The most exciting news I've gotten all week...

Comes courtesy of China's women's volleyball team, which defeated Russia last night in the quarterfinals -- the Russia squad that nearly beat China in the final match in Athens, the fifth set of which happens to be one of the most exciting things I've seen in sports -- and will now be playing in Thursday evening's semifinal to which I have tickets for!

!!!

Before these Olympics, the two gold medals the Chinese most wanted was for Liu Xiang and women's volleyball, and I'll actually be there, inside the venue, as the volleyball team tries to make the finals. This is incredible.

For my money, I don't think Brazil -- granted, very good -- has any idea what's about to hit them. I imagine the Capital Gymnasium will be absolutely rocking, as it has been for every Chinese match (too much fuel...), and that China will win a tough-fought match three games to zero.

I'm looking forward to this.

~

I posted on both this blog and ESPN's about boxer Zou Shiming's incredible victory over a Frenchman in his pre-quarterfinal bout on Saturday, and now an update: he's advanced to the semis. Yesterday the 48-kg sparrer defeated Birzhan Zhakypov of Kazakhstan 9-4 -- scoring seven of his nine points in the middle two rounds -- and will now face Paddy Barnes (take a guess what country he's from) in Friday's semis. I'll be watching (hopefully).

POSTSCRIPT: I'd like to refer folks to this from Awful Announcing, titled "MSNBC's 'Olympic Update' Continues to Disrespect the Beijing Games," which points out that Tiki Barber called his co-anchor -- albeit accidentally -- a "c*nt." It's actually pretty funny.