Philadelphia Eagles: Catching Fire at the Right Time

"We're playing with heart and everybody knows we have one goal in mind, and that's just to make it to the end."

--Trent Cole, Philadelphia Eagles defensive end, following their upset win over the New York Giants in the NFC divisional playoff.

"We have a collective heartbeat and a collective heartbeat is a very powerful thing."

--Brian Dawkins, Philadelphia Eagles safety.

Winning Notes from the NFC Divisional Playoffs

“You can lean on him all the time. He has great experience playing deep into the playoffs, two Super Bowls and he’s played phenomenal for us. You can’t say enough about Kurt and his leadership. Very vocal and he tells you exactly what its going to take for us to get there and we’re all just following his lead.”

--Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals' wide-receiver, talking about Cardinals' quarterback Kurt Warner.

Fitzgerald had eight catches for 166 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Carolina Panthers in another upset in the NFC divisional playoffs.

Warner, who threw for 220 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Panthers, has been here before. His breakout year came in 1999, when he won the first of two M.V.P. awards and led St. Louis to a Super Bowl victory against Tennessee. Warner did it again in 2001, when he was the M.V.P. and the Rams reached the Super Bowl once more, falling to New England.

Warner was rewarded with a Pro Bowl season in 2008, throwing for 4,583 yards and 30 touchdowns with 14 interceptions as the Cardinals won the N.F.C. West. It was his fourth Pro Bowl selection, but his first since the 2001 season.

Excerpts from New York Times, January 12, 2009.

Florida Gators: BCS National Champions

"There's no feeling like being a champion. I love it. There's nothing like it."

--Percy Harvin, University of Florida wide receiver, who missed the SEC championship game against Alabama, because of an ankle injury.

In his return, Harvin had 171 total yards and a touchdown to help top-ranked Florida beat No. 2 Oklahoma 24-14 in the national championship game Thursday night. He ran nine times for 122 yards and a touchdown, caught five passes for 49 yards.

"Unbelievable performance. The brighter the lights, the bigger he plays. He's a big-time game performer."

--Urban Meyer, University of Florida head coach.

However, the turning point of the season and the key to the Gators' championship may have occurred following the Gators' upset loss to Mississippi, 31-30, Sept. 27. This is what their leader and 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, quarterback Tim Tebow said:

“To the fans, the Gator Nation, I’m sorry. Extremely sorry. But I promise you one thing: a lot of good will come from this. You will never see a player, in the entire country, play as hard as I will play the rest of the season. You will never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of this season. And you will never see a team play harder than we will play the rest of the season. God bless.”

Florida did not lose again.

Excerpts from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 9, 2009.

Striving for a National Championship in BCS Game

"I picture things in my mind before I try to go accomplish it."

--Chris Brown, Oklahoma Sooner running back.

Brown, who has started only one game this season, will be starting in Thursday night's championship game against the University of Florida. The starting running back, DeMarco Murray has a hamstring injury.

Despite his backup status, Brown leads Oklahoma in rushing yards (1,110) and touchdowns (20). Brown was an honorable mention selection on the 2008 All-Big 12 team.

Watch a Chris Brown touchdown run on YouTube below.

Excerpts from the New York Times, 1/7/2008.

Chauncey Billips: Underrated, But No Longer Underappreciated

"There's a presence to his presentation. He's a proud man but a humble man, a communicative man but a quiet man. Chauncey has the intagible part of the point guard position down much more than the fans and the amateur observers would think. The efficiency, the leadership in the locker room, he has those things on an A-plus level, and how valuable is that?"

--George Karl, NBA Denver Nuggets head coach, discussing Chauncey Billips. Billips was traded from the Detroit Pistons to Denver for Allen Iverson in early November of 2008.

Since the trade, the Nuggets have won 16 games and lost only four as of Monday, December 15. Despite being less heralded that Iverson, Billips won a championship while on the Detroit team and played in two finals and in six straight NBA conference finals.

Billips was drafted third overall by the Boston Celtics in 1997. He bounced around with four NBA teams, including Denver, before succeeding in Detroit.

"A special guy, and you know he went through a lot before he got his chance. A lot of people didn't believe in him, and he's always played with that chip on his shoulder. "

--Rick Carlisle, who briefly coached Billips in Detroit.

Excerpts from the New York Times, 12/17/2008.

Fighting for an NFL Playoff Spot

“You find out what you are made of in tough times. We found that out not only in this game, but last week. You really have to care about winning, and it has got to really bother you when you lose. You have to be excited for guys when they make plays. It’s never about you, it’s about the team.”

--Brett Favre, New York Jets' Quarterback, after winning a game against the Buffalo Bills in the last 1 minute and 54 seconds. The win kept the Jets in a tie for the AFC East championship and in contention for a spot in the 2008 NFL playoffs.

Excerpts from the New York Times 12/15/2008.

Execution: Not Sexy but Successful

“You’re always going to be faced with the situations that came up yesterday at some point in the season. You’re always going to face that. And if you have reliable people who are prepared and anxious to have an opportunity to play and prove themselves, then you can carry on.

“Regardless of whether you’re a five-play-a-game guy or not, you’re very involved in everything that we do. Our coaches, our meetings, are all for the purpose of providing everyone with the information they need to perform well.”

--Tom Coughlin, head coach, NFL New York Giants, discussing injuries that have forced him to change his lineup.

“One thing that we say is when somebody goes down, we like to step up. In the receiver room, we try to take pride in that.”

--Dominik Hixon, New York Giants' back-up wide receiver and special teams player, who returned three kicks for a total of 180 yards, including an 83-yard run that led to a field goal in the second quarter. He finished with 6 receptions and 269 all-purpose yards in a win over the Washington Redskins.

“The one thing I can say about our team right now is whether we’re up 3 or down 3, up 7 or down 7, we have the confidence that we’re going to come back and win the game. A lot of us feel like that because we have done it before.

“You raise your own standards as well as your team’s standards. You carry yourself differently because you do not allow yourself or your teammates to settle for mediocrity. You expect greatness from everybody. You’re no longer saying: ‘Oh, man, we didn’t get it done. Well, what are you going to do? We’re not perfect.’

“Now it’s like, ‘That’s unacceptable.’ We know how good we can be when we play the way we’re supposed to play.

"This team handles adversity extremely well, and it’s just another opportunity for us to demonstrate it.”

