After Atalanta

If you have not gotten over Chicago's early-round loss on the Olympic site voting, well, in the words of Nike (who will certainly be a presence in Brazil) just do it. I, personally, was glad the US did not get another games so early on. And that South America (as in the whole continent!) has never had a hosting opportunity seemed wrong. I have to admit, though, that I was a little concerned about potential human rights issues, primarily the ousting of poor people from their homes to make way for various Olympic venues. But it's not as if every country has and has had in the past it's issues with human rights. This is why Human Rights Watch has asked the IOC to find a way to monitor the potential abuses of host nations. These issues arose, of course, in Beijing. They are anticipated on Sochi and, well, as I said--no country is acting angelic these days. (Perhaps ever, but that's a discussion for another time.)

I could have blogged incessantly about the Olympics and all the issues about gender (and I do still have a few things to say--but later), but I had some issues about giving the Olympics too much attention given all the controversies over the games. I'm disappointed that the American media failed to address the issues of human rights and animal abuse once the games began; as well as the things that went largely undiscussed--how the government made sure there was enough water in Beijing by taking it from the country, greatly affecting the people who live there. I share the concern by some that once the media and tourists vacate, seeing that it got away with little protest the things it got away with, that the government will continue to engage in abusive behavior. I would say, "we shall see." But we probably won't. I have heard that the coverage provided by other nations was a little more attentive but in some respects those media are preaching to the choir given the se...

I started this post a few weeks ago and just hadn't finished it. But Justine Henin's recent comments about politics and sport got me back to it. This article was focused on her complaint lodged with the WTA over Yuri Sharapov's cutting of the throat gesture during Henin's match against Maria Sharapova. Interesting story in itself though it seems nothing will come of it--officially that is. Though I have to imagine that Larry Scott WTA CEO will be having a chat with Sharapov about his courtside behavior. But the second half is about Henin's recent comments that Olympics athletes should not involve themselves with the debate over human rights issues in China. "Politics and sport must remain separate" she said. She said she will be focusing on defending her gold medal and other Olympians should be equally focused on the "job" at hand which is being an athlete. What kind of blinders are athletes wearing that allows them not to see how thoroughly entw...