US athletes warned not to wave the U.S. flag

[Administrator]

American athletes have been warned not to wave the U.S. flag during their medal celebrations at this summer's Olympic Games in Athens, for fear of provoking crowd hostility and harming the country's already-battered public image.

The spectacle of victorious athletes grabbing a national flag and parading it around the stadium is a familiar part of international sporting competition, but U.S. Olympic officials have ordered their 550-strong team to exercise restraint and avoid any jingoistic behavior.

The plan is part of a charm offensive aimed at repairing the country's international reputation after the deepening crisis in Iraq and damaging revelations of the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. forces at the Abu Ghraib prison.


Link

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I'm gonna play my fiddle and sing about the little man
I'm gonna wave these stars and stripes everytime I can

I'm gonna keep my guns
Have my fun
Call them just the way I see

It's a brand new word
But I'm still the same ol' me

[Administrator]

[TexasBlue]

I do not agree with that at all. That is )(&%&*%#$&
and ()*^*%^. (and more of it)

If the America flag should not be waved by our people, then our people should not be there.

Further, the other countries flags should NOT-NOT-NOT-NOT-NOT be allowed, period.

This is like an admit of guilt or something. We are still the country saving another country. I hope non of our atheltics show up.

What kind of Olympics would they have then.

It would be like the NIT.

[TexasBlue]

Spam---This makes me mad. Now my blood pressure is going way up. Don't feel well now.

See what you've done.

[TexasBlue]

EXCUSE ME!!!!!!!!!
This is bull.

It is the other countries that should be going out of there way to not piss us off. Period.

[TexasBlue]

Spam, you've really done it now.
Send Ashley now please.

[kyblueintenn]

Im gonna fly my flag until they pry it from my cold , stiff hands ! If In were the athletes, no flag, no me !

[BlueCat]

All of the above!

[Seattlekat]

Warn me all you want!!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!!!

I will fly and wave MY flag wherever and whenever - I so desire!!!!!

The other countries can just "kiss me where the sun don't shine.!!"

[MyBlueHeaven]

Hey, somebody clear this story up for me. Who issued the warning? I haven't heard anyone say.

Was it the Olympic Commission, our national leaders, the reverend Jesse Jackson, Susan Sarandon, "Hanoi Jane" Fonda, Babs Streisand....who?

[Seattlekat]

"American athletes find themselves in extraordinary circumstances in Athens in relation to the world as we know it right now," said Mike Moran, a veteran former spokesman for the United States Olympic Committee who has been retained as a consultant to advise athletes how to behave." Quoted from the thread story!!

This was taken from the Link - on the first post - at the statrt of this thread!!!!