During the games, we did not hear much about the pollution or the city’s continuing smog problems and heat issues. We did not see any athletes or spectators wearing masks to cover their face, nor did we see any protesters. NBC did not talk much about any other health concerns or issues that everyone was talking about before the games got started. This was done to make the Olympic Games and all the prestige that goes along with hosting the games continue, even in China. And although we did not hear much about any health risks or other issues, they certainly existed.

Now that the Olympics are over we can talk about the real affect that China’s pollution and weather had on the athletes and on this summer’s Olympic Games.

The smog cloud was still visible around Beijing and in many other big cities in China. The pollution and smog in China along with the mass influx of many more people into the city, caused for an increase in heat and humidity throughout the games. The AP reported that this was especially evident in the Olympic Green Tennis Courts.

According to the AP, “big-name players were sweating through practices in sauna conditions. Women’s number two Ana Ivanovic appeared exhausted during a work-out on Wednesday, doubling up on court to catch her breath. World number one Rafael Nadal and other players beaded with perspiration have been toweling off and drinking gallons of liquid as they go through their routines in the oppressive heat.”

The open aired tennis facilities were not the only place the heat and humidity were seriously felt. For the first time in Olympic soccer history, the final game was stopped thirty minutes into each half to give the teams a break. The heat and humidity were too much, soaring over 90 degrees. Officials were worried about heat exhaustion and injuries.

The heat was felt all over the country, by athletes and spectators. Although it might not have been publicized and NBC’s coverage did not highlight it, the athletes certainly felt it. Even if they did not think about the pollution or the humidity surrounding them, it was evident. Imagine Usain Bolt’s world record time in optimal conditions. Many other world records were shattered this year.  We can only speculate and guess if more would have been broken had the pollution and smog not existed.  Without the Beijing affect and with continuing technology improvements (like the Speedo LZR racer), I expect the 2012 Olympic games in London to have even more world records broken.

Ehadadi’s NBA dreams have now come true. The Memphis Grizzlies website reports that they have officially worked out an undisclosed deal with Hamed. The 23 year old is now the tallest player in Memphis franchise history and will be the first Iranian ever to play in the NBA.

The unpolished Ehadadi (also spelled Haddadi), is a 7′2, 254 pound center who will need to gain some weight and get tougher if he wants to keep up with other centers in the NBA. Although Ehadadi led all Olympians in average rebounds and blocks per game, he still has a lot of learning to do. It took Yao Ming several seasons to get accustomed with the NBA’s physical style of play down low. I believe it will take Hamed the same amount of time before he is seen as a force in the paint. The Grizzlies traded Pau Gasol to L.A. last season and are hoping Ehadadi can fill his shoes. The Grizzlies will also feature Pau’s brother Marc Gasol in their lineup this season.

With so many great players leaving the NBA and heading overseas this off-season, it is great to see a talented player like Ehadadi doing the opposite and coming to North America. The Olympics this summer showed us that although the USA still has dominant athletes, other great players and teams do exist out there. The Ehadadi story along with the passion of the Chinese fans toward our NBA athletes prove that the NBA dream still exists for many athletes and others.

But before you pay for the DVDs, you might as well try to win them for free. NBC and SportsAgentBlog.com have teamed up to introduce a contest for all of our readers. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post with an idea for a new sport you would like to see in the Olympics (either already existing or completely fabricated). Make sure to enter your correct email address on the comment form, so that when we select the winners, which will be based on how persuasive you are in your reasoning for why the sport should be included and/or creativity, we can contact you to get your mailing address. We will be giving out DVDs to two lucky winners.

You have until September 1st to submit your ideas. The DVDs will not be shipped out until September 15th.

