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E-mail from Athens: American athletes facing hostile crowds
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | August 19, 2004 | Dejan Kovacevic

Posted on 08/19/2004 12:23:40 PM PDT by buzzyboop

Swin Cash sounded pretty miffed when a predominantly Greek crowd jeered the U.S. men in their upset loss Sunday to Puerto Rico. She and her teammates were in the crowd, and they heard more than a few of the invectives aimed at the Americans...

It seems it is acceptable for any nation's fans to chant or sing for their team or individual at any event without being interrupted, save those of the United States. The moment a chant of "U-S-A!" breaks out, as it does in most venues where Americans compete, it is drowned out by whistles. That is the European equivalent of booing.

(Excerpt) Read more at postgazette.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: athens; buttheywant2livehere; crowds; eurotrash; eurotwits; greece; hostile; olympics; usa; usteam
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1 posted on 08/19/2004 12:23:41 PM PDT by buzzyboop
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To: buzzyboop

Ive been watching many of the events on television and it sounds to me like the writer of this article is lying outright.


2 posted on 08/19/2004 12:26:07 PM PDT by cripplecreek (Here, bite down on this.)
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To: buzzyboop

I jeered the men's basketball team when they lost to puerto rico. Americans almost always face hostile crowds in these events.


3 posted on 08/19/2004 12:26:14 PM PDT by Pikamax
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To: buzzyboop

whistling=booing in Europe?

Booing past the graveyard?
Europeans must think our construction workers are gay


4 posted on 08/19/2004 12:27:58 PM PDT by kidd
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To: buzzyboop

The USA will get the last laugh. Look at the stands at the Olympic venues. They are empty. Americans stayed home. Tourist dollars from the USA stayed out of Greece.

Reminds me of an article I read about a big union boss in Germany that is beside himself because Americans soldiers are pulling out of Germany. He is the same union boss that called Americans warmongers and he made a point to show his anti-American bias at every turn. Now it seems he needs us and he can't figure out why we are leaving.


5 posted on 08/19/2004 12:29:06 PM PDT by Republican Red (Is that a classified document in your pants Sandy or are you just glad to see me?)
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To: buzzyboop
a predominantly Greek crowd jeered the U.S. men

Who probably are as big NBA fans as any stateside and weren't happy about the money they spent on tickets given the Nightmare Team's shameful performance.

6 posted on 08/19/2004 12:29:18 PM PDT by Shermy (Kerry smiled and aimed his finger: "Pow.")
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To: buzzyboop

There's no whining at the Olympics.


7 posted on 08/19/2004 12:29:19 PM PDT by OldFriend (WAR IS THE REMEDY OUR ENEMIES HAVE CHOSEN)
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To: cripplecreek

Frankly, there are not enough people in attendance to make much noise either way.


8 posted on 08/19/2004 12:29:22 PM PDT by Arkinsaw
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To: buzzyboop; sf4dubya
Hey sf, can you give an opinion on this.

I have watched tons of these games. NBC was falling over itself hoping to have the US booed at the opening ceremonies. It didn't happen. If the US was being booed (or whistled as they state it here) NBC would be reporting it up one side and down the other.

H*lls Bells! half the venues weren't even filled until this week. The Greeks were on some kind of week long holiday. Either this person is overly sensitive or just hoping the world hates us.
We are in competition after all! Like it or not the USA is leading the medal count. Someone has hurt feelings.
9 posted on 08/19/2004 12:38:12 PM PDT by netmilsmom ("I don't have time in my life to read potato chips" - Netmilsdad)
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To: Pikamax
I jeered the men's basketball team when they lost to puerto rico.

I'm not following the Olympics and don't know squat about basketball, but it's my understanding that the men's basketball team was pulled from the NBA ranks...? What's going on here--just a bunch of millionaires that can't be bothered?

10 posted on 08/19/2004 12:38:14 PM PDT by randog (What the....?!)
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To: buzzyboop

They were probably jeering th b-ball team because they lost a lot of money betting on them.,......


11 posted on 08/19/2004 12:38:49 PM PDT by Red Badger (Hillary has a Coke Bottle figure....3 LITER!)
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To: buzzyboop
Swin Cash sounded pretty miffed when a predominantly Greek crowd jeered the U.S. men in their upset loss Sunday to Puerto Rico.

This sucks! It's like all those jeering fans are trying to turn the Olympics into some kinds of "competition." It's almost like they want one side to "win" and the other side to "lose." Pathetic.....

12 posted on 08/19/2004 12:43:02 PM PDT by Onelifetogive
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To: buzzyboop
From the article:

Polls here have shown that anti-American sentiment is just as strong here as in most corners of the world these days, something I had confirmed on an infinitely smaller score by a lengthy chat on the matter with a Greek college student the other day. No matter which way I tried to angle our discussion, he would retort with: "Why do you want to rule the world?"

The merits of his point aside, I wondered what this had to do with sports.

I discount this entire story based on the last line in the article. Obvious bias.

13 posted on 08/19/2004 12:46:57 PM PDT by Pest (I will choose Free Will!)
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To: OldFriend
Besides, they just 'whistle' like the girlie-men that they are.

"Ooooh, I don't like you! Why, I'm going to juth whithle at you, you.... you big ape!"

14 posted on 08/19/2004 12:48:38 PM PDT by Hatteras
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To: buzzyboop

I'm hoping that this is the beginning of the end for the Olympics. Waste of time and money, it is...


15 posted on 08/19/2004 12:59:38 PM PDT by bondjamesbond (We live in a wonderful country where any child can grow up to be the next Ronald Reagan.)
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To: Republican Red
Yep! I almost fell outta my chair when I heard Bob Costas this morning mention the free tickets! The stadiums are full because they distributed free tickets to fill them in! HA!
16 posted on 08/19/2004 12:59:44 PM PDT by RoseofTexas
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To: Hatteras
I was at the Mets baseball game at Shea Stadium last Sunday. When The Big Unit, Johnson, left the game after blowing away the Mets, I booed him along with most of the other fans in the stadium.

So, he's a future Hall of Famer......so I don't think he went home and cried over us!!!!!

17 posted on 08/19/2004 1:07:05 PM PDT by OldFriend (WAR IS THE REMEDY OUR ENEMIES HAVE CHOSEN)
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To: cripplecreek

USA got the biggest cheers from the crowd during opening ceremonies, Afghan and Iraqi athletes also got a huge response. It sure did pain Katie to admit that on tv.


18 posted on 08/19/2004 1:10:02 PM PDT by WV Mountain Mama (We do not cease to play when we get old, we get old because we cease to play.)
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To: netmilsmom

Is it really any different than the NCAA tournament when a Number One seed is being challenged by some 11th or 12th seed? Everyone roots for the underdog, especially when it is against a perennial power.


19 posted on 08/19/2004 1:14:35 PM PDT by dfwgator (It's sad that the news media treats Michael Jackson better than our military.)
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To: buzzyboop

I heard quite a few whistles from the crowd when the mens swim team won an event the other night. They announcers didn`t say anything about it , but it was obvious to me.


20 posted on 08/19/2004 1:35:50 PM PDT by Peace will be here soon (USA Eagles 31 , Frogs ( France ) 39... An improvement , but not quite there yet.)
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