This could be the final Olympics appearance for baseball and it seems the sport is in a hurry to close up shop.

The International Baseball Federation announced yesterday that in an attempt to shorten game times, extra-inning contests will look radically different in these Olympics. Beginning in the 11^th inning, all teams will start with men on first and second base. Teams will also be allowed to begin the 11^th at any point in their batting order. (Meaning, if a team wanted their cleanup hitter to bat first in the 11th, the #3 and #2 batters would be on first and second base, respectively.)

This might be baseball's Olympic swansong, as the IOC voted to eliminate the sport from the 2012 London Games. The IBF is looking to get back on the slate for 2016, with a decision expected next year.

I'm not sure cheapening the game is a smart way to get back in the good graces of the IOC. The new extra innings rules will turn Olympic baseball into an XFL-like farce. Of all the team sports,

Though Olympians are going for gold, the pursuit of the dream usually doesn't generate much green. Athletes who want their family, people who have supported them through the years of training, with them at the games usually have to find different ways to get them to Beijing. Sometimes, it's not even all that creative; they do what the average sorority does. They sell sponsorships and t-shirts.

If you want a creative way to help out the athletes, and get something in return, spend $20 on a t-shirt. You'll have something better to wear to the gym than your beer-stained college shirt.

- This tactic is incredibly popular incredible among wrestlers. The t-shirt pictured above supports Ben Askren, who will you will definitely hear more about as the games grow closer. You can also buy shirts to support Spenser Mango, the 18-year-old phenom Jake Deitchler, Henry Cejudo and Andy Hrovat-a real American hero.

- Tony Azevedo, one of the country's top water polo players, is sponsored by Mikasa, who

I am convinced that there is nothing Jackie Chan can't do. The man is pushing 55 and still does all his own stunts. He's at it again in this Visa commercial. Make sure to check out the cameo by Yao at the end.

To borrow a line from Visa's rival, MasterCard, it's priceless ...

If Jackie tried hard enough, I bet he could qualify for a few Olympic events.

By the way, what's the over/under on commercial appearances by Yao over the next few weeks?

I'm setting the bar at 1,000,000.

I'll take the over.

It was only a matter of time before American swimmer Jessica Hardy appeared in public to make a lame defense of her positive test for the banned stimulant clenbuterol, and she did so this morning on CBS's Early Show. Said Hardy of the phone call she received informing her of the positive test:

"I was taking notes right when she called, to write down my information and everything and I spelled the drug name wrong even... I was devastated."

We've seen athletes who have failed drug tests use second-hand smoke, the Cuban mafia and unborn twins as excuses in the past, but I think Hardy's "if I can't spell, the test ain't swell" defense is a new one.

Look, Jessica, maybe you're innocent. Maybe science failed you, like I failed it in the 11th grade. But try to come up with a better excuse than poor spelling. I'm

One of the above individuals is among the favorites to win a gold medal in the Beijing Olympics. If you're not 100% sure of the answer, you'd better start cramming. With the Opening Ceremonies only two weeks away, I know I'm ready. My Bela Karolyi mustache is coming in nicely, I've got my Dan and Dave reversible hoodie cleaned and pressed, I downloaded the Olympic Fanfare ringtone, and my Richard Jewell-autographed Atlanta 1996 knapsack is chock full of HGH and clean urine samples.

Now that the good taste bar has been set lower than the Chinese government's tolerance for peaceful protest, what do you say we get to know our Olympians? There are more than 550 athletes representing the United States in the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing next month, so you'll need to learn about 40 per day to have them down by the time the torch is delivered to the Beijing National Stadium, which has been nicknamed the Bird's Nest. Seems to me you wouldn't want to get a torch anywhere near a bird's

Meet Jake Deitchler. You're going to be hearing about him a lot in the next few weeks. That's because young Jake stunned his peers last month in Las Vegas, becoming the first high schooler in 32 years to make the Olympic wrestling team.

In the process, he also became the sports equivalent to one of my all-time favorite movie characters ...

Nick Papageorgio.

For those of you who have not been lucky enough to see Vegas Vacation, Papageorgio is the alias used by Rusty Griswold. Rusty, at 18, can't get into the casinos, so he buys a fake-ID and the name Papageorgio is born.

Rusty (Nick) proceeds to hit the jackpot several times, racking up everything from money to cars, becoming an instant celebrity in Vegas.

Jake didn't have to secure a fake-ID to earn his celebrity status in Vegas, he earned his legally. In this case, the grand prize was a spot on the Olympic team.

Just think about that for a second. Deitchler, an 18 year-old from Minnesota, graduated from high school just a few months

In my mind there is one glaring weakness on the U.S. men's basketball roster ... they only have one big man, Dwight Howard. If he gets in foul trouble during a game, the Americans could be in trouble. I know that the international game is supposed to be more perimeter oriented, but still, an extra big man couldn't hurt.

Yes, I know, he declined an invitation back in 2004 to join the American team in Athens, and he might have declined overtures from Jerry Colangelo again over the last few years. Still, he is at a point in his career where the Olympic stage might be more intriguing. He would have been the perfect back-up for Howard, providing 10-15 minutes a game

The Phoenix center also would have provided a solid veteran presence to go along with

It's widely-acknowledged that Jason Kidd is the third-best point guard on Team USA's roster. This makes it all the more baffling that nobody seems to mind that the 35-year old will be starting over both Chris Paul and Deron Williams in the Olympics.

Point guards aren't wine or Heather Locklear, they don't get better with age. Kidd's time has passed, as evidenced by Paul's dismantling of him in this year's NBA Playoffs. He's still a fine point guard and a worthy member of Team USA, it's just that Kidd is probably suited better to a "veteran leader" role rather than a starring one.

"International experience" is listed as Kidd's main asset to Team USA, namely in the form of the gold medal he won at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. That's all well and good but:

a) that was eight years ago;
b) Team USA barely escaped a terribly under-matched Lithuanian team in the semifinals that year;
c) Vin Baker was also on that team, so he's presumably just as experienced as Kidd.

Kidd hasn't played