From: ronnie@uts.amdahl.com (Ronnie Townsend)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro
Subject: Re: American athletes and the Olympics
Date: 13 Aug 92 04:03:00 GMT
Organization: Amdahl Corporation, Sunnyvale CA

In article <5698@osc.COM> ashwin@osc.osc.com (Ashwin Honkan) writes:
>
>In article <1992Aug7.153205.3231@HQ.Ileaf.COM>  raczka@HQ.Ileaf.COM 
>(Christopher Raczka) writes:  
>> I am suprised that some folks appear rather naive has to how
>> the rest of the Worlds athletes view American athletes
>
>I am afraid the naivete is on your part. The world loves great athletes no
>matter their country of origin. The Edwin Moseses and Sergei Bubkas of this
>world are revered everywhere.

Well as an avid follower of T&F I can tell you that Edwin took more than his 
share of flak for "ducking" guys to preserve his streak.  Not that the claim 
held any water but it did come. 
>
>> For many years the Olympics have always had low-lights of
>> American athletes being interferred with by foreign athletes;
>> and no one can deny this unless they live in a cave;
>> The past incident that stands out most is Zola Budd
>> spiking and tripping Mary Decker
>
>The worst example you could have chosen. After Mary Decker Slaney tripped
>and stumbled and blamed it on Zola Budd, several replays clearly showed that 
>it wasn't Zola's fault. Even the overly patriotic commentators agreed with
>that opinion. I attended that event at the '84 Olympics and it confirmed
>my opinion of Mary Decker as a poor sport and a whiner. It may surprise you
>to know that Mary Decker was banned from international competition for 2-4
>years for throwing a baton at a USSR runner in a relay race. It may also
>interest you to know that Pattisue Plumer, the US entry in 1500m and 3000m
>at Barcelona, was considering giving her spot in the 1500m to Mary when Mary
>failed to qualify at the Olympic trials, but changed her mind when, for no
>apparent reason, Mary told reporters that 'I bet Pattisue hates me'. Plumer
>went on to say that Mary is perhaps the most disliked (American) athlete, 
>even in her own country.
>
>The Zola-Mary duel was hyped up, as usual, by the press when neither of them
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

No argument here! 

>should have been considered a favourite. Mary, while being an undisputed
>US champion for all intermediate distances, holds NO world records and
>Marcicia Puica, the Romanian who ended winning both the 1500m and 3000m at
>LA in '84, should have been the favourite. But I suppose being an American
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Even after Mary D.S. took the double in the '83 worlds?  Your anti-Mary D. 
bias is showing. 

>
>I must say that much of the 'Ugly American' image the world seems to have
>comes from the Mary Deckers and Bob Samuelsons and Gwen Torrences. However, 
>I am happy that for each one of these poor sports, there are ten Evelyn 
>Ashfords, Jackie-Joyners and Matt Biondis from the same country who are as 
>graceful in victory as they are in defeat.

Here here... on this point at least .

or is it "Hear Hear?" 



-- 
Ronnie
-------------------------------------------------------------
I'm not cynical... I just don't believe in anything....


Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro