Youtube » a, meaning a rematch could be a hard sell.

I didnt notice the scarcity of Americans in Rio de Janeiro until I started looking for them, wandering around the Olympics like a lonely tourist in search of an English-speaking friend.At smaller events like judo and diving, the U.S. was barely represented in the stands. Most of the ticket holders I approached at a womens basketball game, including two men in Magic Johnson jerseys and one woman carrying a tiny American flag, turned out to be Brazilians with an affinity for the stars and stripes. At the more crowded track and field and gymnastics venues, I followed the sound of USA cheers, only to realize they were being led by fans speaking Portuguese.On Monday, minutes before the individual balance beam finals, I chased down a guy wearing an Uncle Sam hat (a New Yorker!) and asked him if he had seen other Americans in the crowd.Theres not that many, which is surprising, he said. I think the U.S. press really scared everyone.The IOC claims that the 2016 Olympics will draw between 350,000 and 500,000 international visitors who have scooped up about 25 percent of the tickets sold so far (the organizing committee did not respond to a request for information on how many were sold to fans from the U.S.). But over the course of two weeks in Rio, I heard the same question from bartenders, hotel workers and restaurateurs: Where were the Americans?While a smattering of tourists from the States roamed the streets near the biggest venues, they were hard to find in neighboring areas like Lapa, Leblon and Botafogo. Max Prata, a vendor selling Rio-themed tank tops and hats on a street corner in Copacabana, said he had only encountered a handful of visitors from the States.There is a lot of American confusion, he said. Around the world, people have information on the Zika, the favelas. They need to see its tranquil.In recent months, the news coming out of Brazil has been anything but. The political scandal, financial meltdown and public health crisis all converged to form a category 5 news hurricane, shaking the countrys tourism industry to its core. Even with the Olympics, the World Trade and Tourism Council estimates that the industrys contribution to Brazils GDP, which has historically been larger than the banking and mining sectors, will shrink by nearly $2 billion this year. While flights and bookings jumped this month, several American travel agencies reported unusually low interest in the Games.This is one of the first Olympics where I didnt have a rush of people wanting to go, said Eric Hrubant, owner of CIRE Travel in New York. I had literally none.Of course, the economic benefits of Olympics tourism are always oversold. The Games organizers, eager to justify the absurd amounts of money spent on stadiums destined to rot away like abandoned carcasses, throw out laughable numbers assembled by bought-and-paid-for consultants. Said numbers are widely touted, then forgotten, like so many of the promises leading up to the event. In the wake of the 2014 World Cup, spending by foreign visitors actually dropped compared to the previous year, according to the countrys Central Bank.When pressed with these figures, Olympics backers will often point to the indirect benefits of hosting the Games -- the so-called halo effect that results when hundreds of foreign reporters descend on a host city like soldiers on a reconnaissance mission, airing stories and images that will hopefully lure tourists from their home countries. When the IOC picked Rio to host the Games seven years ago, tourism minister Luiz Barretto said the country would use the Olympics to market itself to the entire world.This will provide immense increases in Brazilian tourism and for our economy in the long run, he said.Over the last two weeks, viewers in the U.S. and elsewhere have glimpsed Rios sparkling beaches and soaring mountain views; theyve also seen heavily armed military officers lingering near tanks and watched around-the-clock coverage of swimmer Ryan Lochtes robbery at gunpoint. Theyve read about crime in the favelas, raw sewage in the bay and excruciating traffic in the streets.Its likely that the breathless reports on the Zika virus leading up to the Olympics actually exacerbated the slowdown in tourism. Alison Buerling, a Latin American travel analyst with the market research firm Euromonitor, said countries like Mexico, which were also impacted by Zika, benefited from less coverage.Brazil is on the world stage in a way that it wouldnt be if they werent hosting the Olympics, she said.This is the great gamble of the Games. Back in 2009, when the Olympics were awarded to Rio, the president of the countrys tourist board called the event an advertisement campaign that will change the image of Brazil for at least four years. In a perverse way, she could be right. Hosting the Olympics is a little like putting on a party and inviting the entire world; no matter how many doors you close and hallways you cordon off, visitors will find their way into the darkest corners of your house. Tedy Bruschi Youth Jersey . -- Team after team passed on Andre Ellington in the draft. Julian Edelman Youth Jersey .C. Lions has come to an end. Banks told TSN on Jan 2 that he had no interest in playing out the option year of his contract with the Lions in 2014, and he again made that clear in a conversation with Lions GM Wally Buono last week. https://www.patriotssportsgoods.com/Womens-Jarrett-Stidham-Inverted-Jersey/ . Capitals head coach Adam Oates said Ovechkin was injured in the first period against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday and clarified it was not a head injury. Tom Brady Patriots Jersey . After Mondays hard-fought loss, the wait seemed longer than usual. Getting set to go their separate ways for a short Christmas break, the Raptors coach credited his team for their effort on a seemingly impossible three-game road trip, urging them to build on that success when they get back to work at the end of the week. Julian Edelman Womens Jersey . -- Charlie Graham stopped 67 shots as the Belleville Bulls edged the visiting Guelph Storm 6-5 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action.What did we learn from Michael Bispings career-best victory against Anderson Silva in Londons O2 Arena? Bisping defeats Silva Recap UFC London results here The 37-year-old from