CrimsonPhantom
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RE: So...The Tokyo Olympics
‘Silencing Voices’: LeBron James’ Company Blasts Olympics Over Rule Banning Medal Stand Protests
Quote:Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James passed on an opportunity to join Team USA, but his media company is still weighing in on the Tokyo Games from afar, blasting the International Olympic Committee for banning protests on the medal stand.
James played for three Olympic teams, but declined to make the trip to Tokyo this summer, telling media last month that he would focus on playing for the “Tune Squad,” the cartoon team James is drafted to play for in “Space Jam 2,” rather than on the Olympic squad.
But James, who is known for taking public political positions, particularly over the last several years, could not resist commenting — at least indirectly — on political protests that are expected to pepper the Tokyo Games. His company, The Uninterrupted, which he shares with Maverick Carter, blasted the Olympic Committee’s decision to continue to bar athletes from protesting or making political statements on the medal stand, even though the IOC lifted its ban on athlete protests elsewhere, so long as they do not interrupt competitive play.
“Rule 50 is a rule in the Olympic Charter that bans any kind of demonstration and prohibits any opinionated political, religious or racial propaganda at the Olympic site in 2021,” The Uninterrupted said on Twitter Friday.
“The only time an athlete is able to speak freely is at press conferences and to the media, but not on the Olympic podium when the world is watching,” the company continued. “Simply put, we see this as a way of silencing voices, and as advocates for Athlete empowerment, we take a stand against it.”
The company then implored the IOC to let the rest of Rule 50 fall.
“Sport is not neutral. When athletes speak up – whether from a stadium, gymnasium, or track – they start conversations and things change,” the group said. “Give athletes the chance to show up fully and to make change.”
The IOC’s Rule 50 previously banned all forms of political protest during the Games. After consideration, the IOC lifted the ban, allowing some forms of protest at specific times; notably, the IOC now allows athletes to “take a knee” during pre-game festivities, an opportunity several soccer teams, including the United States women’s soccer team, took advantage of earlier this week.
What remains of Rule 50, however, would ensnare athletes like Gwen Berry, an American Olympic medal hopeful in the hammer throw, who turned her back on the American flag during the national anthem at the U.S. Olympic Trials, and protested on the podium at the Pan-American Games.
So far, athletes have protested just once at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games: during the opening round of soccer. Women’s and men’s teams “took a knee” ahead of the first soccer games at the Olympics to send a message about equality in light of racial slurs hurled at players from Team Great Britain online after three of the team’s players missed penalty kicks in the European championships.
Woke Wake-Up Call? WNBA Players Reverse Course, Will Not Protest During National Anthem At Olympics
Quote:WNBA players, who have been protesting racism all season by leaving the court during the national anthem, say they have decided not to continue their demonstration during the Olympics and will remain on the court during the “Star-Spangled Banner.”
Team captain Sue Bird, who is engaged to United States women’s soccer star — and woke icon — Megan Rapinoe, reportedly defended the decision to the media, claiming that the move was not “hypocritical” because she and her teammates were playing for Team USA, not individual cities.
“You are wearing USA jerseys, and it does change the conversation a little bit and what you’re representing,” Bird told the Associated Press, per the New York Post.
“With that, I don’t feel like a hypocrite in any way,” she added. “Everyone knows where we stand. I don’t think it contradicts anything since we’re actually doing the work.”
“Throughout the WBNA season, the four-time Olympic gold medalist and her teammates have remained in the locker room during ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,'” the Post noted.
The WNBA has “led the way” on social justice protests in professional basketball, according to a report last year from the Washington Post. Before NBA players walked off the court over racial injustice and emblazoned their jerseys with woke slogans, the WNBA was putting social justice front and center in the league, kneeling in protest, wearing custom shirts and sweatsuits, and, last year, introduced a “WNBA Social Justice Council” to organize players’ anti-racist efforts.
In Tokyo, though, Bird says fans should expect a more muted approach. In an exhibition game ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, players locked arms during the national anthem — an example of a more “relaxed” protest, per the Post.
“We all want our country to be a better place, and that’s what this is about,” Bird said. “That’s an athlete’s mentality, and there’s really no better people to do that than athletes. What do we do every single day? What do we talk about? Getting better.”
While Bird may be responding to the pressure of being on the international stage, it’s no secret that woke protests haven’t been welcome at the Tokyo Olympics — and that Americans aren’t as enthusiastic about the 2020 summer games in part, at least, because of woke athletes.
As the Daily Wire reported last week, “[m]ore than 60% of Americans were unable to express excitement or interest in the summer games, and at least 45% of Americans confirmed they are NOT looking forward to the games in any capacity.” Excitement was even lower among Republicans.
Speculation about a ratings free-fall was confirmed Sunday. “Just 16.7 million Americans tuned in to NBC’s broadcast of the ceremony, the smallest U.S. television audience to watch the event in the past 33 years, according to preliminary data from Comcast-owned NBCUniversal,” Daily Wire reported.
Bird may also be learning from Rapinoe’s experience. After the U.S. women’s soccer team posted an excruciating loss to Sweden in the first game of the Tokyo Olympics, viewers took to social media to blast Rapinoe and her teammates for focusing more intently on scoring woke points than scoring goals.
Team USA Fails to Medal at Opening of Summer Olympics for First Time in Decades
Quote:The first day of the Tokyo Olympics is wrapping up, and despite several near-misses, Team USA did not medal for the first time since the 1972 Summer Games.
Sports Illustrated reported Saturday:
China’s Yang Qian was the first athlete to take home gold at 2020 Tokyo, snagging first place in the women’s 10m air rifle final. USA’s Mary Tucker was the favorite for the event, but the 20-year-old finished sixth. Weightlifter Jourdan Delacruz could not convert her three attempts at 108kg in the clean and jerk, ending her day at seventh in the women’s 49kg division. Team USA’s fencers did not make it past the table of 16, and archers Mackenzie Brown and world No. 1 Brady Ellison were upset in the first round in the mixed team.
“I’m still a little shocked,” Ellison reportedly said after the event.
“I completely expected us to win a medal today. We got in that stadium, and I shot left. Mackenzie started getting it figured out there at the end. I shot left that entire match trying to aim off for the wind,” he explained, adding, “That finals venue kicked my ass. I just didn’t see it, and that cost us the match.”
Meanwhile, it appeared cyclist Brandon McNulty was going to be the first from the United States to win gold as he pulled away from the group during the men’s road race with 24 kilometers to go.
But he ended up finishing sixth while Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz took home the gold medal.
“There was a stretch from 1960, ’64, ’68 and ’72 Summer Games when the U.S. did not medal on the first day but had brought home at least one medal on the first day dating back to 1932. However, in the Winter Games, Team USA failed to medal day one of the 2018 Games,” the Illustrated article read.
Despite the losses, U.S. teams snagged some victories during qualifying rounds for other events, one being the U.S. women’s basketball team’s win against France in the 3 on 3 game’s Olympic debut, the Hill report concluded.
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[NEWS] So...The Tokyo Olympics...So?
