“Support Our Troops” slogan falls foul of Olympic rules
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Trouble is brewing over United States ice hockey goalie Jonathan Quick and the “Support Our Troops” slogan on his helmet. Slogans of this sort are banned under Olympic rules and Quick will be told to remove it, the International Ice Hockey Federation has told Reuters.
Ryan Miller has also been told to remove the slogan “Miller Time” from his helmet while the third American netminder Tim Thomas had already placed a sticker over a slogan on his mask for the Vancouver Winter Olympics.
IOC rules forbid political propoganda or advertisements being placed on equipment. “If the players don’t agree with the interpretation they can ask the USOC (United States Olympic Committee) to petition the IOC.”
Miller said he had agreed to remove “Miller Time”, which is also a popular beer company slogan, but might fight to keep “Matt Man”, a tribute to a dead friend from being taken off his helmet.
What do you think? Should athletes be allowed to carry personal or political messages on their clothing or equipment at the Olympic Games? Or is the IOC right to keep such messages out of the Games?
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Russia the best, we will win this olympiad http://magazine.joomag.com/Vancouver_201 0_winter_olympics_21/291
Let’s see. The Taiwanese delegation is not allowed to march under their own flag during the opening ceremonies. It might offend mainland China. Right, the IOC doesn’t want politics mixed into the games.
To Aunt Bea:
No accolades for tyrants or tyrannical initiatives ought be allowed. Otherwise, anything goes.
Afterthought: If the Olympics had been held on June 6, 1944, and a contestant had “Hitler is a miserable piece of camel dung” on his helmet, would you have objected? (Gee, why do I believe your answer is “yes”?
Aunt_Bea,
No, I wouldn’t object to that at all. Every culture should support their warriors and consider themselves lucky that men exist willing to the dirty work that is necessary from time to time.
OK now its time get our troops, I mean athletes, out of Vancouver and BRING THEM HOME, NOW!
Screw the I.O.C. and everything they stand for. Nothing but a bunch of politically correct hacks The I.O.C. is as corrupt as any organization on the face of the earth. Compared to the I.O.C., Idi Amin looks like the Easter Bunny!
While I have little respect for the IOC as an institution I believe that this rule is probably necessary.
And KUDOS to JonesC and sci: The IOC poobahs are of the same, sempering nature as Ayn Rand’s Ellsworth Toohey (The Fountainhead).
If truth be known, those poobahs probably influenced the Nobel Committee to give prizes to Al Gore (greatest flim-flammer in history), and Comrade-Tsar Barack Obama (who did what? who had accomplished what?).
Thank goodness for the high ethics of the Olympians!
Stop and think a minute before spouting off. The olympics are about sports.
Keep army and political slogans out of it.
If you can’t understand why, then you aren’t really thinking it all through.
I’m not an olympic supporter, but I DO believe that we should ONLY show off our countries name and flag.
If you really support the “support our troops” sticker… then why are you playing “games” against the countries that your own country is at war with? and killing the civillians of?
Note: I really wonder what idiotic comments will be made about my own musings here?
So what’s the point of the issue being made? If “support our troops” makes our viewers more patriotic-minded, where’s the harm in that? I can’t believe it would increase reaction any more than our flag or “Team USA” on a helmet would. As for Iran – well, it’s not likely that many of their people travelled to Vancouver for the games so if they had that slogan on their helmets, it’s doubtful it would impact the crowds too awfully much. Especially since it’d be in a language most people can’t read. About “it’s Miller time” – even that is not offensive whether taken as a beer commerical OR a player’s name. It’s not like everyone’s going to leave the stands for a beer and those that would were already beer lovers to start with. Are they picking on Team USA? Or are we the only ones who dared to challenge the rules? In any case, I’m tired of being politically correct. I say, let’s raise some heck!
Trust the lowlife Yankee warmongers to bring this crap to the olympics.
Get rid of those stupid flags too.
Both are an insult to the olympic tradition of amateur sport.
