OLYMPICS: Can you believe this photo????

[KCK_Halo]

From TMZ today:

"How do you ingratiate yourself into a foreign culture? Take a photo mocking the way they look!

The Spanish national basketball team, gold medal contenders at the Olympics in Beijing, was featured in a full page ad that shows the team pulling back at their eyes in a slanty-eyed gesture. According to the Guardian, the ad (which is for a freight company) ran in a Spanish newspaper."

Isn't Pao Gasol of the Lakers on this team? This is really in poor taste!!!!
Any thoughts???

 

[BillD1984]

Wow..........talk about classless!!

 

[salsadancer7]

Wow..........talk about classless!!

AMAZING??!! No, not really...you should have seen the way they treated some of the black soccer players when a nation team comes in. Here is a little snippet from the last time they had a national team of some kind come in:

Spain's national coach, Luis Aragones, spoke negatively about Thierry Henry, a black striker for Arsenal, a month ago. During Wednesday's game, some Spanish fans repeatedly made monkey noises whenever black English players Shaun Wright-Phillips and Ashley Cole touched the ball during Spain's 1-0 victory in Madrid. FIFA ordered an investigation.

USATODAY.com - Spanish leaders denounce racial taunts by soccer fans


And here is some more:

Spanish soccer, currently the most attractive to play and to watch anywhere on earth, faces a crisis of man's inhumanity to man.

After the way Samuel Eto'o was again racially abused in Zaragoza late Saturday night, and the way he and other players reacted, not even the Royal Spanish Football Federation should be in any doubt that players from Africa and South America are on the brink of walking away from clubs in Spain, despite all the glory and money that playing there entails.

Eto'o reached breaking point after 77 minutes of his match for Barcelona inZaragoza.

The tall, proud, whole-hearted Cameroonian, just declared Africa's player of the year for the third consecutive year, mouthed: "No more. No more. No more!"

He walked toward the exit.

Eto'o is the most coveted goal scorer in the world. He is in his prime. Chelsea in England and the big Italian clubs would buy him the instant he became available.

Friends and opponents alike intercepted him during Saturday's game. Ronaldinho, who shares a breathtaking partnership with Eto'o, rushed to him.

Two Zaragoza players, Alvaro and Ewerthon, pleaded with him not to give the bigots what they wanted.

Frank Rijkaard, the Barcelona coach,quickly turned his star striker back toward the field.

Soccer: Racist Spanish fans push Eto'o to edge - International Herald Tribune

So again, SURPRISING...no...just that no one give a crap about what happens in Europe when it comes to sports....

 

[HD MM]

From TMZ today:

"How do you ingratiate yourself into a foreign culture? Take a photo mocking the way they look!

The Spanish national basketball team, gold medal contenders at the Olympics in Beijing, was featured in a full page ad that shows the team pulling back at their eyes in a slanty-eyed gesture. According to the Guardian, the ad (which is for a freight company) ran in a Spanish newspaper."

Isn't Pao Gasol of the Lakers on this team? This is really in poor taste!!!!
Any thoughts???

Is that Pau, 3rd from the right wearing #4?

 

[TNGTony]

You guys are projecting U.S. PC thinking on to other cultures. Until you stop doing that, you will never "get it".

See ya
Tony

 

[yourbeliefs]

You guys are projecting U.S. PC thinking on to other cultures. Until you stop doing that, you will never "get it".

See ya
Tony

No this is just classless. I'd agree with that PC argument if there was some HUMOR associated with this, but when it's not funny, it just is embarrassing.

 

[TNGTony]

No, you are an AMERICAN of asian descent tought AMERICAN sensibilities and especially during this last generation, how to be offended by other's actions.

There is humor in that picture. It's just we American's who, because we have to check to see if anyone else could possibly take offense at the joke, cannot see it unless everyone likes it!

Not everyone in the world thinks the way we Americans do. And, because we hyper-sensitive Americans (of whatever lineage) don't like something, doesn't make it despicable in the entire world!

See ya
Tony

 

[BillD1984]

No this is just classless. I'd agree with that PC argument if there was some HUMOR associated with this, but when it's not funny, it just is embarrassing.

+1 :up My thoughts EXACTLY!!!

 

[TNGTony]

I could say EXACTLY the same thing! BTW you know NOTHING of my background so don't make assumptions! I might become offended

See ya
Tony

 

[dantheman77]

You guys are projecting U.S. PC thinking on to other cultures. Until you stop doing that, you will never "get it".

