The relay will begin at AT&T Park and go for six miles along the waterfront, unless they change the route at the last minute. I'll be there, and if there's trouble I'm sure Will can provide bail (it's not like he hasn't had to do that with Daulerio enough times). Joining me will be the fine folks at Fan IQ, including the protest-minded 100 Percent Injury Rate, who may or may not have booze hidden on his person. Join us, if you're in the neighborhood. It could end up being the first Deadspin Pants Party held in jail.

Meanwhile, the IOC announced that it will meet on Friday and discuss whether the Torch Relay will be scrapped, both for this year and in future Olympics.

IOC president Jacques Rogge did not rule out the option of suspending or scrapping part of the relay, although most Olympic officials are opposed to such a move and Beijing organizers have vowed to go to the end. The torch relay has been disrupted in Greece, Istanbul, London and Paris by protesters opposed to China's policies in Tibet and overall human rights record. The torch relay is expected to end in mainland China on May 4.The Beijing Olympics start Aug. 8.

Here's the scheduled route.

But really, my only hope for this event is that Flamy shows up. That would make it a success.

Discord Follows Olympic Torch Relay To USA [MSNBC]
IOC Will Consider Stopping International Leg Of Olympic Torch Relay [Los Angeles Times]
San Francisco Is Already More Than Prepared To Take On The Olympic Torch [Fan IQ]
SF Treats Torch Run As A Hot Potato [SF Gate]
Introducing Tony Dungy's Least Favorite Sports Mascot [Deadspin]
Olympic Torch Relay Proceeding Smoothly So Far [Deadspin]

In Paris, some 3,000 officers were deployed on motorcycles, in jogging gear and using inline roller skates. Still, police barely stopped the second rush at the torch, and the attempt to extinguish it with water. Other demonstrators scaled the Eiffel Tower and hung a banner depicting the Olympic rings as handcuffs.

Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed.

Less than an hour later, the flame was being carried out of a Paris traffic tunnel by an athlete in a wheelchair when the procession was halted by activists who booed and chanted "Tibet."

If it weren't for the damned handicapped, today Tibet would be free!

Come on, admit it: The Olympic Torch Relay is becoming fun; like an enormous game of Capture the Flag. Note to protesters: You've got to create a diversion with the main group, and then have the little kid from the down the street sneak in from behind to grab the torch. Anyway it's all more interesting than women's volleyball.

Aren't you glad that Hitler invented it?

UPDATE: Here's some video.

Paris Protests Force Olympic Torch Delays [MSNBC]
Rings, Torch Have Ties To Hitler's Nazi Propaganda [Cincinnati Enquirer]
Ueberroth To Leave China Early For U.S. Torch Visit [USA Today]

At City Hall, Supervisor Chris Daly, who introduced the resolution critical of China, encouraged the audience that packed into the Board of Supervisors' chambers Tuesday to be on the streets and show disdain for the Chinese government during the torch relay. "The eyes of the world will be on San Francisco, and, let's be honest, if there is not alarm and there is not protest in San Francisco when the torch arrives here, that too would be news, and that would make San Francisco complicit in the human rights violations that are happening in China and around the world."

It was a wise, wise move by Olympic organizers to choose San Francisco as the only North American city to play host to the Torch Relay. In other cities — say, Denver or Dallas — officials might urge citizens to be civil and respectful, and do their utmost to avoid trouble. In San Francisco, the police beat you if you're not protesting. Plus, a third of San Francisco's population is Chinese American, so it should be fun!

Of course, the SF Supes could have voted to keep the torch out of their city entirely, but that would have denied them the opportunity to blast the Chinese government with a strongly-worded resolution! (That'll show 'em).

The route, where at some point I will quite possibly be set ablaze by monks:

Torch Route Published: Supes Critical Of China [SF Gate]

So, most Chinese athletes have stopped using. Except Yao Ming, who's apparently mainlining deer penis like a sweaty junkie in order to bounce back from his foot surgery. Ming's agent in China, Eric Zhang Mingji (rhymes with "fling-shee") says that Yao ain't stopping. "He will be taking Chinese medicines but hasn't started on the treatment yet,'' he tells Bloomberg News.

Will Yao actually risk disgracing his country? Still too early to tell. But we've all read enough Jim Carroll and William s. Burroughs to know how overpowering and soul-erasing an addiction to deer penis can be. Somebody should really intervene if they want to have Yao in uniform in '08.

Deer Penis Loses Flavor as China's Olympians Fear Drug Testers [Bloomberg]

Here are a couple of other interpretations of the Olympic logo.

Also, here's a fascinating piece about why boycotting the Olympics isn't a terrible idea.

