Usain Bolt and Jamaica Set New World Record in 4x100

Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, Nesta Carter, and Michael Frater pose with the new world record they set to win gold in the 4x100. (Kerim Okten)

In order to beat Usain Bolt, you have to be extraordinarily good. The U.S. men took one last shot at taking him down in the 4x100 relay. Americans Trell Kimmons, Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay, and Ryan Bailey knew the task set before them was nearly impossible, but they would give it their best shot. Their best shot turned out to be very good. The U.S. time turned out to be 37.04 seconds, which tied the world record prior to the race. The problem was that wasn't good enough.

The Jamaicans were simply extraordinary once again. Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, and Usain Bolt ran a near flawless race to set a new world record of 36.84 seconds. While the world record was a team effort, it was one man who made all the difference. The Americans and Jamaicans were virtually tied going into the final exchange. That meant it was down to Bailey and Bolt. It soon became clear that it was all over. Bolt pushed through the finish line effortlessly in the lead.

For Usain Bolt, the world record was simply the icing on the cake of what he hoped to accomplish in London. In Beijing four years ago, he went a perfect three for three in gold medals. This summer Bolt did it again, winning gold in the 100m, 200m, and the 4x100 relay. He now has six gold medals in six Olympic races. Bolt has already declared himself a legend, but doesn't appear to be done just yet.

Due to the Jamaicans world record setting race, the Americans were forced to settle for silver. The Canadians had the third fastest time, but were disqualified for running outside their lane. This meant that Trinidad and Tobago became the bronze medalist. It hasn't just been the Jamaicans beating up on the Americans. The Caribbean islands in general on the rise. The Bahamas ended the United States' run of seven straight Olympic golds in the 4x400 relay. Now, Trinidad and Tobago made it on the medal stand in the 4x100 relay. The Americans better watch out because it isn't just the Jamaicans and them anymore.

Social media and sports talk are ablaze with what will Usain Bolt do in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Can he sweep the golds again? Will he train for and run in the 400m? Is he the greatest athlete ever? Questions abound but for now Bolt has declined to answer. In my opinion, people should simply relish Bolt's accomplishments this summer. The Olympics only come around once every four years. I would prefer to appreciate the accomplishments of a man who did so much to prepare for these races. The bottomline is Usain Bolt is extraordinarily talented and successful.

Analyzing the Dwight Howard Trade From All Angles

At a press conference Friday, Dwight Howard holds up his new jersey as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. (Kevork Djansezian)

When a blockbuster trade such as this occurs, it isn't just the teams involved who are affected. The whole league feels the repercussions. Just as with every action there is a reaction, every trade seems to have its winners and losers. With a trade this large, the winners and losers become more broad as well. I will focus on what I believe to be the teams that are most directly affected by this trade.

Winners

Los Angeles Lakers
Putting Dwight Howard's deficiencies aside, he is still the best center in the league. Whatever team has him is a better team from a talent standpoint. The Lakers have been trying to land him for a long time. They've come to realize that the combination of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol in the paint simply wasn't good enough to bring them a championship. After sending offers with all sorts of combinations of players and picks, the Lakers ended up only having to give up Bynum and one first round pick for Howard. Any GM would give that up in their sleep. Combine this trade with their one for veteran point guard Steve Nash, and the Lakers have to become the favorite in the Western Conference. With a core four of Howard, Nash, Gasol, and Kobe Bryant, the Lakers are going to be tough to beat on any given night. Resigning Howard long-term could turn into another media circus, but the Lakers will worry about that next offseason.

Philadelphia 76ers
Without giving up the best player in the deal, the 76ers were the beneficiaries of receiving the second-best player, Andrew Bynum. Bynum is a 7-footer who averaged nearly 19 points and 12 rebounds per game last season. Those type of players don't become available very often, especially one as young as Bynum. In return, the 76ers did trade away their best player, Andre Iguodala, and their two most recent first round picks, Nikola Vucevic and Moe Harkless. The team's relationship with Iguodala wasn't the best, and while Vucevic and Harkless do show promise, neither one is expected to blossom into stars nearly as talented as Bynum. The big question for the 76ers as well is whether they can re-sign Bynum long term. Since he grew up not too far from Philadelphia, there is certainly a chance. Even if they are unable to resign him, they will have freed up enough cap room to sign a top free agent or two.

Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets were able to acquire Andre Iguodala from the 76ers as part of this trade. Iguodala will pair beautifully with Danilo Gallinari to give them a dangerous duo at the wing. Iggy won't have the pressure on him to score like he did with the 76ers. He will be able to focus on playing tenacious defense and let that lead to fastbreak offense. The Nuggets did give up guard Aaron Afflalo and veteran big man Al Harrington, but that combination doesn't come close to comparing to Iguodala. Additionally, the Nuggets will reportedly save approximately $23 million in future money as a result of the trade. This means that the Nuggets were able to become a better team and save a considerable amount of money down the road. That shows they are a winner if you ask me.

Losers

Orlando Magic
You know I didn't think that anyone could handle this situation worse than Dwight Howard, but the Magic themselves found a way. In July, the Magic were fielding some great offers. The Brooklyn Nets offered Brook Lopez, MarShon Brooks, and four first round picks. The Rockets offered roughly $12 million in salary-cap relief and a better package of picks. The Lakers even offered Bynum and Gasol combined with picks. No, the Magic turned all those down to settle for this in August. You have got to be kidding me. The Magic are getting the combination of Aaron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless, Josh McRoberts, Christian Eyenga, three lottery-protected first round (five overall) picks. There's a lot there so there's a chance that someone could turn out to be a star, but there isn't anyone there right now. The Magic turned down a bunch of better offers only to accept this assortment of unknowns. I am disappointed for the franchise and their fans.

Small Market Franchises
All around the league, there are small market front offices shaking their heads at this trade. As the old mantra goes, the rich gets richer. That's what happened again here. While many franchises hope to have just one superstar player, the Lakers now have four. While the new CBA does discourage signing many stars like the Lakers have done, it doesn't stop them from doing so. Even though it is true that the small market teams below the tax will benefit from the Lakers' penalties, it won't help them to get any closer to a championship themselves. This trade only hinders these small market franchises even further.

Western Conference Contenders
Just in case the road to the NBA finals wasn't difficult enough last season, the Lakers are now absolutely stocked and reloaded. Teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and Dallas Mavericks now have to adjust their lineups to be able to matchup with the new Lakers lineup. Each of these teams and any team in the Western Conference are going have to work even harder in order to make it to the NBA Finals.

Manteo Mitchell Breaks Leg But Still Finishes Leg of the Race

Despite breaking his leg half way through his leg, Manteo Mitchell endured the pain in order to complete his leg. (Kirby Lee) 

Running a relay race requires reliance between all members of the competing team. Without one of the runners, the race simply cannot be completed. One of the most important relay races for Team USA is the men's 4x400. After all, the Americans have won gold in the event every year since 1976, expect for the 1980 boycott. That means that Team USA had immense pressure to perform well in this race.

Being up first, American Manteo Mitchell knew that he had to set the pace for the rest of his team. At the 50m mark, his left ankle felt like it was cramping up. As Mitchell reached the 100m mark, his leg began to feel even stranger. Shortly following the 200m mark, he finally heard and felt the bone break. Rather then let his teammates down, Mitchell kept running as best he could. He still finished his leg in 45 seconds and handed the baton off to teammate Josh Mance. The American relay team finished the semifinal race tied for the fastest time with the Bahamas at two minutes and 58.87 seconds.

Mitchell's experience must have been excruciating. He explained what happened to reporters, "As soon as I took the first step past the 200m mark, I felt it break. I heard it. I even put out a little war cry, but the crowd was so loud you couldn't hear it. I wanted to just lie down. It felt like somebody literally just snapped my leg in half." However, Mitchell didn't give into his pain and stop. He pushed himself to complete his leg and get his teammate the baton to keep running.

Doctors confirmed that Mitchell broke his left fibula during the race. Three days prior, he had fallen going up stairs at Olympic Village. Mitchell landed awkwardly, but was cleared to race due to no apparent injuries. The race was obviously too much for the weakened bone. However, the broken bone was not too much to impede Mitchell from finishing. Without Mitchell's valiant efforts, the Americans wouldn't be in the 4x400 final. His courage and determination should be inspirational to us all.