--Sean O'Hara, veteran New York Giants center, who responded to questions about injuries and other distractions this year (including the legal troubles of Plaxico Burress) and last year during their Super Bowl championship run.

“Once you have guys here complaining or being bitter about not getting the ball enough or not making enough plays, that’s what causes the problems. We’ve had that here. We don’t have that here now. That’s why we’re 10-1.

“I’d rather have 53 guys who play like Pro Bowlers, regardless of whether they get into the Pro Bowl or not. That’s what our team is. We have 53 stars. Instead of having that one star-power guy, that guy that gets all the attention, all the love, every week reporters have somebody else to talk to, something else to write about. That’s good. That’s good for our whole team, because that means everybody’s shining. And if you’ve got your whole team shining, you can’t have nothing but a good team.”

--Antonio Pierce, NFL New York Giants' linebacker, discussing the team's continued success in 2008 after a Super Bowl victory last season.

“I love it completely. That’s what this thing is all about for me: team. Team.”

--Tom Coughlin, discussing his feelings about the New York Giants' success.

So, despite crises, multiple problems and adversity, the New York Giants continue to execute and win. So, what does this have to do with you and your business?

Well, it's official: the recession is real and has been since December 2007. Many experts suggest that we will be in this condition until at least 2010. The economy is a mess. In these times of turbulence, we can't wait for the government to take over or bail us out. Our customers have problems needing solutions. Our customers need to know that we have answers for them. They expect us to have products, services, processes, and expertise to help them to survive and make money. We have to demonstrate that we have what they need and most importantly that we can execute and make things happen. We have to communicate our value and our ability to perform when the opportunity arises. Most importantly. You can't wait for your customers to come to you. What do you need to do? What does 2009 hold for you and your business?

If you really want to succeed, you have to get down and dirty and execute. You must demonstrate your value to your customers when they need you most, show them that you’re willing to roll up your sleeves, and get to work. Why does it seem so hard? Isn't there an easier more interesting way?

The problem is that we all think that we can be the top dog, the leader, the big enchilada. We want to be the go-to-guy, the CEO, the thinker. We imagine ourselves as strategists and visionaries. The big guy in the corner office is the one that get paid the most. We want to be paid and respected, even worshiped for our high-level thinking. It affirms us, stimulates our mind, validates us and our place in the universe. It fulfills the promise of our intelligence, the ability to anticipate change and make a difference in our business universe.

But, what is your business there for? You are needed, and expected, to provide a solution, tackle a problem, make something easier, better, or make a headache go away. However, everyone fancies themselves as the architect. Few of us what to pick up the the hammer and the nails and build the house. When you’re in business, your job is to offer a product, a process, a service or your expertise to a customer or a company that needs it. Someone has to make sure it gets done.

The key is to execute. In order to do that you have to be close to the customer and their business. To do that well is to understand what their business needs. And most of the time, what a business needs from you is execution. The bad news is, however that, execution is not exciting, it is not fun, it is not glamorous, it is hard, very hard. The truth is that execution isn’t sexy.

In this economic climate, the reality is that execution rules. Execution makes money. Execution drives the economy. Execution helps a business move forward. It allows businesses to make measurable progress against their goals. Of course, this is what businesses need to focus upon all the time, but especially when budgets and human resources are disappearing rapidly. Companies don’t necessarily need a new mission statement or an pie-in-the-sky three-year or five-year plan (most likely they already have one). Most of the time, a simple results-oriented mentality to make things happen is what is needed. It is what works.

The bottom lines is that the dirty work is taking care of the details. We can’t always be focusing on strategizing, planning, forecasting, and theorizing. Sometimes it’s time to shut up, and execute.

So, find resources, anticipate barriers, make a plan, train your team, make the plan happen, refine it, maintain it, evaluate it. Make sure your team is talking to each other and your customers. Make it clear that your company is willing to roll-up its sleeves for its customers.

Are you really committed to succeed? Are you willing to pay the price? Have you put together a team that understands and values execution. Your survival and profitability will depend on it.

Excerpts from the New York Times, 11/25 and 11/30/2008.

Confidence: Finally Putting It All Together

The Atlanta Hawks, who took the eventual champion Boston Celtics to seven games in the playoffs last season, have started the season in strong fashion. The confidence they acquired last season has carried over.

"It's just the way we carry ourselves. It's just a confidence we have. I think you can see right before the game, you can see our intent is focused and we are trying to win games."

--Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks second-year player.

"They are playing with a lot of confidence. They have an edge to them. You can't say enought good things about them as a team."

--Lawrence Frank, New Jersey Nets' head coach.

"It's been a growth. It hasn't been easy. From where we started to where we are today, there have been some steps along the way. It's been a process. We've been able to put pieces together and keep some of the core guys."

--Mike Woodson, Atlanta Hawks' head coach.

Excerpts taken from the New York Times, 11/15/2008.

The Myth of Multitasking from the New York Times 10/25/2008

Great article on multitasking at:  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/25/business/yourmoney/25shortcuts.html?ref=business

Before Hustling to Finish, Relaxed Is A Good Way to Start

Personal Best
Before Hustling to Finish, Relaxed Is a Good Way to Start
The New York Times


By GINA KOLATA
Published: October 1, 2008

LIKE so many people around the world, Dr. Michael Joyner was transfixed watching Michael Phelps swim in the Summer Olympics. But while many of us focused on Mr. Phelps’s world records, Dr. Joyner, a competitive Masters swimmer and an exercise researcher at the Mayo Clinic, noticed something else.

“I have never seen anyone so relaxed in the water,” he said.

Relaxation. It is a trait that is often underappreciated, coaches and athletic trainers say. Yet it can make the difference between doing your best and not doing well, between feeling dragged down or soaring. Coaches search for better ways to teach it. And many athletes, including some of the world’s best, work on it constantly. An ability to relax while pushing hard, exercise researchers say, is one reason why winners win.

“It’s the paradox of athletics,” said Rick DeMont, associate head coach for men’s swimming at the University of Arizona and a former Olympian. “Tension is slow, tension is inefficient. You need to be relaxed.” And relaxation can be taught.

“If a person is willing to learn, they will learn it,” said Ralph Reiff, a certified athletic trainer and director of St. Vincent Sports Performance Center in Indianapolis.

Coaches agree.

“Some started in a better position than others, but nearly everyone I’ve ever had can improve,” said Clyde Hart, the director of track and field at Baylor University. Mr. Hart has coached some of the world’s best runners, including Michael Johnson and Jeremy Wariner. He now coaches Sanya Richards, who won bronze and gold medals at the Beijing Games.

