The Alicia and Steve show

August 14, 5:39 PMGymnastics ExaminerBlythe Lawrence

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Olympic teammates Nastia Liukin and Chellsie Memmel chat before the first day of competition at the U.S. Championships in Dallas. AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

DALLAS -- Olympians Alicia Sacramone and Steve McCain are by far the best commentators at the 2009 U.S. Gymnastics Championships.

Fans at the American Airlines Center can listen to McCain and Sacramone give a live in-house radio broadcast during the senior men's and women's competitions. The broadcast is transmitted via nifty little radios called Smart Bugs, which look like closed flip phones with an earplug attached.

Sacramone, one of the leaders of the 2008 Olympic team, and McCain, who competed at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, are clearly enjoying themselves. In addition to commenting on the routines going on around them, they use the time to swap Olympic experiences, discuss comebacks and generally ham it up.

Here are a few choice soundbites from the past two nights:

Alicia on David Sender: "I'm going to ask him to teach me how to vault."

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Alicia on the sisterhood of the U.S. women's Olympic team: "We can fight about some stuff..."

McCain: "Like what?"

Alicia: "Mirror time..."

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Alicia on using tons of gymnastics tape: "Tape should sponsor me."

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Alicia on National Team Coordinator Martha Karolyi: "I think she misses me a little bit."

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McCain on Alicia's comeback plans: "I love your tenacity."

Alicia: "Do you have a man crush on my gymnastics?"

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Alicia on her fears: "Trampolines frighten me. Trampolines and clowns."

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Alicia on her favorite events in men's gymnastics: "Vault. I like watching floor too."

McCain: "You just like to see if someone is more powerful than you on the men's side."

Alicia (laughing): "Maybe."

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McCain on why he took ballet for six months as a 15-year-old: "It helps guys with their arms."

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McCain on changing up the events: "Guys should never do beam."

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McCain on men performing to floor music: "That would be a disaster."

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Sacramone on scoring: "I'd give my left arm for a 14.3 on bars." 

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McCain (watching Nastia Liukin on beam): "My favorite female gymnast of all time."

Sacramone: "I take offense to that."

McCain (amending): "On beam."

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Alicia on Joseph Hagerty: "Joey has the best toepoint for a guy."

McCain reports that Hagerty and Sasha Artemev once had an argument about who has better toepoint.

McCain: "I still think Sasha has the best toepoint."

Alicia: "I still think Joey does."