Olympics Gripe

[bloocrab]

Gripe first....What is it with these athletes (mostly foreign) that when after winning a "Gold" medal, they make statements like......"I knew I would prove that I was the best in the world!!"....

What happened to representing your country in a humble manner??? I can't say I've witnessed any American Olympians react in this selfish way.....but have seen many others do it. Very upsetting...I enjoy watching the Olympics, but look at it as a Team event, EVEN IN INDIVIDUAL COMPETITIONS....just how I look at it anyway...

Then to add to my feeling this way, I caught the special-footage on our "Dream Team". Actually had goose bumps watching high-lights from many of the games. WHAT A TEAM THAT WAS, THERE WILL NEVER BE A TEAM LIKE THAT AGAIN... Loved to hear how the LOVED representing THEIR COUNTRY.

Also didn't hear Michael Phelps talk about how he is the BEST in the world, or how he has the most medals ever??? Other countries need to continue to LEARN from us, instead of hate us.


Grumpage over for now....

[spence]

I think the US team has been very good about showing they're there to represent the USA.

-spence

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by bloocrab

I can't say I've witnessed any American Olympians react in this selfish way.....but have seen many others do it.

Then you didn't see the US Women's Soccer Team.....

Backlash over Team USA?s Nike gold medal T-shirts | Olympics Blog | an SFGate.com blog

[fishbones]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

Then you didn't see the US Women's Soccer Team.....

Backlash over Team USA?s Nike gold medal T-shirts | Olympics Blog | an SFGate.com blog

That's a Nike shirt, they didn't choose it. Besides, what's so bad about the shirts, anyways? Maybe a little cocky, but I don't see the slogan as being all that disrespectful.
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[justplugit]

All this "I'm #1 " stuff was started by Joe Namath when he ran off the field putting
his pointer finger in the air after defeating the Baltimore Colts.
He did it to rub in his animate prediction they would beat the Colts.
All about "Broadway Joe".

All the young kids picked up on it and it spread from that point.

[spence]

Originally Posted by fishbones

That's a Nike shirt, they didn't choose it. Besides, what's so bad about the shirts, anyways? Maybe a little cocky, but I don't see the slogan as being all that disrespectful.
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Probably against Olympic rules. Nike isn't a sponsor...
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[Mike P]

It's because we only pay attention to the Olympic sports every 4 years, and only to our own athletes.

Most Olympic sports, like track, swimming, cycling, gymnastics and so on draw enormous attention every season overseas. The athletes are celebrities, like our pro stars in the major sports. They compete as individuals in meets all the time, so proving their superiority as individuals is part of their make-up---as it is among most pro athletes in the US. Being recognized as the best QB of this era is as important to Tom Brady as winning games is---don't doubt that for a minute.

[BigFish]

Bolt should now be known as "Dolt"!!

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by BigFish

Bolt should now be known as "Dolt"!!

He's no bigger a jerk than Carl Lewis was. And still is.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by fishbones

That's a Nike shirt, they didn't choose it.

So the excuse is they are grown-ups that can't dress themselves...

Why not just get on the podium and let them play your national anthem for you while you receive your medals....simple enough formula

[fishbones]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

So the excuse is they are grown-ups that can't dress themselves...

Why not just get on the podium and let them play your national anthem for you while you receive your medals....simple enough formula

So when a football team wins a championship, they should refuse to put on the shirts and hats given to them?

Come on, if it hurts the losing teams feelings, maybe they should play better so the US doesn't have the opportunity to celebrate. By the way, is their cockiness any worse or distasteful than Usain Bolts celebrations and proclamations? No one seems to mind him telling everyone how great he is.
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[Saltheart]

The truly great ones let others say they are the best , they never say it themselves. I guess if you are insecure in your momentary flash of fame , you need to shout it loud to be sure you are noticed.

Bolt is a clown.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by fishbones

So when a football team wins a championship, they should refuse to put on the shirts and hats given to them?

Come on, if it hurts the losing teams feelings, maybe they should play better so the US doesn't have the opportunity to celebrate. By the way, is their cockiness any worse or distasteful than Usain Bolts celebrations and proclamations? No one seems to mind him telling everyone how great he is.
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Is that Football Team playing for the United States?

and topic of this thread is all about not liking the self proclaiming "I'm the Greatest".....Don't remember me saying I had no problem with usain doing it either.

[Clammer]

I think the USA baskerbakk team showed alot of class after their victory ,

Yes they jumped around & danced , But they made it a point to state that it was a honor to play for our country .

I was happy to see the way they handeled themselves &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& its sure not about the money for them . If it wasn,t the olympics , most of them wouldn,t be near a baskerbakk until its work time .JUST My Opinion ><><<

[likwid]

Originally Posted by spence

I think the US team has been very good about showing they're there to represent the USA.

-spence

....except some of the gymnasts... including the one from new england

Guess we won't mention that Usain Bolt stopped an interview when the US national anthem came on out of respect.

[Clogston29]

personally don't have any problem with athletes being "me first". they are celebrating something that they accomplished as an individual or team, not that we accomplished as a country. for some it may be an honor to represent country, but most if not all are there for themselves first and foremost (except maybe the chinese who are forced to be there).

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by likwid

Guess we won't mention that Usain Bolt stopped an interview when the US national anthem came on out of respect.

I saw that too and he was very humble and respectful when he did that.

[Clammer]

Sucked , that they stopped the closing event to air some new show & then ya had to pick it up later

I taped it

[striper50trout]

The closing ceremony is my olympics gripe.

