Islamic Insights | Inspired by the Holy Quran and AhlulBayt

Left, Kobe Bryant; right, Manny Ramirez

Every four years, the world's best athletes showcase their talent at the Olympics. This year at the Olympics, there are many storylines from the American perspective. Can swimmer Michael Phelps continue his domination? But, most importantly, can the USA men's basketball team regain world domination?

In 1992 at the Olympics in Barcelona, the USA men's basketball team separated themselves from the world. It was total domination for the USA men's basketball team by beating other  teams by as much as sixty-eight points. After winning gold in the Sydney Olympics in 2000, the USA men's basketball has not seen the same success since. In the 2002 FIBA World Championship tournament, they finished in sixth place. That was an utter embarrassment, a nation used to dominating other teams finishing in sixth place. The embarrassment did not end there; in the 2004 Olympics in Greece, the Americans won the bronze medal. That year, the USA men went 5-3 in eight games. In 2004, it was the first time the Americans had lost an Olympic game with NBA players competing.

Since then, USA basketball director Jerry Colangelo vowed change. Prior to the 2004 Olympics, American players complemented each other on the court in the sense that players had a defined role. Since then, it has seemed that American teams were lacking perimeter scoring and defensive stoppers. The same can't be said for the American team heading into the Beijing Olympics.

This year, the Americans have a loaded team with no holes. Perimeter scoring will not be a question with the like of Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, LeBron James and sharpshooter Michael Redd. To add to that, Colangelo addressed the team's defensive needs by adding Tayshaun Prince. Kobe Bryant is expected to be a force defensively too.   

This could be the greatest American team assembled even greater than the 1992 "Dream Team". The reputation of the USA men's basketball team is on the line, so anything less than a gold medal will be a disaster. With all that being said, the Americans should have no problem winning the gold medal. At the end of the day, the Americans have far more superior talent than any of the main competitors, such as Spain and Argentina. The legacy of certain American players and coaches hinges on the outcome of the Olympics.

Sox trade Ramirez

For a team to trade away arguably its best player while being a World Series contender seems odd. Well, that is what the Boston Red Sox did. On Thursday, the Red Sox traded away slugger Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three team trade. In return, the Red Sox received all-star Jason Bay from the Pittsburg Pirates. This may seem odd, but the reasoning behind the Red Sox decision to trade Ramirez is correct.

Of late, Ramirez has become a "cancer" within the Red Sox organization. Early in the season, Ramirez and fellow teammate Kevin Youkilis got into a fight during the middle of a game. To add to that, Ramirez's on-the-field antics have been very childish, to say the very least.

Not only was Ramirez having a negative effect on the Red Sox organization, he was in the last year of his contract. It seemed like a foregone conclusion that Ramirez would not be back with the Red Sox next year. So why not trade him and get value in return for him? And that is what the Red Sox did. The Red Sox's acquisition of Bay will allow Bay to flourish in the Sox lineup. In Boston, Bay will have a far more superior supporting cast than what he had in Pittsburg, which should allow him to become a better offensive player.

The question surrounding the Red Sox after the trade has been: will they make the playoffs this season? The decision to trade away Manny Ramirez will make the Red Sox a better team that should definitely catapult them into the playoffs.