USA????

[donnyb]

With Phil/nick already getting knocked out and Brooke/fen not even breaking pool the only team we have with a chance at a metal is Kerri/April.

I think the other teams need to take some weeks off. Light training without your partner. Yeah seems crazy but more training together I think it's to late for that. Some times when you come back you play well.

Only way any of the other teams metal will be something like this. Look at the excitement. Players these days don't do that. Phil boring. Nick can be but some reason hasn't lately. Let's get fired up! Show some emotion like you care!

[guest2]

The other teams need a time machine more than they need time off. Just too old.

[donnyb]

Lol. Yeah but Phil/nick looked really good like 9 months ago. It hasn't been that long ago. Lol. If you watch some of there first couple tournaments together nick was some what emotional compared to now. I think that fires up Phil even tho he may not show it.

[gr8ful]

May 27, 2016 7:35:58 GMT -5 guest2 said:

The other teams need a time machine more than they need time off. Just too old.

HAHAHAHA, that made me laugh….while they are in the sunset of their careers I do think Phil and Nick both are battling some injuries right now, again a perfect example (IMHO) of a team I would consider the US best chance to win a medal and I'm not too certain if there was a qualifying tournament at the end of June they would win it...

[JB Southpaw]

at this level, with Rally scoring a team can just be hot.

“We closed both sets with an ace serve,” said the 27-year old Nicolai, who placed fifth with Lupo at the London 2012 Olympic Games and are scheduled to compete this August in the Rio Summer Games. “Daniele had some great jump float serves and I tried to serve with more power. We played a great team, it was very close and today the serve made the difference.”

[haze]

Brooke and Fen are never a threat to metal in any type of FIVB tournament. They will, IMHO, be the least dynamic team to ever represent USA in the Olympics. The only reason IMO they will likely be going to Rio is a current watered down women's side who's seen more unfortunate partner switchups then the men.

I wonder about Lucena. His comment about him not caring about the Olympics and only wanting to play tournaments with Phil and make money have me reconsidering if he was even the right partner for Phil. He was supposed to feed Phil emotionally but it really looks like Phil is feeding him emotionally and that's not a good thing. The only thing he really brought to Phil is that intensity and that is gone. Don't know if it's an injury but whatever they are doing isn't working for them. They have almost taken a Rosie/Dalhauser type side if this continuous.

On the women's side, I'm just waiting for the young blood.

On the men's side, I'm getting to the point where I can't even stomach watching our international teams. Doherty's body language just makes me sick as a competitive athlete, Mayer is just really blah, I don't know wtf is going on with Dalhauser/Lucena, Patterson is a clown and Gibb is unfortunately not going to be around much longer. Gibb is the only player I really appreciate because he is such a professional about the way he goes about business. Rosie has always been my favorite but he's washed up and the worst decision he ever made was leaving Gibb (that's the benefit of hindsight because obviously nobody's going to say no to Phil). Bourne is almost kind of a mystery right now about where his career is going to go and Hyden is only here to continuously hold back Bourne.

Watching Guto/Saymon from Brazil, with how hard they play, how young they are, how they work for points, and the fact that are only 22 makes me dream of a relevant USA men's side that we can watch grow again. The Crabbs can't get through to an International mainstay soon enough.

Also, I would bet an entire month's paycheck that the USA men don't see the podium in Rio.

[donnyb]

Maybe phil's silence brings his partners down after a while? Seems to be the thing.

Yeah I would make that bet also. Only real team with a chance is Kerri to metal. Kinda sad being a USA fan.

[guest2]

May 27, 2016 10:25:04 GMT -5 haze said:

Brooke and Fen are never a threat to metal in any type of FIVB tournament. They will, IMHO, be the least dynamic team to ever represent USA in the Olympics. The only reason IMO they will likely be going to Rio is a current watered down women's side who's seen more unfortante partner switchups then the men.

I wonder about Lucena. His comment about him not caring about the Olympics and only wanting to play tournaments with Phil and make money have me reconsidering if he was even the right partner for Phil. He was supposed to feed Phil emotionally but it really looks like Phil is feeding him emotionally and that's not a good thing. The only thing he really brought to Phil is that intensity and that is gone. Don't know if it's an injury but whatever they are doing isn't working for him. They have almost taken a Rosie/Dalhauser type side.

On the women's side, I'm just waiting for the young blood.

On the men's side, I'm getting to the point where I can't even stomach watching our international teams. Doherty's body language just makes me sick as a competitive athlete, Mayer is just really blah, I don't know wtf is going on with Dalhauser/Lucena, Patterson is a clown and Gibb is unfortunately not going to be around much longer. Gibb is the only player I really appreciate because he is such a professional about the way he goes about business. Rosie has always been my favorite but he's washed up and the worst decision he ever made was leaving Gibb (that's the benefit of hindsight because obviously nobody's going to say no to Phil). Bourne is almost kind of a mystery right now about where his career is going to go and Hyden is only here to continously hold back Bourne.

Watching Guto/Saymon from Brazil, with how hard they play, how young they are, how they work for points, and the fact that are only 22 makes me dream of a relevant USA men's side that we can watch grow again. The Crabbs can't get through to an International mainstay soon enough.

Also, I would bet an entire month's paycheck that the USA men don't see the podium in Rio.

I agree with all of this with two exceptions. I would happily bet your paycheck that Phil/Nick medal. Phil's problem is he doesn't care and I think the Olympics would motivate him (like how he always does well at the Long Beach event).

Also Rosie leaving Jake was not a mistake. They played 63 together and won 4. Sean played 20 with Phil and won 6

We forget this because how it ended but Phil and Sean were the best team in the World for two years. They won close to the same percentage of events Phil/Todd did together and if you take out the tournaments where Phil was injured the win percentage is near identical. Amazing how fast he became washed up though.

Definitely agree about Jake (and maybe Tri) being the only US players that arent irritating to watch. Jake is a guy that really deserves more praise for the career he has had.