Full 90: Countdown to Kickoff

Today is the day: kickoff to the 2014 World Cup in Rio de Janiero. After years of planning, construction, numerous protests, and unfortunately, lives taken, everything is in place for a seamless World Cup hosted inside the mecca of soccer. Not quite.

Sport For Thought: The Michael Jordan of the Swimming Pool

Michael Jordan. Michael Phelps. Both of these athletes have dominated and are undoubtedly the greatest athletes in their respective sports. But can you believe they have both failed at the same thing? It seems that Phelps' time playing golf was not as enjoyable as he originally planned when entering retirement. Being the greatest at a sport is not all they have in common after Phelps' recent and shocking decision last week of ending his retirement. After completely one of the most legendary and decorated careers in basketball history and announcing his retirement, Michael Jordan could not last long away from the court. Michael Phelps seems to be taking a similar route as Jordan by coming out a retirement a year after completing one of the most decorated careers in Olympic history.

Guard the Post: There are no warning flags left for Brazil, Rio

Last year, there was a lot of conversation around the Rio 2016 planning committee and how far behind they were on the preparation for the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Luckily, the organizer got a bit of a break from the media mercenaries thanks to a man named Putin and some place called Sochi. Now, with Sochi 2014 in the books, all of the international sport focus has shifted to Rio. Guess what? It hasn't gotten better.

Full Court Press: Four Long Years

As we look back on the 16 glorious days of the 2012 London Olympic Games, it’s hard not to wonder what the future holds for Rio 2016. The U.S reclaimed their control over the total and gold medal counts, after a brief hiatus in Beijing. Here’s to hoping we can repeat that in Rio with the influx of promising young athletes in this country.

There will be a few major changes to the schedule come 2016, as Rugby Sevens and Golf have been added to the list of competitions, which brings the total to 28 different sports and 42 medal events. A few other sports were in contention, but eventually lost through presentations and a voting majority (baseball, softball, squash, karate, wake boarding, roller sports). 

What to look forward to - the beautiful venues and attractions of Rio de Janeiro:

Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, home to the rowing and canoeing competitions of the Olympic Games

A bird's eye view of the main Olympic Village and downtown area.

The Olympic Village beach and volleyball courts.

Copacabana Beach, which will host marathon swimming, triathlon events, and beach volleyball.

It's hard not to get excited for the the first South American country to host the Summer Olympic Games, and these next four years can't possibly move any slower. I'm hoping I can make the journey down to Brazil and enjoy the experience in person. Either way, it's sure to be an opportunity for more life-changing accomplishments, world record shattering performances, and inspiring displays of athleticism for athletes around the world. 

@hzedeck