Since the olympics are coming up

[Todd4State]

I just read a story about Becky Hammon, an American who is going to play women's basketball for Russia. Some background info on her: She did play in the WNBA and was not able to make the US team. Basically, she signed with a Russian team and the reason that she joined was so that she could play in the Olympics and have a chance to win a gold medal.

So, if you were an athlete, and you were unable to make the American team, in whatever sport, would ya'll go play for another country? Do you think that it is OK for athletes that are not native to a particular country to go play for another country?

My answer: Yes, I would do it because while I would certainly prefer to play for Team USA, the Olympics are a once in a lifetime thing for most athletes, and a medal is a medal. Despite what I just said, no I do not think it's right. If you are a citizen of a country, you should play FOR that country.

That said, I would love to see what Dontae Jones would do to Team USA while playing for South Korea.

 

[patdog]

She's pretty hot, so I'm pulling for her. That said, I agree that there's something a little sleazy about getting dual citizenship just for the purpose of playing in the Olympics. She's far from the first person to do it though. I know we've had men's soccer players in the past who couldn't even speak English.

 

[bulldogbaja]

</p>

 

[state20006]

...a lot of coaches coach different countries than their own (donnie nelson). it doesn't matter and i would jump ship in a heartbeat.

 

[Stansfield]

What's the point of a gold medal if you can't be proud of it in your own country. If she wins it, she wins it for Russia, but she is an American. What does that accomplish? I think it stinks.

 

[AssEndDawg]

It spits in the face of the entire point of the Olympic Games. The point here is for the different countries to compete against each other. My personal feeling is that if she loves Russia, then by all means become Russian. If I were President she would find her US passport invalid upon trying to return. "Enjoy your adopted country!" More than anything I just don't understand it. Obviously you weren't good enough to play for Team USA so either go, get better and try again or face the fact that you simply aren't an Olympic level athlete in the US.

One other problem I have is with it being Russia. I know we aren't enemies anymore but I still remember them pointing nukes at us and talking about killing all Americans (yes, I realize we were pointing nukes at them too). So, I have a little bit of a problem with her choice. I would probably care less if it were Canada or Australia. We should revoke her citizenship so she can fully enjoy the experience of playing for her home country.

 

[AssEndDawg]

I just read about this in Sport Illustrated and one thing I found interesting is that Team USA <span style="font-weight: bold;">DID</span> offer her and others another chance to try out and she turned it down because she didn't want to risk her Russian citizenship and a big pot of money that comes with that. So for all her talk about loving the USA and wanting to do anything to be on the team it rings a little hollow when she didn't even try to do everything offered to her. This will likely end her career in the WNBA and I think deservedly so.

 

[jakldawg]

This is hardly the first time something like this has happened:
Mike Piazza being one high-profile example.
(of course, the World Baseball Classic isn't on par with the Olympics, but the premise is still the same)

 

[TilloDawg]

I thought there were several minor league players that played for other countries in the 2004 Olympics....they just had to have a grandparent or such from that country.

 

[rhs43]

I don't know why anyone would wanna win a gold medal for another country. I think it would take away from the meaning of winning one.

 

[Todd4State]

The World Baseball Classic is an attempt by MLB to popularize the game around the world- which is especially important with the Olympics cutting baseball out- although I know that is being appealed.

So, there were some teams from countries like Italy that needed to be "filled out" so that they could be halfway competitive, and hopefully generate some interest.

Team Russia doesn't need to be "filled out".

 

[Todd4State]

this is merely one example. And it goes both ways to, I'm sure that there are some American athletes from other countries.

 

[patdog]

She shares the world #1 womens tennis doubles ranking with her partner and just recently obtained her US citizenship (much faster than in the normal process). She'll play for the US in the Olympics. Her situation is a little different though. She's married to an American, lives in Houston and considers the US to be her home country. Still, I don't have any real problem with Hammon playing for Russia. To me the summer Olympics is the most over-rated sporting event in history. It's just hard for me to care too much what happens one way or the other (although I will watch the US mens and womens soccer games).

 

[patdog]

And when you're not one of 29 players initially invited to try out for the US team, even though you finished 2nd in the WNBA MVP voting, it's kind of understandable that you'd get the impression you're not going to get a fair shot to make the team on the last-second second tryout invitation.</p>

 

[rexxx]

Yes, she is kind of hot but she is a dirty, dirty ***** for playing for the Russians.

 

[Faustdog]

I thought there were several minor league players that played for other countries in the 2004 Olympics....they just had to have a grandparent or such from that country.

Shane Power was a member of the Irish national team.
</p>

 

[SLUdog]

simply to get better players then the Olympics is even more worthless than I thought. If she was born a Russian citizen and moved to the US I might feel differently.

 

[AssEndDawg]

And when you're not one of 29 players initially invited to try out for the US team, even though you finished 2nd in the WNBA MVP voting, it's kind of understandable that you'd get the impression you're not going to get a fair shot to make the team on the last-second second tryout invitation.</p>

So, all of a sudden it was a "last second" invitation? I didn't say that and neither did SI. They always have a second round of invites just for this sort of thing. So what we have here is someone who in the press is saying she would have done anything to make the team, well, anything except come to the tryout they invited her to. Her "perception" doesn't matter. She needs to just say, "I'm a money grubbing ***** who will play for anyone with the bucks!" That I might respect, but to tote out this ******** line about how she so desperately wanted to play for Team USA when she didn't even take the chance they offered her is just ********.</p>

I don't understand the 80's reference. What is so not 2008 to actually expect American citizens to not play for other countries for cash? She can do it, it's a free country, I'm just saying that freedom does not relieve you of consequences. I think the consequence of this choice will be that she hurts her career and I support that whole heartily. I don't think it is asking too much for American athletes to not be paid mercenaries for our rivals.</p>

I guess you would be ok with some of our boys who don't get to play so much suiting up for Ole Miss during the Egg Bowl, you know, to make a little extra cash?
</p>

 

[patdog]

Last I checked, that ended over 20 years ago. And as someone pointed out earlier, our own Shane Power did the exact same thing when he played for Ireland. I don't recall a huge outcry over that.

I guess you would be ok with some of our boys who don't get to play so much suiting up for Ole Miss during the Egg Bowl, you know, to make a little extra cash?

Of course not. I actually give a **** about MSU football. But if Fanning cuts a couple of our women's basketball players and they want to go play for Mississippi, I'm not going to get too worked up about it.

 

[ArrowDawg]

....go play under another country's flag in the Olympics. The Olympics are not supposed to be about the individual. They're supposed to be about playing for one's country. Playing for another country doesn't fall under the category of "traitor" or anything of the sort, but I think it shows a lack of patriotism and a large streak of selfishness. I have no respect for anyone who does this.