Yet relaxation also is a mysterious state and hard to describe. It’s one of those situations in which you know it when you achieve it.

Athletes who get there “always feel wonderful,” Mr. DeMont said. But, he adds, “you don’t get there by trying really hard to get there.”

In a sense, relaxation goes against most athletes’ instincts. Mr. Hart likes to point out the way elementary and middle school children run. “The kids throw their heads back,” Mr. Hart said. “They think that the harder they go, the faster they run.” That sort of body tension is the first thing Mr. Hart tries to correct. “The quickest way to improve a kid is to teach him to relax,” Mr. Hart said.

But it’s also important for athletes to realize that relaxing does not mean slowing down. “A lot of athletes don’t know the difference between relaxing and not running,” Mr. Hart said. With runners, he said, the upper body must relax but, he added, “the lower body is going to run.”

One of his tricks is to have athletes concentrate on relaxing their eyes. “If they’re wide eyed, they’re tense,” Mr. Hart said. “I tell runners to run sleepy eyed. It’s like pouring a soothing oil over the body.” As the eyes relax, the face starts to relax, the jaw relaxes and then, Mr. Hart said, he tells runners to let the feeling spread through the shoulders and arms.

“You want your arms to be your rhythm,” he said. “They may not help you, but they can hurt you big time if your arms are tense and you are gripping your hands tightly.”

Mr. DeMont said that in track and swimming it helps to relax the lower jaw and make sure you are breathing with your diaphragm and your stomach.

And Mr. Reiff said that he tells runners to stay tall, avoiding the rolled shoulders and tight upper body form that comes with fatigue and being too tense. He tells them to rehearse the phrase, “stay tall” to themselves while they run. And, he said, coaches or a friend on the sideline during a race can shout it out if a runner shows tenseness.

“If you are a coach on the sideline and holler to your runners, ‘stay tall,’ all of a sudden they lift themselves out of that position,” Mr. Reiff said.

People like Michael Phelps, these experts say, are masters of relaxation, able to get into a rhythm and stay there even with the intense pressure of Olympic competition.

For example, Mr. DeMont said, when Mr. Phelps swam, his stroke count remained the same in every lap. A tense and inefficient swimmer, he added, will take more strokes with every lap of the pool. Mr. Phelps, he said, “was able to nail it every time.” He is, Mr. DeMont said, “a rhythm master.”

COACHES and athletic trainers say athletes always know when they relax. Mr. DeMont asks people to remember the best they ever did in a race or in training. “Think of how darn good it felt,” he said. “That’s the feeling you are after.”

It makes sense to Dr. Joyner. He explained that when people start to train and compete, these experiences of being relaxed happen at random. “But if you pay attention you can increase the odds of them happening again and again,” he said. “To me this is what people talk about when they say they are ‘in the zone.’ ”

It happened to Dr. Joyner recently when he ran a half marathon after what he said was minimal training. Somehow he finished the race in 1 hour 38 minutes, a result that shocked him.

“It’s a strange thing because at some level you are reading the fatigue and ‘pain’ from your body and using it to get and stay right on the razor’s edge,” he wrote in an e-mail message. “I put pain in quotes because you hurt, but it is not painful in the traditional sense because you are using it and you are not fearful and are just sort of ‘right there.’ ”

“It was interesting when I ran that half marathon,” Dr. Joyner said. “I had not run a race in like 11 years but I was able to get right into a rhythm and just sort of do it. What did Yogi say? ‘It was like déjà vu all over again.’ ”

“At some level,” Dr. Joyner added, “everyone I know who has been a hard-core endurance athlete for many years is a covert religious mystic due to these types of experiences.”
More Articles in Health » A version of this article appeared in print on October 2, 2008, on page G8 of the New York edition.

Playing with Purpose and Vision: Stephon Marbury, New York Knicks guard

"I trained my mind, my body and my soul this summer....This year is for my father."

--Stephon Marbury, veteran New York Knicks guard, who after a traumatic year in which his father (following a heart attack while at Madison Square Garden), his aunt and his mentor died.

Marbury, 31, has one final year on his contract with the Knicks that will pay him $22 million. He and the Knicks have a new coach, Mike D'Antoni, who says, "He can be a very positive force on our team."

Excerpts from the New York Times, 10/1/2008.

U.S. Team Wins Ryder Cup in Upset

“I poured my heart and soul into this for two years, and my players poured their hearts into it for this past week, and I couldn’t be prouder of them. The golf was spectacular on both sides, and our guys just came out on top.”

--Paul Azinger, USA team captain.

“I got chills up my spine the whole day today and I’m loving every minute of it. I wouldn’t trade this for $10 million. This has been an experience of a lifetime.”

--Anthony Kim, USA teammate and Ryder Cup rookie that provided a spark to the team.

For the first time since 1999, the USA team beat a heavily favored European team.

Excerpts from the New York Times, 9/22/2008.

Serena Williams Wins U.S. Open Championship

“Yeah, I have amazing will. I love to win.”

--Serena Williams, who won the U.S. Open for the third time last night in New York and captured her ninth career Grand Slam singles title.

Williams completed her surprising climb back to #1 Sunday night with a 6-4, 7-5 victory against Jelena Jankovic.

The 23-year-old Jankovic was appearing in her first Grand Slam final.

The hard-fought victory also gave Williams the #1 ranking in the world by beating the #2 player in the world. The #1 player, Ana Ivanovic, lost in the second round.

“I’m here to stay. Number 1 is not my goal. I know I’ll get that eventually if I continue to play the tournaments.”

--Serena Williams, who once held #1 for 57 straight weeks, but not since August 2003.

Injury, the murder of her half-sister and career interests in fashion and acting, upset her focus, hindered her career and sent her ranking below 125 in the last five years. After a surprising win at the Australian Open in 2007, it took her two years to get back completely.

“She’s working hard now, but it would have come quicker if she had worked harder before, but they [Serena and her sister, Venus] have their other activities. She thinks she’s supposed to win everything, that’s her will. She thinks everything’s hers.”

--Oracene Price, her mother.

“I’m playing a lot more, having more consistent results, and just putting in the effort. I think my results are finally showing,” says Williams.

Excerpts from the New York Times, 09/06/2008 and 09/08/2008.