The Beijing Olympic Logo Looks A Bit Different [Fan IQ]

Disregarding public outcry internationally and within the borders of Tibet, the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee reaffirmed its plans to carry the Olympic torch through Lhasa. The so-called "Journey of Harmony", the name given by the Beijing Olympic organizing committee, is scheduled to pass through 135 cities on it's way to the Chinese capital for the start of the Games August 8.

Well, this should be fun. Because already we've had:

• Steven Spielberg, who was to act as artistic adviser to the opening ceremonies, quit amid continuing Chinese involvement in the form of arms sales to the country of Sudan in their conflict in Darfur.

• Great Britain's Prince Charles has announced that he will not be attending the ceremony in support of the Dalai Lama. In London, the possibility of disruption by anti-China protesters became front-page news as the announcement of the deployment of 2,000 Metropolitan Police officers, marine and air support, plus mounted police along the torch's route to the town of Greenwich.

• Rioting in Tibet, in which the Chinese army is accused of shooting monks and burning homes.

• Concerns by athletes that Beijing's infamous air pollution will not only affect their performances, but perhaps, you know, kill them.

• Some European politicians calling for an outright boycott of the Games.

And if that's not enough controversy for you, try this: "What, Lassie? What is it, girl? Timmy's friend Quon Li is trying to douse you in marinara sauce?"

In China, the term Puppy Bowl has an entirely different meaning.

But back to the torch. One of its destinations is going to be San Francisco, a bastion of conservatism where of course things will go smoothly without a hint of trouble. From Scott Ostler's column in the San Francisco Chronicle:

San Francisco officials are planning to allow protesters to protest from "free speech zones." This could require some re-writing of official documents, such as the Constitution, which, some legal scholars would argue, designates the United States of America as a free speech zone.

And they're also taking the thing to the top of Mt. Everest, so I understand. Good luck hiring Sherpa guides for that.

Getting The Torch Through SF: Charge Of The Light Brigade [SFGate]
Olympic Flame Will Roll Through Tibet On Schedule [BrooWaHa]
Beijing Boycott? Don't Tell The Olympic Athletes [ABC News]
An Olympic Disgrace [Salon]

Producers have around three weeks to look through their tapes for "horror" and report it to authorities, the General Administration of Press and Publications said in a statement posted on the government Web site. Offending content included "wronged spirits and violent ghosts, monsters, demons, and other inhuman portrayals, strange and supernatural storytelling for the sole purpose of seeking terror and horror," the administration said.

So, the following are definitely banned:

• Halloween.
• Friday the 13th
• The Exorcist
• Planet Terror

On the bubble:

• Ghost Dad
• Addams Family Values
• The Mummy II
• King Kong

Although horrible and frightening, probably OK:

• Over Her Dead Body
• Jumper
• Any Given Sunday
• Good Luck Chuck

Instant death penalty if caught with:

• Fool's Gold

But seriously; WTF, China? With all the genuine misery occurring on in the world that you could help stop, you have the police running around confiscating copies of Alien Vs. Predator? And I thought our priorities were messed up.

Regulators Now Spooked By Ghost Stories [Yahoo News]

Spielberg announced he would no longer act as an artistic adviser for the opening and closing ceremonies, saying he could not reconcile working on the Olympics while China and other nations were not doing enough to ease the suffering in Darfur. "Sudan's government bears the bulk of the responsibility for these ongoing crimes but the international community, and particularly China, should be doing more," Spielberg said in a statement. "China's economic, military and diplomatic ties to the government of Sudan continue to provide it with the opportunity and obligation to press for change."

Of course I'm not sure how the situation in Darfur has changed since Spielberg originally agreed to the Olympics job, but whatever. Our thoughts must now turn toward his replacement. Ridley Scott? The Coen brothers? No, my vote of course goes to Quentin Tarantino.

On a more serious note, though; is this Olympics boycott issue gaining steam? Spielberg's announcement is a HUGE snub, and the Chinese must be apoplectic. Many athletes are starting to speak up here, and when it gets to the point where nations start pulling out — and it could — well, this could get huge in no time.

Spielberg Drops Out As Beijing Olympics Adviser Over Darfur [The Huffington Post]
Spielberg In Darfur Snub To China [BBC News]

I'm pretty sure that these aren't what they'll be using in the Beijing Olympics; the actual suits will look more like this, no doubt. These were from Beijing's swimwear fashion show on Thursday, which is all part of China's push to make Beijing one of the big players in the world fashion industry. Can China achieve world swimwear dominance, and oppress Tibet at the same time? That would be quite a feat.

Sexy Swimsuit For 2008 Beijing Olympics [Ah Boon]

Wouldn't it be funny if one of those Olympic mascots on his neck turns out to be gay?

We assume he spell-checked all of this before leaving the shop.

When The Olympic Spirit Goes Way Too Far [100 Percent Injury Rate]
Beijing Olympics 2008 Tattoos Inspired By Prison Break [Beijing Olympics Fan]