We “LOWLIFE YANKEE WARMONGERS” as you put it have managed to keep you from having to speak German, Japanese, and so far, Arabic. So Peacenikguy, how about you stop swallowing the koolaid and start being a free thinker and do a little research into the real world instead of being one of the brainwashed masses.
If you want to allow “pro-American” slogans, then you should also want to allow “anti-American” slogans.
Maybe athletes from other countries can have -No blood for oil- or -USA out of Iraq- on their uniforms?
THOUGH I DO BELIEVE IN FREEDOM OF SPEECH, THE OLYMPIC RULES WERE SET IN PLACE BEFORE THE GAMES STARTED. IF ANYONE WANTED TO PETITION THE IOC ABOUT ANY RULES INTERPRETATIONS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE BEFORE THE GAMES STARTED. SO, GUYS, COVER UP THOSE HELMETS AND GO BY THE RULES.. EVEN THOUGH THE HELMETS LOOK FANTASTIC.
Kevin – The “Matt Man” on Ryan Miller’s mask is actualy a tribute to his cousin Matt Schoals who died from complications from a bone marrow transplant to treat Leukemia in 2007. They were very very close.
Ryan Miller and his dad Dean started a charity called the Steadfast Foundation which supports canacer patients and their families.
If they make him take “Matt Man” off, I think he walks out of the Olympics. And I say good for him.
Why not pull out of the Olymics and see how the IOC gets along then. Talk about political, look at the scoring. If that isn’t political what is? Let the games just die without US support.
Of course they should not be allowed to display political messages on their equipment. The idea is to keep out all displays of politics and nationalism except to wear the flag and to compete in the name of their country which is enough.
Gee, next thing you know the IOC will require all women competitors wear burkas. That will be a real hit with the skiers and figure skaters. This is all absurd PC gone mad. I can understand commercial prohibitions after all, they are supposed to be amateurs, but the rest is getting out of hand.
The original Olympics in Greece were fights to the death. Maybe we should reinstate that rule.
Wounded Warrior
Let me get this right here…BOTH brave men and women of the US and Canadian Armed forced died or were badly wounded (like me as I have already been told I will die from complications of my injuries, even so I am so very proud that I could serve in the 101 Airborne Rangers 22nd CB {Combat} Unit that has since been rolled into the ever famous Night Stalkers Unit {160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment})and we cannot show brotherhood and support to our fellow brothers and sisters in cammo??!! These athletes should do it anyway and both the US AND Canada should support them and tell the IOC to go f&Ck themselves!! If it wasnt for the US and Canada, these self delusional morons would be speaking either German or Russian or be dead when Hitler and Stalin did one of their “purges”. So if these non fighting nimrods want to play this way, lets just pull out all our troops and equipment-level all building on the base and salt the earth so it cant be used for anything and cut them off from our “donations” and then DEMAND they repay ALL the loans that we gave them in WW1 and WW2 with interest or we seize all their bank accounts and property in the US and Canada until they do. Not to mention that we tell the Taiwanese delegation that they can proudly fly their flag and if China dont like it…tough too damn bad! Maybe the Chinese should stop stealing from every country and pirating it. But this would take a “set” and that is something that our Present Congress and ‘Annointed Leader’ in the White House just dont have.Wounded Warrior
Let me get this right here…BOTH brave men and women of the US and Canadian Armed forced died or were badly wounded (like me as I have already been told I will die from complications of my injuries, even so I am so very proud that I could serve in the 101 Airborne Rangers 22nd CB {Combat} Unit that has since been rolled into the ever famous Night Stalkers Unit {160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment})and we cannot show brotherhood and support to our fellow brothers and sisters in cammo??!! These athletes should do it anyway and both the US AND Canada should support them and tell the IOC to go f&Ck themselves!! If it wasnt for the US and Canada, these self delusional morons would be speaking either German or Russian or be dead when Hitler and Stalin did one of their “purges”. So if these non fighting nimrods want to play this way, lets just pull out all our troops and equipment-level all building on the base and salt the earth so it cant be used for anything and cut them off from our “donations” and then DEMAND they repay ALL the loans that we gave them in WW1 and WW2 with interest or we seize all their bank accounts and property in the US and Canada until they do. Not to mention that we tell the Taiwanese delegation that they can proudly fly their flag and if China dont like it…tough too damn bad! Maybe the Chinese should stop stealing from every country and pirating it. But this would take a “set” and that is something that our Present Congress and ‘Annointed Leader’ in the White House just dont have.
