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You know, the sad thing is, for most people (and I emphasize most) don't have an issue with the right to protest.  Raven Saunders stepped off the medals platform after receiving her silver and made a protest gesture which she later explained in an interview.  Agree with her take or not, I believe she has a right to make her statement of protest after she was respectful during the medals ceremony.  She still has a platform for her message and that message doesn't get lost in a bunch of back and forth rhetoric about respect for the country that afforded you the opportunity to complete for medals.

Of course, athletes have a right to protest in any manner they see fit, even if it results in fines and sanctions.  I just think your protest message gets lost in the noise when you choose to make disrespectful displays against the flag and national anthem for the country who provides so much freedom and opportunity.  

Edited by FKIM01
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33 minutes ago, dgambill said:

I really don't want this to get too political or to denigrate anyone and their views so I won't argue with anyone but this is just my view from watching them over the past 5-6 years.  I honestly think this team holds on to their vocal leaders and past stars much too long. You have certain players lifted up being the face of the the team and women's movement that honestly have been surpassed by younger ladies coming up and I don't think we fielded our best team. I have no proof but it seems certain agendas and promoting certain voices trumped what the team is to represent (best of American women's soccer). It's not just canceling those that don't agree with their movements the leaders on the team and inside the organization want to promote like a few years ago pushing out players like Jaelene Hinkle https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7237053/Christian-soccer-player-Jaelene-Hinkle-allegedly-cut-U-S-national-team-religious-beliefs.html  but maybe keeping on and lifting up certain players that voice and represent those views over simply other more qualified women who haven't built their social platform etc to the level of some others. 

I think if those running it would be honest they have let players remain around much past their best by date. The team needs a total refresh and a lot of the old guard needs to be moved on and the team needed to promote younger more talented ladies. However, I think they fear the backlash and movements that many of these older players are voicing and the inevitable push back that would come with it. At this point I'm not sure the culture around the team is very healthy...from the equal pay lawsuits to the social agendas things are becoming about anything but representation of the best women for the best country in the world.

Glad to see that you didn't get too political.   😂

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21 minutes ago, jv1972iu said:

Glad to see that you didn't get too political.   😂

😂 I know his dilemma...it's really hard to discuss political protests in sports without...getting political.

Maybe the coach in the linked article really DID make the call to cut the Christian player strictly on soccer, but that could also include considerations of varying beliefs causing dissention among the team.  Based on what we saw in Tokyo, it's hard to imagine that there isn't still something mental whether dissention or just distraction causing subpar play at the Olympics.  At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if they lose the bronze medal match as well.  They just don't look in sync at all.

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4 minutes ago, FKIM01 said:

😂 I know his dilemma...it's really hard to discuss political protests in sports without...getting political.

Maybe the coach in the linked article really DID make the call to cut the Christian player strictly on soccer, but that could also include considerations of varying beliefs causing dissention among the team.  Based on what we saw in Tokyo, it's hard to imagine that there isn't still something mental whether dissention or just distraction causing subpar play at the Olympics.  At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if they lose the bronze medal match as well.  They just don't look in sync at all.

Yes....all I was trying to say is I think there are voices stronger than the rest in the organization...and even if it isn't exactly distracting the team it could be having an underlying effect where instead of just playing the sport and lifting each other up it can be devisive and then also the organization can fear making changes by moving on from these more vocal players on the team who have been lifted up because of their political/social stances when it is becoming clear that maybe they are past their best days on the pitch and the team should be shifting to younger more talented women but fear the repricussions. Yes I don't want to get political but the Women's team has made it almost impossible to discuss them without that being a part of the story. I just want to discuss it in such a way as to not devalue what they feel or stand for but also show there can be harmful consequences to the team like how the other girl was cut (and this was a few years ago but are there others blackballed if they feel similarly or don't agree to take a knee etc??). Your not being very inclusive if you don't leave room or want to include those that don't think/feel the same way or don't want to take up the same causes that you do. 

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1 hour ago, TheWatShot said:

I think they just never got acclimated to Tokyo's time zone. Three of their games started at 4 a.m EST. They lost two of them and tied in the other, failing to score in all three. I know it's probably more fun to think they were too busy planning their next protest to focus on winning, but I think the time change was a pretty big factor. 

The team that beat them was from Canada, our neighbors, how did they adjust but the USA couldn't.

Edited by Hoosier51
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7 minutes ago, bluegrassIU said:

Can not underestimate the Turks here. 