Bolt astonished everyone breaking world records in both events. Usain is doing in the second week of the Olympics what Michael Phelps was doing during the first week, dominating and making a name for himself. Usain become the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to sweep the 100 and 200 golds at an Olympics. Bolt also broke another American’s record (Michael Johnson’s) in the 200m from the 1996 games. Usain seems confident and has a great attitude with the media, saying, “Michael Johnson is a great athlete, and he revolutionized the sport. I just changed it a little bit.”

Bolt changed the sport, simply by winning both races in world record times. Some call the sight of him running, poetry in motion, and believe he is extremely elegant to watch. At 6′5 he is a rather tall sprinter but has none of the awkwardness of other taller sprinters of the past. He uses his huge 9-foot strides for his benefit much like Michael Phelps, Darren Heitner’s man crush (hahah), uses his long strides and perfect turns to his advantage. He really is a bolt of lightning, with a badass attitude.

The decision followed buzzer-beating talks between Iraqi officials and the IOC before this Wednesday’s deadline to submit competitors’ names for track and field events. However, only two of those seven are eligible to sign up to participate in their chosen sport.

The two Iraqi athletes going to Beijing will compete in track and field. The verdict came too late for five athletes in archery, rowing, judo and weightlifting. The deadline to submit names for those sports expired last week.

Iraq’s government spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh told The Associated Press, “We want to forget all the past,” after signing the agreement at a news conference.  “We want to have real representation for the Iraqi teams and the Iraqi supporters.”

My previous post describes the situations that led to the Iraqi Olympic Team’s ban from Olympic competition.  Corruption and accusations of corruption were the main reasons, and as you can see from Ali al-Dabbagh’s statements, Iraq seems to be learning from its past mistakes and changing.

The government spokesman also said that, in the meantime, an interim committee proposed by its national sports federation and approved by the IOC would run Iraq’s Olympic organization.  For the complete article, read this link from Sports Illustrated’s Beijing 2008 Olympics section.

The government has pledged $116,000 and the rest will come from donations from the private sector, said Philippine Olympic Committee spokesman Joey Romasanta this past Friday.  The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported other donors include tycoon Lucio Tan and Microsoft Philippines Inc. and boxer Manny Pacquiao, who in June won the WBC lightweight title.

Many other countries offer their athletes incentives like this for winning medals.  Usually it is only in a specific sport, such as basketball (Russia) or baseball (Cuba).  This is an abnormally large amount of money to pledge to any winning athlete, especially one who resides in the Philippines.  I would not be surprised to see someone persevere and take home a gold for the Philippines because of the offer.

The Olympics will begin August 8th with the opening ceremonies for all nations.  Manny Pacquiao will lead the Philippine team out on the track in Beijing this August.

Also known as “doping on a hangar” and the “Speedo surfboard,” the Speedo LZR was first introduced in February.  Within four months, individuals wearing the new suit had broken over 38 records causing other swimsuit companies to immediately complain about its fairness. The International Swimming Federation (FINA) scheduled a meeting with Speedo to review this complaint.  After showing the Federation the suit’s design and explaining its physics, FINA dismissed rivals’ claims and even endorsed the suit to athletes as the future of swimwear.  Could this be swimming’s version of “steroids?”

Since this ruling, more swimmers have taken FINA’s advice.  Last week’s Olympics Trials saw 9 swimmers break American records, all of whom wore the LZR Racer.  Michael Phelps, who could win a record eight Olympic medals in China, stated that Speedo’s LZR Racer makes him “feel like a rocket.”   Katie Hoff, a world champion in individual medleys, said wearing the suit is like “flying in the water.”  US national team coach Mark Schubert commented, “I think you’ll see not only multiple world records broken, but also multiple swimmers breaking world records in an event.”  Everyone is giving this new innovative suit the credit.

Nike was so impressed by the LZR suit that it allowed its contract swimmers to wear the LZR in trials to keep up with other competitors.  Nike sponsored World champions like backstroker Aaron Peirsol and breaststroker Brendan Hansen, did exactly that, and set American records.

