Wednesday, May 28, 2008

stop protesting me!

So a group has been protesting the US Olympic Committee for a few days about our involvement in the Olympic Games in Beijing. Maybe 4 or 5 people. I think the peak was 10 a few days ago. They stand outside the training center with some signs and they yell at tourists. Good stuff. Very effective. So they've attracted the attention of a big group of hippies in Denver, and are now determined to free Tibet by keeping me from working out. So today or tommorow (no one's too sure) there are 4 busloads of stinky hippies headed down from Denver to engage in "Political Action" against the USOC. The offshoot of this is that security at the center has gone into critical lockdown mode, and non-residents are stopped at the gate and turned around. That means me. That means even Des (the national team coach) couldn't get in today.

First off, I agree that China has a habit of doing some pretty nasty shit to innocent people. This sucks. So in order to fix things, a bunch of yuppies come down to the Springs to try and shut down a proccess that's already 2 years past the administrative point of no return. They protest the athletes that aren't even going to Beijing from working towards a goal. Why protest those of us that are trying to do something with our lives? Wouldn't a better target be the massive Wal-Mart/K-Mart/Target style corporations that fuel the Chinese economy and essentially fund the atrocities that these people are protesting? Nah. That probably wouldn't get them on the news...

As athletes, we're meant to be apolitical in competition. The Olympics have never been about making a statement. It has always been about putting political, religious, idealogical and all our other differences on the back burner for a week to engage in the highest level of sport and competition. It's unfortunate for the athletes that the Olympics are becoming a political tool, but in this world I suppose it's unavoidable.

Are these same people protesting soccer games in response to US run military torture prisons in Egypt and Cuba? Did they boycott football games when we sold weapons to Iran to fund terrorist activities in Nicaragua, or supported genocidal maniacs like Augusto Pinochet? It doesn't make sense.

DT

6 comments:

/ jl.clark // said...

Great post DT. Keep fighting the fight. Not long ago you were a Rapha Roller Race champ fighting the likes of messenger kids in pink undies... these folks are no match.

Anonymous said...

Do they understand? They'd have to read a book first. They're too busy gettin stoned and moochin off their buds to understand...

Just keep working hard and stay focused on your goals. Come up to AVC blazing fast and take the Canadians to school.

Unknown said...

OK DT. In order to enjoy our good life, let's keep kowtowing to that NOT-SO-GOOD Communist regime as long as it can supply us cheap goods & huge cash deposits in our banks & T-notes so we continue our wars here & there!

For that I would join you to salute:

Viva Communists & Good life for the Free World!

To hell with Democracy, Justice, Liberty, This-&-That Rights,.....!!!

Anonymous said...

KL, you are one of those hippie bud moochers aren't you? Read the post over again or better yet go read a book and stop hassling athletes, if you want to make a difference go boycott Wal Mart .

Nerdthaniel said...

it's times like these dean...these moments of political and idealogical unrest and turmoil that we should remember the wisdom of one of the moistachios founding fathers. his sage thoughts ring down through history...dude, pussy's for fuckin.

Anonymous said...

At least the protests are bringing attention to the cause. I'm against boycotting the olympics, but there are heaps of people that have no idea about human rights violations in China, and any education (via media attention) on that is a step in the right direction.