<p>Your comment is not appreciated by me at all. Others might feel different, but there are fortunately very many out there who feel like me…and while I cannot donate to olympics because I am supporting my own “scientist”, many do, thank goodness. I am very very thankful.</p>
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<p>Why I wrote … officials. And, for all intents and purposes, that non-profit denomination does not diminishes the official character of the entire organization. Unless, one can pretend that the Olympics are not political. With a straight face.</p>
<p>This may be the first time EVER, but I completely agree with MiamiDAP!</p>
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<p>Most of the athletes competing in this Olympics toil at sports that will not make them wealthy. Sure, Michael Phelps and a few others like the track and field stars get publicity and become spokesmen/women for various products or gain sponsorships, but the vast majority of these athletes (rowers, archers, sailers, fencers, etc.) probably aren’t going to become wealthy because of their sports endeavors.</p>
<p>Xig, too late to edit your post now, you said “government AND officials”.</p>
<p>One could also argue that the Olympics are the ultimate multi-cultural event where the world comes together in a spirit of non-violent competition. It is somewhat ironic that so many people are quick to bash another country’s products in that environment. Also… do we expect every country to produce their own uniforms? That is a logical extension of the argument, but quite difficult to do for some of them.</p>
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<p>I was reading bios of some of the Olympic rowers. These women have been training year round full-time. Most of the rowers in team boats have to move to the USRowing Training Center in Princeton to train. One works as a receptionist. Some of them are doing that and don’t even make the team. Our single-sculler, Gevvie Stone, is a medical student at Tufts who has put medical school on hold for Olympic training and works as research assistant. I remember a former national team sculler, Michelle Guerette, working at Home Depot (which made a point of wanting elite athletes to work there and providing a supportive environment with flexible schedules.</p>
<p>These women are never going to make a living as rowers. Thy Olympic basketball team, in the meantime, has barely trained together. The women’s team is playing Brazil right now in a scrimmage and were playing WNBA games a few days ago before the league went on hiatus. They also ran a clinic for military kids just after they reported to USA camp. They squeezed another training camp in between the end of the European season and the start of the WNBA season. Most of them haven’t had time off in years unless an injury forced it. They’re lucky enough to make a living in their sport but they work very hard.</p>
<p>That said, I don’t think that criticizing the uniforms is criticizing the athletes at all and I doubt it would bother the athletes. They didn’t make them.</p>
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<p>Maybe it will bother some, maybe not, but what does it accomplish other than to diminish something that is often a once in a lifetime event?</p>
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<p>I love watching the Olympics. And nobody cheers louder than me for the US athletes or supports them more fervently, but I think we are getting a little carried away if griping about the Olympic uniforms is now considered to be unpatriotic. Jeez, people - lighten up. It’s a comment on fashion sense (or lack thereof), not a statement of political alignment or a test of national loyalty.</p>
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<p>They are all US citizens. It’s a requirement. And unlike many other countries the US does not grant special quickie citizenships to talented athletes from other countries. All US Olympic athletes who are immigrants went through the same full-length naturalization process as anyone else to gain their citizenship. </p>
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<p>Any athlete who is so fragile that their performance is going to be adversely affected by someone back home not liking the uniforms doesn’t have the mental toughness to even make the Olympic team in the first place, much less to bring home a medal.</p>
<p>I didn’t say anything about a performance being affected. Could it tarnish the moment a bit for someone? Maybe. I don’t have a problem with people on a message board, whose opinions count for nothing in the scheme of things, complaining about Olympic fashion. I think Harry Reid, Chuck Shumer and John Boehner can shut up about it though.</p>
<p>The argument that we are unpatriotic if we criticize either the ugly uniforms or the lack of judgement by the USOC reminds me of a dark time in the US when of the argument that “you are either with us or against us” that was so distasteful during the last decade. Nothing is more American than speaking our minds. </p>
<p>That said, China is at least a step above the Salt Lake City torchbearer uniforms that were made in Burma, at a time when the US had sanctions against Myanmar.</p>
<p>In my opinion, this “made in the USA” issue is a silly one.</p>
<p>If every country only bought their own products, there would be little trade.</p>
<p>If manufacturing clothing is cheaper in Indonesia, then make the clothes in Indonesia. Then Indonesians will have money to buy Apple products and fly on Boeing airliners.</p>
<p>To me, however, the clothes themselves look horrible. Almost quasi-military.</p>
<p>I agree - nothing unpatriotic about it. I just find the bombastic politicians making hay of it very distasteful. And this is from someone who actually likes politics and many politicians.</p>
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<p>Hey, we can use a little bipartisan agreement in congress on whatever issue we can find it. ;-)</p>
<p>It just galls me that the clothes are made in China AND are ridiculously expensive. If the tie were made in the US, would it cost $250 instead of a mere $125? If you think the Ralph Lauren company is acting out of motives of patriotism, I have a bridge to sell you.</p>
<p>I am surprised by how many people on this thread use the word “ugly” to describe the uniforms. I rarely, if ever, use that word to describe anything, as I feel it is extreme and offensive and insensitive. I prefer “unflattering” or "unattractive’ or “unappealing” TO ME, because fashion is like art and its appeal is in the eye of the beholder. I don’t see any point in evaluating it so harshly, especially when it is white pants/skirt with a blue blazer and tie, not like a dirty brown torn-up bag or something, which might actually be deserving of the “ugly” label.</p>
<p>^^Ugly, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.</p>
<p>They just look to me like something that was designed by an 80 year old (I am sure my mother thinks they are smashing).</p>
<p>^ That’s fair. I like that you didn’t say they were “ugly.” :)</p>
<p>Well… I think I probably did say that somewhere upthread. :)</p>
<p>Surely the Chinese person sewing the uniform needs the job every bit as much as the American who may be unemployed as a result. Just as I don’t particularly support U.S. athletes because they happen to be American, I don’t support American workers because they happen to be in the U.S.</p>
<p>I’m more concerned about the conditions under which they are produced. And if the conditions are reasonable, so be it. After all, we owe it to the Chinese, who buy all our bonds and keep our economy afloat.</p>