Quote:
Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA
So I guess we also give the ignorant defense to Spain's women's tennis team?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008...olympicstennis
And while Etoo seems to be getting the play in this thread, let's not forget the Theirry Henry incident or the Lewis Hamilton incident (which I believe was mentioned at least once already).
Look, I'm probably one of the least racially sensitive guys around. Leastwise, I don't believe I'm known for being all touchy feely about the subject. But in light of those events, which drew enough attention & criticism that I knew about them even though they occurred in sports I barely follow, I'm having a tough time absorbing how anyone in the basketball or tennis pictures could have not realized this might be an issue. Or more accurately, I have a really tough time believing someone in them didn't say "um, guys, this might not be a great idea". How big a vacuum can we believe athletes live in? |
From that news you posted:
"No offence is believed to have been intended by the photographs and, as yet, Olympic organisers have not issued a complaint in regard to either of them,
but the pictures have caused much adverse comment, particularly in the United States."
I think this agrees with BrianD and me.
Btw, all those related news can be found mainly in UK press... that had a huge fight with the Spanish one whole past year with the Hamilton<>Alonso war inside McLaren, where both countries press competed to be the most aggressive and exaggerated trying to make the other side look bad, so i don't think it's a coincidence that it has been the UK press who is after all this racism related news, that while being true and something deplorable, were just isolated acts by some individuals that do not represent a whole country like the UK press wants to make you believe. I'm sure that with some minutes of googling, I can find more than those 3 samples of racism in sports related to every country in the world.
Anyway i'm started to get tired of hitting my head against the wall, i guess i should follow the known advice that arging in a message board is pretty stupid and you can only lose. I doubt we are going to get antyhing possitive from this discussion so i give up. If any of you want, we can keep discussing it by AIM or MSN as we are deviating a ton from this thread original content and i bet most of fofcer's are tired of 3 or 4 guys (including me) discussing about this.