there are some odd events in the winter olympics perhaps more that deal with merit than with traditional athetic ability (see stars on ice). Now i don't believe that the Winter Olympics are inherently racist at all and I'm saying this and I'm not caucasion. There have been many nations that are represented granted this is something new and they include Jamaica, Trinidad, Bahamas, are the most recent, but more than 5 african nations have participated in some measure. Face it - winter Olympics deal with snow and ice, and if you've never seen it in your life, it is difficult to say you want to perform on the worlds stage in an environment foreign to yours. Unless that desire to excel despite the odds is built within.
I'm with Olaf (and also from Minnesota). Cut us some slack, as people who live in a frozen climate, we have a geographical advantage over people from warmer climates. We can't hang with baseball, football, or soccer players from California, Texas, or Florida. But we can light those bad boys up in some hockey, or ski circles around them on the slopes. Does that make us racist? classist? I don't think so it's more darwinian adaptation then anything else. It's what makes the world interesting and diverse.
in a sense the winter games is our way of rationalizing why we live in and love such god forsaken places.
In closing, lets not forget the Mircale on Ice. Still one of the greatest sports stories of all time.
hey, this turkish girl, tugba karademir, made it to figure skating finals for her country, a first.. she is already a hero in turkey and a good role model for a lot of future skaters. it snows a lot in turkey.
winter sports equipment is very expensive anywhere but $10 soccer ball can keep 10-20 kids involved for hours.. my point. and i am partial to futbol. see my perfect guessing in chelsea-barca thread*.. ahemmm..
Are the Winter olympics Inherently Racist/Classist?
there are some odd events in the winter olympics perhaps more that deal with merit than with traditional athetic ability (see stars on ice). Now i don't believe that the Winter Olympics are inherently racist at all and I'm saying this and I'm not caucasion. There have been many nations that are represented granted this is something new and they include Jamaica, Trinidad, Bahamas, are the most recent, but more than 5 african nations have participated in some measure. Face it - winter Olympics deal with snow and ice, and if you've never seen it in your life, it is difficult to say you want to perform on the worlds stage in an environment foreign to yours. Unless that desire to excel despite the odds is built within.
my 2 cents - night
Bryant Gumbel's statement via san jose mercury news
I'm with Olaf (and also from Minnesota). Cut us some slack, as people who live in a frozen climate, we have a geographical advantage over people from warmer climates. We can't hang with baseball, football, or soccer players from California, Texas, or Florida. But we can light those bad boys up in some hockey, or ski circles around them on the slopes. Does that make us racist? classist? I don't think so it's more darwinian adaptation then anything else. It's what makes the world interesting and diverse.
in a sense the winter games is our way of rationalizing why we live in and love such god forsaken places.
In closing, lets not forget the Mircale on Ice. Still one of the greatest sports stories of all time.
hey, this turkish girl, tugba karademir, made it to figure skating finals for her country, a first.. she is already a hero in turkey and a good role model for a lot of future skaters. it snows a lot in turkey.
winter sports equipment is very expensive anywhere but $10 soccer ball can keep 10-20 kids involved for hours.. my point. and i am partial to futbol. see my perfect guessing in chelsea-barca thread*.. ahemmm..
*go barca go. and get rustu back..
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