I am a retired Navy Captain who served for 25 years. While I appreciate the sentiment expressed, and the support given by these fine young people, I have no problem with such slogans being banned. The flag says enough about who we are; I am happy with that and proud whenever I see it being raised after a victory.
What I do find ironic however is that there was a time when the Eastern Block nations in particular used to have professional teams or individual athletes in what were supposed to be amateur sports. What dodge did they use to foist this scam upon the nations of the West? Simple, the basketball and ice hockey teams, as well as weight lifters, wrestlers, boxers, etc. were all members of the Soviet Army or of the army of whatever other puppet state one cared to name. In exchange for wearing the military uniform once in a blue moon, they got a paycheck, three hots and a cot, and the finest, and often trickiest, trainers in the world and all the time they needed to master their events. That fact used to be broadcast far and wide and no one ever uttered a peep.
Truth be told; I haven’t watched the Olympics, either Summer or Winter since ABC last broadcast them. Keith Jackson et al. had that thing down to a fine science with programming, much of it live, all day. Many were the summer days when I and my friends would gather around the tube to watch some huge Russian guy clean and jerk about a bazillion pounds, and then we bunch of scrawny 14-year olds would hit the weight room and the track in hopes of being the next Bruce Jenner. Now days, other than the tragic death of that young man from Georgia as the video went viral instantaneously, I rather doubt many young people are even aware of the games, and can’t be bothered to lift anything heavier than their laptop.
First of all, let’s remember that the games are for amatures. Second of all it is to bring countries closer to each other through competitive sports. And the third would be a question to all: WHAT WOULD JESUS DO? And I guess a final word would be, if in doubt, don’t wear it. Other than memorials to some atheletes that accidently get killed going to, during and coming home after the Olympics, keep the slogans to the countries you represent. And all just remember, it’s this country we live in, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA , that makes these games possible, as we are known to all as the peace makers of the world. Right? And of course, all comments on this is welcomed.
Ha! Now the Olympic Committee is trying to play the “We are so pure of heart, we shun all commercialism and dedicated to amateur sport. This position brought to you by McDonald’s, the offical fattie burger of the Olympics”.
All the talk above about amateur sport and pureness has been irrlevant since the 1960′s. Even Hitler in 1936 realized that the OC is easily overrun by political stridence if you pay them enough.
Link: http://www.vancouver2010.com/more-2010-i nformation/about-vanoc/sponsors-and-part ners/vancouver-2010-sponsors/
If I’m not mistaken, the original Olympians wore nothing.
CanadaWest: I didn’t realize that the Taliban or Al Qaeda had a Hockey team, let alone athletes in the Olympics. But go on thinking that we’re at war with the Iraqi PEOPLE and the Afghanistan PEOPLE. Nope. We’re fighting against the twerps that would love to see you dead. And guess what? Your Canadian troops are helping out in Afghanistan. I guess you should go hang your head in shame.
Wounded Warrior
And to ANY snobbish European IOC moron that wants to try and DARE tell me I cannot honor my country??? Man up and come to NW Ohio in the US and tell me to my face instead of being a pansy and hiding behind a keyboard. You want to try it and I will be more then happy to give you my address in Toledo Ohio so you can try it. But make sure you bring proof of an update in your medical history insurance as you are gonna need it. I didnt learn hand to hand from Delta Force-Mossad and ROK Instructors while in the military for nothing. Come to think of it, maybe you had better bring back up as well! And dont even think for a moment that my injuries have slowed me any as I am more dangerous on my worst day then you are on your best with backup. So you want to tell me I cannot support my Country? Well as Clint Eastwood said in Dirty Harry “C’mon Punk…Make my day.”
