Fool's gold for 'Dream Team'

On paper, many things look much more enticing than they actually are: a McDonald's cheeseburger, Britney Spears and the 2004 U.S. men's basketball team to name a few. \nWhile the men's gymnastics judges are doing their part to aid the U.S. in the medal race, nothing can be done to help this group of billionaire ballers. Unfortunately for the basketball squad, no one-tenth of a point miscalculations or failed drug tests will change much of anything. But throughout their entire debacle this summer, Americans have mistakenly been pointing the finger at the founders of the team. They need not look further than the self-appointed "Captain" of the squad, Allen Iverson. Iverson symbolizes the typical NBA athlete nowadays: selfish, greedy and a cry-baby. Now picture 12 players with these same characteristics playing on the same team. Yeah, that's right -- it doesn't work.\nNow I know that saying the games have lost their luster since the Dream Team of 1992 would be cliché, but it's extremely true. Back in the day, stars like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird played a team sport to perfection and changed basketball forever. Switch now to present day where guys like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony are re-defining the sport all over again, but in a negative way. \nThe 18-and-over league that the NBA has become is an integration of the And1 Mix Tour and a hip-hop music video. Money is what makes these stars happy, and as long as they have it, winning means less and less. Now these stars are on a national stage and folding faster than the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl, while the European players are hysterically laughing at them. The U.S. may have the look and prowess of a competitive team, but what they lack is the heart and determination to actually make an impact on the games.\nWhile the Olympics have a small, yet prestigious award awaiting its champions (a gold medal), the NBA rewards its athletes on a game-by-game basis. Endorsement deals, lucrative contracts and Hollywood are clouding up the NBA scene, making it very easy for European players to make their presence known. Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol and Manu Ginobili are just a few of the names that will soon headline the NBA's sinking talent pool. Each and every player on the U.S. squad alone is a former or future MVP candidate in the NBA, but that means very little to the rest of the world. Brace yourselves, the European invasion has begun, and the NBA is in for a big surprise. The U.S. is hopefully beginning to see evidence of that in Athens this summer. \nThe problem with U.S. basketball now is that every team since 1992 has had the bar set extremely high for them. Year after year, each team loses ground in trying to achieve "Dream Team" status. America's struggles in the games this year reflect the problems with the NBA nowadays and their yearning for another MJ, Magic or Bird. Unlike the players from the NBA's heyday, players now are perfectly happy playing on a lackluster team while still making a cool eight-figure salary. The gold medal means absolutely nothing to the 2004 Team U.S.A., which is disappointing for an already basketball-deprived nation. \nSo let's face it, the U.S. will never have another Dream Team and the NBA will never have another Jordan, Magic or Bird.\nNow I'm only 20 years old, but I think it's pretty safe for me to say that "Back in my day, they knew how the game was supposed to be played"