Vonetta Flowers
Bronze Medal Bob-Sledding
Posted on 02/21/2006 11:39:46 AM PST by where's_the_Outrage?
The Winter of Bryant’s Discontent
HBO’s Bryant Gumbel sounded off about the Winter Olympics, finding them deficient in athletic prowess, something he attributed to the lack of black athletes.
“So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world’s greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks that makes the Winter Games look like a GOP convention,” Gumbel said.
Gumbel immediately became the focus of right-wing scolds.
We here at The Blogaroni don’t usually find ourselves providing fodder for such a crowd. However, in this case it’s pretty clear. Gimbel was wrong.
Ten Reasons the Winter Olympics is NOT like a GOP Convention.
1.The Winter Olympics embraces international judging
If the Olympics were like a GOP Convention, the American figure skaters would only permit themselves to be judged by American judges.
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2.France gets cheered at the Winter Olympics
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3.The GOP Convention is just one big downhill event
While the Winter Olympics has more variety.
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4.The Winter Olympics is Gay Friendly
Just look at the outfits. The spandex. The accessories. The last time you saw anybody at a GOP Convention dressed like the average male figure skater, he was holding a protest sign, and standing behind a police barricade across the street from the convention hall.
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5.Winter Olympics goes on for 17 days
GOP Convention just seems that long.
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6.America participates in group activities at the Olympics
If the Winter Olympics were like a GOP Convention, America would sit out the march of nations.
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7.The Competition is tougher at the Winter Olympics
In the Olympics, there are competent adversaries in every event. The GOP conventioneers can breathe easy: all they have to worry about are the Democrats.
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8.Exxon/Mobil is a corporate sponsor of the Winter Olympics
And … uh, oh. Never mind. (This was taken in error from the Top 10 list of How the Winter Olympics is Like a GOP Convention.)
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Let’s try Number 8 again …
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8.We don’t know what’s going to happen in the Winter Olympics
While at the GOP Convention we can count on 9/11 fear mongering.
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9.Lee Greenwood doesn’t get to sing at the Winter Olympics
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10.What the Winners Get
When you win at the Winter Olympics, you get to be the most famous guy in your Scandinavian village. When you win at the GOP Convention, you get to invade Iraq just ‘cause you want to.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment |
Comments By Bill Phillips
February 20, 2006 01:48 PM | Link to this
Five reasons why it’s good that the Winter Olympics are not like a Democatic Convention:
No medals would be handed out for fear that someones feelings might be hurt.
Judges scoring would immediately be challenged by the ACLU.
Fatalities would increase, because invariably Ted Kennedy would end up driving one of the shuttle buses.
The white stuff on the female ice skaters uniforms wouldn’t be ice shavings.
All competitor mishaps would immediately be blamed on the Bush Administration.
By Judge Jolly
February 20, 2006 02:12 PM | Link to this
Reason 11. Dick Cheney would win the marksmanship award at the GOP convention without any competition. The Winter Olympics would bar him from the Polar Bear (Old White Haired Guy) shoot for the beer he drank at lunch.
By Dawn
February 20, 2006 02:18 PM | Link to this
If the Democraps had their way…..there would be no olympics. They do not approve of competition…or GOD forbid…a ‘winner’. Hard work is shunned. Motivation is punished……and encouragment forbidden.
By Blogaroni
February 20, 2006 10:33 PM | Link to this
Very clever, Bill Phillips. You’ve got some flair, my man. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
We had a GOP convention in Philly back in 2000 and the only "people" I remember dressed like the figure skaters were damn hippie liberal protesters.
Hey Bryant...Shani Davis, a black speedskater, has accounted for 14% of the gold medals won by the U.S. He has also accounted for 11% of the total U.S. medal count.
Remember the US basketball team not long ago? From the NBA (Pros?) and mostly black, they got their butts whipped. And basketball is what they do for a living!!!!!
Vonetta Flowers
Bronze Medal Bob-Sledding
More or less like the proportion of Black population in the U.S.
John Kerry would get no medals yet he'd throw away somebody else's medals (or at least the ribbons...)
US Gold medalist Shani Davis
Bryant Gumbel is a victim of being a too white American. His insular thinking has eliminated the possibility from his mind that Carribbean and African nations are less likely to produce world class athletes in Winter sports.
ONLINE POLL help needed if you have 15 seconds to spare Need help with another online poll in NY, please support Sweeney (R) at at http://www.poststar.com/ , poll at bottom right of page.
There was such a paucity of whites, that you'd think you were looking at Howierd Deans DNC wait staff!!
In fact, the US team is actually the most diverse team among all participants.
Ramsey Clark would be lead attorney for the Austrian team while Al Gore would snuff out the Olympic torch to prevent Global Warming.
Of course of a white sports analyst/reporter made a statement about the superiority of black athletes Gumbel and his ilk would be accusing him of perpetuating racist stereotypes.
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