Shows you that our rights as American citizens are not accepted by all or provided to citizens of other countries. All the more reason to Support Our Troops!
I’d pull out the Gadsden “Don’t Tread On Me” flag and parade it around the ice after our last game along with the Stars and Stripes.
GO U.S. ARMED FORCES! KICK BUTT!
Apparently, Peacenikguy believes the squeaky-clean Olympics is an amateur sport. China wins the gold because she sends totally professional “amateurs” to compete, unfairly. They have been groomed since birth to be the best of the best, and as a consequence, they win. Compared to a helmet sticker, that is totally bogus politically “correct” horsehockey. Get a grip, Peacenikguy.
Hush…..you are a government employee and you are told what to do. The soldiers who “kept us from speaking german” where a whole different breed. They were actually protecting this country. They don’t all have “post traumatic stress disorder and have fits of uncontrollable crying and attacking normal civilians. You guys are an embarrasment. Now the USA is like the new self appointed Roman Legions with their self rightous tentacles EVERYWHERE in the World (130 different countries). Don’t go kill women and children for me. And keep your pro war slogans off the Olympic helmets. I’m sure you and the Bill O Reilly’s of this once great country would love to see some guy with his Che Guevera sticker on his helmet so you could start a fight and ruin the Olympics. Thank you for your service and sacrafice, but don’t shove it down my throat. I would NEVER let my kid serve under this corrupt government. The Afghanis used to love Americans….not anymore…..thanks!
Those politically correct morons at the IOC need to lighten up.
The IOC is a political tool and has been from its inception. Its members prefer to follow in the UN’s footsteps. Much like the judging of the figure skating competitions. If they are getting kickbacks from your country, you will win.
I would tell the IOC to pound salt and go to the games with my head held high and the logo intact. The IOC can go to H*ll and so can anyone who pitches a b*itch about this!
I think the only reason IOC banning political statement, to make Olympics an even ground for every countries.
IOC stands for International Olympic Committee not USOC or any other acronyms.
I’m sorry folks, but bumper stickers and slogans of “Support Our Troops” are pathetic anyway, and have no place in the Olympics. If you REALLY support the troops, get out of your laz-e-boy chair and enlist. Get yourself to Iraq and Afghanistan and support the troops. If Quick thinks that blocking a hockey puck is supporting the troops, he is delusional, as is anyone sporting a bumper sticker supporting war.
I’m shocked at the pro-war hubris on this board. Shame on you. The Olympics are about SPORTS and GAMES – countries coming together in peaceful competition, free of political agendas. That’s the whole idea.
“Hush…..you are a government employee and you are told what to do. The soldiers who “kept us from speaking german” where a whole different breed. They were actually protecting this country. They don’t all have “post traumatic stress disorder and have fits of uncontrollable crying and attacking normal civilians. You guys are an embarrasment. Now the USA is like the new self appointed Roman Legions with their self rightous tentacles EVERYWHERE in the World (130 different countries). Don’t go kill women and children for me. And keep your pro war slogans off the Olympic helmets. I’m sure you and the Bill O Reilly’s of this once great country would love to see some guy with his Che Guevera sticker on his helmet so you could start a fight and ruin the Olympics. Thank you for your service and sacrafice, but don’t shove it down my throat. I would NEVER let my kid serve under this corrupt government. The Afghanis used to love Americans….not anymore…..thanks!”
I hope a day comes when you and your family need the American troops to save your lives. I would pay to see the look on your face as they turn their backs on you, just as you turn your back on them….Oh wait, they can’t turn their backs on you, they are sworn to save even the wretched and disgusting in our society, so I suppose you are safe after all.
Desertswo, you remind me of PC Mullen, and we know to what ends being PC can kead – FT Hood, Christmas Day bomber; consequently, we must crush any sense of nationalism lest it offend the faint of heart. It’s no wonder the sentiment of, “Blackshoes are like flies…” still persists with such sentiments as yours.
BlueAngelUSA, re: let’s remember that the games are for amatures. That is no longer the case, and for quite sometime; e.g., (winter games) Bode Miller, Vonn; (summer games) basketball team; runners, et al.
