Home-Cooking at the Beijing Olympics
[Guest post by DRJ]
I was raised in an era when the Soviet Union and China were considered the world’s greatest threats, but there are times to put prejudices aside. The spirit of the Olympics is one of those times.
Thus, I declined to post on the ridiculous episode in the Opening Ceremonies where a Politburo member of China’s ruling Communist Party replaced an average-looking child with a beautiful voice with a beautiful child and a lip-synced voice. Ditto when claims surfaced that some fireworks at the Opening Ceremonies were computer-generated fakes.
But now comes this Agence France-Presse report of multiple instances of questionable judging favoring Chinese athletes at the Olympic games.
I’m a sports fan. Home-cooking occurs in every sport and it’s a fact of sporting life, but it’s contrary to the Olympic spirit and it doesn’t seem to be an isolated incident. China is acting like those out-of-control parents that will do anything to see their children win a soccer or Little League game.
The Olympics has faced scandals with doping, gender testing, and even criminal charges arising from the judging at the 2002 Winter Olympic figure-skating competition.
When the IOC looks the other way at claims like these, it does so at its peril.
— DRJ
“When the IOC looks the other way at claims like these, it does so at its peril.”
Peril? The IOC has been continually pissing away the credibility and respect of the Olympic games for decades now. They don’t have much lower to go after this Olympics. And there is no reason to think that they’ll reverse course.
SPQR (26be8b) — 8/13/2008 @ 8:57 pmWho can forget how the Russians and their Iron Curtain allies cheated with abandon in so many subjectively judged events?
And whatever became of the evil ass officals that kept giving Russian basketball team extra chances to beat USA in final?
That said, I thought Oksana Biaul whipped crybaby Nancy Kerrigan rather convincingly in ’94.
And note how Mitt Romney did a yeoman’s job running the Salt Lake City Olympics, especially financially.
madmax333 (0c6cfc) — 8/13/2008 @ 9:11 pmI think one of the biggest travesties was China allowing those 8 year old girls to participate in gymnastics.
JD (5f0e11) — 8/13/2008 @ 9:16 pmDid you see Bela Karolyi talk about the age of the Chinese gymnasts, JD?
DRJ (a5243f) — 8/13/2008 @ 9:21 pmThere is a good article on the under-age Chinese gymnasts. Winning is everything to them, as it was to the USSR – nose, nose, anything goes.
“Age-fixing in Chinese sport has been in the news before. In sports where limber, prepubescent bodies can outmaneuver more mature athletes, kids can be designated as older than they are. Yang Yun, a Chinese gymnast who was listed as 16 when she won double bronzes at Sydney, later went on Chinese television and said she had been 14 when she competed.”
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1832312,00.html
The funniest thing was a gymnastics official stating that perhaps the local authorities may have stated an incorrect age on the girls but their passports – issued by the Chinese government – were no doubt, correct.
Heh.
Dana (254946) — 8/13/2008 @ 10:34 pmOlympics, like a number of modern sports, mean nothing nowadays. Lies and cheats discredit the results and teach poor lessons. If you scratch the surface of a Chinese gold medal, you will easily see the tin underneath.
Ray (8cfb7a) — 8/14/2008 @ 4:45 amWell, not all of them, Ray…
The swimming medals and such, those events that are purely based on time, are hard to fudge.
Scott Jacobs (fa5e57) — 8/14/2008 @ 5:59 amUnless fried egg sandwiches and chocolate chip pancakes count as performance enhancing drugs …
JD (75f5c3) — 8/14/2008 @ 6:20 amI knew you’d find the right thread for that post JD. 🙂
Scott Jacobs (fa5e57) — 8/14/2008 @ 7:02 amNot only is he a great swimmer, he is a gastronomic marvel.
JD (75f5c3) — 8/14/2008 @ 7:17 amYou could always count on the USSR’s satellite countries to follow their Russian masters in the voting – every single time. Lest we forget, do you remember what those poor East German women athletes looked like in their prime? Gawd almighty, they looked manlier than Ahhnold in his heydey.
Dmac (874677) — 8/14/2008 @ 8:04 amIf the Chinese had set up Tibet and Manchuria as independent “Peoples Republics”, they possibly could have gotten themselves some additional votes on those judging panels (sort of like Ukraine and ByeloRussia having votes in the UN).
Another Drew (249078) — 8/14/2008 @ 8:10 amThis was inevitable. China is a nasty repressive and cruel dictatorship. If they will kill prisoners to harvest organs for sale, why would they hold back on a little cheating?
I’m not watching the Olympics, and will not be doing so. The IOC was bought, and now they have to pay the price in a shattered reputation. (Not that it was so great to start with.)
With all the crap on the Winter skating events, it’s clear that the IOC is as corrupt as the UN.
