Just damn.
If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...
Posted on 05/16/2004 4:14:05 AM PDT by tjwmason
Fear of a hostile reaction has led US officials to warn its participants in the Games against overtly patriotic displays
By Simon Hart in New York
(Filed: 16/05/2004)
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."
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
You are quite good at rants it appears. You also came onto this thread with what struck me as a lot of negativity, criticism and very similar to is offered by countless trolls, plants and fulltime naysayers who roam the halls here. And on a thread topic that frankly, seemed inappropriate for that level. After looking at your sign up date it struck me odd that you claimed to be at the FR Ball. So I asked.
To be quite honest I didn't read all of your 2nd response post. Your reaction in itself is.....duly noted.
Stay, go, it matters not to me. But I do take note. Whats more is that I am able to post a response without profanity or personal attacks. Unlike what I have observed from you at this point. So perhaps a bit of cooling off is warranted in your direction.
Prairie
First of all - I prefer diatribes to rants.
Second - what I posted and the thread I posted it on was entirely 'appropriate'.
Third - would you criticize the founding fathers about their 'negativism' when they were challenging the existing state - King George and the British crown.
Fourth - you didn't 'ask' about my sign up date - you arrogantly inferred that my joining was suspect.
Fifth - profanity is one thing - I'm not the only one who uses common street language on this site.
And lastly - I'm as cool as a cucumber, baby.
Just damn.
If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...
Well good for you. Luckily I can be on the alert to avoid reading future over-done, Bush-bashing "diatribes" that go against the rules of the website.
You come off as awfully defensive for somebody who is legitimate on FR. Toots.
Prairie
bttt This is getting publicity. Paige on Fox News carried the story this afterneeon. I'd like to think I played a small role:-) I emailed Hannity, Brit, O'Reilly, John Gibson and Weekday Fox and Friends.
Meekie!
Can you beleive thios?
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.
Maybe America should sit this one out. It wouldn't be the first time.
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.
Anyone care to tell me what the media is doing to repair ITS reputation after globally transmitting FAKE images of abuse at Abu Ghraib prison? I am specifically referring to the photo of British troops urinating on prisoners (as published by the Daily Mirror among others) as well as porn site images of "rape" as published by the arab press, the Boston Globe, and others.
The left sucks. Big time.
For what it's worth, I agree with your first rant about 80%. I think he has been a disappointment on many grounds. But he's the one we need for the most important issue of our day, I just hope he doesn't fold like a house of cards like he has the past few weeks.
Who are the warning officials if not the olympic committee?
This stinks. We need to cut off aid to these people. They hate us but they don't hate our money--especially Mexico. I for one, am through visiting Mexico, France, Germany, Canada, and some other places.
These officials, whoever they are, are essentially telling our athetes to be ashamed of being American.
vaudine
WHAT?!
How weird is this?
We have on PBS of all things, showing an Ed Sullivan show and just as I made my last post, Ed went to show clips of the '64 Olympics!
Weird confluence of post and tv
That thought crossed my mind reading this tripe.
I will not watch an Olympics where our athletes are not allowed to carry our flag.
Too bad, I was set to thrill to the sight of a free Iraq team proudly entering the stadium.
Keep 'em home. The Greeks won't be able to protect them anyway.
Some people, me for example, post using slang or accents.
Further, y'all ain't spell check and ya damn sure ain't the sheriff.
Perhaps you could try attacking his argument instead of him personally. Maybe you haven't been here long enough to know the rules. Personal attacks are frowned on by the management.
This is the biggest crock of BS I have ever seen. Well, maybe not, but it's darn close.
BP's gonna go up again PING!
Translation:
"If you do, it won't be our fault that you are a deservedly easy moving target for the millions of those who hate Americans."
Hi Star....
Saw that and it about made me ill.
Thanks for the PING!
So now US citizens are second class citizens, inflicted on us by our own officials? I would hope our athletes would boycott, or ignore it and do as they damn well please.
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