To: Bill who wrote (768009 ) 2/7/2014 7:51:31 PM From: joseffy Respond to The Media's Most Outrageous Olympic Outbursts: Ashamed of the U.S.A. NewsBusters.org ^ | February 7, 2014 | Geoffrey Dickens bash expressions of patriotism and even work in jabs against Republicans. The “Stop Waving That American Flag, It’s Embarrassing!” Event Iron Curtain Ridicule (runner-up) When is the last time you heard the term ‘Iron Curtain’ used with a straight face?” — New York Times television critic Caryn James, September 27, 2000 review of Olympic coverage. Today Show Hosts Worry that U.S. Patriotism Could Mar Games Today Hosts Worry that U.S. Patriotism Could Mar Games Matt Lauer: “You are expecting a greater wave of patriotism here in the United States, in this particular time, than other countries have shown when they’ve hosted the games.”Lloyd Ward, U.S. Olympic Committee President: “I certainly expect the stands to be rocking. I expect the flags to be flying. And you know, the expression of patriotism is fine for any country that hosts the Olympics. We want to express our nationalism as a part of the world's community and I expect to see that.”Lauer: “But we have to also be careful and draw a line not to let our patriotism get in the way of the games in general.”— Exchange on NBC’s Today show, February 7, 2002. arrogant nationalism. — NBC’s Katie Couric questioning Salt Lake Olympic Committee Creative Director Scott Givens on Today , Feb. 8, 2002. Awful “Nationalistic” Medal Counts Bryant Gumbel Condems 'Nationalistic' Medal Counts Jane Clayson: “To see Jimmy Shea last night kissing that gold medal, it was really, his story is such an emotional highlight of these Olympic games.”Bryant Gumbel: “Yeah, but I liked what he said. He said that, you know, they shouldn’t be keeping a medal count, that this is not about nationalistic efforts — Exchange on CBS’s Early Show , February 21, 2002.“Nationalistic” Medal Counts Liberal Radio Host: It Pains Me to Chant “U.S.A!” “As I’ve grown older, I find my ‘U.S.A.!’-chanting reflex increasingly interrupted by pangs of discomfort, red-white-and-blue hoopla, of course, is the fact that we are not so exceptional outside the Olympic village....We are not gold, silver or even bronze medalists when it comes to healthcare; sadly, we are 39th for infant mortality, 43rd for female mortality, 42nd for adult male mortal-ity....If we do stand atop a dais anywhere other than at a sporting event, it is for military spending, carbon emissions and incarceration rates.” — Colorado radio host David Sirota in an August 1, 2012 piece for Salon.com, “Don’t chant ‘U.S.A.!’ It’s liberal Americans’ Olympic dilemma: How do they root for their countrymen without being jingoistic?”