The Olympics were on yesterday but I chose to watch Young Fankenstein instead.
So the Olympics are for “amatuer” athletes. Yeah, while that may have been true 20 or 30 years ago it soooo isn’t anymore.
These athletes spend years training for these games, they are professional in the aspect that training is their job. Yes, most of them do have other employment, but how are they not amateurs with all of the TAX dollars that is spent on them (by every country that sends them to represent them). And, keeping with the non-professional aspect, how do NHL and NBA players get the go ahead?
The spirit of the Olympics isn’t what it used to be, and will never be again. It’s all about commercialization.
” the very people who are fighting to ensure these games continue problematic.”
What do you possibly mean by that? How are US troops possibly fighting to save the Olympic games? Do you just chime off ridiculously irrelevant nationalistic rhetoric at every occasion?
The IOC are completely right to try further to keep sport and politics apart whenever possible. It’s an ice-hockey game, there is simply no need for such a message.
“Support Our Troops” is NOT a political statement, REGARDLESS of what the Olympic committee says. By their own policies, an athlete’s NATIONAL FLAG is a political statement, and therefore should be banned! What a bunch of RETARDS!
“Support Our Troops” is a political statement. Just because you might find both Republicans and a handful of Democrats who also agree with it does not make it apolitical. The Olympics is an international forum.
It would be no different than an Iranian wearaing “Support Our Republican Guards” or maybe even “Death To Israel” or a Pakistani having “Support al Qaeda” on his uniform. Or how about “Support Osama bin Laden”. Of course it is all political. If your only standard is “most people from that country would agree” those slogans are just as valid. Please try to keep the discussion honest.
I’m as patriotic as they come, but I say no to political messages and no to corporate advertisement. However, I don’t see a problem with a tribute to a fallen teammate or coach as long as it’s related to your sport in some way. Limitations on tributes are necessary to prevent it from becoming political as it could be abused by athletes honoring political leaders.
“Peacenikguy” doesn’t seem to realize that the ones intent on keeping Olympics amateur were aristocrats–they were the ones who had the leisure time to be able to afford to train and travel. They didn’t want “gentlemen” to have to mix with those nasty lower classes.
This whole business that to be paid for something is evil is right out of Marxism. We can go ahead and ask the hundreds of millions that doctrine put in the grave how peacefully they were allowed to die.
Support our troups
I say screw the other countries. American lives have been given to protect these “other countries”, our tax dollars go to support these “other countries”, our ideas go to help these “other countries”, our charitable institutions send people, supplies and American dollars over to these “other countries” when they are in need. Who helps these “other countries” the most, AMERICA! I think this is all caused by the doofus we have in the White House. We do not have good representation by our own government. We have a bunch of quacks. This causes other countries to look down on us and not respect America. I say we pull our athletes out of Vancouver. Hmmmm, I wonder how long the Olympics would last without the big bad country known as America. Hey, Vancouver, find another country to support your Olympics!
Sorry, that is ” Support our troops “
What was the name of the movie, I think it was rollerball where the game (sport) determined who won the war. Kind of sounds like the Olympics or what some people would like it to be due to their jealousy or hate towards another country. If they don’t want any logos or statements they should have everyone wear the same clothes and same color with only the flag of their country allowed on it.
I really believe ths us olympic teams have gone too far with their sponsors logos all over them. they look like a bunch of clowns.just use plain sports gear
Glad to see the IOC has taken some time away from covering up their negligence in the death of a luger to deal with something so silly as an olympian supporting his fellow citizens who provide the blanket of security that allows such games to exist.
Lets now refocus on the cover up, and who is responsible for allowing unprotected steel frames on a turn that was known to be dangerous(understatement)
Keep the messages which agree with my politics. A ban should be placed on all others.
Athletes who participate in the olympics are chosen by and therefore represent their countries. They should follow the rules of the IOC. However, outside of the event or events they are competing in they should be permited to wear whatever they wish as long as it is in good taste.