themuffinman

NEW YORK — American athletes have been warned not to wave the U.S. flag during their medal celebrations at this summer's Olympic Games in Athens, for fear of provoking crowd hostility and harming the country's already-battered public image.
The spectacle of victorious athletes grabbing a national flag and parading it around the stadium is a familiar part of international sporting competition, but U.S. Olympic officials have ordered their 550-strong team to exercise restraint and avoid any jingoistic behavior.


http://www.washingtontimes.com/natio...1028-9603r.htm

I did hear that American athletes and spectators were cautioned to wear
clothing that does not identify too strongly with the US (flag patches or clothing
incorporating stars-and-stripes motifs). Also that athletes were warned against
appearing too vainglorious (no "victory laps" carrying the flag, no "end-zone" dances, etc.)

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Semper Fi

Ironduke

Great.

[/sarcasm]

Leader

These people are the lowest scum. Who do they think they are to tell our athletes not to wave our flag?

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ChrisF202

Will say French athletes be allowed to wave the French flag? This is so rediculous and stupid, the Anti-Americans have to much power.

Confed999

Lose well, win better. I personally am embarrased by the grandstanding and would have made the same call, just not for the same reasons.

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No man is free until all men are free - John Hossack
I agree completely with this Administration’s goal of a regime change in Iraq-John Kerry
even if that enforcement is mostly at the hands of the United States, a right we retain even if the Security Council fails to act-John Kerry
He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It’s the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat-John Kerry

Praxus

I hope the Athletes wave the American flag anyways.

I hope we rake in about 200 Medals this year.

ChrisF202

I wouldent be suprised if they deny medals to Americans simpily because they are Americans (in the eyes of the Europeans: after all the evil Americans invaded Iraq to remove the nice Saddam whom we had business deals with and whose wallet we were in). If they did that simpily on ones nationality, I would riot.

themuffinman

Well I really don't know what to say about this one but its crazy. Transsexuals were cleared Monday to compete in the Olympics for the first time.




http://english.eastday.com/epublish/.../hwz195169.htm

Lunatock

Remember the last time Olympic Figure Skating was held? And that one crooked judge denying a team points?

Officer of Engineers

That was to a Canadian team, not that I watch figure skating.

I also have safety concerns here with anyone wearing American or British flags. Nick Berge comes to mind.

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Chimo

Leader

If I were going over there, I certainly would not hide the flag. That is letting the terrorist win. You're stating, "I'll hide who I am so I'm not attacked by a terrorist."

themuffinman

I don't have a good feeling about sending Americans over to the greece this year remember when five Arab terrorists wearing track sweat suits climbed the six-foot six-inch fence surrounding the Olympic Village. Although they were seen by several people, no one thought anything was unusual since athletes routinely hopped the fence; moreover, the terrorists' weapons were hidden in athletic bags. These five were met by three more men who are presumed to have obtained credentials to enter the village. More...http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/Terrorism/munich.html

Leader

There is better security then there was then. And besides hiding is not an option.

Officer of Engineers

No, making yourself a target or not is.

Praxus

I really don't see how waving a flag is going to inscite a terrorist attack. The majority of terrorist attacks are well planed and are not spur of the moment. After all you need to plan to bring a firearm with you to the games, they won't bring it because an American might be waving a flag, but they will bring it with the intent of killing Americnans regaurdless if our people our waving flags.

The whole idea is rediculus.