Make joke about Africans get booted from Olympics,

[Abe Froman]

She wasn't selected to represent her nation, she competed and placed high enough to have earned a spot on the team by her athletic ability. She wasn't placed on the team based on her joke telling abilities nor her mastery of PC Twittering. She was on the team because she placed within the top X competitors competing for a spot in the triple jump track event.

There's a reason Ron Artest has never been on the American basketball team to compete in the Olympics. It isn't because of his talent. He is one of the most talented idiots in the NBA and will never be selected.

While Papachristou did compete, there are other standards to which athletes competing in the games are held. If there weren't, this thread wouldn't exist.

 

[Linflas]

There's a reason Ron Artest has never been on the American basketball team to compete in the Olympics. It isn't because of his talent. He is one of the most talented idiots in the NBA and will never be selected.

While Papachristou did compete, there are other standards to which athletes competing in the games are held. If there weren't, this thread wouldn't exist.

Any of the Olympic mirrors of sports like basketball or hockey are not really comparable to the core Olympic sports like track and field, swimming etc. since they now allow the inclusion of professional athletes. In the core sports the teams are comprised of the best athletes as determined by winning competitions, not selected from a pool of professional athletes where someone like Ron Artest's reputation may override his skills as a factor in selecting him for the basketball team. Obviously the Greeks ultimately have the right and ability to kick someone off the team for whatever reason they want but to imply that in this case this woman was selected to represent the Greek nation is just not true, she earned the right on the basis of her ability as measured in competition against her fellow Greek women in her event.

 

[Abe Froman]

Any of the Olympic mirrors of sports like basketball or hockey are not really comparable to the core Olympic sports like track and field, swimming etc. since they now allow the inclusion of professional athletes. In the core sports the teams are comprised of the best athletes as determined by winning competitions, not selected from a pool of professional athletes where someone like Ron Artest's reputation may override his skills as a factor in selecting him for the basketball team. Obviously the Greeks ultimately have the right and ability to kick someone off the team for whatever reason they want but to imply that in this case this woman was selected to represent the Greek nation is just not true, she earned the right on the basis of her ability as measured in competition against her fellow Greek women in her event.

I'm not debating the fact that she earned the right, but once you qualify to compete as an Olympian, the highest level of respect that one may achieve as a professional athlete, one must abide by the Fundamental Principles of Olympism. The first being:

1. Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.

If the Olympics were purely athletics-based, then Mike Tyson would have gold medals, instead of just wins over boxers who have gold medals. There is a professional standard to which Olympians are held...

 

[zinfamous]

If you think that Olympic athletes aren't understood by everyone to be representatives of their own country during the event--by their country, by themselves, by the IOC, by the media, by those who watch the games....then I don't know what to say.

 

[Abe Froman]

If you think that Olympic athletes aren't understood by everyone to be representatives of their own country during the event--by their country, by themselves, by the IOC, by the media, by those who watch the games....then I don't know what to say.

Quoted for posterity.

 

[zinfamous]

And you didn't call?


As bad as Zin. I got no friends.

Fix your people's BBQ, then I'll show up more often.

 

[waggy]

If you think that Olympic athletes aren't understood by everyone to be representatives of their own country during the event--by their country, by themselves, by the IOC, by the media, by those who watch the games....then I don't know what to say.

yes i agree.

i do think the joke should have got her a tongue lashing (i volunteer!) but not kicked off the team.

Though yes if you are on such a elite team you need to use common sense. You represent much more then just yourself.

 

[highland145]

Fix your people's BBQ, then I'll show up more often.

"Your people" You know there was a war, right?




There is only one anyway.
https://plus.google.com/113576508835915190570/about?gl=us&hl=en

 

[zinfamous]

"Your people" You know there was a war, right?




There is only one anyway.
https://plus.google.com/113576508835915190570/about?gl=us&hl=en

your link has fallen into the matrix or something....


Hey! My people and your people were on the same side of that war! (are we talking about the same war?) but some time after that, you guys did something vile and evil to the BBQ--adding that sugary mustard stuff. D:

 

[highland145]

your link has fallen into the matrix or something....


Hey! My people and your people were on the same side of that war! (are we talking about the same war?) but some time after that, you guys did something vile and evil to the BBQ--adding that sugary mustard stuff. D:

Link works for me.:\ Must be a local secret. Carolina Bar-B-Que, New Ellenton, SC.

Hands down the best BBQ I have ever had. The medium sauce is my favorite. The sides are almost as amazing as the pork and hash, great slaw, great potato salad, great hush puppies, great iced tea. I don't live near New Ellington but if I am ever close, I will go out of my way to get there. My only complaint is they aren't open every day.

So when you come this way again.......I'll treat.

Maybe the place you ate at thought you were a yankee and gave you the crap stuff. Not unheard of.

Yeah, that war of northern aggression.

 

[unokitty]

Clearly Greece is having some severe economic problems now.

Yet, throwing this lady off of their Olympic Team doesn't seem to be a fix for any of those problems...

Interesting quote from the Washington Post:

"The fact of someone’s being a racist does not make her a bad triple-jumper. It might make her a bad Olympian — there are other considerations for these storied athletes than simply their ability to run or jump or swim. They are role models!

But only up to a point. You don't want to be the world’s fastest man who believes in global warming and has never said anything offensive about the Scots. That’s meaningless.

But Greece has banned her, even though she is currently its triple-jump champion, despite her numerous groveling apologies on Facebook and Twitter..."

Reading her tweet, I'm having a hard time seeing the racism. Looks to me more like another example of political correctness run amuck.

I'd accept that her tweet lacks discretion. But if we start eliminating athletes for lacking discretion, I suspect we won't have enough people left for some of the team sports.

Anyway, if I was still young enough to compete, that lady could be on my team. Anytime.

Uno

 

[Nemesis 1]

Good. racism shouldn't be tolerated on any level.

How was a joke about mosqs. having home grown blood a racist remark/????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????. Only a racist would see racism in that not funny joke.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

How was a joke about mosqs. having home grown blood a racist remark/????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????. Only a racist would see racism in that not funny joke.

Now that I understand it supposedly the country is overrun by illegal African immigrants and there is a lot of tension there.
I guess it'd be like some famous American athlete making an offhand remark about the Mexican illegals here.

 

[Nemesis 1]

Now that I understand it supposedly the country is overrun by illegal African immigrants and there is a lot of tension there.
I guess it'd be like some famous American athlete making an offhand remark about the Mexican illegals here.

We had a problem were I lived with legal and illegal mexicans using our park which has no government founded equipment in it . The land was donated by a private sector person . The village only mows If they didn't mow we would . 1 man got rid of the pest tho . I didn't like his method but it worked and it worked well. No longer a problem

 

[Fritzo]

I swear we're hiring people to look for things to be offended by these days.

 

[pontifex]

She didn't get banned for a racist comment, she got banned for telling a LAME ass joke that was offensive towards a continent (not a race of people) I wish this was the normal because everyone wants to be a god damn comedian but 99.999% are completely fucking unfunny. Hopefully people will understand it wasn't a race thing here and leave the humor up to people who are actually funny.

still don't see how its offensive....

 

[zinfamous]

Yeah, that war of northern aggression.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031971/

 

[zinfamous]

still don't see how its offensive....

she made a joke about an entire continent of people. a comment, a joke, whatever.


Not good Olympic mojo.

and again, for the 3rd or 4th time--Europe is campaigning aggressively against racism in general these days. Racist or not, this was a monumentally stupid comment from her.

 

[ch33zw1z]

The truth hurts.