ESPN Article On Hatred Of USA Olympic Basketball Team....

[The Great Escape]

By Jason Whitlock
Special to Page 2

I must've missed the memo -- the memo that went out to the red-blooded American sports public and explains exactly when it became OK to throw patriotism out the window and openly root against a U.S. Olympic team.


Yeah, I didn't get that memo. I'm wondering what was in it. Did it mention Allen Iverson by name? Did it have stipulations about the number of tattoos acceptable on an Olympian? Was there a cornrows clause? Or was the memo just straight and to the point?



http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=whitlock/040826

[nyhuskyfan]

1. Playing the race card, eh Jason...

The United States hockey team was rightfully ripped to shreds for its embarrassing behavior in Nagano (trashing hotel rooms, etc.). There wasn't a single minority on that team, and most sports fans disowned that team.

[vi5]

4. Yeah, but has this team done anything similar?

Honestly I dont' care about the olympics or basketball, but it does seem that people are giving these guys a hard time about not winning and are actively rooting against them. That does seem odd to me in any context. Even that hockey thing, there was a difference between condeming their behavior and wishing defeat on them.

[nyhuskyfan]

11. Good point

This team has actually been reasonbly well behaved, sportsmanlike and uncontroversial, all things considered. It just hasn't been as successful as teams past.

There were U.S. people rooting against the original Dream Team in Barcelona, too. Mostly because the college kids were easier to root for and they wanted to go back to that system.

[chiburb]

2. Maybe because it is VERY American to pull for the underdog...

Regardless of flags or jingoistic columnists from ESPN.

The whole idea of medal counts by country should be thrown out, and the individual athletic excellence highlighted...

My 2 cents.

[jcgadfly]

3. My memo was simple

Root for the sport of basketball and root against anyone who puts on a poor display of same. Especially when they're guilty of believing their own hype.

I'm not going to root for a group that can't shoot or defend just because they're wearing red, white and blue. The Olympics is for highly trained athletes to showcase their mastery of their sport. The US Men's basketball team (for whatever reason) has failed to deliver.

[Cheswick2.0]

17. I think they played well today

They are not like some of the other teams. They only play together for a short time and them the games begin.
They were under pressure because they best players declined.

[Bog Frog]

5. Patriotism means I must cheer for Team USA? Nope.

I don't hate the individuals. I hate the arrogance and entitlement that accompanies everything the NBA touches. They even helped the ABL (my opinion--that's how it seemed to me) because they wanted their women's mascot teams to be the only "official" pro women's basketball.

I'm not even cheering for USA women's soccer today (haven't heard the score, if it's out -- please, no spoilers) -- not because I'm not a patriot by this guy's standards (obviously I'm not), not because I dislike our team (I don't) but because the Brazilian men washed out in the qualifying round and I want the Brazilian women to be able to say "IN YOUR FACE, BOYS!"

[redqueen]

6. Oh he can blow it out his....

He seems to have a knack for ignoring a point.

[chiburb]

8. Or maybe he had a good one but forgot it?

I hear that happens...

:-)

[chiffon]

7. great article

racism is one of our dirly little secrets that is not so secretive.

[SoFlaJet]

9. I don't think it's about race at all

I think it's about underachieving-here are the best players in the world playing an American sport.From my Jets site the general consensus is we should go back to having college kids play the game instead of fat cats with a zillion dollars who really don't seem to care.It's not about skin color it's not about tats it's about loving it.You gotta love it and when you see the game played overseas WOW the fans care and the players care about the fans-big difference here with the NBA players of 2004

[arwalden]

10. Jason Whitlock Is Chasing Imaginary Demons

He comes off sounding a bit whiny and paranoid. Mr. Whitlock is in dire need of a reality check.

I'm just not buying it. He's jumped to a conclusion that's not supported by the evidence. He's failed to consider other possibilities.

-- Allen

P.S. Is it just me, or does our basketball team SUCK?

[DinahMoeHum]

13. The jury's still out on the men's team. The US women, though, ROCK !!

The US women take the game far more seriously and play as a TEAM. More than half of the players have previous Olympic experience and are grooming their younger teammates for leadership roles.

The US men, OTOH, have NO Olympic experience and have only come together for a few weeks. Too many undergraduate types - and their emphasis is on dunking and defense, not shooting the ball from the perimeter. In other words, marketing themselves instead of marketing the product.

But hey, the writing was on the wall for them starting in
Sydney, Australia in 2000. It was just a matter of time until other national teams caught up.