“It’s a bit unprecedented,” said Nike spokesperson Dean Stoyer, “But we want our athletes to be comfortable and prepared, and we don’t want to get in the way of that.”  Nike makes the rival Swift Amp’d swimsuit and is looking to copy the LZR suit and its effectiveness to compete with Speedo in the future.

The suit is made of woven fabric, which is extremely light and water-repellent.  It is ultrasonically welded together rather than sewn, with compression panels placed along the chest, thighs, and buttocks, plus a corset-like “core stabilizer” to minimize drag and maximize streamlining.  This new design features minimal pieces to be sewn together, which is a huge attribute to its speed and lightweight design.  Instead of 30 pieces or so, the LZR features 3.

While watching the Olympic trials I heard an announcer say that it takes 2 other people to help an athlete fit into the skintight suit.  The athlete must get completely naked and then force on the suit one piece at a time, with help from others. That seems to be the only controversy this suit is getting.  The athletes are complaining that it is an uncomfortable situation needing others to put on the suit, but wearing it is a must if they want to be competitive this August.

I am happy that technology has advanced to the point that we can take milliseconds off our athletes times.  However, I would like to question if this is really the swimwear or if it is the athletes. I have heard of cases where the athlete claims their clothing is the reason for his/her poor performance, but I believe that in this case it is exactly the opposite.  I’m sure the advanced swimsuit is great and makes a big difference, but shouldn’t the athletes be getting the credit, not the $800 dollar swimsuit?

The rapid increase and pledge to change came shortly after world marathon record holder Haile Gebrselassie from Ethiopia declared he would skip the long-distance running competition at Beijing.  The 34-year-old Gebrselassie came to this decision based on the capital city’s poor air quality.  The Ethiopian Champion has asthma and believes that running through the streets in China, specifically Beijing, would cause him complications.

A day or so after Gebrselassie’s declaration, the Chinese government made regulations and laws to help clean up the air quality of the country for the athletes by August.  With the large amount of economic growth lately, China has seen an increase in pollutants from energy, cement, steel and other manufacturing industries such as Coke.  According to the Associated Press, China is home to 16 of the world’s 20 most heavily polluted cities.

I watched a CNN special earlier this year on the poor quality of water in some cities of China.  The documentary said that a lot of the villagers in those cities were getting sick and dying, and the local civilians blamed the reddish, murky water.  Several lawyers began working with the civilians on filing lawsuits against the government for the poor water quality.

Lately, the Chinese have gone to extreme measures to cut the pollution and save energy around Beijing and the major cities in order to comply with the required health standards set forth by the State Environmental Protection Administration.  The government has specifically required the larger manufacturing plants, coal plants, and steel plants to suspend emissions. The country also decided to take nearly half of the cars off of the roads from the period of June 24th-July 19th.  The Clean Air Act is underway in China. However there still seems to be a constant haze around the capital city as many countries and athletes have chosen to train outside of communist China, in neighboring countries.

In order to meet the pollutant requirements, the country of China will have to satisfy four major pollutants levels in air quality.  The AP claims that China has met three of the four as of March, and plan on meeting all requirements by the end of June.  Many athletes are eagerly awaiting these results. The air pollutant categories are sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, inhalable particles and chemical oxygen demand.

The president of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, recently stated that outdoor endurance events lasting more than an hour would be postponed if the air quality still was not up to par. As the days continue to pass and August creeps closer, we eagerly await the official word on how poor China’s air is, and the damages it will do to our athletes. Lets hope they are minimal and that China gets its act together in time. China won the bid to host the Olympics in 2001 and had ample time to prepare everything for the games.

The Olympics are a great tradition that unites countries. It would be a shame to see the athletes and events get interrupted due to the irresponsibility of one nation.

“In efforts to woo China’s consumers, Nike Inc., the country’s market leader in sportswear, and Adidas AG are both aggressively promoting apparel and shoes with designs incorporating Chinese elements — a departure from the mostly Western-influenced styles they have marketed in the past.

