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Whistling (booing) at the Olympics
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| NeoPhono |
Sorry if this has been brought up before.
Is it usual in other countries to have the constant whistling and heckling that I hear at the Olympics? When watching the US perform, I'm astounded by both the volume and consistancy of whistling and booing that occurs every time the US is in control. Be it basketball, volleyball or track and field like last night, I can't believe how much "negative" cheering I hear. It seems to me that this is poor sportsmanship on the part of fans and it goes against the whole "brotherhood" the Olympics are suppossed to convey. Then again, maybe this is normal in other parts of the world, but in the United States I have never seen or heard nearly as much fan action against the oppossing team, at least kept up through an entire match. Thoughts? |
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| BadBadNeil |
I think I wrote about this somewhere in this mighty jungle of posts we call Traceforums but yes I think it's a deliberate statement against the United States.
Example: I watched the US/Spain basketball game the other day and when the US won I was angry at how the Spanish fans booed the U.S team afterwards, the same was the case with the Men's volleyball team victory over greece.
I watched the Greece/Argentina game today and heard almost no booing by the greek fans like they did when Greece played the U.S team.
People, Europeans in particular will make the argument that the U.S basketball team is arrogant but this year I can hardly call that a point as they seemed to have realized after the Italy and Puerto Rico games that they weren't the favorites and I don't think arrogance came into play at all.
When I watched the olympics in Atlanta I can't recall ANY booing by Americans against foreign people at all during victory, and to me its a shameful display by not only the host country but from what it seems the European countries in general. Booing may be a part of life in everyday sports but in the Olympics where the world is supposed to come together in competitive sport and not have personal agendas against other nations I think it's out of place. |
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| NeoPhono |
| I agree with you BadBadNeil. What shocked me is not so much the booing during the men's basketball game, but during other sports in which th US was particpating. I watched the US/Greece men's indoor volleyball game yesterday and not just a couple of times, but every time the US was serving or had the ball on their side of the net, the whistling was constant. Then, yesterday before the 200 meters (I think that's the right event) every US athlete participating was booed as they were introduced. It's disgraceful to hear such negativity at the Olympics...I can't remember anything nearly like this at Sydney or Atlanta. |
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| BadBadNeil |
Actually all that whistling came back to bite the fans in that US vs. Greece volleyball match. I don't know if you remember but near the end something in the audience had a whistle and the greek players thought it was an official and the US scored on them in one of the final points of the final game!
The 200M final is tonight, I will have to listen for the boos.
The thing that bothers me the most I think about booing is that many of these foreign people who are booing don't know the individual competitors from the United States so they aren't booing the individuals, they are booing the country and for these athletes who come to participate the same as any other country they shouldn't be singled out for what country they belong to.
I was thinking, what if they brought back golf to the Olympics. Tiger woods gets crazy enough with hearing just a camera click, imagine airhorns and whistles in the background! He might just lose it. |
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| imokruok |
| quote: | Originally posted by BadBadNeil
Actually all that whistling came back to bite the fans in that US vs. Greece volleyball match. I don't know if you remember but near the end something in the audience had a whistle and the greek players thought it was an official and the US scored on them in one of the final points of the final game!
The 200M final is tonight, I will have to listen for the boos.
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It was pretty bad tonight too. I just watched the 200m replay, and the booing/whistling of the fans delayed the start for 10 minutes. This one came back to bite them in the ass too. Americans took the gold, silver, and bronze. :D
According to the announcers, the Greeks were pissed that their national hero Kenteris wasn't in the race. Apparently, some Greek papers alleged that the Americans were behind his missed drug test and subsequent withdrawal from the games. I guess the Greeks just can't accept the fact that their national hero is a total -up.
When the games were in Atlanta and Sydney, there was no country-specific booing. Perhaps the Europeans aren't as "civilized" as they want us to believe. Then again, I've never known any Greeks who like the United States. I dated a girl for about 6 months who was the daughter of Greek immigrants. Her whole freaking family (all US citizens) would bad-mouth the US on a constant basis, despite the fact that they chose to live here, and currently make a very good living here...making enough money that they send a lot of it back to support numerous members of their extended family still in Greece.
In other good news, the USA has started to clean house in the medal count. We've got 83 total - the next closest is China with 54. |
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| ierxium |
| quote: | Originally posted by NeoPhono
Sorry if this has been brought up before.
