Just damn.
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Posted on 08/30/2004 8:01:02 PM PDT by wagglebee
EURO chief Romano Prodi last night hailed Britain’s haul of Olympic gold as a triumph — for the European Union.
And he warned our athletes will have to fly the EU flag as well as the Union Jack at Beijing in 2008.
That would mean 800m and 1500m champion Kelly Holmes and boxing sensation Amir Khan would be battling for Brussels as much as Britain. Mr Prodi turned the Athens games into a political football, boasting that our bag of 30 medals helped the EU trounce America and China.
He said: “The Games were a huge success thanks to their unique spirit and smooth organisation but also because EU athletes did so well.
“In 2008 I hope to see the teams in Beijing carry the flag of the European Union alongside their own national flag as a symbol of our unity.
“The European Union’s sportsmen and women performed outstandingly at Athens, winning 82 gold medals and more than 280 medals in total.”
Mr Prodi a failed Italian politician, is about to step down after a dismal term as EU president.
He has infuriated critics by spelling out his vision for an EU superstate, dubbed the “Holy Romano Empire”.
Mr Prodi’s grandiose plan for a Euro Olympic squad was backed by other Eurocrats.
Commission spokesman Reijo Kemppinen claimed: “The EU swept the floor at the Olympic Games.”
German Ingo Friedrich, vice-president of the Euro Parliament, insisted medals must be listed under the EU to “foster a European identity”.
But ex-sports minister Kate Hoey blasted the Prodi plan.
“Athletes feel very strong emotions when they represent their own country at the Olympics.
“We saw Amir Khan and other medal-winners kissing or crying into the Union Jack and Kelly Holmes was proud to be picked to parade the flag in the closing ceremony.
“Can anyone imagine them feeling that way about the EU banner?”
Just damn.
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If they insist on an "EU" team, then they would have to stop having seperate teams but have one united team.
For them to have greater shot at making events because of the share number of countries in the EU and then brag about it is dumb.
Plus if the EU=the US in terms of nationhood and status then every state in the Union ought to be allowed to field an Olympic team.
I was thrilled us Nothern Hemispherians once again kicked the crap out of those Southern Hemispherians.
Fine, in the next Olympics, The United States should send a team from each state and territories.
Hopefully, they finished the job, and took out the garbage, also.
for the sake of the universe, i demand a recount.
Who cares. The Olympics are all about money and politics. The athletes are used - and abused. The judges are corrupt. Their time has come and gone.
If we could send a team from each of our 50 states, the US would win at least 80% of all medals. The EU pretends to be united, but then they get to send athletes from each individual state. The EU will never be united. If it wasn't for their universal hatred of all things American they would be in a constant state of war with each other.
Does that mean that the U.S. gets to field 50 teams in every sport?
I'll bump that, thank you very much.
Pathetic.
There is no team award so who cares?
Exactly.
It is time then that the EU have only one vote at the UN as well.
The G8 will lose a few members too. The UK, France, Germany and Italy will have to settle for one G8 EU seat.
Let them start living by their own claims. -ha!-
This will be interesting to see what the other EU countries think of this also - how many of the athletes will wrap themselves in the EU flag rather then their own country...
If they're flying the EU flag then they should only count as one team i.e. one soccer team, one basketball team etc.
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