Managing Emotions: The Key to Victory

“I managed my emotions a lot better. I stayed positive. At Wimbledon I got really negative and lost the only chance I had. This time, when she got in, I just relaxed. When I was up, I stayed relaxed.”

--Serena Williams, after beating sister, Venus, in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open.

Serena posted a two-tie-breaker 7-6 (6), 7-6 (7) victory, in a classic match-up that had the feel and electricity of a Grand Slam final.

“I feel like I should have a trophy now. Unfortunately I don’t, and I got to go to the next round,” Serena said.

With a strong will and physical stamina, she rallied from 5-3 deficits in both sets, and overcame eight set points in the second. Serena will play Danara Safina in the semifinals.

Excerpts from the New York Times and AP, 9/4/08.

Ryan Hall: Marathon Runner Has a Vision

“One year in middle school, I got this vision that I wanted to run. I think it came from God. I was on my way to a basketball game—it was just this crazy idea that comes into your head, and the desire to act on it. The next weekend, my dad and I ran around the lake, fifteen miles. After that, I decided to start training.”

--Ryan Hall, American Olympian marathon runner.

In 2007, he ran the fastest debut-marathon time by an American, finishing seventh in London in 2 hours 8 minutes 24 seconds. He followed that in November by breaking the Olympic trials marathon record on a tough course in New York with a winning time of 2:09:02.

This year Hall was fifth at London in 2:06:17, making him the second-fastest American ever and giving him the seventh-best time in the world this year.

In August 2008, Hall placed 10th at the Olympics in Beijing with a time of 2:12:33.

Excerpts from the New Yorker, 8/11 & 8/18/2008.

Venus Williams on Mental Mindset: Relaxing the Need to Be Perfect

"I think I'm definitely at my best now.

"I think I understand the game more. Trying different kind of shots, too, lately. Trying to add some variety.

"I think the Wimbledon win helped me a lot to change my mentality, to realize not everything had to be perfect all the time.

"That's helped me -- if I don't have a perfect practice, I don't get really upset about the whole tournament. I think that helps me to relax."

--Venus Williams, five-time Wimbledon champion and Olympic gold medal womens' doubles winner in Beijing, discussing the importance of confidence and relaxation after her third round victory at the U.S. Open on Saturday, August 30, 2008.

Excerpt from Reuters.com 8/30/2008.

Torii Hunter: The Vision in His Head

"I got that picture in my head, but we got a long way to go, a long journey. When you get in the playoffs, everything is going to be different. … We could win 100-plus games, and it does not matter. When you get to the postseason, you got to change. You got to be totally different. Any mistake you make, you're going home."

--Torii Hunter, Los Angeles Angels outfielder.

Since winning the 2002 World Series, the Los Angeles Angels have been beaten by the Boston Red Sox in 2004 in a sweep in an AL Division Series; lost to Chicago, who won four of five in the AL Championship Series; and, endured another sweep in 2007 in the first round by the Red Sox.

"I'm not just out for money. The money is the money. I grew up with nothing. You give me what you give me, that's fine. But you can either have $120 million and suck, and lose, and not be in the postseason, not get that ring you worked so hard to try to get. Or you can go get enough [money] and win. Right here is enough for me.

"I definitely feel like this team is built to win the World Series. Not just getting to the playoffs. I think we're built to win it."

--Torii Hunter, who spent 15 years with the Minnesota Twins organization, discussing his feelings the season after signing a five-year, $90 million contract.

The Angels have the best road record in the major leagues and were the first team to reach 60 wins this year. The first team to 60 victories has advanced to the World Series in each of the past four seasons.

At least Torii is aligned with owner, Arte Moreno, who bought the team in 2003.

"I need a ring. I want a ring."

--Arte Moreno, Los Angeles Angels' owner, who came into the clubhouse and pulled up a chair next to Hunter, to express his desire.

Excerpts from ESPN.com 8/31/2008.

Trying to Improve by Overcoming Emotions

At the Australian Open in January of 2008, Janko Tipsarevic extended Roger Federer, then the No. 1 player in the world, to the brink of defeat before losing, 10-8, in the fifth and last set.

In the process, he was able to reveal weaknesses in Federer’s game that other players, included Novak Djokovic, who defeated Federer in Melbourne, and others have since gone on to further expose and fully exploit.

“I would like to think that that match helped some of the players see this guy is vulnerable. Even though I lost, it helped me realize I can beat anybody. My first problem is myself. I’m not blaming anybody else.

“I’d love for my progress to go a little bit faster. I’m in my prime. There are no excuses that I’m young or something like that.

"You will have good results when you see these top players are not as good as you think they are in your head.”

--Janko Tipsarevic, who after finishing 2007 ranked #52, rose to a career-high #33 in May of 2008.

Nonetheless, thus far, Tipsarevic has not yet mastered the skill of "mind over matter." He sustained an injury in the first round of the 2008 U.S. Open and had to retire.

Excerpts from the New York Times, 8/28/2008.

Leadership Comes to Georgia Tech Football

“He has brought a whole new atmosphere to this team.”

--Jahi Word-Daniels, senior cornerback at Georgia Tech, commenting on what new coach Paul Johnson has brought to the team.

“It’s not just his offense; he teaches toughness, he shows a sense of pride, a sense of determination. The best way to do that is get involved, and he’s involved with his team.”

-- Mike Sewak, co-offensive line coach, who has known Johnson for 23 years.

Johnson was hired by Georgia Tech after he was 45-29 in six seasons at the U.S. Naval Academy. Navy went 2-10 in Johnson’s first year, but then compiled records of 8-5, 10-2, 8-4, 9-4, and 8-4.

Johnson has been successful for quite a long time. After winning two consecutive Division I-AA national championships at Georgia Southern in 1999 and 2000, Johnson was hired by Navy starting with the 2002 season. He inherited a program that was 1-20 in its previous two years.

In 2007, Navy beat Notre Dame for the first time in 43 seasons. Perhaps most importantly, Johnson was 11-1 against Army (6-0) and Air Force, the Naval Academy’s two biggest rivals.

“He is incredibly confident, the most confident coach I have been around, bordering on cocky.”

--Andrew Gardner, a senior left tackle.

Johnson has reason to be confident. To turn around the program, Johnson has brought a proven system to solve the team's mediocre performance problems.

“One of the things I saw here was a huge split; there were a lot of groups and niches on the team, it was dysfunctional. Certain guys probably didn’t talk to certain other guys. I talked to each player and asked why they were not more successful, and it was always somebody else’s fault.”