Is it usual in other countries to have the constant whistling and heckling that I hear at the Olympics? When watching the US perform, I'm astounded by both the volume and consistancy of whistling and booing that occurs every time the US is in control. Be it basketball, volleyball or track and field like last night, I can't believe how much "negative" cheering I hear. It seems to me that this is poor sportsmanship on the part of fans and it goes against the whole "brotherhood" the Olympics are suppossed to convey. Then again, maybe this is normal in other parts of the world, but in the United States I have never seen or heard nearly as much fan action against the oppossing team, at least kept up through an entire match. Thoughts? |
Just try to think like a person that is not from the US for a minute. Something should come to mind. Or even try to think that there are more fans of one team in the arena than the other. Therefore, booing will occur. It's sports. Olympics are controversial this time around. I admit that. But it's happening. Competitiveness. Let's just eliminate cheering and booing, wait, aren't those two the same?
| quote: | Originally posted by BadBadNeil
When I watched the olympics in Atlanta I can't recall ANY booing by Americans against foreign people at all during victory, and to me its a shameful display by not only the host country but from what it seems the European countries in general. Booing may be a part of life in everyday sports but in the Olympics where the world is supposed to come together in competitive sport and not have personal agendas against other nations I think it's out of place. |
Well, there's isn't much passion for sports in the US of A. That's a fact. In most sports, I mean.
Extra note: I'm cranky |
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| BadBadNeil |
Yes Very bad again tonight in the 200m. They booed when the American runners where announced and all that booing was rediculous.
If they honestly think its the American's fault for their "prized runner" being a total up then they need some serious help.
I heard that about the Greek papers and was laughing. I guess all the problems in the world can best be summarized as, if its a problem you can't accept blame it on the USA.
I hope China has more respect, although I wonder if Taiwan will be an issue against the US and with China probably getting a boost from home team, they may boo the US once again because they will want the top medal count. I guess we will see in 4. |
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| BadBadNeil |
| quote: | Originally posted by ierxium
Just try to think like a person that is not from the US for a minute. Something should come to mind. Or even try to think that there are more fans of one team in the arena than the other. Therefore, booing will occur. It's sports. Olympics are controversial this time around. I admit that. But it's happening. Competitiveness. Let's just eliminate cheering and booing, wait, aren't those two the same?
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Cheering is directed at the country you like as a show of support.
Booing and jeering in this case isn't directed at the athletes but as a political statement and that is wrong. There is no place for that in the Olympics. It's a fact that they single the USA out and systematically boo them only, no other countries. You have to see it as a person from this country, otherwise you just think of booing as a normal activity.
| quote: |
Well, there's isn't much passion for sports in the US of A. That's a fact. In most sports, I mean.
Extra note: I'm cranky |
I really hate these types of remarks, what about. College football? College basketball? March Madness? Super Bowl? Golf Majors? Baseball? Nascar? Volleyball? Have you ever been here when people are flying flags of their teams on their cars, partying in the streets, having parades for their sports heroes, buying more sports memorabilia than any nation in the world?
Just because we as a nation don't like soccer(futbol) and hockey and don't start riots in stadiums over our favorite teams doesn't mean we aren't passionate about sports. In fact I'd say as a country we like MORE sports than any other nation in the world. Therefore instead of liking just one or two sports we like multiple. If that means we are less passionate then so be it.
You have been watching the Olympics right? If you see the thousands of American flags, the coverage on 4 channels here, and the medal count and still say we aren't a sports oriented country then I don't know what is. |
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| jonze234 |
the booing hasnt just been for the US but anything that the fans have questioned. im not sure if anyone else saw the boxing match when the ref stopped it because the greek boxer had a cut above his eye. the fans went nuts and were hurling half full bottles into the ring trying to hit the ref and the other boxer. it was horrible.
but the olymipcs have always been a chance for countries to make a political statement. i know some of the olympics have been protested in the past (cant remember off the top of my head). theres not much we can do about it except go out there and do our best. i doubt whats going on now is nothing compared to what jesse owens had to go through. so just sit back and enjoy the rest of the games because they are almost over. |
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| imokruok |
| quote: | Originally posted by BadBadNeil
Just because we as a nation don't like soccer(futbol) and hockey and don't start riots in stadiums over our favorite teams doesn't mean we aren't passionate about sports. In fact I'd say as a country we like MORE sports than any other nation in the world. |
No kidding. Just because we don't give two s about metric football and Formula 1 doesn't mean we're not interested in sports. I apologize that our nation is so good at so many other sports. I guess we just need to start focusing our talents so it appears that we're more passionate about the "world" sports. :D |
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| NYGblue |
| quote: | Originally posted by BadBadNeil
Just because we as a nation don't like soccer(futbol) and hockey and don't start riots in stadiums over our favorite teams doesn't mean we aren't passionate about sports. In fact I'd say as a country we like MORE sports than any other nation in the world. Therefore instead of liking just one or two sports we like multiple. If that means we are less passionate then so be it.
