It's not often I get to hit the road in the role of a roving reporter. So when I was invited to Greece to attend the Olympic Games I jumped at the offer, especially when I found out I'd get a chance to follow the US Men's Basketball team and interview some of them after the first game.

Then Puerto Rico kicked our butts. I wasn't sure if I wanted to talk to the big boys from the NBA or not after a game like that, but I mustered up all my courage, took a deep breath and started asking questions. I began with Lamar Odom.

DC: Lamar, after a tough loss like that, what will you do better in the next game and how do you feel about those who think you let down our country.

Odom: Well, it's embarrassing to lose a game you should win, but I don't really feel like we let the U.S. down.

DC: Hmmm. Interesting perspective.

Larry Brown: Are you kidding? I feel like a failure!

Allen Iverson: Lighten up Larry; this is just a practice game. I mean c'mon, its practice. And don't be asking me 'what happened' either. I've been hanging up on everyone that asked me that question.

Larry Brown: I know I'd like to know what happened. If you don't play with unbelievable effort ? plus the fact that these teams are really, truly teams and want it so badly ? what happened last night is going to happen again and again and again.

DC: So are you suggesting that your players didn't give an effort worthy of the Olympics?

Larry Brown: Look, you're playing on the U.S. Olympic team, in the Olympics, and if you've got to question people's effort, you've got a serious problem.

DC: How do you think this relates to people in the car business?

Larry Brown: Well, when you're with a customer it's game time. You have to perform. If you haven't prepared properly, you'll get your butt kicked like we did. And when the game is on, you can't just go through the motions. You have to put out maximum effort during the entire process.

DC: Very insightful. Have you ever worked in a dealership?

Brown: No, but I have bought and serviced enough cars to know the winners from the losers. And I coach in Detroit!

While the above article was written in fun, many of the quotes were taken from national news sources following the game.