Most Japanese couldn't recognize Lars Nootbaar a few weeks ago ... The impromptu song lyrics have anointed Nootbaar as a Samurai and refer to him by his middle name--Tatsuji--which is his grandfat ...

Hideki Kuriyama, the Samurai Japan skipper, is a fan of Nootbaar’s speed ... He learned some Japanese words, too. “They loved Lars like he was a mascot for the Japanese national team ...

It immediately put me at ease. Lars Nootbaar was born to an American father of Dutch descent, while his mother is Japanese. Therefore he was eligible to represent Team Japan and accepted the call ...