“There is no magic elixir. The thing we try to do is get good at what we do. We rep it. If their defense can get better at stopping it in one week of preparation than you can in running it for 19 weeks, they are going to beat you, anyway.

“The guys who have been successful for a long time, that’s what they do, stick to the system. You don’t change it every week. The guys that get in trouble sometimes run a little of this and little of that.”

--Paul Johnson.

On Thursday night, 8/28/2008, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets opened the 2008 season with a 41-14 win over Jacksonville State. The new Georgia Tech triple-option offense, much criticized before the season, was very effective as Georgia Tech ran for 349 yards and six touchdowns and produced 484 total yards.

Michael Phelps, Leaving a Legacy

"My only real goal is to leave the sport bigger and better than I found it."

--Michael Phelps, in 2005, when asked by Dick Ebersol of NBC if he would be open to swimming events in the morning to enhance Olympic coverage on television in the United States.

Taken from the New York Times, 8/25/2008.

Chad Pennington, Miami Dolphins

"Winning is a habit. You have to practice the winning. You can't say, 'We'll pick it up in the regular season.' Good teams don't have a split where they turn it on and turn it off. They're on all the time. That's a habit we're trying to form."

--Chad Pennington, newly announced starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins.

"Fro the day he got here, just the demeanor and the way guys are motivated, has changed a lot. He brought the leadership that we've been missing at the quarterback position. Believe me, he tells you if you can do something better."

--Derek Hagen, wide receiver, Miami Dolphins.

“From the very first snap in practice, you could feel his confidence. It helped all of us to believe in ourselves, to believe in what we can do as an offense and as a team.”

--Ricky Williams, running back, Miami Dolphins.

Pennington, formerly of the New York Jets, was obtained by the Dolphins after eight seasons (five playoff games) with the Jets.



Excerpts from the New York Times, 8/26/08 & 9/4/08.

Professional Tennis: Pressure to Stay on Top

"In tennis, they don't consider anyone ranked 10. If you're the 10th-best baseball player or pro football player, you're considered pretty special. If you're the 10th-best tennis player, you're nothing."

--Gardnar Mulloy, member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, referring to the talk about Roger Federer and the chances of him "coming back."

Excerpts from the New York Times 8/25/08.

Team USA Brings Back the Gold in Men's Basketball

"It's about winning with dignity. It's showing humility, showing respect for the game and the people in the game internationally.

"The fact that we had this team for three years was the telling difference in this game. It was a great game. It was a pressure game from the get-go, and we never cracked. The fact that we were together for this period of time was the difference.”

--Jerry Colangelo, former owner of the Phoenix Suns, who was given responsibility for bring the USA team back to prior glory.

"We played with great character in one of the great games in international basketball history, I think."

--U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski.

"What you saw today was a team bonding together, facing adversity and coming out with a huge win."

--Kobe Bryant, who scored 20 points in the final game.

Dwayne Wade led the team with 27 points.

"If it wasn't for the determination and willpower we had, we wouldn't be back on top of the world, which is where we are."

--LeBron James.

"We stayed at the soccer matches to see the U.S. women get their gold medals - just to see what that was going to be like.

"We had our flag and we were holding our flag and waving it around, just to support them, just to see their families, how they interacted with them - with the emotion that comes along with that.

"Months and months and months of preparation - it was good for us to see that and draw inspiration from that."

--Kobe Bryant.

"We are very, very proud of the way our players have conducted themselves, how engaging they've been during the entire Olympics ...They scored a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10," said Colangelo.

“It wasn’t so much individual stuff and individual talent. It was more teamwork, probably well-directed by their coaching staff.

“I’ve seen the guys hungry and want to get back to the top. That’s what they’ve done. They were able to get to the top again and show that they should be in first place, but they had to work for it.”

--Pau Gasol, Spain's top player and current NBA player, who scored 21 points in the final in a losing cause.

Watch the gold medal game highlights on NBCOlympics.com, or click on: http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/player.html?assetid=0824_hd_bkm_hl_l1348r2&channelcode=sportbk

USA Basketball Team: Playing for Gold Against Spain on Sunday

"We expect the same type of heart of a champion that we played against tonight in Argentina.”

--Coach K, USA men's head basketball coach, discussing the mental mindset of the opponents in the Olympics' medal rounds.

"Anybody who has aspirations to be a champion, you understand that there's a sense of pride that comes along with beating a champion."

--Kobe Bryant, discussing motivations as Team USA prepares for a battle with defending world champion, Spain.

"This is why I'm here, to keep everyone's composure. Those other were dress rehearsals; these are the ones that count."

--Jason Kidd, 35, starting point guard, who took control of the game with Argentina with his leadership and experience.

Kidd lead a 12-4 rally at the start of the third quarter by discussing individual roles with the team at halftime and settling down the tempo of the game.

"It's a great honor to be a part of this team. At 35, this is my last go-around. To say that I can play for a gold medal and play with this group of guys, it's unbelievable," says Kidd.

Excerpts from the New York Times 8/23/08.

Team USA: Back on Track with a New Game Plan

Since the disappointment of winning the bronze medal in Athens in 2004, the USA Basketball program has revamped how they select the team and how they approach the international game.

"They've found the way to play the FIBA game, and they're playing way better. They have players that are superstars, but they have a commitment, they want to win and they prepare, and they know what they're doing."

--Luis Scola, team member of Argentina Olympic basketball team and current NBA player.

Team USA is playing in the semifinals against Argentina today for a spot in the gold medal game in Sunday.

Excerpts from ESPN.com 8/21/2008.

Michael Phelps, Peak Performance Case Study

"I executed the plan, nearly to perfection."

--Michael Phelps.

There will be many people that will look everywhere for the secret of Michael Phelps' success as a swimmer. One need not look far. His mother, revealed the secrets to Robin Roberts on Good Morning America on ABC television, August 20th, 2008.

Research suggests that consistent peak performance consists of seven competencies: a passionate vision, the ability to fast-forward, the proper mindset, the development of a game plan, deliberate practice, perfect execution, and continuous performance review.

Debbie Phelps reveals the key peak performance competencies as practiced by Michael Phelps during the preparation for his stunning performance in Beijing.

Success Requires Having a Game Plan, Discipline, Patience, and Execution

"It was just remarkable execution of what Michael hoped to do and had a passion for."

