Did you see Ma Jian getting some love on the broadcast of the China-U.S. game yesterday? For those who have forgotten, Ma played for Utah in the mid-1990s under Rick Majerus after playing JC ball at Utah Valley. He works on the Chinese TV broadcasts and was interviewed during the second half by NBC's Craig Sager and has been the subject of a few articles calling him a pioneer for Chinese basketball players ...

Don't you find it a little strange that women beach volleyball players must wear skimpy two-piece bathing suits, while the men wear sleeveless shirts and shorts? Couldn't women play just as well if they were wearing T-shirts and shorts like the men? If not, why don't the men wear speedos to play better? ...

Why is beach volleyball even an Olympic sport? We already have volleyball. What's next, two-on-two playground basketball? ...

Who knew badminton could be so entertaining? ...

Why do Utah and BYU fans go back and forth about who has the easier football schedule this year? Both teams play Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) schools. BYU's opponent, Northern Iowa is better than Utah's (Weber State). Both play Utah State on the road. Both play middle-of-the-pack Pac-10 opponents at home. And Utah's other road opponent, Michigan, looks better than BYU's opponent, Washington. So it looks pretty much like a draw to me ...

And finally, can this really be the year of the Cubs? I know, I'm one of those eternal optimists when it comes to Cubs, but they do own the second-best record in baseball right now. However, the team to beat this year may be the team with the best record in baseball, the Salt Lake Bees' parent club, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. And sooner or later, the Cubs will find a way to break our hearts.

---

E-mail: sor@desnews.com