 

Screenshot_20210802-135515_Chrome.thumb.jpg.7bfe46fe6fc8801e27e99906d61ce7dc.jpg

Due to economic collapse/issues in the 70's Turkish people could no longer afford coffee (which was widely popular in almost every social setting etc. While tea was reserved typically social elites for special parties and rituals coffee was by far the drink of choice for people. When coffee was banned from import during this time of economic hardship the local tea grown in the country which was much cheaper took it's place. Much later after the economy recovered tea was so cheap that even when coffee was imported again the people didn't change back. Tea in Turkey is every bit a part of daily life or more so than even in England.

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56 minutes ago, FKIM01 said:

You know, the sad thing is, for most people (and I emphasize most) don't have an issue with the right to protest.  Raven Saunders stepped of the medals platform after receiving her silver and made a protest gesture which she later explained in an interview.  Agree with her take or not, I believe she has a right to make her statement of protest after she was respectful during the medals ceremony.  She still has a platform for her message and that message doesn't get lost in a bunch of back and forth rhetoric about respect for the country that afforded you the opportunity to complete for medals.

Of course, athletes have a right to protest in any manner they see fit, even if it results in fines and sanctions.  I just think your protest message gets lost in the noise when you choose to make disrespectful displays against the flag and national anthem for the country who provides so much freedom and opportunity.  

I'm all for protesting...I just think it is important to be congnicent of the manner and audience in which I am protesting if I believe I'm going to have the desired effect of winning hearts and minds or at least bringing attention to my cause. For instance I went down to the local school board meeting to protest some policy issues I felt was important. I didn't shout down or interrupt anyone etc just chose to hand out information outside the event to those that were interested. I'm not saying this is the only or correct way to do it but I think it went over very well based on the reception of what we were voicing our opinion on and how we went about it as opposed to possibly a different way in a different location that might annoy or upset people just trying to go on about their normal day or interrupting people trying to get to work or have dinner etc. Anyways...I know there is context to these things so I also understand having the biggest platform to get your message out to the most people is also meaningful and sometimes controversy can also bring more attention...so however it is done I suppose it can be argued which might be the most effective way to get support or spark change....and yes some might have the opposite effect where people would like to be supportive but how you go about communicating and the place and time you do it can turn people off too.

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5 hours ago, bluegrassIU said:

Protesting is tricky in tea sports. No way a group of 10 plus people all have the same views on complex issues.

Once you start getting political in a team sport, you are almost guaranteed to cause some divisiveness and harsh feelings. Whether they are verbalized or not.

 

Agree, and I’m embarrassed to say it bc I’ve always been patriotic, but I didn’t give a hoot whether the women’s soccer team won. Sick and tired of listening to their garbage. 

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I will say this, I never knew who this dyed haired way to skinny Megan Rapi whatever her name is was until taking the knee. Total attention EDIT.

But I remember when the women's soccer team didn't suck and Hottie Mia Hamm took her jersey top off to celebrate victory.  

I'm tired of activist athletes.  

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30 minutes ago, mrflynn03 said:

I will say this, I never knew who this dyed haired way to skinny Megan Rapi whatever her name is was until taking the knee. Total attention EDIT.

But I remember when the women's soccer team didn't suck and Hottie Mia Hamm took her jersey top off to celebrate victory.  

I'm tired of activist athletes.  

That was Brandi Chastain on the same team, but yeah...Mia Hamm was the star of the show.  Chastain's reaction was spontaneous and full of joy...I loved it.  So what if the world saw her sports bra...we all knew how excited she was to win.

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Megan Rapinoe and her allies on the team and association can have any political views they want. I don't think anybody really has a problem with that.

The problem is that the Megan Rapinoe wing took the US women's team, hijacked it, and made it all about her and her political views.

Everybody else on the team was clearly under pressure to fall in line. 

Another issue is that the women's team holds on  to there veterans for far too long. Half of this team is over 30. Rapinoe is 36 and coming off the bench, Long is 39. 

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To bring back positivity....this is kind of what the spirit of the games means to me...you see this stuff every 4 years and I appreciate it. Of course I love Caleb Dressell and Gold domination...but there are also these stories that hopefully don't get buried in all the negativity too.

https://www.voanews.com/tokyo-olympics/us-botswana-runners-fall-800m-help-each-other-finish

"I'm super blessed because not a lot of people got to be here. I have to live in that moment, not the moment that just happened," the 24-year-old runner from California said. "I'm able to go on to this stage and show you guys that this is me. That's what I want to continue to do, to show who I am. If it wasn't today, I'll try again tomorrow. That's not going to stop me from trying to be a hero."

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On 7/27/2021 at 7:52 PM, btownqb said:

She's the biggest Olympic athlete since Phelps... of course this was going to cause a whirlwind. 

I don't think she's some scum or anything like that at all... incredible person and an incredible athlete. 

But, she's still not above criticism. 

She's also not above praise. Congrats on your performance last night, Ms. Biles!

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