March 19, 2024

Olympics have my full attention

The older I get, the more interest I have in the Olympics. Full disclosure — I don’t get into the Winter Olympics near as much as the Summer version.

I love the swimming and track and field. I enjoy the basketball, and the Americans have done well in all of them.

Watching this year’s American gymnastics team brought back memories of a lot of other former teams who succeeded. Shannon Miller, Dominique Dawes, Nastia Liukin and Mary Lou Retton all captured the country’s heart with their brilliance in gymnastics.

None of them were as dominant as Simone Biles was this time around. I know she didn’t quite bring back five gold medals, but she was so far ahead of everyone else in the four golds she won it was easy to see why Bela Karolyi called her the greatest gymnast of all-time.

Michael Phelps is amazing. I don’t think there’s any question about that. I am not sure I expected to see what he gave us again. Those performances were incredible.

If Phelps doesn’t return in four years like he says, at least Americans can get behind Katie Ledecky, who stole the show when she was in the pool this summer.

Congratulations to Iowa native Jenny Simpson, who became the first American female runner to medal in the 1,500-meter run Tuesday night.

I get behind anything or anyone with Iowa ties. I can’t help it. I was screaming at the television in the newsroom last night when Simpson was rallying late to finish in third place.

Another Iowan made an impact at an Olympic games. We have certainly been fortunate.

Former Sioux City East standout Shelby Houlihan qualified for the finals of the 5,000-meter run Tuesday morning. She’ll run tonight at 7:40.

Hillary Bor, a former Iowa State Cyclone, is still competing, too. Bor ran in the 3,000-meter steeplechase Wednesday morning.

In football news, the Cyclones suffered two injuries recently. One is much bigger than the other though.

The injury to Jake Campos will probably cripple Iowa State as the program was not deep on the offensive line as it was. The Cyclones will now have to rely on very young players to step in and produce.

My family and I went to Kinnick Stadium last weekend for the annual Kids’ Day. It was the first time my 3-year-old daughter stepped into Kinnick Stadium.

While she doesn’t quite understand the magnitude of where she was, I am sure she will one day tell me it was the best day of her life.

I love Jim Harbaugh as a football coach. He helped bring back my San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl level, and that franchise took a big drop after he left.

But what Harbaugh does to the media is just ridiculous. He had another incident recently when a few reporters asked questions about suspended players on the Michigan Wolverines’ roster.

He can refuse to answer the question. He can say “no comment.” But telling them they ask too many questions and storm out of the interview session shows that he can be a big baby.

Relax Jimmy. You coach at Michigan after all.

Contact Troy Hyde at

thyde@newtondailynews.com