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By Erik Jacobsen
Staff Writer

It wasn't easy, but the United States held off a serious challenge from Spain to capture the gold medal moments ago. Although it's great to see the U.S. win the big prize, this game only reinforces the fact that America's dominance in the sport isn't what it used to be.

Unlike some recent international competitions, there was no doubt that the Redeem Team was the best collection of players the U.S. had to offer. However, a deep and talented Spanish team was able pester the Americans and on several occasions was only a possession or two away from taking the lead and changing the entire complexion of the game.

The reality is that without Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, the U.S. probably loses this game. Gone are the days when the Americans have the three or four best players on the floor. The very best the U.S. has to offer is now only a player or two better than the next best team, and gold medals won't be forgone conclusions for the U.S. in future Olympics as long as players like Spain's Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro are on the floor.

Bryant certainly rose to the occasion late in the game, but his play was rightfully called into question by TV analyst Doug Collins on several occasions as Bryant took foolish shots and played suspect defense at times. Bryant's amazing talent made up for these shortcomings, but I'd have much rather seen the ball go through James and Dwayne Wade on every possession as those two consistently showed they have the poise and floor smarts to make wise decisions in crunch time.

While I'm analyzing the play of American players, I'll also give some props to former Illinois star Deron Williams, who should have a bright Olympic future after showing he can step up in key moments during his brief time on the floor during the second half against Spain.

Now it's time for goose bumps as the medal ceremony is about to begin.

By Erik Jacobsen
Staff Writer

I've been watching Michael Phelps dominate the Beijing Olympic games one night after another, and yet I'm still left with a sense that something is missing.

Is it impressive that this guy goes out and wins one day after another? Sure, we don't come across unbeatable athletes too often in sports.

However, some of my hesitation over Phelps was clarified after reading a pair of articles by writers at papers in the Chicago area.

First, Phillip Hersch's article in this morning's Chicago Tribune laid out that Phelps is being anointed an Olympic great too quickly. I completely agree with his point that Phelps will have to continue success at the next two Olympic games to show his true worth. Staying power is what makes athletes like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong and those great Olympians that Hersch mentions in his piece so special.

Later, I read an article by Brad Spencer in the Wednesday Journal that made a great point that swimming just isn't something that many sports fans generally get overly excited about. He didn't say it directly, but Spencer hints that swimming is a sport we only pay attention to every four years when the Summer Olympics roll around. He goes on to say that the fact that Phelps is breaking every world record in the book doesn't seem that interesting considering the ways technology is changing the sport.

The way I see it, and I think Spencer would agree, is that a lot of the Phelps hype is just a way for NBC to drive its ratings. As Spencer points out, the other night when Jason Lezak's late push lifted the U.S. to its 4 x 100-meter relay victory, it was Phelps who got the most attention from the press, not the real hero Lezak.

I guess the moral of the story is that we need to chill out on Phelps mania. He's a great athlete who is accomplishing extraordinary tasks, but his extraordinary tasks are no greater than those accomplished by MVP's in every sports league year in and year out.