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The wrong example USOC won't forget actions of U.S. track team in Sydney
Oh, good. It seems the United States Olympic Committee has made a top priority of educating Olympians on how to behave properly when they win medals Presumably, this will include ramrod-straight posture, a somber expression and, late in the national anthem, the shedding of one, solitary tear, which will roll beautifully down the cheek and fall into the air. Videotape of the tear can be shown in highlight montages throughout the Games and as part of Bud Greenspan documentaries. The impetus for this action was apparently the behavior of the United States men's gold medal-winning 4x100-meter relay team last September in Sydney. To review: Jon Drummond, Bernard Williams, Brian Lewis and 100-meter gold medalist and world record holder Maurice Greene won the race. Then they toured Stadium Australia in a long celebration that included three of them (not Greene) stripping to the waist, and two of them (Lewis and Williams) fashioning a couple of the many flags they were handed into turbans and capes. Stateside, some people viewed this entire scene as unpatriotic and blasphemous. I was in Sydney that night. When I first saw the relay guys celebrating I thought it was a little much, but I resisted the urge to condemn it, fearing that it was just my inner fuddy-duddyness overwhelming my inner cool. In that week's issue of Sports Illustrated, I called the display juvenile, over-the-top and harmless. I still feel that way. I have seen Drummond strip to the waist and pose for crowds dozens of times. Track fans generally love it, and Drummond is as sweet a guy as you'll ever meet. Greene got lots of the blame, but did little that should have been considered offensive Williams and Lewis had never been on such a large stage and got a bit carried away. I emphasize slightly. The four of them sang the national anthem raucously and with smiles and laughter. This is a bad thing? Expressing joy at hearing the national anthem? Isn't this the way we're supposed to feel? Back in early March, I talked to the members of the Sydney Four and found all of them to be a combination of apologetic for having offended anybody (military veterans, in particular) and baffled that there had been such a negative response. Clearly, these guys knew they had gone a little too far, but they hadn't intended to hurt anyone and they definitely hadn't intended to disrespect the flag. All of them mentioned trying to keep the flag from touching the ground. They had endured a ton of controversy in the months leading to the Games and won a pressurized race and they were happy. Period. I concluded that, in my opinion, it was time to leave them alone. The whole thing was overblown. Now the USOC, in all its wisdom, has chosen to publicly keep the issue alive and further pillory the Sydney Four. There's talk of distributing a videotape of their actions as an example of the wrong way to behave. This, from an organization that's still climbing out from under the biggest scandal in Olympic history. This, after four guys showed some genuine passion during a Games that tanked in television ratings, underscoring the fact that the Olympics is no longer Must See TV for the American public. So, says the USOC, let's make them more antiseptic. Here's something to think about. Pundits seeking an image to encapsulate the Sydney Four's behavior described the picture of Henry Kissinger -- statesman and scholar -- hanging medals around the necks of these disrespectful delinquents. Did they even know who he was? What he represented? Well, they did. In the basement of the stadium, just before the medal ceremony, Kissinger approached Drummond, who was standing quietly with Greene and their manager, Emanuel Hudson. Kissinger walked stoically up to Drummond, then suddenly smiled and raised his arms in a muscleman's pose, mimicking Drummond's celebratory act. Then he laughed out loud and shook Drummond's hand. Kissinger got it. Why can't the USOC? Sports Illustrated senior writer Tim Layden covers track and field for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com. Click here to send him a question or comment.
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