olympics: "redeem team"

so it is really quite annoying that the media keeps on calling the american men's basketball team as the "redeem team."

yeah, us men's basketball lost in 2004. yeah, they should have won. and yeah, it was embarrassing.

but what is this team redeeming itself from? clearly, from a team that was not a dream team.

in 2004, the us decided to field a team with mostly young players. yeah, they had some all stars like tim duncan but they also had allen "it's only practice" iverson. the big players around that time, shaq, kobe, jason kidd, kg, t mac weren't even there.

the 2004 roster had 2 (two!!!) all stars:
stephon marbury
dwyane wade
allen iverson*
carmelo anthony
richard jefferson
lebron james
lamar odom
shawn marion
amare stoudemire
tim duncan*
carlos boozer
emeka okafor

d wade, boozer, lebron and melo were just babies.

in comparison, this 2008 men's basketball team is a very good team. this team has mvp kobe bryant, a much matured and improved lebron james, dwayne wade and carmelo anthony, a proven point in jason kidd, and a decent supporting cast.

indeed, in this 2008 roster, 3 out of 9 are not all stars:
carmelo anthony*
carlos boozer*
chris bosh*
kobe bryant*
dwight howard*
lebron james*
jason kidd*
chris paul*
tayshaun prince
michael redd
dwyane wade*
deron williams

(one would even argue this 2008 team has a better coach in coach k than larry brown, who seems to have a problem getting along with players -- i disagree of course, as yes, i am an admitted dookie hater.)

point being is that the us did not field a "dream team" worthy team in 2004 and the media had no business calling that team a "dream team."

this 2008 team, on the other hand, is a dream team. (ok, maybe not like the original dream team with magic, jordan, bird... but waaaaaaaaaay closer than the 2004 team ever will be.) this 2008 should be given its due title as a dream team because that is what it is. it is not this 2008 team's fault that the media mistakenly named the 2004 team a dream team.

perhaps this bunch of media pundits should call itself the "redeem team" from screwing it up last go around. but, let us not call this team that title.

hell, if the media really wants to name someone a "redeem team," they should have named the 1992 team as such. after all, before that, the us was dominating in the sport (the us boycotted the 1980 game) until it suffered its first lost (to the soviet union, its then political arch-enemy.

so please. stop calling the 2008 team a "redeem team" already.