Olympic Nationalism

[dr_mabeuse]

I just realized reading another thread that I don't automatically root for the Americans to win in the Olympics.

Does that make me a traitor? Or am I just cosmopolitan?

Is that why I'm not generally much a sprts fan anyhow? Because I can't feel these tribal alleigances?

 

[English Lady]

I always feel an alegiance to someone -usually the under dog. Which, handily, means I'm often on the side of England anyway.

 

[oggbashan]

I just realized reading another thread that I don't automatically root for the Americans to win in the Olympics.

Does that make me a traitor? Or am I just cosmopolitan?

Is that why I'm not generally much a sprts fan anyhow? Because I can't feel these tribal alleigances?

I think you have much in common with many people watching the Olympics. It isn't the nationality of the competitors so much as seeing people do impossible things against the odds. A great performance is great, whoever does it. The Chinese pair who continued their pair skating to win a Silver medal after she had been injured received a standing ovation from almost everyone present, including the Russians who were their rivals.

Maybe the British have always felt that way about the Winter Olympics. We are unlikely to be major competitors, only also-rans in most events. Not quite as also-ran as the Jamaican BobSleigh team celebrated in 'Cool Running'.

We try to forget 'Eddie the Eagle' who ski-jumped like an oven-ready turkey. However both increased awareness of the Olympics and sport generally in their own countries. 'Eddie the Eagle' still tours schools lecturing on Winter Sports and is well-received.

Og

 

[xfwas]

hehehe

 

[Guest]

I just realized reading another thread that I don't automatically root for the Americans to win in the Olympics.

Does that make me a traitor?

Don't answer the door Doc. It's likely Ann Coulter to kick your ass.

 

[CharleyH]

I just realized reading another thread that I don't automatically root for the Americans to win in the Olympics.

Does that make me a traitor? Or am I just cosmopolitan?

Is that why I'm not generally much a sprts fan anyhow? Because I can't feel these tribal alleigances?

I hear you. I can't stand watching sports, and I refuse to buy cable, so I have a choice between Olympics, Bollywood or soap operas and Amnesty International on Sundays and during the day as fodder and background. I just sort of had it on yesterday as I worked, and I am proud of those that win in my country, saddened by how many crashes we had yesterday, feel for our women's hockey team who has no possible challenge until they meet the Americans, yet gets hate mail. In the end, I root for the best and the underdog. Talk about an amazing Pairs figure skating yesterday when a Chinese team had a major OUCH fall, then she got back on the horse and finished it to win silver! Admirable spirit, and that is what the Olympics is about in the end, no matter what country.

 

[rgraham666]

Good grief Charley. You were comprehensible!

Are you all right?

 

[Guest]

Good grief Charley. You were comprehensible!

Are you all right?

My first loud laugh of the day! P.

 

[CharleyH]

Good grief Charley. You were comprehensible!

LOL I always am when you geeks listen!

 

[Huckleman2000]

I just realized reading another thread that I don't automatically root for the Americans to win in the Olympics.

Does that make me a traitor? Or am I just cosmopolitan?

Is that why I'm not generally much a sprts fan anyhow? Because I can't feel these tribal alleigances?

I used to work with a British company that would send someone on rotation from HQ (NOT, I learned, the 'home office') to live here in the states and look after us, and then send delegations from time to time to prevent the unfortunate Brit from 'going native'. One such visit occured during the Olympics...

The usual complaints about how abysmal American television is reached the point of shock and outrage. "You'd think the US were the only country participating!" "I don't care to see some simpering piece about the American who has an outside chance of winning a Bronze medal, at the expense of covering the damned event!" "How can you not find this insulting!"

Here in Seattle, quite a few people watch the coverage on the Canadian channel.

 

[Guest]

LOL I always am when you geeks listen!

Did you say something?

 

[shereads]

Our ice dancers can beat up your hockey team.

 

[shereads]

I hear you. I can't stand watching sports, and I refuse to buy cable, so I have a choice between Olympics, Bollywood or soap operas and Amnesty International on Sundays and during the day as fodder and background. I just sort of had it on yesterday as I worked, and I am proud of those that win in my country, saddened by how many crashes we had yesterday, feel for our women's hockey team who has no possible challenge until they meet the Americans, yet gets hate mail. In the end, I root for the best and the underdog. Talk about an amazing Pairs figure skating yesterday when a Chinese team had a major OUCH fall, then she got back on the horse and finished it to win silver! Admirable spirit, and that is what the Olympics is about in the end, no matter what country.