See ya
Tony

what culture is racims accepetd in. i dont want to live there, becaues i dont want to "get it"
oh, btw, if you are so un PC, why is there one less forum at SGuys. you were sure wanting to get rid of that.

 

[TNGTony]

"Don't wish to participate in this offensive thread any longer "

I am offended at you being offended at me being offended of people being offended of a funny and HARMLESS picture!

Was that offensive?

 

[salsadancer7]

"Don't wish to participate in this offensive thread any longer "

I am offended at you being offended at me being offended of people being offended of a funny and HARMLESS picture!

Was that offensive?

Truth be told Tony, I have been to sporting events both their professional basketball....Eurobasket.... and the best futbal league in the world....Primera Liga....and the fans and some of the athletes can be EXTREMELY racist. But it is not just Spain, Italy is just as bad. I have see it 1st hand....so like I said before....I am not shocked one bit...

 

[HD MM]

First off, let's forget about whether this is an act of "racism" or not. Let's leave the interpretation to the individual.

I think the point is that this act made by an Olympic Team was intended to make fun of an entire nation and race of people. Whether you find this funny or not, this is UNPROFESSIONAL and not the way a team representing their country should act. Especially in light of what the Olympic Games mean on a larger scale...

The 5-ringed symbol of the Olympics represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world. These games are the uniting of many nations, some who have tremendous political, racial, economical and religious differences. The idea of these games is to forget about all of those differences and unite under one common bond that is SPORTS!

Unfortunately, this gesture by Spain goes against all of that.

 

[salsadancer7]

First off, let's forget about whether this is an act of "racism" or not. Let's leave the interpretation to the individual.

I think the point is that this act made by an Olympic Team was intended to make fun of an entire nation and race of people. Whether you find this funny or not, this is UNPROFESSIONAL and not the way a team representing their country should act. Especially in light of what the Olympic Games mean on a larger scale...

The 5-ringed symbol of the Olympics represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world. These games are the uniting of many nations, some who have tremendous political, racial, economical and religious differences. The idea of these games is to forget about all of those differences and unite under one common bond that is SPORTS!

Unfortunately, this gesture by Spain goes against all of that.

Well stated!:up

 

[yourbeliefs]

I think the point is that this act made by an Olympic Team was intended to make fun of an entire nation and race of people. Whether you find this funny or not, this is UNPROFESSIONAL and not the way a team representing their country should act. Especially in light of what the Olympic Games mean on a larger scale... .

That's my main point of the whole thing. I'm sure there are numerous European players who have a lot of disparaging words for athletes of African descent. They can call them names on the court and in the locker room, and that is ok (relatively speaking.) However, if the Olympics were going to be held in South Africa and a team did a group photo with everyone in black face, all it does is exude classlessness and stupidity. No one ever looked smart yelling out a racist term or preaching ideas of xenophobia. There are two types of stupid people in the world: Stupid people who know they are stupid and thus stay quiet, and stupid people who don't know they are stupid and just say stupid things. When you can easily tell that someone or a group of people are stupid, it truly puts that person in a light that they probably do not want to be in, and as a result, the Spanish team are now in that light.

 

[css_139]

I don't want to say anything about all of the Spanish people, but formula 1 fans just have to look back at this earlier this season's test at the Spanish GP track and see the racist chants against Lewis Hamilton and that'll say something...

 

[Hart5150]

I don't want to say anything about all of the Spanish people, but formula 1 fans just have to look back at this earlier this season's test at the Spanish GP track and see the racist chants against Lewis Hamilton and that'll say something...

Spain's Grand Prix status at risk after outcry over racial abuse of Lewis Hamilton | Mail Online

The picture is absolutely disgusting.

 

[yourbeliefs]

Spain's Grand Prix status at risk after outcry over racial abuse of Lewis Hamilton | Mail Online

The picture is absolutely disgusting.

Looking at photos like that makes me feel better about myself and the company I keep.

 

[salsadancer7]

Spain's Grand Prix status at risk after outcry over racial abuse of Lewis Hamilton | Mail Online

The picture is absolutely disgusting.

WOW...THAT is much worse than what basketball team did you notice the connect....Spanish fans and/or athletes....

 

[Derwin0]

WOW...THAT is much worse than what basketball team did you notice the connect....Spanish fans and/or athletes....

It's one thing when the fans do it, but for the team to do it in that photo is worse, and the team should be punished accordingly (personally I think they should be kicked out of the games).

*note* I'm not excusing the fans, their behavior is attrocious, but don't punish the Spanish organizers who don't have control over what the fans do.