--Debbie Phelps, Michael's mother.

"It took a regimen, a routine, a schedule. It took time and patience," said Debbie Phelps, who gave her son the support and guidance he needed to succeed.

"I'm not the agent. I'm not the coach. I'm the mom."

"Michael had a plan of action. He had a game plan. He knew exactly what he wanted to do," she said.

To view the accompanying article and the entire interview with Debbie Phelps on Good Morning America, go to: http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=5616633&page=1

Team USA Leader: LeBron James

“I knew it had to come from someone. It doesn’t matter how good individuals are, if you don’t have a leader, it’s not going to be right. I took that responsibility from Day 1, saying I’m going to be the vocal leader and I’m going to be the leader of this team.”

“For me, I’m a complete team player. I’m probably the ultimate team player. I’ll sacrifice whatever for the success of the team.”

--LeBron James, USA basketball player, discussing the leadership role he has taken at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Usain Bolt: "Lightning" Strikes Twice

“What Bolt has done, he’s made history. He added spirit to the sport. He danced for us in the introduction. He danced for us at the end. He put on a show. To me, I feel like, him and athletics is like Michael Phelps and swimming. He raised the bar for us in athletics.”

--Shawn Crawford, USA silver medal winner in the 200 meters.

Usain Bolt, already the Olympic champion and world record-holder in the 100 meters, ran the 200 meters in 19.30 seconds, breaking the world record by two-hundredths of a second. Bolt broke the world record of 19.32 seconds, set by the American Michael Johnson at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Bolt is the first to win gold in both the 100- and 200-meter events since Carl Lewis in 1984.

“I didn’t think I’d see under .30 in my lifetime. He’s a freak of nature."

--Renaldo Nehemiah, former Olympic gold medalist in the 100 hurdles.

“It was the most impressive athletic performance I have ever seen in my life.”

--Michael Johnson.

Excerpts from the New York Times 8/20/2008.

Rewind: Shawn Johnson Wins Gold on the Balance Beam

“She showed a lot of mental toughness to get through some very difficult days here. She showed the maturity, fighting day after day after day. I am so proud of her because I believe she really deserves this gold.”

--Liang Qiao, Shawn Johnson’s long-time coach.

"I finished off the Olympic Games with, to me, the most perfect ending ever. To finally get the gold medal ... on my very last routine meant the world to me. To finally have a gold and be an Olympic gold medalist, it's what everyone dreams of. It's so exciting. It's the best feeling ever."

--Shawn Johnson.

U.S.A. Mens' Basketball Team Defeats Australia Easily in Olympic quarterfinals

"I think people should understand that they changed the system and that this system is right. You need to keep guys together, make a commitment. It doesn't guarantee success. It guarantees you a chance."

--Mike D'Antoni, new New York Knicks head coach and assistant USA assistant coach to head coach Mike Krzyzewski, referring to the changes made by the USA Basketball management to attempt to return the gold to the United States.

Yelena Isinbaeva, Russian Gold Medal Winner in the Women's Pole Vault

"I love to be alone at the top. It's so cool and I will try to keep my position as long as possible."

--Yelena Isinbaeva, world record holder in the women’s pole vault and 2008 gold medal winner in Beijing.

She added that she still believed in what she said after she won the world title in Osaka last year that no one could beat her but herself.

The winning height is 25cm higher than her closest competitor. She has completely dominated women’s pole vaulting for the last four years and has rarely been tested by rivals.

The 26-year-old has been the world record holder since July 2004 and has now raised the bar on 24 occasions.

"I like to prove it, not just say it. I like to prove who is the best and who is the strongest.

"I don't know how high I can go. My coach says I can go 5.20m or higher and I trust him," says Isinbaeva.

To see her win the gold and set a new world record, click NBCOlympics.com, or go to: http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/player.html?assetid=0818_hd_atw_hl_l0896&channelcode=sportat

Bonus: On the same video, watch the coach of Jennifer Stuczynski, the U.S. silver medalist in the women's pole vault, inappropriately give her a tongue lashing after she won the silver.

Also, Watch Yelena Isinbaeva in a beautiful tribute video at: http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/player.html?assetid=0819_sd_mul_au_ce549&channelcode=sportat

Focus: “You don’t train for silver.” -- Shawn Johnson

Shawn Johnson, U.S. gymnast, after winning three silver medals, finally gets a gold in the individual balance beam.

“Having three silvers is hard. I was hoping she would get the gold medal and we could say that we are both Olympic champions.”

--Nastia Liukin, teammate and gold medalist in the women's all-around.

Excerpts from the New York Times, 8/19/08.

Rewind: Michael Phelps' Olympic triumph

"There have been so many greats who have come before me, and what Mark [Spitz] did is still amazing. It's a very hard thing to accomplish. I think it shows whatever you put your mind to, you really can accomplish."--Michael Phelps.

Bob Bowman, Michael Phelps’ Swim Coach: Building a Swimming Machine

“You’ve got to understand how monotonous and boring our training is, and hard.”

--Bob Bowman, Michael Phelps’ coach.

Vision

“My job is to be in the water and swim. That’s about it.”

--Michael Phelps, discussing his intense focus.

“Nothing. I just get in the water and race.”

--Phelps, when asked about what goes through his mind during a race.

Peak performing athletes are produced by a confluence of factors; "a perfect storm of circumstance." These athletes must, of course, have rare natural talents and abilities; the opportunity and access to use state-of-the-art training and coaching; and a set of mental and psychological characteristics, including ferocious ambition, discipline and a capacity for self-sacrifice.

Michael Phelps has been Bob Bowman’s all-consuming project ever since Bowman found Phelps and decided “to build the perfect machine.”

He started the preteen Phelps on intense six-days-a-week practice regimens, often making him swim more than once a day, to work systematically on his mechanics, his endurance and his strength. He recognized Phelps’s potential aerobic capacity, challenging him to swim at least 50 miles each week. He knew that prepubescent children can, through training, increase the size of their hearts and lungs in ways that are no longer possible later on.

“The larger the heart and lungs,” he has noted, “the bigger the aerobic engine.” Beginning when Phelps was 12, he worked the swimmer seven days a week, guided by the assumption that competitors who rested on Sundays were at least one-seventh less conditioned. “Michael has a pretty easy life, if you don’t count the five hours a day of torture I put him through,” Bowman said.

Discipline and Preparation

Bowman is High Performance Coach of Club Wolverine, the elite Ann Arbor, Mich., swimming organization, whose members include Phelps. From 2004 until his resignation earlier this year, Bowman was also the head coach of the University of Michigan’s swim team.

Bowman’s current training regimen for Phelps included thin-air training, a proven and perfectly legal means of boosting an athlete’s red-blood-cell count, which increases the oxygen delivered to muscles. Training schedules featured three sessions in the pool per day and an additional hour of “dry land” activities like weight training or Pilates, for a total of 70 workouts over a three week period.

Although Bowman was dedicated to mixing up the training regimen to keep his swimmers from getting too comfortable or complacent, he followed certain patterns: the early session featured 90 minutes of low-key, continuous aerobic exertion — three or four miles of wake-up laps. Midday practice was an intense two-hour affair, putting the swimmers through their paces at top speeds or at the very threshold of their endurance; dry-land work followed for an hour. Later in the afternoon, the day’s final workout focused on muscle power rather than lung power, featuring drills with parachutes, fins, paddles, kick boards, floats, limb-disabling bands, snorkels and other accouterments designed to isolate particular skills. Bowman made sure that his swimmers had little time or energy left at the end of the day for anything but eating, sleeping and occasionally slumping in front of the television.

Phelps, who is said to require 8,000 to 10,000 calories a day to sustain his efforts, spent much of his free time napping or in pursuit, as he puts it, of “whatever I want to eat, whenever I want it, however much I want.”

Performance Feedback

“Swim-power tests” were administered to transmit measurements of velocity and force 60 times each second. A camera mounted on a track on the pool wall followed Phelps him down the lane and another camera filmed him from below. The apparatus, which Genadijus Sokolovas developed, analyzes a swimmer’s effectiveness according to 25 to 30 different parameters and gives coaches a way to quantify the costs of a swimmer’s mechanical flaws.

“Before this,we were just guessing — high elbow position is better than low elbow position, or pulling in the middle is better than pulling from the side. Now we can test any hypothesis.

The Future

“I’m pretty sure his records will be broken in 5 to 10 years. The swimmers who are going to do this are already in the system.”

“There is no point at which athletes can’t continue to improve. You can always do higher-intensity training, or maybe higher volumes. A swimmer can do more training on land; or more strength training in water, like swimming against resistances. You can improve your technique. You can improve your nutrition. Basically, I don’t see any limits in swim performance. We’ll never build the perfect swimmer. The records will go up and up.”

--Genadijus Sokolovas, a former pentathlete from Lithuania and the sports-science director for USA Swimming.

Excerpts from Play: The New York Times Sports Magazine, 8/3/2008.

Rewind: Shawn Johnson Gains Perspective

"Of course, when you're training your whole life to get to the Olympics, you train for gold. But honestly a silver around my neck three times at the Olympics means more to me than anything."

--Shawn Johnson, USA world champion gymnast, who has won three silver medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but has failed to score gold thus far. She has one more chance in the balance beam competition.

For more on Shawn Johnson, including an article and video click on The Freedom to Fail on NBCOlympics.com,

or click on:
http://www.nbcolympics.com/gymnastics/news/newsid=163564.html?_source=rss&cid=

Excerpts from the New York Times 8/18/2008.

Vision: Michael Phelps Looks at the Future

"I don't want this sport to be an every-four-years sport. In between the four years, there's really not as much exposure as I'd like.

"My whole goal is to change the sport of swimming in a positive way. I think it can go even farther. That's where I hope to take it.

"I just want people to get involved. This sport has changed my life and allowed me to do so many things."

--Michael Phelps, thinking about the future of swimming and his role in it. Phelps also plans to return to the Olympics as a competitor in London in 2012.

"Michael is the biggest thing that sport has ever seen. Not swimming, but sport in general. He just made the pressure putt to win the U.S. Open. He just won the Tour of France. He just knocked out Muhammad Ali. And he did it in one week."

--Brendan Hansen, fellow U.S. Olympic swimmer and teammate on the medley relay that helped Micheal Phelps make history.

Excerpts from the New York Times 8/18/2008.

Brett on Broadway

"The only think I'm trying to bring to this team is leadership and some experience that I've gained along the way. Maybe a little magic."

--Brett Favre, New York Jets' quarterback, on his role with the team.

New Green Bay Packers' QB: Aaron Rodgers

With legend Bret Favre, a three-time NFL Most Valuable Player, now a New York Jet, Aaron Rodgers is now the quarterback in Green Bay. The pressure is great. He has handled it well thus far.

"He's done a great job of handling it. I think he has special things inside of him. I think this will make him tough, and has made him continue to build and grow and continue his maturation process. That's not predictive of anything in the future, but I do think he's done very, very well with it."

--Aaron Kampman, Green Bay Packers' defensive end and Rodgers' training camp roommate.

"We think he's got a pretty good perspective on things. He's able to roll with the punches and play the cards he's dealt. I think he understands that, as an athlete at this stage of his career, there are some things he's not totally in control of. His job is, when he comes out here, to lead this football team and play as well he possibly can."

--Joe Philbin, Packers' offensive coordinator.

"I know the pressure that's going to be on me just following a legend. There's going to be a lot of pressure on me just being a quarterback. In this situation, when you're following a guy who played for 15 years here and amassed the kind of numbers that Brett did, I understand standards are high.

"I have high expectations for myself. I know my teammates have high expectations for my play, and so does the coaching staff and the personnel department. I know I'm expected to play at a high level, and I expect it as well."

--Aaron Rodgers, who played at the University of California and was drafted as a number one pick in 2005.

Excerpts from the New York Times 8/17/08.

Michael Phelps, Relaxation Equals Gold

“I’m able to relax and I’m having fun.” --Michael Phelps.

Michael Phelps, 23, tied Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals in one Olympics by winning Saturday morning’s 100-meter butterfly.

Phelps' eighth and last race will be Sunday’s 4x100 medley relay.

“That may be one of the reasons I’m swimming so fast. I’ve never been this relaxed," said Phelps.

Manny Being Manny as a Los Angeles Dodger

"He's going to help them relax. When I talk to hitters, I tell them about staying tension free. Manny's life is tension free."

--Charlie Manual, Philadelphia Phillies manager, who managed Ramirez in the minor leagues and worked with him as a Cleveland Indians' hitting coach.

