Boston recap

My thoughts on the adidas Boston Indoor Games are coming out late. I didn’t want to put them up before the meet was on TV, and then there was this football game, and then I had to go to work. (Not that I’m above posting at work, but some network problems have made it impossible.)

First, the important stuff: I kicked ass in the fantasy league. I scored 124 out of a possible 140 points, which put me 16th on the day out of over 2000 participants. Last week’s debacle makes finishing the season in the money unlikely, but I’ve still got a chance.

TV: Not as offensive as it has sometimes been. The only cutaways were understandably during the 5k races. In them men’s race we missed Lagat leading a few laps, and the women’s race was all but an against-the-clock exhibition. No losses there. I didn’t notice as much atrocious announcing. Field events again got short shrift, with the women’s pole vault getting the usual hard-to-follow verbal rundown of makes and misses and the men’s getting no coverage at all. I give it a C; it’s passing but it won’t get you in the Honor Society.

Biggest upset: Anna Pierce was the world’s best 800/1500 runner last year, but got run down at the end by Kenia Sinclair. Big surprise there.

Best race: Men's 5k. They really set up a good one here, with two darned good Ethiopians to push the two Americans. The women's 3k was similarly well set up. Note to the rest of the world: a Worlds 1500 medalist couldn't match kicks with Ethiopia's JV team. The only secret to their dominance is that their best athletes run the longest distances, the complete opposite of everyone else.

Biggest butt-whoopin': Men's high hurdles. Everyone of note besides Trammel is on the other side of the Atlantic right now.

I Told You So: Ivory Williams winning the 60. Mike Rodgers is not nearly as well prepared for 2010 as he was for 2008 and 2009. Really, sprints are easy to predict once you have about three data points (and you can get by with two)...which makes me want to kick myself over not picking Lisa Barber.