Lancashire outlasted Silva, one of the UFCs greatest ever talents, in the finest night of his veteran career at the weekend to take him closer to the world title opportunity that has eluded him for 12 years. But should the 40-year-old from Brazil have won the fight?James Dielhenn has assessed the talking points... Did the right man win? Michael Bisping and Anderson Silva showed mutual respect after the decision Fights are not judged solely on damage accrued, luckily for Bisping who walked away from the confrontation sporting the lions share of injury on his face. All three judges returned a 48-47 scorecard in his favour, meaning they believed he won three of five rounds.On reflection it is virtually impossible to make a case for Silva winning more than two rounds. His flashy hand movements and constant goading is designed to set up a devastating finish - if that doesnt occur, those methods dont lend themselves to scoring points over the 25-minute duration. The theory that his showboating cost him the result doesnt stand up.The statistics prove Bisping landed more significant strikes in every round. There is no question his superior work-rate took the first round as Silva slowly warmed up. The Brits stick-and-move striking landed him the second round in a similar vein before Silvas brilliant knee, which almost ended the fight in a flash, warranted the third. Most impressively Bisping was more accurate in the fourth round despite the serious shot to the face before Silva became the aggressor in the fifth. His physical appearance wasnt much evidence, but Bisping was rightly rewarded by the judges.Why didnt Silva go for KO? Anderson Silvas knee very nearly ended the fight in a flash Critics that question why Silva didnt more actively seek the knockout should remember that his previous highlight-reel theatrics have come by countering opposition who recklessly tried to swing for the fences. Bisping, even when hurt, stayed disciplined and that has been Silvas Kryptonite even throughout the glory years. Assuming that he simply chose not to chase the injured Bisping after his third-round knee would be ignoring the glaring flaws in the Brazilians game.His behaviour at the end of the third round, when he flattened Bisping a moment before the bell sounded then celebrated wildly, was symptomatic of his mischievousness. The 41-fight veteran was not told by referee Herb Dean that he had won the fight so jumping half-way into the crowd was an act of misdirection designed to create chaos, which it achieved. It seemed unlikely to be genuine confusion. Michael Bisping (left) lost concentration after his mouthpiece fell out The posturing and mind games are not an act, they serve a vital purpose to bait Silvas opponent into the pocket. Bisping, when faced with these antics, put his hands on his hips and wouldnt step forwards. Silva has never been able to fight for long periods on the front foot and that wont change at the age of 40.His legacy, quite rightly, will be as one of MMAs greatest champions but nobody wins the fight against Father Time. Against Bisping he was exposed as one-dimensional and he was forced to hide behind his theatriics.ddddddddddddThe legacy Bisping deserves Michael Bisping outstruck Anderson Silva in every round Whatever the future holds Bisping will be regarded as the man who opened the UFC door to British athletes - he wasnt the first from these shores to step into the cage but he has been the most feted. Yet until last weekend his career lacked one clear-cut highlight.Prior to his name being announced as the winner at The O2 the argument could be made that Bispings proudest night was back in 2007, slightly closer to home in Manchester, when he bested Elvis Sinosic. More recent victims such as Brian Stann, Cung Le or Thales Leites dont have the same standing in the sport as Bisping. Each time he had been paired with a top contender - Chael Sonnen, Dan Henderson, Vitor Belfort spring to mind - he was on the wrong end of the result.Finally Bisping has the one result that he can hang his hat on. He wont want to accept defeating Silva as the pinnacle to his career, but if thats the way it turns out, its a magnificent achievement for the boy from Clitheroe in the north-west of England who chased a dream in America over a decade ago.So is it time for a world championship fight? Michael Bisping could become just the second Englishman to challenge for a UFC belt after Dan Hardy As ever with Bisping, circumstances do not suit him. Beating Silva has thrust him closer to a title shot than he has ever been throughout his 25-fight UFC run, yet it remains far from inevitable.The middleweight champion, Luke Rockhold, is set to have a rematch with Chris Weidman in June so could feasibly be out of action for several months afterwards. Bisping could be looking at a 10-month lay-off should he be the next challenger for the belt, assuming Weidman doesnt win and force a trilogy fight against Rockhold.The biggest obstacle in Bispings path is that he has already lost to Rockhold, as recently as November 2014. The Californian won via second-round submission in Australia, meaning a rematch could be a hard sell. Bisping has already taken to Twitter to talk up a bout against Nick Diaz instead, and hasnt been on record to wish for a title shot yet. Rockhold open to rematch Champ tells Sky Sports hell fight Bisping British contingent slowly improving Tom Breese (bottom) earned a decision win against Keita Nakamura Aside from Bispings triumph it was a mixed night at The O2 for rising British contenders who are aiming to follow Europes top talents in establishing themselves Stateside.Brad Pickett enjoyed the most emotional win from the undercard, admitting that victory over Francisco Rivera staved off retirement for a while longer. But at 37, Picketts race has largely been ran.Tom Breese and Arnold Allen, 24 and 22 respectively, are Englands most touted prospects and while they both registered victories to remain undefeated in the UFC, there is much room for improvement. Reassuringly the duo have discarded home comforts and travelled to the harsh environment of Montreals Tristar gym - the home of former kingpin Georges St-Pierre and one of the worlds leading MMA development arenas. Breese and Allen are doing the right things to one day walk in Bispings shadow. Also See: UFC London results UFC Bisping-Rockhold next? ' ' '