:evilfrown:

[HughBeaumont]

12. I STILL contend

That the rest of the world has not "caught up to us", much less "surpassed" us in the game of basketball. Take an average American team made up of professional and/or college players; mind you, a correctly assembled team filled with the best players/shooters/defenders/reserves at each respective role, and I guarantee that not a single international team would even come close to beating us.

This team they sent over is chemistry-less and hardly a representation of how American basketball is played. We assembled a team of mostly forwards and two ball-hoggin' guards in less than two months. How exactly is this the be-all, end all statement that American basketball is in the shitter? That's like judging all Fords solely based on Escorts and Pintos.

[qazplm]

14. well sure

i dont know what people blame the players on this team, its not like they chose themselves, they AGREED to play when INVITED to.

Its not their fault that most of them are slashing players or inside players and not shooters.

I am sure Reggie Miller or any of a dozen shooters would have gladly said yes as well if the NBA had set this up properly.

I think he is right, these players play roles on their respective teams that dont include outside shooting, the NBA knows this, so why bring them into an arena where outside shooting is at a premium.

dont hate the players, hate the NBA.

I think having said all of that, the NBA guys are dealing with a lot of pressure and they are in the semifinals after all.

So they will likely medal and may very well win.

and yes, if you took the best Center, PF, SF, SG and PG in the NBA or heck take just about any NBA TEAM (even the worst one) and they would likely win pretty easily.

Heck I suspect that the NCAA Champion team each Olympic year could probably win more golds than lose.

[SmileyBoy]

20. My college's mid-major NCAA DI basketball team could medal everytime.

And we're only in our first year of DI.

[dumpster_baby]

15. Patriotism is just a crock, a tool for the investors & corporations to use

....patriotism has always been used to manipulate citizens.

[gratuitous]

16. Hanh?

If you don't root for the United States Olympic basketball team you're unpatriotic? Is that the thesis I'm being asked to sign onto?

Let's see, "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"; "in order to establish a more perfect union"; "with charity towards all and malice towards none"; "you shall not crucify mankind on a cross of gold"; "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself"; "ask what you can do for your country"; "I have a dream".

Nope, I missed it. Not a thing about overpriced athletic beef running around on a basketball court.

I call a flagrant foul on Witless Whitlock.

[EEgrad2003]

21. I don't think he meant that

He's not saying if you don't root for USA, you're a terrorist. He's taking shots at those same people that root for Michael Phelps and Paul Hamm because they're the embodiment of the American way and think that the USA Basketball team isn't. Granted, I'm not a Allen Iverson fan, and I don't like Stephon Marbury, but is it right for me to take shots at them, hoping that they lose? I mean, it's tough enough with a horrible president, and an arrogant administration, and the whole world against you for that. I don't have to root for them, but hoping that they lose because they don't fit my ideal of America is downright childish.

[EEgrad2003]

18. I think he has a point

I mean, this team was picked this way. Many of the original players decided to bow out, but these guys wanted to play and represent the USA. We slight them for being money grubbing, selfish, and arrogant, but they CHOSE to represent the United States. They DIDN'T have to play. I mean, as many concerns some players that bowed out had about going over there, their safety, the injuries that could affect their game play during the season, and these guys wanted to go. And what do we do, we root against them. Why? Because they're spoiled, they can't play defense, or they're not the original DREAM team. Big DEAL. They didn't choose the team. They don't have the ideal chemistry but that's what happens when you throw together individuals who are not use to working together. But, for people to refer to them as "not being THEIR ideal American team" or root against them because "not the underdogs", there is a problem. They didn't have to go over there, and for us to root against them shows how divided we are as a nation.

[ProfessorGAC]

19. When The Team Acts Like A Bunch Of Punkish Millionaires. . .

. . .they shouldn't expect adoring throngs. Of course, there are exceptions. (Tim Duncan being the most notable. He's a pro. Goes out, plays hard, acts like he's scored a basket or blocked a shot before.) A few others can act like gentlemen and gracious winners and good sports. But, the general demeanor of the team is one of "me".

The NBA has gotten bad enough in that regard, and that's one of the reasons for the decline in the quality of play over the last 5 years or so. But, to put together a mismatched team in the name of marketing, so poor sportsmanship and incomplete basketball can be displayed is not worthy of my interest, let alone my support.

Jason Whitlock needs to pay more attention to what's actually going on with that team and quit doing their whining for them.
The Professor