The “O” in the National Anthem that Michael Phelps was laughing about isn’t limited to the Orioles. The Washingotn Capitals do it, too, as a call to Alex Ovechkin. 
WaPo is having a lot of fun with Phelps and Ledecky as local Olympians. Hasn’t been this much excitement since Dominique Dawes!
When I watched the women’s gymnastics medal ceremony on Tuesday night I noticed all the women had their hands over their hearts except Gabby and my first thought was that the internet was going to call her out on it for absolutely no legitimate reason. We pledge with the ledge of allegiance, with hand over heart, but not to a song.
The booing by Brazilians has been an issue too. They have been pretty brutal to Hope Solo for her unfortunate photo about what to wear to avoid zika. But apparently loudly booing the opponent is common there, but not so common for the Olympics. Not a great tradition IMO.
Loved seeing a Lane 8 winner. As well as the American who was not talked about at all getting the silver. That was one very close race.
Very true, but it gets even worse than that. In weight lifting, for example, each country is allowed to field a total of 10 lifters, 6 men and 4 women. (There are a total of 8 weight categories for men and 7 for women). This means there is less than one spot per category per country, while other sports are given two spots per country. How fair is that?
Are there events where 3 participants are allowed per country? I would like to see some common standard applied in the Olympic Games in terms of age, number of participants per event etc.
@BunsenBurner I too was annoyed at the reporter who seemed to take Nathan Adrian down for not winning gold and “only” winning bronze. I wanted to kick her! - he handled it well.
That women’s relay - and that anchor leg - wow!!!
Nathan Adrian is a class act-always positive. The 100 free is anyone’s race, which is why it is rare to repeat, let alone three-peat.
I loved Prenot’s comment after prelims of 2 breast. Something like- I just got to swim at the Olympics! Of course I’m happy.
I was so happy for Allison Schmitt last night, and clearly her relay teammates were as well. I’m also happy for Maya Dirado, who is in her one and only Olympics and has made the most of it. Glad that Missy Franklin will get a medal for prelims despite a lackluster week. She is a great representative for the sport.
I grew up in Illinois. No hand over heart for national anthem. Raised my kids in Texas - hand over heart for the anthem down here.
I thought maybe the protocol had changed over the years. Last year I went to a Cubs Cardinals game at Wrigley Field. 90 percent of the crowd did not put their hands on their hearts during the anthem.
This proved to me that it’s a regional thing.
I only noticed it because all the other women put their hands over their hearts. That was more surprising to me than that Gabby did not.
Was wondering what happened with Missy Franklin? She was such a power at the London games, but seems to have lost something in her racing. Do the relay prelim racers also get medals? I did not know that.
Never heard of putting hand over heart during anthem.
Tbh, not only do I not put my hand over heart during pledge, I choose not to say the pledge at all. I think the whole pledge thing is silly.
@mom2and Prelim racers in relays do get the medals, too because they got the relay to finals.
I grew up in Philly. Hand over heart for pledge, but not the National Anthem. I’m actually surprised they don’t instruct the gymnastics team one way or another as everything else is so regimented.
Many have been wondering the same thing. Here’s an interesting article with some ideas about that:
“Are there events where 3 participants are allowed per country? I would like to see some common standard applied in the Olympic Games in terms of age, number of participants per event etc”
Track and field allows 3 entrants per event per country (assuming all three have met the qualifying performance standard, which is often not an easy thing to do).
Swimming used to allow 3 per country too, up through the 1976 Olympics in which the US male swimmers nearly swept all the medals in every event. After that they cut the number to 2 to give some of the other countries a chance to get on the podium.
In track there are some events in which some countries are so strong that they leave home a dozen or so athletes who are stronger than most of the 3 athletes that other countries are allowed to bring. The Kenyans in the steeplechase is an example. The US currently has a steeplechaser who is a legitimate contender for a medal, but beyond that there might be 15 or 20 Kenyans who won’t be at the games who are better than the other two Americans who will be at the games.
I was also annoyed with Michelle Tafoya for intimating with her questioning that Nathan Adrian did something wrong in “only” getting the bronze in the 100. He looked bemused by her question, but handled it like the class act he is.
I’m the opposite; grew up in Texas and have lived in Illinois/midwest for 30+ years. We never put our hand over our heart for anything other than the pledge growing up. I really do think it’s a post 911 issue. Last time I was at a professional sporting event was last Thanksgiving in Wisconsin and most people did put their hand over their heart. I suspect in major metropolitan areas that are not in the south, it’s not done. Regardless, this poor girl has just won the gold, and she’s having to apologize for something that she probably never thought twice about; and Phelps wins, and laughs throughout the singing, and gets a pass. Don’t get me wrong, I have no issue with Phelps letting his guard down (because I also saw how close he was to crying up there) because unless you’ve spent the majority of your life training for this moment, none of us can judge how we’d respond when we’re up there. So I give Phelps a big pass of the laughing.
I agree. Nathan was .27 behind the winner. 8th place was .83 behind the winner. Can Michelle Tafoya even perceive .27 of a second?
Personally, I get annoyed by all the hooplah about the national anthem, who didn’t show the right respect, etc. Like the pledge, I happen to feel that the national anthem has been trivialized to the point of being almost irrelevent, where they play it at supermarket opening, every tiny sporting event, and so forth (and don’t get me going on the pledge). I am equally bothered by sports teams, especially in baseball, playing “God Bless America” as if it is some sort of sacred anthem. I realize it started after 9/11, but it to me is another hollow version of patriotism. I actually was happy for Phelps up there, he wasn’t showing disrespect to the country or the anthem by laughing, nor did Gabby Douglas, and I think all the holier than thou crowd crying foul are way out of line.
With that out of the way, I am just sorry I missed last night’s woman’s relay, I wanted to see Ledecky versus Hooszu (sp?), the Hungarian women’s swimmer, to see who would prevail (Ledecky’s time was significantly faster). I loved watching Ledecky swim, she has one of the most amazing forms I have seen.
I think there are many ways to be respectful without putting your hand over your heart.
One neat thing the Vanderbilt baseball team has always done under the current coach (who is probably the most wonderful coach in all of college sports- in any sport) is stand at full military attention during the national anthem. It is very impressive and a contrast to most other teams who are wiggling around or have legs in a stride. Well after they finish at Vandy and move on to the pros, you can pick out the “Vandy boys” (as they are known) in the row of players during the national anthem. It’s part of a lesson in respect and discipline.
I’m really tired of the knee-jerk patriotism.
I always thought baseball players held their hats at their upper chest (not necessarily over their heart) during the anthem. Shows what I know.
I can feel for the reporters and think that they have a hard job. They get criticized if they don’t ask the hard questions and are criticized that the question is too hard.
Nathan Adrian admitted that he didn’t swim the best time he had this season. I thought Michelle Tafoya’s question showed she had done her homework and knew that. Maybe she could have phrased it a bit better. But she’s a seasoned reporter and find that she asks thoughtful sometimes hard questions.
I like that NBC uses an “older” seasoned reporter on their Sunday Night Football broadcast than the cute Barbie dolls that some of the other networks use.
Grew up as an Army brat. Back then, it wand for the Pledge, not for the anthem. At Nats and Caps game, I’d say it’s 50-50. I’m thankful when folks remember to take their hats off.