No Dwyane? No Problem: The Olympics Are the Best, Y'all

With the NBA Draft now in the rearview mirror, we've officially entered The Dead Zone for a blog that's devoted to covering a college that doesn't have a football team: school's out for summer, recruiting for the upcoming year is over, the schedule is done (even if we won't know the dates for a few more weeks), and the coaching carousel has stopped spinnin'.

This year, though, we don't have to pass the time finding adjectives to describe Bo Ryan or faking an interest in the PGA Championship. Because this year, we've got the Olympics.

I love the Olympics -- like, with italics and everything: love the Olympics. I know, I know: I'm supposed to be the cynical one who bitches about how the athletes are just there to snag an endorsement deal and how the whole thing is a big ad for McDonald's and Nike and Speedo and how nobody gives a crap about the fact that they're supposed to be representing their country. Nope, don't care: love the Olympics.

I'll watch almost any of the events. Swimming? Love it. Basketball? Love it. Softball? Love it. Beach volleyball? Hell to the yes. Archery? Why not? Synchronized diving? Hideously underrated: I'm there, baby.

Sadly, though, with the news that Dwyane Wade is going to pass on another run at Olympic gold because of the balky left knee that vexed him throughout the NBA playoffs, we won't see a repeat of one of the most memorable Olympic moments of the Beijing games (at least from a Marquette perspective): when D-Wade led the men's basketball team in scoring as the U.S. took home the gold medal:

We'll miss Dwyane, of course, but we won't miss the Olympics, because the Olympics are the best.

Except for gymnastics. Gymnastics is the worst.

Celebrate the most compelling moments in Summer Games history with 'Memorable Moments' on Yahoo! Sports. Re-live moments such as Nadia Comaneci's perfect 10s in Montreal, Michael Plhelps' record eight gold medals in Beijing, Carl Lewis' unforgettable four gold medals in Los Angeles, the spectacular success of the 1992 US Dream Team, Muhammad Ali in Rome and Atlanta, and any more!

These special moments are showcased through exclusive video, iconic photos, and stories on Yahoo!'s hub dedicated to the coverage of the Games. Enjoy the unique storytelling from Yahoo! Sports' award-winning writers and experts, as well as through the lens of Yahoo!'s users themselves.

Check out Memorable Moments on Yahoo! Sports!