They are betting that the Beijing Olympic Games in August will be a prime opportunity for sportswear to ride a wave of Chinese national pride. At an Adidas fashion show in Beijing in January, costumed Peking Opera performers provided a backdrop for models showing uniforms for Olympic staff and volunteers, featuring polo shirts decorated with ancient Chinese swirling “lucky cloud” patterns.”

Will savvy Chinese customers be able to see right through this marketing campaign or will they fall for the “cutting edge” marketing by Nike and Adidas?

“Already this year, Nike and Adidas will each surpass sales of $1 billion in China, their biggest market after the U.S. From 2002 to 2006, sales of athletic shoes and clothing in China by volume doubled, according to market-research firm Euromonitor International.”

But myopic numbers aside, what Nike and Adidas do not understand is that you can not market to Chinese people from a Westernized prospective. There are a lot of dollars in the East but the people with the purchasing power are aware of the contrast between authenticity and fraudulence. For example, Li Ning, the largest sportswear brand in China, founded by the Olympic gymnast of the same name, who won three gold medals for China in 1984 is loved and supported by the people because it stays true and does not try to market based on old and outdated trends. Although Li Ning is using Olympic subjects in its ads, its athletic wear does not integrate traditional Chinese components. Despite all their money and power, Nike and Adidas should grab a seat in Beijing and take notes from their Chinese brother.

What do you think?

* Rick Karcher’s post, “Ethics and Agent Fees” over at Sports Law Blog (Happy 2000th Anniversary to them, by the way) touches on a touchy subject for sports agents, and one that we’ve alluded to on the blog at various times. Specifically, Karcher asks, “is it ‘reasonable’ for agents to charge fees on a commission basis?” The post also links to a recent ABA Journal piece on lawyer fees pursuant to the infamous Rule 1.5, as well as Karcher’s own Willamette Law Review article. Enjoy.

* Yao Ming’s endorsement contracts remain “very much intact” leading to this summer’s Beijing Olympics despite a foot injury that will sideline him for the remainder of the NBA season.

* The All American Football League (AAFL) announced the postponement of its inaugural season until 2009. The league’s corporate partnerships with New Balance, Baden Sports and Rogers Athletic remain intact, however, as does a national radio deal with Touchdown Radio & SportsDay Productions, and an internet broadcast partnership with Turner’s PlayOn Sports. Fans who have purchased tickets for games in ‘08 will receive a full refund.

* SI’s Jack McCallum writes one of the best pieces on steroid use in America thus far, and places the blame for the “abuse” of performance enhancing drugs squarely on the shoulders of “a juiced nation…a nation on dope…a nation looking for enhancement…a way to age gracefully, perform better and longer…” Sports, McCallum writes, “do not define the culture–they reflect it.” Finally, someone gets it.

* Gisele and LeBron will be on the next Vogue cover. James joins Richard Gere and George Clooney as the only men to do so in the fashion magazine’s 116-year history.

* During a one-on-one interview at this week’s IMG World Congress of Sports, New York Giants Co-Owner Steve Tisch said that the NFL’s labor deal made him feel “queasy,” and that it’s the biggest issue facing the league ahead of owners meetings at the end of the month. “We need to see beyond it, what our options are,” Tisch said. “It’s complicated. Roger (Goodell’s) going to have to bring everyone together with a united front.”

* NBA Commissioner David Stern said that he is “not thrilled with how teams and players are using the buyout,” according to Geoffrey Arnold of the Portland Oregonian. “An increasing number of NBA players are using it to “force their way off lottery-bound teams and onto a championship contender,” lamented Stern. “Right now, our [CBA] doesn’t really have the teeth that would deal with it effectively,” NBPA Director of Communications Dan Wasserman countered. “Any proposed changes to the rules on buyouts that would limit player movement more than it already is, I’m sure we would [oppose] that.”