GaryS (07b0b7) — 8/14/2008 @ 10:12 amI dunno Gary… You’re missing some awesome swimming matches…
Scott Jacobs (fa5e57) — 8/14/2008 @ 10:28 amWhy don’t we view the Olympics the same way we view Chinese imports? Our athletes benefit. They show off their talents and skills, get multi-million dollar sponsorship contracts and go on to multi-million dollar professional careers. Their athletes are slave labor (like their workers) working for the benefit of the Chinese state and, collaterally, for the benefit of our athletes.
If that’s the way China wants it, it’s fine with me. What are a handful of little girls worth in a country with 1.3 billion people, anyway? They’ll ship out thousands that many for adoption in foreign countries including the U.S.. We’ll benefit from that as well. From their talents and the enrichment of our gene pool.
nk (e69fdd) — 8/14/2008 @ 10:32 amRacist
JD (75f5c3) — 8/14/2008 @ 10:36 amI don’t know, JD, it seems to me that there must be something in this Buddhist karma thing. That the most important thing in life is picking your parents wisely.
nk (e69fdd) — 8/14/2008 @ 10:46 amRacists!
TLove (953364) — 8/14/2008 @ 10:53 amShocker. Communists cheat at sports!
Perfect Sense (9d1b08) — 8/14/2008 @ 10:56 amI believe that when an American or comes in 2nd to 6th, they’re better than the actual winner. Wasn’t it Russia that doctored men so they could compete in women’s games….wasn’t it judges from other countries that gave terrible results? We should be used to the world “talking” one way and actually doing TRASH! How can anyone with a brain think that “talking (negotiating), placating or bribing” foreigners will make one bit of difference in their behavior. France, Russia or Al Qaeda…makes no difference. No wonder the world hates us!!!
Sue (4d3ef7) — 8/14/2008 @ 11:00 am#20 – That was East Germany
Icy Truth (e52465) — 8/14/2008 @ 11:08 am#21 – I saw the one of the gals that coaches the Russian women’s gymnastics team, and the first thought in my head was “Was she on the East German team?”
Scott Jacobs (fa5e57) — 8/14/2008 @ 11:30 amHow about that Swedish wrestler tossing his bronze medal…
TLove (953364) — 8/14/2008 @ 11:50 amYeah, I just heard about that one – but what his coach doesn’t say is exactly what “it’s all politics” actually refers to? What, do the Italians have it in for the Swedes, or something?
Dmac (874677) — 8/14/2008 @ 1:38 pmI like that Swedish dude. I am interested to get home and see what his beef was. He sure has brought some attention to the situation.
JD (5f0e11) — 8/14/2008 @ 2:48 pmIt seems like there is beginning to be some light brought to bear on the 8 year olds on the Chinese gymnastics team.
JD (5f0e11) — 8/14/2008 @ 2:51 pmI think part of the reason that Swedish wrestler lost it was that they put him on that bronze medal pedestal with the guy from Turkey. Not a good thing for someone of Armenian descent.
TLove (012115) — 8/14/2008 @ 3:01 pmThe Swedish wrestler and his coach were mad about the judging in an earlier round. The winner went on to win the gold medal.
DRJ (8b9d41) — 8/14/2008 @ 3:11 pmYes, I know that. But add to that putting him in third next to that Turk, and I wasn’t surprised by his reaction.
TLove (012115) — 8/14/2008 @ 3:11 pmI see.
DRJ (8b9d41) — 8/14/2008 @ 3:18 pmI turned on the Olympics at around 2:30 and there were these dudes that looked like they were wearing hairshirts playing water polo. Nearly ralphed. Then, they switched to the hairshirt underwater banana hammock cam and I passed out.
JD (5f0e11) — 8/14/2008 @ 3:22 pmLooks like there was also a scandal back in Athens 2004 that involved bribery and this same wrestler getting the silver instead of gold.
TLove (012115) — 8/14/2008 @ 3:36 pmIf you think this cheating is bad, try watching water polo. You will gouge your eyes out with a rusty butter knife and then rinse the sockets out in peroxide. Good Allah, nanner hammocks, hairshirts, and chocolate starfish. The mind, it reels.
JD (5f0e11) — 8/14/2008 @ 3:53 pmew dude.
TLove (012115) — 8/14/2008 @ 3:54 pmFor the love of all that is holy, please join me in protesting NBC and their airing of water polo.
JD (5f0e11) — 8/14/2008 @ 3:54 pmSome of those water polo players are hot, so I can’t join in an all out ban.
TLove (012115) — 8/14/2008 @ 3:56 pmThen you have not had the pleasure of watching the Turkish Hairshirts or the Italian Nanner Hammocks. I need therapy. Electroshock, perhaps.