Manny Ramirez is batting .438 with 5 home runs and 16 runs batted in since his trade from the Boston Red Sox. The Los Angeles Dodgers are 8-5 since the trade and are in a tie for first place with Arizona in the National League West. The Dodgers are above .500 for the first time since May.

Excerpts taken from the New York Times.

Usain Bolt: Fast and Relaxed

"I didn't know I was going to run so fast, but I came out to be a champion, and I was. I just tried to stay relaxed. I'm always relaxing. That's the way to go so fast: relax and just focus.

"I came out to make myself proud, and I did just that. I didn't know I was going to run so fast. But I came out to be a champion, and I was. I didn't come here to worry about the record, I was already the world-record holder."

--Usain Bolt, new 100-meter Olympic sprint champion and world record holder at 9.69 secords.

Bolt could have run much faster than his 9.69 seconds if he had run through the finish line, but he sliced 0.03 seconds off his world record anyway. He celebrated 20 meters early, throwing out his arms and thumping his chest.

"He's the best. There's no stopping him. He could have been faster."

--Asafa Powell, former world-record holder and fellow Jamaican.

"It's not even close. It's everybody catching up with Usain Bolt. He's a legend in his own right. The guy's a phenomenal athlete. He's a freak of nature. He's like Jordan and LeBron, in a league of his own."

--Darvis Patton, U.S.A. Olympic sprinter who finished eighth in the 100 meters.

Teamwork and Collaboration Turns to Gold

"Just hearing ‘Olympic champion' next to my name is the greatest feeling in the world," ---Nastia Liukin, USA gymnast and 2008 Beijing Olympics champion in the women’s all-around gymnastics competition.

Nastia Liukin, gold medal winner in the all-around and Shawn Johnson, silver medal winner are genuine friends. Eighteen-year-old Nastia, from Texas, and 16-year-old Shawn, from Iowa, have been roommates in the Olympic village. Now they are linked together forever in Olympic history as gold and silver medal winners.

"We both supported each other 100 percent, and we just wanted to go out there and give it our all and have fun, because this is the games," Liukin said. "There is nothing bigger or greater than this."

"We push each other both to the limit. The few years that we have competed with each other, we've both wanted it so bad that we push each other so much. I think that we became better and stronger gymnasts because of each other.

"I think if it had just been one of us, there wouldn't be someone chasing your tail, wanting you to make you work even harder.

"So I think we have both made each other a stronger athlete, a stronger person,” said Liukin.

"I gave my heart and soul out there today. Nastia deserved the gold."
--Shawn Johnson.

"I feel like this journey has been so long, There have been so many battles and injuries, just to be at the Olympic Games is amazing,” said Liukin, looking back at her struggles.

To give Nastia a sprinkle of additional motivation during Liukin’s Olympic preparation, Nastia’s mother, Anna, a former rhythmic gymnast, had an idea. She brought Nastia’s father’s Russian men's gymnastics gold medal from 20 years ago to Nastia's room.

"One day she came up there and she brought up his Olympic gold medal and just kind of hung it on the little board, next to it, so I saw it every single day when I woke up and it just gave me that extra motivation. Just having it there in my room, knowing that in a few months, hopefully, I can have one of these of my own,” Nastia said.

Discussing her frame of mind when competing for the gold in the all-round medal round in Beijing, Nastia stated, "I knew I would have to go for it. I wasn't thinking about whether I could make it, but how I could make it. This is what my father taught me."

Excerpts taken from NBCOympics.com and New York Times.

Jeff Samardzija, Chicago Cubs pitcher

"Once he got up where he could smell it, his character kind of took over. It doesn't happen often, but it happens with a guy lilke him. He's one of those guys who likes to shine in the big moment. We thought he'd be a guy who, when he got here, could deal with the second deck. He likes the big stage. We understood that early on."

--General Manager Jim Hendry, Chicago Cubs, discussing the ability of Jeff Samardzija to succeed in the major leagues after a less than stellar year and a half stint as a starter in the minor leagues.

Jeff Samardzija, a former star Notre Dame college football wide receiver, is currently a relief pitcher with the major league Chicago Cubs.

As if Monday, August 11, 2008, he has a low earned run average of 1.59 in 11 1/2 innings. Refusing a potential career in the NFL, Samardzija, a boyhood fan of the Cubs, signed a 5-year, $10 million dollar contract in January 2007 with Chicago.

Excerpts from the New York Times 8/11/08.

In case you missed it.........

I found a great article in On Par: Golfing with Bill Pennington in the New York Times of 8/11/08. You will find his take on preparation for a golfing round and the importance of the right frame of mind.

Take a look at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/11/sports/golf/11pennington.html?ref=golf

Michael Phelps, Feats of Olympic Greatness

“He’s not from another planet. He’s from the future.”

--Simon Burnett, British freestyler, describing Michael Phelps to Eddie Reese, U.S. Olympic swimming coach.

Michael Phelps collected his fourth and fifth gold medals in the Beijing Olympics, becoming the career leader in Olympic gold medals with 11.

“I’m having fun,” Phelps said. “I’ve never been this relaxed.” He added, “I think one of the reasons I’ve been able to be like this is because I’ve been there before.”

“Michael kind of performs independently of his feelings.”

--Bob Bowman, Michael Phelps long-time coach.

Handling Pressure in Beijing

SWIMMING

“Growing up, even though breaststroke was my worst stroke, I wanted to swim it. I wanted to race in it. I didn’t care. I like challenges.”

--Michael Phelps, responding to questions about the pressure he felt when having to meet the challenge of an 2008 Olympic medley race.

WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS

"I just tried to stay in my own little box. my own little world and ignore what was going on around me. I knew there were things happening around me that I couldn't control, so I really tried to stay focused. Sometimes, I talk to myself to keep my mind busy."

--Shawn Johnson of the USA gymnastics team and reigning women's gymnastics champion, following a qualification round in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, during which injuries on the team put additional pressure on the remaining members. Johnson, with 62.725 points, helped the USA team finish 1-2 in the individual all-around to make the finals.

"I feel like the whole day was crazy, but we just proved to everyone that we could handle anything. I think China probably thought this was good because we showed some weakness. But this brought us together even more and made us even stronger."

"It made me a little more nervous because I knew that we had only four girls competing now. Our team was slowly dwindling down, and I definitely felt like I put a little bit more pressure on myself to do better."

--Alicia Sacramone, USA gymnast who qualified for the finals in the vault, discussing handling the pressure of competing and dealing with the favored Chinese team.