"Yay! I Can't Wait to See the Olympic Wrestling!" Ya, right.

It's time for the athletes from around the world to brave the equivalent of sucking on an exhaust pipe for two weeks and make the trek to Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games. Sure, there are probably thousands of athletes and coaches participating in these games, but if there was ever any doubt about what sport is carrying these games, that's been erased by recent events.

First, the USA basketball team was treated like the Beatles when they got to Beijing, with the ever popular Black Mamba, er The Doberman, getting a brand new Chinese moniker of "Kou-bi-er."

And then I just discovered that there's a possibility that 5 nations will be led in to the Opening Ceremonies by a hoopster:

At the 2008 Beijing games, the NBA should be well represented during the Opening Ceremony on Aug. 8. Two active NBA players, a former NBA player and possibly two more hoopsters could have the honor of carrying their countries' flags. San Antonio Spur forward and 2004 gold medalist Manu Ginobili has been chosen by the Argentinian contingent to be his country's flag bearer. A mere 146 countries later, Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko will lead Russia's sizable delegation into China's National Stadium. ""From all the Olympians I would like to thank those who believe in us," Kirilenko said. "We are proud of our country and want Russia to be proud of us. I think everybody will agree that what you feel while standing on the podium can't be put into words. "I wish that at the Beijing Games the Russian anthem is heard as often as possible!" Then, there's an internet push on to make Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki Germany's flag bearer. "That would be super," Nowitzki said Wednesday. "I would be honored." Rockets center Yao Ming would also be honored to carry host-country China's flag as well. But no decision has been made for the Chinese delegation. Yao was a flag bearer in Athens. Having a similar duty in China wouldn't be a problem for him. "Everyone wants to be a flag bearer; of course I want to be one, too," Yao said. Former Indiana Pacer and Golden State Warriors guard Sarunas Jasikevicius will carry Lithuania's flag.

*This just in! It has been confirmed that the Uberman himself, Dirk Nowitzki, will be carrying the German flag! What a cool deal for him. First he accomplishes a life-long dream and gets the German basketball team in to the Olympic Games, then he gets the honor of leading his countrymen in to the stadium. I guess Chris Kamen wasn't quite German enough.

All the better reason for him to be sporting his current 'do: