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Fear of a hostile reaction has led US officials to warn its participants in the (Olympic) Games ...
The Sunday Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | 05/16/04 | Simon Hart

Posted on 05/15/2004 4:10:40 PM PDT by Pokey78

Fear of a hostile reaction has led US officials to warn its participants in the Games against overtly patriotic displays

American athletes have been warned not to wave the US flag during their medal celebrations at this summer's Olympic Games in Athens for fear of provoking crowd hostility and harming the country's already battered public image.

The spectacle of victorious athletes grabbing a national flag and parading it around the stadium is a familiar part of international sporting competition, but US Olympic officials have ordered their 550-strong team to exercise restraint and avoid any jingoistic behaviour.

The plan is part of a charm offensive aimed at repairing the country's international reputation following the deepening crisis in Iraq and damaging revelations of torture and mistreatment of detainees by US forces at the Abu Ghraib prison.

"American athletes find themselves in extraordinary circumstances in Athens in relation to the world as we know it right now," said Mike Moran, a veteran former spokesman for the US Olympic Committee who has been retained as a consultant to advise athletes about the correct way to behave.

"Regardless of whether there is anti-American sentiment in Athens or not, the world watches Americans a lot now in terms of how they behave and our culture. What I am trying to do with the athletes and coaches is to suggest to them that they consider how the normal things they do at an event, including the Olympics, might be viewed as confrontational or insulting or cause embarrassment."

Four years ago, at the Sydney Olympics, the victorious American 4 x 100m relay team were widely condemned for their arrogant strutting with the US flag following their gold medal presentation, and American officials, mindful of the country's precarious standing in world opinion, are desperate to avoid any repeat.

"Unfortunately, using the flag as a prop or a piece of apparel or indulging in boasting behaviour is becoming part of our society in sport because every night on TV we see our athletes - professional, college or otherwise - taunting their opponents and going face to face with each other," said Mr Moran. "We are trying, for 17 days, to break that culture.

"What I am telling the athletes is, 'Don't run over and grab a flag and take it round the track with you.' It's not business as usual for American athletes. If a Kenyan or a Russian grabs their national flag and runs round the track or holds it high over their heads, it might not be viewed as confrontational. Where we are in the world right now, an American athlete doing that might be viewed in another manner."

Mr Moran added that the behaviour of British athletes could face similar scrutiny in Athens, though the British Olympic Association insists that there are no plans to ban them from celebrating with the Union flag.

A spokesman for the association said: "It's up to every athlete how he or she wishes to celebrate their Olympic success and there are no plans to issue any instructions. We are confident that every athlete will celebrate in a responsible way."

The US Olympic Committee's anxiety at over-exuberant displays of jingoism is a far cry from the scenes at the 2002 Winter Olympics, hosted by Salt Lake City, where the American flag became the defining symbol of the Games.

A different environment awaits the American team in Athens, where officials are anxious to replace apple pie with humble pie.

Americans were booed at the World Athletics Championships in Paris last year - largely as a result of Jon Drummond's histrionic protest at his disqualification from a heat of the 100 metres. And at an Olympic football qualifying match in Mexico earlier this year the American team was subjected to sustained barracking by a section of the crowd, including chants of "Osama, Osama".

Despite the extra burden being placed on American athletes, officials still predict a US medal haul of more than 100, and have made it their target to finish top of the medals table. The irony is that finishing the Games as the most powerful nation is unlikely to endear them to the rest of the world.

"We're not the favourite kid in the world right now," admitted Bill Martin, the US Olympic Committee's acting president.

"We are sensitive not only to the security issue but to jingoism in its raw sense. That is why we are sending people around to educate the athletes as to the appropriate behaviour."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: olympics
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To: Pokey78
The "committee" does NOT say this, just the former spokesman, now a consultant to the athletes...named Mike Moran....here's a little on him...

Moran is a native of Omaha and graduated in 1960 from Omaha's Westside High School and in 1966 from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, then known as Omaha University, with a Bachelor of Sciences Degree in Journalism.

Moran is a member of Westside High's Hall of Fame, inducted in 1994 along with former Nebraska and Washington Redskins football star Pat Fischer and Broadway and Hollywood actor Terry Kiser. At Westside, Moran was a forward on three varsity basketball teams and a 1958-59 teammate of actor Nick Nolte for the Warriors.

UNO has honored Moran with its Distinguished Journalism Alumni Award in 1980 and with its Distinguished Alumni Award in 1988. He was named as one of the University's 40 most notable graduates in the first 100 years of the institution in 1998 in a university publication entitled "Profiles."

Before joining the USOC in 1979, Moran served as the Sports Information Director at the University of Colorado from 1968-78 and in the same capacity at his collegiate alma mater from 1966 to 1968. He was named to the CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) Hall of Fame on May 23, 2002.

Between 1963 and 1966, Moran was a sports reporter and photographer at KMTV, Omaha's NBC affiliate, where he worked with veteran NBC Nightly News icon Tom Brokaw.

21 posted on 05/15/2004 4:57:11 PM PDT by goodnesswins (Countries around the world are ALIENATING ME...an American!)
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To: prairiebreeze
There will be some military athletes in these Olympics. I expect them to honor their flag with style. Anyone else who does not follow along deserves our scorn.
22 posted on 05/15/2004 5:01:40 PM PDT by Pukin Dog (Sans Reproache)
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To: Pokey78
"Four years ago, at the Sydney Olympics, the victorious American 4 x 100m relay team were widely condemned for their arrogant strutting with the US flag..."

Our dear allies in Sydney?

23 posted on 05/15/2004 5:05:57 PM PDT by CWOJackson
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To: goodnesswins

As soon as I saw journalist, and journalism, I figured that pretty much explained it. Nothing excuses this attitude though.

Prairie


24 posted on 05/15/2004 5:15:09 PM PDT by prairiebreeze (So Hillary, how DID you know about the descriptions of the abuse before Rumsfeld did? Hmmmmmmmmm??)
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To: Pukin Dog; Peach

The Old Media will make something out of this I'll bet. Play up the athletes being warned, how bad our reputation is amoung the rest of the world (no matter how disreputable they are).

I hope that most of the athletes decide to tell the rest of the world to go suck eggs and proudly show our flag. The country will remember those that do for a long time. Those that don't won't be remembered past the next week.

Prairie


25 posted on 05/15/2004 5:17:58 PM PDT by prairiebreeze (So Hillary, how DID you know about the descriptions of the abuse before Rumsfeld did? Hmmmmmmmmm??)
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To: prairiebreeze
I trust you wont be watching the old media anyway.

I would not watch the Olympics, even if you positioned nude women holding beers in their hands and balancing a third one on their heads in front of my plasma screen. No way.

26 posted on 05/15/2004 5:20:00 PM PDT by Pukin Dog (Sans Reproache)
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To: Pokey78

I think the American athletes should not participate in the opening ceremony and the closing ceremony. Just kick a$$ and bring home a load of gold medals....we can have a huge celebration here when our athletes return. Flags and all!!


27 posted on 05/15/2004 5:23:44 PM PDT by Arpege92 (Socialism is the equal distribution of poverty!)
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To: spetznaz

"....since I am Kenyan-born and American..."

Just that short sentence gave me an idea....wouldn't it be wonderful if the athletes from Iraq held up American flags whenever we win a gold medal. Perhaps it could be there way of showing the world that they are grateful to us for getting rid of Saddam.....I won't hold my breath....but wouldn't it be nice.


28 posted on 05/15/2004 5:27:58 PM PDT by Arpege92 (Socialism is the equal distribution of poverty!)
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To: Pokey78
This is gonna be an ugly Games. I expect all of our athletes to be booed. Add to that the tension of waiting for a terrorist attack to happen any minute, and I don't think this is a Games I'm gonna enjoy sitting in front of with a bowl of popcorn.

But...

Despite the extra burden being placed on American athletes, officials still predict a US medal haul of more than 100, and have made it their target to finish top of the medals table. The irony is that finishing the Games as the most powerful nation is unlikely to endear them to the rest of the world.

I hope our athletes show the rest of the world what they're made of and take the US to the top of the medals table. The best revenge is to win. Who the h*** cares if it "endears" us to the rest of the world?

29 posted on 05/15/2004 5:29:13 PM PDT by saquin
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To: Arpege92

That would be a great idea ......especially in the opening ceremony when the athletes walk around the stadium. Good one. Who knows, one can always pray.


30 posted on 05/15/2004 5:33:24 PM PDT by spetznaz (Nuclear missiles: The ultimate Phallic symbol.)
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To: Pukin Dog

"...even if you positioned nude women holding beers in their hands and balancing a third one on their heads in front of my plasma screen."

My husband would and I would if Mike Piazza stood in front of my television trying to teach me how to get to third base....nope wait....I'd rather learn how to make a home run!

Hey....if men can go "ga ga" over naked women....women can go "ga ga" over really cute guys! ;-}


31 posted on 05/15/2004 5:35:06 PM PDT by Arpege92 (Socialism is the equal distribution of poverty!)
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To: Pukin Dog

LOL! I never got into Olympics much until one year I was recuperating from surgery and got into watching the Winters. I became interested in some of those sports like biathlon and curling because I wasn't familiar with them.

The Games are always political, this year sounds to be particularly bad.

Prairie


32 posted on 05/15/2004 5:37:05 PM PDT by prairiebreeze (So Hillary, how DID you know about the descriptions of the abuse before Rumsfeld did? Hmmmmmmmmm??)
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To: Pokey78

Better yet: We don't show up, frustrating their chances to either boo us or blow us up.

Let's wait for Beijing.

We can pass up Athens and Greece: An insecure, leftist hellhole whose people hate us to no end, and will allow Muslim extremists to attack us.

No, thanks.


33 posted on 05/15/2004 5:39:08 PM PDT by El Conservador ("No blood for oil!"... Then don't drive, you moron!!!)
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To: El Conservador

"Better yet: We don't show up,..."

Then they would think that they got the best of us....I wouldn't give them that kind of satisfaction! The best revenge is kick some serious butt.


34 posted on 05/15/2004 5:44:53 PM PDT by Arpege92 (Socialism is the equal distribution of poverty!)
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To: Pokey78

Show the crowd they are #1. LOL


35 posted on 05/15/2004 6:02:41 PM PDT by VRWC For Truth (Marginalizing the Fascist Left is the only option)
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To: Arpege92

And I'm being realistic:

1) Greece is a leftist hellhole: Over there, if you're not a Socialist, you're a Communist, and that country is still capitalist in spite of herself. 90% of Greeks hate us, and they're set on making the lives of our athletes a living hell: Booed, heckled, jeered, being yelled at on the street, and being general assholes towards the US athletes. Conversely, many of the Games spectators will come from the assorted European Socialist reichs, so it will compound to the general misery our athletes would have to endure.

2) Greece hasn't got its act together in regards of security. All the construction workers are ratting on security flaws in the athletic and residential facilites. Thus, the Athens games would become a prime target for terrorist attacks or kidnapping episodes like Black September. And we all know American and British targets will be very coveted by every terrorist group and their mother.

3) When it comes to politics, count on several countries boycotting these games due to our participation. Although I wouldn't care less if these countries stay home, their absence will be ultimately blamed on us, just like every evil in the world.

4) I'd rather have the US kick ass in a real adversary's turf, like Beijing, than a piss-ant country like Greece, which if it wasn't for tourism, they'd be quite a third-world $#!+hole. Besides, the Chinese would provide better security for the athletes.

We can live without going to Athens. It ain't a life-or-death situation.


36 posted on 05/15/2004 6:42:31 PM PDT by El Conservador ("No blood for oil!"... Then don't drive, you moron!!!)
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To: prairiebreeze

Now that's a great thought - maybe our athletes will have more nerve and patriotism than the weenies who recommended they NOT wave the flag.


37 posted on 05/15/2004 6:50:46 PM PDT by Peach
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To: El Conservador

"It ain't a life-and-death situation."

The hell it isn't....if we tell the world that we are afraid to participate in the Olympics, we will be seen as weak in mind and spirit and embolden those who wish us death and destruction.

Of course this is easy for me to say because I am not participating in the Olympics as an athlete or a fan who will have to endure taunts, threats and possible attacks. I do believe that the decision to participate in these games should be left up to the athletes.


38 posted on 05/15/2004 6:55:39 PM PDT by Arpege92 (Socialism is the equal distribution of poverty!)
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To: Pokey78

F#$K the world.......AMERICA!


39 posted on 05/15/2004 6:56:49 PM PDT by RIGHT IN LAS VEGAS
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To: TomGuy
In other news... American athletes are instructed to hold back any athletic ability. They should let the other countries win so Americans don't seem so arrogant.
A distant cousin from Australia once told me we can't keep the arrogant title to ourselves. Sure Americans are arrogant. But so are the Aussies, the Germans, the French...
40 posted on 05/15/2004 7:02:17 PM PDT by HungarianGypsy (Are we really arrogant, or are they just jealous of us?)
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