Posted on 08/19/2004 10:37:51 AM PDT by HawkeyeLonewolf
PATRAS, Greece -- Iraqi midfielder Salih Sadir scored a goal here on Wednesday night, setting off a rousing celebration among the 1,500 Iraqi soccer supporters at Pampeloponnisiako Stadium. Though Iraq -- the surprise team of the Olympics -- would lose to Morocco 2-1, it hardly mattered as the Iraqis won Group D with a 2-1 record and now face Australia in the quarterfinals on Sunday.
Afterward, Sadir had a message for U.S. president George W. Bush, who is using the Iraqi Olympic team in his latest re-election campaign advertisements.
In those spots, the flags of Iraq and Afghanistan appear as a narrator says, "At this Olympics there will be two more free nations -- and two fewer terrorist regimes."
"Iraq as a team does not want Mr. Bush to use us for the presidential campaign," Sadir told SI.com through a translator, speaking calmly and directly. "He can find another way to advertise himself."
(Excerpt) Read more at sportsillustrated.cnn.com ...
Ungrateful SOB......
Frankly, I think creating ads was a dumb thing to do. The images of the Iraqi team winning and the coverage of that was all positive for Bush, and it was free. I can't believe that Karl Rove didn't see the potential for backlash once those images were put into paid promotional ads. I would have expected grumbles from the usual suspects that it was opportunistic, but to have members of the actual Iraqi team complaining puts it in a whole new league of "doh!"
Talk about an ingrate !!!!!
Where's that great pic with the line, "President Bush, saving your a$$ whether you like it or not."?
Another fine example of Arab appreciation! Primatives.
This is weird since the Iraqi team sported red, white, and blue ties at the opening ceremonies. I'm wondering if this guy was the only one who didn't...will have to go searching for those photos.
Bush is a better man than me. Right now, with all the crap Kerry is spewing and the liberal media "fan" is spreading, I'd pull out all the troops and withdraw from the race right now.
GOod thing he's not me.
I don't get it. You don't like Arabs, clearly. So why was it necessary for us to "liberate" them -- if they're worthless "primatives"?
Okay, Salih. How 'bout next time you all lose we just drop you in a shredder for old time sakes? Didn't think so, so why not just thank the president for having the political courage to liberate your country and our servicemen for having the brass ones to be willing to sacrifice all they have for people they don't even know!
if he's not the team's captain he doesn't really speak for
them and should shut his pie-hole.
He hasn't even seen the commercial, he doesn't know what it is or says. This is liberal media spin.
Hmmm? I'm wondering who in the Bush campaign didn't check with the Iraqi team to see if it would be okay. When you don't do your homework, it can come back to bite you.
All it takes is for one team member to be overheard by some newsperson and you have a story .. no matter that he might have been the only person heard complaining .. and no matter if the guy didn't give an interview.
Let's not go off half-cocked about this .. we all know the media is just standing around salivating waiting for any morsel to make us look bad in Iraq.
Back in the day, the team would have been hung upside down and have their bare feet beaten until they were lame or hobbled, thus ending their soccer career. We have also given them like 10 million dollars, some of which is being embezzled by his fellow countrymen. Ungrateful POS.
Nothing pisses me off more that seeing these jerks playing a frigging game on one channels and then seeing reports of our great men dying on another channel. This is really ^%&@#! up!!!
Hey, Iraqi soccer guys - look on the bright side:
Now you can play with an actual BALL - you don't have to use that goat's head anymore...
oh, and YOUR WELCOME.
Wonder how much that cost Soros?
Do we know if he said this in English or through a translator? If through a translator, who hired that person? If nor, are we certain he could speak English well enough not to misspeak....or be misquoted? SI wouldn't do that now, would they? /sarc.
Well, I'm done rooting for these guys. Shoulda known there'd be a Baathist or two on the team pining for Saddam. Hope our real friends the Aussies kick their sorry ass. They're not going to advance anyway - their goalie sucks.
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