You have Bollywood? We used to get that on a local collage station. God, how I miss it. All of the men looked just like Davy Jones from the Monkees. A guy at work figured out the lyrics to all of the songs from all of the movies. Roughly translated, they go like this:

Man: I want to ask you for a date!

Woman: And I want you to ask me. But I might not accept!

 

[thambok]

There is no real nationalistic sense of competition to rival what was felt during the Cold War.

So now, we watch for the event itself, and pick favorites much the way we would in any other sports broadcast.

 

[Huckleman2000]

...Roughly translated, they go like this:

Man: I want to ask you for a date!

Woman: And I want you to ask me. But I might not accept!

ROFL! ROFLPML!

In Seattle, we have a rather large Indian population, most first or second generation.

Bollywood movies are on PBS, public access, educational channels - I can't quite figure out which and when, but they certainly pop up frequently.

I don't understand a word, but the extravagant dances and exagerated courtship rituals (a mixture of Byron and wet-t-shirt contests) don't require any translation.

 

[shereads]

There is no real nationalistic sense of competition to rival what was felt during the Cold War.

You say that now. But when your country's Luge Dancing team returns home in disgrace, having trained for six years only to discover that the sport was a cruel practical joke, you'll do what any decent person would do: blame the French.

 

[thambok]

I don't need olympic national pride for that. Hell, I blame them for the daily traffic on 95 north every morning.

Edited because I am smert and can't spell.

 

[matriarch]

I used to work with a British company that would send someone on rotation from HQ (NOT, I learned, the 'home office') to live here in the states and look after us, and then send delegations from time to time to prevent the unfortunate Brit from 'going native'. One such visit occured during the Olympics...

The usual complaints about how abysmal American television is reached the point of shock and outrage. "You'd think the US were the only country participating!" "I don't care to see some simpering piece about the American who has an outside chance of winning a Bronze medal, at the expense of covering the damned event!" "How can you not find this insulting!"

Here in Seattle, quite a few people watch the coverage on the Canadian channel.

The gosling is discovering the vast difference between American coverage. When Bode Miller was disq from the combined downhill yesterday, she said they would have immediately rushed to interview him - (probably ignoring the rest of the event - my words) but instead we actually got to see ALL the rest of the competitors right up until the climactic finale, when another American DID win brilliantly. We were treated to the sight of all 3 American competitors hugging, cheering and rolling in the snow like kids. Perfect.

You see here in Britland, we tend to watch the 'whole' event, although I do admit, there's a lot of coverage of the British curling teams at the expense of the other rounds in that event.

When our guy came off his sled in the luge, did we rush to interview him at the end of the track? No, we continued to watch the rest of the event, to the end, until the medals were decided - and then didn't interview him until the next day, in the studio, when he was there to assist in technical commentary on the women's luge. The proper way to do it. No one person is bigger than the whole event, and certainly not bigger than the whole olympics.

 

[amicus]

[QUOTE=dr_mabeuse]I just realized reading another thread that I don't automatically root for the Americans to win in the Olympics.

Does that make me a traitor? Or am I just cosmopolitan?

Is that why I'm not generally much a sprts fan anyhow? Because I can't feel these tribal alleigances?[/QUOTE]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I know I shouldn't but Dr. Mabeuse makes such a transparent case for a left fringe lifestyle that I just can't resist.

First off, Nationalism...in the left verbiage, is a dirty word. Is it really? Why shouldn't the Canucks be proud of their Curling Girls that embarassed the Americans? Why shouldn't the Swedes and Norwegians and the Germans be proud of their golds in winter sports?

The Olympics are two things: a competition between nations and then teams and individuals from that nation against all others.

I fully understand, you lefties really will not acknowledge that both the US and the Soviets got our missile technology from German scientists, (who were mostly Jews) some ethnic groups are smarter than others...oh, my god! sacriledge, I know.

And why the NFL and NBA are over 80 percent Black...? Could it be that Africans have an innate physical superiority to the rest of us...? Or are they just under priviliged and fighting harder? (usual left line)

But even of more import and deeper is the recognition of the fact that sports, true sports, competition, singles out the 'best' among us.

These young people represent thousands for each Olympic competitor, world wide, that in incremental competition, (just like capitalism) reached a pinnacle of excellence through their own effort and the support of those who sponsored them.

There is no enforced 'equality' in the ranks of athletes, or any other competitor in any field, they earned it, the old fashioned way, they worked for it.

The whiney assed liberals who, 'don't like sports', have never had and will never have the 'balls' to put it all on the line and compete.

My hat is off to the thousands and thousands of young atheletes, their families, their communities, their nation that supported and presented them as the 'best' a society and a 'system' has to offer.

