Poor sportsmanship at Olympics

[Geoff_M]

Now, I place my hand over my heart, mostly because it's the expected new tradition.

I don't think it's a big deal, but I'm in my 50's and I can assure it's NOT a new tradition. Placing your hand, or hat, over your heart during the playing was how I and others were taught as kids.

 

[gwynne]

I don't think it's a big deal, but I'm in my 50's and I can assure it's NOT a new tradition. Placing your hand, or hat, over your heart during the playing was how I and others were taught as kids.

I'm sure there is some variation in local traditions.
I grew up in the Midwest (and then lived at many locations with the military). Placing your hand over your heart was something that you did when you said the pledge.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Yeah, I get that, but I've been watching a lot of volleyball and they ONLY seem to do that to the US. I was just wondering if there was any particular reason why they were so hated above any other team. I'm assuming because they've always been so dominant in the sport and other countries are tired of it, but I still think it's kind of obnoxious. If you're going to boo, at least be an equal opportunity booer!!

You answered your own question.

 

[Diznygrl]

You answered your own question.

LOL, yeah I figured. I just wanted to be sure it isn't something else I'm not aware of, like a cheating or drug scandal or something like that...

 

[tarheelmjfan]

LOL, yeah I figured. I just wanted to be sure it isn't something else I'm not aware of, like a cheating or drug scandal or something like that...

None of that.

 

[Nettester]

I don't think Lily King was being a good sport in making that doping comment during that interview. I get her stance, I get that she is against doping. Her own record of being clean makes that clear. Taking that moment to publicly humiliate someone else personally, was just not right. Then in response that swimmer calling out Michael Phelp's past mistakes was also completely uncalled for. The high road would be to not make any negative comments about other athletes, period. Let the officials do their job in qualifying/disqualifying people and let it go.

Of course the media goes for drama. It would have been nice for them to catch Gabby smiling, having fun, and showing support for her team because I'm sure there was plenty of those moments we didn't get to see. I hope she wasn't really as unhappy as her expressions seemed to reflect when the chose to televise her.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Hope Solo at the end of today's match.

Yep. She has amazing talent but I can't even really enjoying watching her becuase she is such an arrogant, insulting brat so much of the time.

 

[declansdad]

No doubt about that. . . she reinforced every negative feeling about her.

Yep. She has amazing talent but I can't even really enjoying watching her becuase she is such an arrogant, insulting brat so much of the time.

More from Solo after the match

http://www.thescore.com/olymsw/news...-calls-sweden-cowards-after-shocking-u-s-loss

Stay classy Solo!

 

[Hrhpd]

As for Phelps, it was also portrayed that he was holding up his fingers for Boomer (not that Boomer would understand), as his fiancé was holding up the #1 and the #4 in front of his face and Phelps was also doing it looking at his kid.

Whether or not that is true, who knows.

 

[King Schultz]

More from Solo after the match

http://www.thescore.com/olymsw/news...-calls-sweden-cowards-after-shocking-u-s-loss

Stay classy Solo!

Wow!

What a sore loser.

Thanks for the link. . . she couldn't have seemed more bitter and whiny.

SMH

 

[Mr_Tom_Morrow]

Wow!

What a sore loser.

Thanks for the link. . . she couldn't have seemed more bitter and whiny.

SMH

Solo has never been classy. Kind of sad some girls look up to her given her "alleged" Domestic Violence

 

[Wendy31]

Amen to this. Hand over the heart has become a new tradition, and that's fine. But you shouldn't get extra bonus point for doing it, and you shouldn't get demerits for not doing it.
The "old" way was to stand respectfully, quietly and still, with your hands by your side. I can't count the number of times I did just that at retreat on a military installation.
Now, I place my hand over my heart, mostly because it's the expected new tradition.

I don't think it's a big deal, but I'm in my 50's and I can assure it's NOT a new tradition. Placing your hand, or hat, over your heart during the playing was how I and others were taught as kids.