I like to watch the all the events and the reason that I enjoy the olympics is for the "Best in the World" competition.

Kinda like the Superbowl halftime nonsense.

[likwid]

Originally Posted by JohnR

I saw that too and he was very humble and respectful when he did that.

I am highly amused that both the 100 and 200 he turned off the afterburners for the finish line. Why bother breaking your own record when you can save that for next time?

He did have to keep it going in the 4x100 due to the American having a very very slight jump on him (and ran his heart out, what a hell of a position to be in, anchor against bolt)

Dude is a beast, I'm sure he's not done, and he's damn hilarious.

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by likwid

I am highly amused that both the 100 and 200 he turned off the afterburners for the finish line. Why bother breaking your own record when you can save that for next time?

He did have to keep it going in the 4x100 due to the American having a very very slight jump on him (and ran his heart out, what a hell of a position to be in, anchor against bolt)

Dude is a beast, I'm sure he's not done, and he's damn hilarious.

He may well break 19 seconds for the 200 meters. His WR currently is 19.19. I mean, the guy runs a 19.3-something and eases up in the last 20 meters.

There's also talk of him moving up to the 400 meters and probably becoming the first man to ever hold the WR in all 3 sprints.

[likwid]

Originally Posted by Mike P

He may well break 19 seconds for the 200 meters. His WR currently is 19.19. I mean, the guy runs a 19.3-something and eases up in the last 20 meters.

There's also talk of him moving up to the 400 meters and probably becoming the first man to ever hold the WR in all 3 sprints.

100/200 to 400 for all intensive purposes is like going from doing 5k's and 10k's to a marathon. He'll have alot of work ahead of him to train into that. Even at his level, but it could happen.

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by likwid

100/200 to 400 for all intensive purposes is like going from doing 5k's and 10k's to a marathon. He'll have alot of work ahead of him to train into that. Even at his level, but it could happen.

I think it's even tougher than that. You're going from about a 4:15-4:20 pace per mile in the 5 and 10K to about a 4:45-4:50 in the marathon. That 30 second/mile slower pace feels like a jog to a world class track distance man. The WR in the 10K is now under 27 minutes. In the 400 you almost have to maintain something like a 10.5 100 meter pace for the race. It is without a doubt the toughest sprint out there. The only guys I know of that doubled in the 200/400 are Tommie Smith and Michael Johnson.

I went to PC when Geoff Smith and John Treacy were there. They both made a very easy transition from 10K to the marathon. So did Alberto Salazar out at Oregon.

Smith won Boston (and had a famous runner-up finish to Rod Dixon at NYC when he collapsed at the finish after leading most of the race) and Treacy won the silver at LA in 1984. He also competed for Ireland in both the 5 and 10K at Moscow in 1980.

[FishermanTim]

I was more surprised to see how many US athletes DIDN'T sing the national anthem along with the music!

I figure that if an athlete, ANY athlete, dedicates 4 years of their life in the pursuit of Olympic gold and they succeed, they are entitled to a little bragging leeway.

Now if we were talking about highly overpaid sports brats, it would be a different story....

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

I was more surprised to see how many US athletes DIDN'T sing the national anthem along with the music!

I figure that if an athlete, ANY athlete, dedicates 4 years of their life in the pursuit of Olympic gold and they succeed, they are entitled to a little bragging leeway.

Now if we were talking about highly overpaid sports brats, it would be a different story....

Maybe most of them can't sing it? I sure as hell can't.

There are like 5 people out of 300 million Americans, who aren't trained singers, who can sing the damn thing and stay on key.

Don't you cringe when you're at Fenway and everyone in the section have their voices crack on "Red Glaaaaaarrrre?

It's an old English drinking song (To Anachrion in Heaven) and some idiot decided about 150 years ago that it fit the words of Key's poem.

We should have replaced it with America the Beautiful (written by our own Katherine Lee Bates) years ago.

[FishermanTim]

I agree that some, if not most, have voices that would shame a banshee, but wouldn't you think that they could have mimed the words?

Two things that I caught over the past two weeks that struck me as unusual (one good, one bad):

**Good**
Quite a few events were won by athletes from small countries that weren't expected to be a factor against the larger countries.

It just re-emphasized the fact that "the best" doesn't always come from the biggest!

**Bad**
Quite a few athletes showing anger that they didn't win the gold in their events. They replaced poor sportsmanship in place to good.
Remember when a person would be proud to win ANY medal?
Remember when it was a competition of the "best of the best" from around the world? Remember when the announcers wouldn't tell you who SHOULD win before the event, based of their past umpteen meetings over the past four years?
Now there are more and more displays of disdain and disgust by athletes because THEY failed to get the gold in an event that they were supposed to win.

I will always root for the underdog, even if it means rooting against the US. I also love closely matched events, so that the win is not a shoo-in.

[likwid]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

I was more surprised to see how many US athletes DIDN'T sing the national anthem along with the music!

I figure that if an athlete, ANY athlete, dedicates 4 years of their life in the pursuit of Olympic gold and they succeed, they are entitled to a little bragging leeway.

Now if we were talking about highly overpaid sports brats, it would be a different story....

Maybe we should demand they in all interviews talk about how great the US is a-la Soviet Bloc?

And more than you know are highly overpaid sports brats.

[spence]

Probably fraid if they fumble some words they'll end up on Drudge.
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[bart]

people are more in an uproar over the Nike shirts because of the term "Gold Digging"...saying it is degrading to women. Pretty predictable response from women activists, can't see how Nike didn't see that coming....