JD (5f0e11) — 8/14/2008 @ 3:59 pmHahahaha. I wouldn’t watch them. I’d check out USA, Canada, Croatia…
TLove (012115) — 8/14/2008 @ 4:00 pmThe Iranian Tufted HairBacks were equally as repulsive.
JD (5f0e11) — 8/14/2008 @ 4:01 pmHehehe. If you were a chick you’d know which teams to check out.
TLove (012115) — 8/14/2008 @ 4:02 pmTlove is so cool, except for this hot water polo crap. I am permanently scarred.
JD (5f0e11) — 8/14/2008 @ 4:12 pmUhm…I meant to say “yum, love checking out those hot conservative internet bloggers!”
TLove (012115) — 8/14/2008 @ 4:13 pmPicture Khalid Sheik Mohammed in a marblesack Speedo.
JD (5f0e11) — 8/14/2008 @ 4:18 pmFWIW – The People responsible for exploiting those 8 year old Chinese gymnasts should have to be the test dummy for speed bumps for Chinese tanks.
JD (5f0e11) — 8/14/2008 @ 4:24 pmJD – When I was in grad school I was on a club water polo team. We used to work out with some very high caliber women players. The women liked the challenge of playing and working out against men. I thought it was pretty cool to see how tight a defense some of the women could play if you know what I mean and I think that you do. Sometimes hands just grabbed stuff they weren’t supposed to grab. Nature of the game.
daleyrocks (d9ec17) — 8/14/2008 @ 4:34 pmI am going to need about a 6-hour Walsh/May marathon to cure me. Or a Baywatch re-run.
JD (5f0e11) — 8/14/2008 @ 4:39 pmSee, dalyrocks, that would be entertaining.
JD (5f0e11) — 8/14/2008 @ 4:41 pmRacist!
Another Drew (249078) — 8/14/2008 @ 4:43 pmUndoubtedly.
JD (5f0e11) — 8/14/2008 @ 4:50 pmSee, dalyrocks, that would be entertaining.
JD – Bumpin’ uglies through speedos and grabbin’ stuff and havin’ your junk grabbed. Good clean cheap fun. Worked for me.
daleyrocks (d9ec17) — 8/14/2008 @ 4:51 pmLikely because you are a misogynistic misanthrope.
JD (5f0e11) — 8/14/2008 @ 4:53 pmCan I be proud of that?
daleyrocks (d9ec17) — 8/14/2008 @ 4:55 pmAbsolutely!
Another Drew (249078) — 8/14/2008 @ 4:59 pmIn today’s wusseyfied world, you are a giant.
I knew I shoulda taken up water polo.
TLove (012115) — 8/14/2008 @ 5:02 pmIt’s a contact sport TLove.
daleyrocks (d9ec17) — 8/14/2008 @ 5:20 pmI was wrong. I saw the video of him ditching the medal, and he high-fived the Turk. Interesting.
TLove (012115) — 8/14/2008 @ 6:11 pmI wish I could find video of the bad call. Can’t find it anywhere.
TLove (012115) — 8/14/2008 @ 6:11 pmIts not pretty to watch JD struggle with certain latent tendencies … not pretty at all.
SPQR (26be8b) — 8/14/2008 @ 6:23 pmIncredible. For a moment there I thought I was seeing the transcript of a chat room rather than a blog.
*That* should be an Olympic event – Blog commenters compete to see how fast they can respond/reply to each other’s posts.
Gregory (f7735e) — 8/14/2008 @ 6:34 pmLOL SPQR.
JD (5f0e11) — 8/14/2008 @ 6:35 pmLewd, lascivious, licentious, libidinous lechers!! Repent now.
madmax333 (0c6cfc) — 8/14/2008 @ 6:35 pmI hear they’re serving “braised dork” at Beijing during the Olympics.
nk (e69fdd) — 8/14/2008 @ 7:22 pmAh, the Chinese are pikers at this whole cheating thing. Try Googling “Press Tamara Iryna” to see how for the old school Commies used to go to win a few Olympic golds. For the most fun, picture the links that are produced being read in the voice of Austin Powers.
That fun aside, the Chinese have long proven they’re willing to cheat to win–the only way to deal with it is to be alert for it and keep slapping it down, the way the international organizations did when their practice of hiring out of work East German steroid pushing scum as “coaches” was in full swing in the early 1990’s. I’ve got a soft spot for the ChiComm Olympic movement for their role in saving the 1984 Olympics in LA, but that doesn’t mean I’m adverse to pimp-slapping them when they’re obvious about cheating.
M. Scott Eiland (a16843) — 8/15/2008 @ 3:16 amJD – An Olympic Womens Water Polo nip slip just for you.
daleyrocks (d9ec17) — 8/15/2008 @ 3:06 pm