SPORTS UPDATE: Track and FieldD.I.N. - The USSR performed with victorious skill at last week's dual track meet between the US and the USSR in Los Angeles, CA on July 18th and 19th 1970. We, the Soviets, came in 2nd, while the USA came in an embarrassing next-to-last. This was the 9th meet in a long series of standoffs between our two countries, essentially a pseudo war. After the 1959 meet, American hurdler Eddie Southern said that he "would rather die than lose.... [he] wasn't running to get a point or two, [he] was running to beat the Russians". Another American said that he "realized he had a duty to perform... [and] had to show [everyone] that [he] hadn’t failed [his] country." The general consensus on both sides was that when you lose "you not only lose for yourself, you let your team and country down." The USSR's women's track programs have made a huge difference in previous meets; unlike the U.S., the Soviets have been fostering the talents of all athletes, not just the males, therefore making it necessary for the U.S. to copy us and begin their own women's track programs. These track meets have been indicators of the relationship between the USSR and the US. For example, in 1966, the Soviet athletes boycotted that year's meet because of the US's actions in Vietnam. Luckily, we have resolved our differences and have many years of friendly competition ahead of us.
Sport of the Week: Dwarf TossingD.I.N. - Dwarf tossing has been all the rage in the USSR this year. This new recreational activity involves completions between people to see who can throw a dwarf the farthest. The current record is an amazing 9 ft, 7.5 inches.
The event generally requires consent from the person being tossed, though there have been some arrests for harrasment of people who neglected to ask for permission. The American rip-off of Dwarf Tossing, Giant Throwing, of which the record is 5 inches, has not been nearly as successful. |
1980 Moscow Summer Olympics4 August, 1980
Moscow, USSR - This year's summer Olympics ended with a bang yesterday at the closing ceremony in the Grand Arena of the Central Lenin Stadium. Although the United States and 64 other countries did not attend (some cited the boycott, others economic reasons), the ceremony was still steeped in controversy. After a musical beginning commencing with the Kremlin clock chiming, the audience suddenly turned from a packed stadium into a massive mural with the logo of the Moscow Olympics stretching across the seats. Next, in accordance with tradition, the Greek flag was raised to the playing of the Greek national anthem. Then the host country's flag, the hammer and sickle, was raised to the USSR national anthem. This was when the ceremony became slightly uncomfortable, as the next Olympic games will be held in Los Angeles in the United States. The flag of "The City of Los Angeles" was raised and the Olympic Anthem was played. The ceremony concluded as a balloon effigy of "Misha," a lovable bear and mascot of the games, was released into the sky after being paraded through the Grand Arena during the song "Farewell Moscow." The medal totals for the top 5 countries are as follows: Country - Gold Medals, Silver Medals, Bronze Medals - Total Medals
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A Short History of: Cuban "Beisbol"
D.I.N. - The American sport of baseball has led a full life since it traveled to Cuba in 1864. Before it became organized, baseball was played by Cuban college students returning from American colleges as well as those American sailors stationed and docked at Cuban ports. The Habana Baseball Club was the first real Cuban baseball team and the beat a team from an American schooner in 1868.
The Cuban League was established in late 1878 with three teams each playing four games. The first organized game of the League was played on December 29, 1878 and ended with the Habana team beating the Almendares team 21-20. Habana went undefeated and won the first championship in Cuba. At this point, all players were amateur and every one of them was white. This changed in 1900 when the Cuban League was the first baseball league to admit blacks onto their teams.
By the 1920's, Cuban baseball was fielding superb players as more and more blacks moved. Primarily the shift was during the winter and from segregated American leagues to integrated Cuban ones. Ten years later during the 1930's, amateur baseball began to take the forefront of public interest and the number of teams grew from six to eighteen. Most amateur teams were social club teams but one major form of amateur baseball during the 1950's was sugarmill baseball (where teams were made up of factory workers from the mills).
After the Cuban revolution in 1959, the new government decided to use baseball as a way to increase unity and nationalism throughout Cuba. In 1961 they abolished the professional baseball system and replaced it with the amateur "Cuban National Series" run by the "Institute for Sports, Physical Education and Recreation". Cuba began to build up a national team for competition in international events to raise nationalism and pride while also reinforcing the legitimacy of the revolution.
From its beginnings as a college student pastime, baseball has spread to the point where it is now considered the national sport of Cuba. With professional, semi-professional, and amateur players all over the country, the government promotes the sport to reinforce their legitimacy and to increase the physical fitness and general well being of their population.
The Cuban League was established in late 1878 with three teams each playing four games. The first organized game of the League was played on December 29, 1878 and ended with the Habana team beating the Almendares team 21-20. Habana went undefeated and won the first championship in Cuba. At this point, all players were amateur and every one of them was white. This changed in 1900 when the Cuban League was the first baseball league to admit blacks onto their teams.
By the 1920's, Cuban baseball was fielding superb players as more and more blacks moved. Primarily the shift was during the winter and from segregated American leagues to integrated Cuban ones. Ten years later during the 1930's, amateur baseball began to take the forefront of public interest and the number of teams grew from six to eighteen. Most amateur teams were social club teams but one major form of amateur baseball during the 1950's was sugarmill baseball (where teams were made up of factory workers from the mills).
After the Cuban revolution in 1959, the new government decided to use baseball as a way to increase unity and nationalism throughout Cuba. In 1961 they abolished the professional baseball system and replaced it with the amateur "Cuban National Series" run by the "Institute for Sports, Physical Education and Recreation". Cuba began to build up a national team for competition in international events to raise nationalism and pride while also reinforcing the legitimacy of the revolution.
From its beginnings as a college student pastime, baseball has spread to the point where it is now considered the national sport of Cuba. With professional, semi-professional, and amateur players all over the country, the government promotes the sport to reinforce their legitimacy and to increase the physical fitness and general well being of their population.