First, I want to say how happy I am that none of our core is playing for team usa.  Prince went down at the end of the 1st quarter with some kind of knee injury and I think we should all hope and pray that rudy and sergio come away unscaved.

Watching usa play has made me realize something that is likely not the majorities opinion...  I am not sure I ever want the blazers to be the  favorite to win a championship.  It sets the bar so high that your season either ends in a championship, or a failure.  I was watching USA play Brazil today and they were up 5 after the 1st quarter and I thought to myself, whats wrong with these guys, and they were winning the game!!  I just watch team usa as a formality, I cant get excited about a team usa win because thats what I expect.  I feel for a spurs fan in a wierd kind of way.  The spurs winning their 4th title was probably more of a collective sigh of relief across san antonio than a overjoyed outburst of victory.  I mean, they were supposed to win it all, they didnt surprise anyone.  They had everything to lose and little to win(a championship and nothing less). There is something about being the underdog that is very compelling to me. I just dont ever want to see the blazers win a game and think to myself "they should have played better", or "phew, I would have been really PO'd if we didnt win that one".   The bitterness of losing is something that I can tolerate, but the bitterness of losing when you should have, and could have won takes it to a whole other level.  Have I gone completely insane???