics Coach, girls can discover their dreams with barbie. Also includes a cute little Kelly doll that can slide and pose on the balance beam. There are hoops, a gold medal and all the accessories to be a great gymnastics coach. Doll can not stand alone. …

Hmmm …

Barbie is a gymnastics coach with Kelly as student. Kelly spins on balance beam. …

Amazon – Barbie I Can Be: Gymnastics Coach Doll Play Set

Outspoken former billionaire Ted Turner wants to “revive the Goodwill Games, the Olympic-style competition he created in response to the boycotts of the 1980 and 1984 Olympics.”

… The first Goodwill Games were in Moscow in 1986, followed by Seattle in 1990, St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1994, New York City in 1998 and Brisbane, Australia in 2001.

Then Time Warner, which bought Turner’s properties, pulled the plug.

“That was short-sighted management of Time Warner,” said Turner, who eventually left the company. “If I’d have stayed there the Goodwill Games would not have been canceled. I really believe they helped to bring the Cold War to a conclusion — in fact, I know in my heart, because I was there, it helped to bring the Cold War to a conclusion.”

He even knows which network should bring back his creation.

“ESPN should be the one to do the Goodwill Games,” he told an ESPN reporter in the packed audience, “and if you want me to consult for free, I’ll do it.” …

Olympic Briefs — Possible Goodwill Games Revival

Jennifer Sey at the Goodwill Games in 1986 – California Literary Review – Jennifer Sey on the Harsh World of Elite Gymnastics

From USA Gymnastics:

Three teams and the top three all-around competitors not on one of the qualifying teams, plus the top three individuals on each event not already qualified on a team or as an all-around competitor, will advance from each pre-qualifying session to the finals session. Final competitions will take place April 17-18, also at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

The 2009 qualifying teams and individuals are listed below.

USA Gymnastics

TEAM QUALIFYING SCORE Stanford 359.920 Oklahoma 357.570 Illinois 355.960 Michigan 354.130 California 353.970 Ohio State 349.870 Minnesota 348.250 Penn State 346.430 Nebraska 341.930 Illinois-Chicago 339.030 Iowa 337.790 Navy 337.160

ALL-AROUND QUALIFIERS:

ATHLETE	INSTITUTION	QUALIFYING SCORE
1. Derek Gygax	William & Mary	83.950
2. Ty Evans	Springfield	82.480
3. Josh Fox	Springfield	82.430
4. Nash Mills	Air Force	81.430
5. Ty Smith	Army	79.890
6. Boris Rasin	MIT	79.760

FLOOR EXERCISE INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERS:

ATHLETE	INSTITUTION	QUALIFYING SCORE
1. Aaron Zaiser	Air Force	14.490
2. Josh Fried	William & Mary	14.450
3. Scott Bloomfield	Temple	14.210
4. Chris Valeska	William & Mary	14.040
5. Tyler Croteau	Temple	13.990
6. Evan Burke	Temple	13.990

POMMEL HORSE INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERS:

ATHLETE	INSTITUTION	QUALIFYING SCORE
1. Adam Al-Rokh	Temple	14.060
2. James Prim	William & Mary	14.010
3. Richard Pearson	William & Mary	13.990
4. Jacob Houder	Air Force	13.950
5. Andy Hunter	William & Mary	13.810
6. John Vogtman	Temple	13.790

STILL RINGS INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERS:

ATHLETE	INSTITUTION	QUALIFYING SCORE
1. Jacob Schonig	Air Force	15.320
2. James Prim	William & Mary	14.880
3. Matthew Bolognese	Springfield	14.850
4. Josiah Loeser	Air Force	14.690
5. John Vogtman	Temple	14.320
6. Chris Mooney	Temple	14.150

VAULT INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERS:

ATHLETE	INSTITUTION	QUALIFYING SCORE
1. Scott Bloomfield	Temple	15.500
2. Jeff Zack	Temple	15.260
3. Devin Menefee	Air Force	15.250
4. Keith Stumpf	Springfield	15.230
5. Chris Mooney	Temple	15.180
6. Aaron Zaiser	Air Force	15.100

PARALLEL BARS INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERS:

ATHLETE	INSTITUTION	QUALIFYING SCORE
1. Pat McLaughlin	Temple	14.110
2. Andy Hunter	William & Mary	14.030
3. Andrew Kelly	Springfield	13.810
4. Adam Al-Rokh	Temple	13.650
5. Tyler Croteau	Temple	13.640
6. James Prim	William & Mary	13.630

HORIZONTAL BAR INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERS

ATHLETE	INSTITUTION	QUALIFYING SCORE
1. Sloan Crawford	William & Mary	14.180
2. Brett Lazarus	MIT	13.940
3. Pat McLaughlin	Temple	13.880
4. Jay Hilbun	William & Mary	13.870
5. John Vogtman	Temple	13.840
6. Michael Freundlich	Springfield	13.520

I predict Stanford will win. Casey Sandy will take the All-around.