Well, for what it's worth, Gabby wasn't even really standing at attention. Standing at attention means your arms & hands are straight down by your side & you are standing up straight w/ erect posture. Gabby was not standing up straight (and, as a gymnast, it wasn't due to poor posture), & her hands were clasped in front of her.

I'm in my 40s & was always taught to stand w/ my hand over my heart during our National Anthem, so it's not a new thing.

And regarding her not being able to compete in the "all-around," fair or not, everyone knows what the rules are going in. She knew she had to have scores higher than 3 of her teammates in order to compete, & she didn't.

However, I'm not really judging Gabby. Something just seems different about her from 4 years ago.

I am judging Hope Solo though. I cannot believe she called the Swedes "cowards"! In my opinion (& I don't follow soccer so, what do I know? LOL!), she shouldn't even have been on the women's team.

And, while I get Lily King's point, I don't like how she's "engaging" w/ the Russian swimmer. Just swim & let your talent speak for itself. Stay classy.

And I actually like Michael Phelps better this Olympics than I did in London - I mean he's always been a phenomenal swimmer & exciting to watch, but he seems nicer & more personable this time around. And the whole thing w/ Le Clos was hilarious!

 

[Mr_Tom_Morrow]

What's funny is Solo said the the U.S. used to play the same way when the Sweden head coach was the U.S. coach.

 

[RedAngie]

No doubt about that. . . she reinforced every negative feeling about her.

I don't follow soccer closely, but hasn't Hope Solo pretty much always been, well, less than a good sport?

I don't think it's a big deal, but I'm in my 50's and I can assure it's NOT a new tradition. Placing your hand, or hat, over your heart during the playing was how I and others were taught as kids.

Some people put their hands over their hearts during the playing of the National Anthem when I was a kid too. I never thought it was necessary, and I don't intend to start now. I don't care if I get shamed because of it. The people complaining about the gymnast can suck it.

 

[sunshinehighway]

It's funny that people are always complaining about how everyone is so easily offended but somehow the way Gabby stood during the national anthem is perfectly reasonable to get offended about.

 

[kimblebee]

I get that not everyone agrees with me and that's fine. I'm not saying he's not a great athlete, he is..and he knows it and wants everyone else to too.

As an aside..he had no Olympic medals at the age of 16 and our Penny has four. So proud of her

 

[declansdad]

I don't think Lily King was being a good sport in making that doping comment during that interview. I get her stance, I get that she is against doping. Her own record of being clean makes that clear. Taking that moment to publicly humiliate someone else personally, was just not right.

It's about time athletes became more vocal about this. Nothing happened with athletics until an athlete, Sebastian Coe, took over the IAAF and as more athletes speak out the cheaters will be less and less welcome.

 

[Chocolate Cake]

Well, I think we need to give them some credit as it's been a long time since they've murdered any Israeli athletes at the Olympics.

True. True.

Could you imagine the media if the Israelis were the ones that didn't let the Lebanese athletes on the bus? It would be breaking news.

The media bias is so frustrating.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I get that not everyone agrees with me and that's fine. I'm not saying he's not a great athlete, he is..and he knows it and wants everyone else to too.

As an aside..he had no Olympic medals at the age of 16 and our Penny has four. So proud of her

This speaks volumes about your feeling toward Michael Phelps.

 

[bcla]

Some people put their hands over their hearts during the playing of the National Anthem when I was a kid too. I never thought it was necessary, and I don't intend to start now. I don't care if I get shamed because of it. The people complaining about the gymnast can suck it.

There's some sort of basic etiquette to the national anthem. Those in uniform are supposed to do a salute. The rules have also been modified such that military veterans and military members not in uniform should do the salute Theoretically civilians are supposed to stand with hand to heart, and men should remove any hat and place it over the left shoulder with the hand over the heart. It's even in law (in the Flag Code), although I'm not sure what could be done for failure to do so outside the United States.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/36/301

That being said, there is the First Amendment, and in any case there's no penalty in the law. It's really just a suggestion. Personally I think those who get too hung up on this stuff are those worried too much about ceremonial patriotism.