I am am so happy to agree with those who pointed out the Chinese female skater who took a terrible fall and fought through the injury to achieve her goal. That brought tears to my old neo con eyes.

It must be embarrassing to be a liberal sometimes, I feel sorry for you.


amicus...

 

[shereads]

[/I]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I know I shouldn't but Dr. Mabeuse makes such a transparent case for a left fringe lifestyle that I just can't resist.

First off, Nationalism...in the left verbiage, is a dirty word. Is it really? Why shouldn't the Canucks be proud of their Curling Girls that embarassed the Americans? Why shouldn't the Swedes and Norwegians and the Germans be proud of their golds in winter sports?

The Olympics are two things: a competition between nations and then teams and individuals from that nation against all others.

I fully understand, you lefties really will not acknowledge that both the US and the Soviets got our missile technology from German scientists, (who were mostly Jews) some ethnic groups are smarter than others...oh, my god! sacriledge, I know.

And why the NFL and NBA are over 80 percent Black...? Could it be that Africans have an innate physical superiority to the rest of us...? Or are they just under priviliged and fighting harder? (usual left line)

But even of more import and deeper is the recognition of the fact that sports, true sports, competition, singles out the 'best' among us.

These young people represent thousands for each Olympic competitor, world wide, that in incremental competition, (just like capitalism) reached a pinnacle of excellence through their own effort and the support of those who sponsored them.

There is no enforced 'equality' in the ranks of athletes, or any other competitor in any field, they earned it, the old fashioned way, they worked for it.

The whiney assed liberals who, 'don't like sports', have never had and will never have the 'balls' to put it all on the line and compete.

My hat is off to the thousands and thousands of young atheletes, their families, their communities, their nation that supported and presented them as the 'best' a society and a 'system' has to offer.

I am am so happy to agree with those who pointed out the Chinese female skater who took a terrible fall and fought through the injury to achieve her goal. That brought tears to my old neo con eyes.

It must be embarrassing to be a liberal sometimes, I feel sorry for you.


amicus...

You need some friends.

 

[amicus]

That's the best you can do, SheReads?

You disappoint me.

Defend your mosquito infested swamp.

amicus...

 

[chris 44]

That's the best you can do, SheReads?

You disappoint me.

Defend your mosquito infested swamp.

amicus...

I'm with she reads.
Either get some friends or take your claptrap someplace else.
I come here to relax, not to be preached at...

 

[amicus]

chris 44]I'm with she reads.
Either get some friends or take your claptrap someplace else.
I come here to relax, not to be preached at...

[/I]

You come to an authors forum to relax?

Writers think and challenge each other on ideas and concepts. The 'preaching' here is done by the left, which occupies 99.9 percent of the forum; I am rather an anomaly, one who advocates reason versus ideology.

You misjudge me.

amicus...

 

[WindWraith]

While it is (in my opinion) reasonably obvious that some ethnic groups, due to genetic differences, will have different innate abilities and skills (look at the ethnicity of the majority of long distance runners, for example), this doesn't really have any bearing on the political spectrum. Either way, the debate doesn't belong in this thread.

Being a Brit myself, I rarely cheer for the Brits in the Winter Olympics, I go with whoever I feel deserves to win (and that could be based on anything I see). Even in the curling I'm not sure if I marginally prefer the Swiss team to the UK. I suppose I'll probably cheer for England at the (soccer) World Cup though.

(no I'm not an author so I tend just to lurk here, but no harm in posting from time to time, right?)

 

[amicus]

WindWraith]While it is (in my opinion) reasonably obvious that some ethnic groups, due to genetic differences, will have different innate abilities and skills (look at the ethnicity of the majority of long distance runners, for example), this doesn't really have any bearing on the political spectrum. Either way, the debate doesn't belong in this thread.

Being a Brit myself, I rarely cheer for the Brits in the Winter Olympics, I go with whoever I feel deserves to win (and that could be based on anything I see). Even in the curling I'm not sure if I marginally prefer the Swiss team to the UK. I suppose I'll probably cheer for England at the (soccer) World Cup though.

(no I'm not an author so I tend just to lurk here, but no harm in posting from time to time, right?)

[/I]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No harm at all WindWraith and welcome to the forum...

Since the Brits were invaded by the Romans a way back when, and then the Vikings, whenever and then 1066, somebody else added to the gene pool, I can understand your confusion.

We Yanks, knowing we are mongrels from all over the world, plus our native american roots, which we love to claim, don't really give a damn about our heritage.

But we are what we are, and when I hear USA! USA! USA! in the chants of the crowds...I do get a little tickle of Patriotism or Nationalism, have it as you will.

Besides, we got more and bigger bombs than you do.


amicus...