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Your argument was great until here. First of all if you have ever been in another country like in Europe or South America? If so you would have gotten first hand experience witnessing the true passion of those sports fans. When it comes to passion US sports doesn't garner half the passion that you get out of sports in other countries.
Is it a good thing? Well its ok from one perspective, from another you get some weirdo creeps that are a bit off the wall.
As for riots you have seen them here in the states. In fact you see stupid like throwing iceballs at NY Giants games and drunk yankee fans beating the out of a hapless Red Sox fan who stumbled into the bleachers section. (these are things I have personally witnessed) This all PALE's in comparison to the old Vet. and the Philadelphia fans in the infamous 700 section. I would like to remind you that there was a JAIL and judge on hand for Eagles games. Conclusion: In America like in other countries some people need to be cut off after 6 beers.
American's take sports more with a grain of salt IMO. Being an American and an avid sports fan I find it rare to run into someone who is truly passionate about their teams and so forth. Again, good or bad? I can't say but it is what it is. |
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| ierxium |
| quote: | Originally posted by BadBadNeil
Cheering is directed at the country you like as a show of support.
Booing and jeering in this case isn't directed at the athletes but as a political statement and that is wrong. There is no place for that in the Olympics. It's a fact that they single the USA out and systematically boo them only, no other countries. You have to see it as a person from this country, otherwise you just think of booing as a normal activity.
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If it was an attempt to make a political statement, the opening ceremony was the perfect set for the booing to take place. Didn't hapen from what I heard. So you see, it's not political. Your team is playing against the US(a dominant force in many sport disciplines, you will boo when it's right. Your team does something good, you cheer. US makes a comeback, you boo. Booing is just cheering in reverse.
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I really hate these types of remarks, what about. College football? College basketball? March Madness? Super Bowl? Golf Majors? Baseball? Nascar? Volleyball? Have you ever been here when people are flying flags of their teams on their cars, partying in the streets, having parades for their sports heroes, buying more sports memorabilia than any nation in the world?
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There is passion is football, truly American. A sport not in the olympics like rugby(I wonder why). You're talking about sports as they reach the final parts of the respective tournament. Of course, there's going to be some hype in that. But that's it. If your team wins, you go out and buy yourself a flag to put in your car to show your team pride(happens everywhere). By the way, it would be interesting to identify the race that gets the most excited about a certain win by a team. When the Los Angeles Lakers won the cup all I saw was Latinos and Blacks, for the most part, out in the streets damaging police cars and so on. I generalized in the last statement. Damn, it came down to race on that. My bad. Baseball: I won't talk about, too complex for me to understand. All I know is that a team blames a bad end to a fan that happens to catch a ball preventing a player to catch the it to avoid a homerun. Wait, I also happen to know that the Angels winning the world series was one of those rare events that would not happen again any time soon. And college sports usually have students who get their stress out (because they just failed an exam or because mom and dad are no longer going to pay for tuition in a private university) by chanting throughout any particular game. And also those famous sorority and fraternity members getting all excited because they know what's going to happen after the game hoping they will drink and get laid or either of those two.
| quote: |
Just because we as a nation don't like soccer(futbol) and hockey and don't start riots in stadiums over our favorite teams doesn't mean we aren't passionate about sports. In fact I'd say as a country we like MORE sports than any other nation in the world. Therefore instead of liking just one or two sports we like multiple. If that means we are less passionate then so be it.
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That's just like saying I like all types of music from pop to polka and from trance to freeform. Stick to a sport and a team. But be sure to know about other sports. Or atleast know enough to hate on them. And the reason the nation likes so many sports is because you have so many people from so many different nations or have roots from other nations don't like playing football or baseball. Luckily, they have a choice, even in futbol which apparently is getting some more fame there. Soccer, as they call it, the only sport where the US gets booed when they play in their country. Every game against Mexico, it happens. In matches like those you can compare the passion.
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You have been watching the Olympics right? If you see the thousands of American flags, the coverage on 4 channels here, and the medal count and still say we aren't a sports oriented country then I don't know what is. |
Yes. People like different sports in the US. Many talented athletes there. Thus, the booing to the Americans and the chanting for the underdogs. Nobody said Americans weren't sports oriented. Americans can do many things, sadly, doing the macarena isn't one. Bush is an example, isn't he?
Edit(as if needed): Passion: A powerful emotion, such as love, joy, hatred, or anger.
Powerful! Or anger(booing, :D ) So passionate you die for your team. But when alive, you boo those who attack your team. It's the way it's supposed to be. |
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