Chinese 'Net as Open and Free as China Itself

The air probably won't be a problem, believe it or not. After a nice "blue sky" day in Beijing yesterday with air quality around Los Angeles levels, the drastic measures instituted to control pollution during the Olympics seem to be working. (Remember: Los Angeles-level air quality is considered an improvement over normal Beijing air, which may be cut into solid blocks and used as furniture or building material.)

What may be a concern, at least for a Blackberry-popping journo crowd, is the emerging story that after being promised complete internet access at the Beijing media center, the actual availability will be less-than-complete.

"There will be full, open and free internet access during Games time to allow journalists to report on the Olympics," he told the South China Morning Post.

"But I have also been advised that some of the IOC officials had negotiated with the Chinese that some sensitive sites would be blocked."

"I am disappointed the access is not wider," he said.

Sites blocked by China include the obvious and the not-so-obvious. Sites about the Falun Gong, Tibetan Independence Movements, and the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre? Check. Anything ending in blogspot.com and technorati.com? Um, yes. This may seem absurd, but not quite as strange as Fire Joe Morgan being among the other random sites chosen for blockage. This clearly means that Hu Jintao, in addition to being the Supreme Leader of the People's Republic of China, is a staunch adversary of the Sabermetric movement. Unless he wants to wind up knee-deep in caustic hide-tanning solution in a Chinese gulag factory, Billy Beane best avoid showing his face in Beijing.

At this point, though, we're taking odds on the first journalist to get deported during the Olympics. If Jim Lampley's even in the building, he's the odds-on favorite. ("Whaddya mean I can't access Bodog.com from here? COMMIES!!!")

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.