He shouldn't have been. Sometimes that's half the battle. She savors every goal scored and each moment in the pool, knowing she'll retire for good after the games. And for me and for everybody, I think the ultimate is to win a gold medal. And I think we can do it.
Water polo has a West Coast sheen that has been slow to spread east.
Wigo remembers a conversation several years ago with author and commentator Frank Deford about how to boost water polo's profile. Dr. Dot Richardson and Michelle Smith, both stars of the 1996 softball gold medalists, have their own Web sites. Ice hockey's Cammi Granato hit the talk shows and became a Los Angeles Kings' broadcaster after her team's Olympic gold in 1998. Baker said his players know what's at stake. Water polo looked ready for that in the 1980s.