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+--- Thread: Beijing Olympics (/showthread.php?tid=7532)
Beijing Olympics - Ginger - 08-06-2008
We haven't talked about them much, so I'll kick it off:
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I'm disappointed that the athletes' precautionary measures were taken as insulting. Has the world really gone so PC that we can hold the games somewhere with known air quality issues, but not politically allow athletes to protect themselves? The idea that "it's an insult to the people that worked so hard" is silly, if you ask me... they worked hard, but you can't solve years of pollution overnight, and that's not insulting, it's just the reality of the matter.
- ScottyB - 08-06-2008
seems like just another deflection tactic by the Chinese. it's not our fault they've created an environment unfit for human activity over there.
i think i read somewhere that the average lifespan of a traffic cop (the guy who directs traffic in intersections) in China is like 35 years.
- Maengelito - 08-06-2008
I'm sure that they were wearing the masks as a statement of their concerns about pollution and not as a precautionary measure for their immediate health.
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The Chinese govt did find it necessary to revoke Cheek's visa for what seems to be political reasons.
I'm not sure if Joey Cheek had planned to spread his human rights in Darfur jibba jabba publicly or was just going to support his friends but in general I really dont care much for athletes when they are trying to be preachy about something they dont really have any ties to. Sure, its all good that you want to take a stand and raise awareness about serious things but I care a lot more about the athletic side of sports. Call me crazy, but the Olympics should be about the athletic competition and not about politics.
- Ginger - 08-06-2008
Darfur political statement != wearing a mask to protect your lungs (which are particular importance to a cyclist [note: almost all doping activities in cycling revolve around carrying extra oxygen in the blood] and runs the risk of seriously impacting both long and short term performance). Plus, the folks referenced in the article apologized without prompting from anybody, as soon as they realized that their actions may have been inflamatory.
- Mike - 08-06-2008
wearing a mask is 100% warranted... shit, a good portion of their citizens fucking wear them!
and the revoking of cheek's visa? this is quickly turning in to a shit-show.
- Evan - 08-06-2008
isnt it Spec Air though? everybody has the same performance impact :-p
but yeah, fuck China
- Ginger - 08-06-2008
Yeah, but you know, athletes from countries that don't care if they offend anybody may gain a small margin from sitting in oxygen tents all day, or they may just not come ashore until the last possible minute, or whatever... then they've got a little leg up. That's not to mention the longer term health impacts - I'm sure there's more than the Olympics on the roster for some of these guys.
- Jeff - 08-06-2008
ITS A TRAP!
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- Maengelito - 08-06-2008
Ginger Wrote:Darfur political statement != wearing a mask to protect your lungs (which are particular importance to a cyclist [note: almost all doping activities in cycling revolve around carrying extra oxygen in the blood] and runs the risk of seriously impacting both long and short term performance). Plus, the folks referenced in the article apologized without prompting from anybody, as soon as they realized that their actions may have been inflamatory.
I'm not saying that protecting your health is the same as making a political statement. However, its not like you're going to die in a day from breathing air in China and its also not like wearing a mask for 30 minutes in the airport is going to do anything. If they truly thought that the mask from what I can see in the picture is going to filter anything smaller than saw dust and didn't do it as a display of their concerns for pollution then I weep for them.
- D_Eclipse9916 - 08-06-2008
Mike Wrote:wearing a mask is 100% warranted... shit, a good portion of their citizens fucking wear them!
and the revoking of cheek's visa? this is quickly turning in to a shit-show.
really? Out of the over 14 cities and 3 months I stayed in China, I literally saw one chinese kid wear a mask. One, out of thousands. The scene your imagining of China is quite different than the reality of china. Welcome to Western propaganda.
Edit: I blame the athlete, shoudlnt he be focusing on getting ready for competition instead of making political points and holding press conferences? Fucking stupid to work all that time, knowing your going to China, which can kick anyone out at any time (btw most western businessmen who have nothing to do with olympics cant have their visas renewed till the end of olympics for no reason), then why would you push it? Free speech is enjoyed in this country, its not the world, you have to be careful and not stupid. Its his own fault now for wasting those years of training if he considers the olympics his greatest chance for victory.
- Jeff - 08-06-2008
Senior MM China correspondent DJ weighs in on the discussion...
- CaptainHenreh - 08-06-2008
D_Eclipse9916 Wrote:Welcome to Western propaganda.
Did you seriously type that?
- HAULN-SS - 08-06-2008
MY dad goes to china a lot, and wears a mask sometimes. He said if he doesnt, every night he has to cough up and/or blow a bunch of black shit out of his lungs/sinuses
- Evan - 08-06-2008
OH NOES! tehy bairnwashed teh DJ!!!!111
- CaptainHenreh - 08-06-2008
Next thing you know, he'll be trading in his Mitsubishi Eclipse for a Brilliance Tree-By-Golden-Pond-With-Small-Loud-Frog.
- D_Eclipse9916 - 08-06-2008
HAULN-SS Wrote:MY dad goes to china a lot, and wears a mask sometimes. He said if he doesnt, every night he has to cough up and/or blow a bunch of black shit out of his lungs/sinuses
To be honest id laugh if I saw him wearing a mask, but I would definitely correct myself if I knew he was coughing up black shit. As far as I saw not one person had a problem in the 20 americans I was with, I never had a single issue the entire time I was there, which was not just a few days. In fact, ive already connected with some people back in China and ill be spending a year in China when I graduate.
And yes Rex, I dont know what you meant by that comment of Western Propaganda, but good lord its awful.
- G.Irish - 08-06-2008
Maengelito Wrote:Ginger Wrote:Darfur political statement != wearing a mask to protect your lungs (which are particular importance to a cyclist [note: almost all doping activities in cycling revolve around carrying extra oxygen in the blood] and runs the risk of seriously impacting both long and short term performance). Plus, the folks referenced in the article apologized without prompting from anybody, as soon as they realized that their actions may have been inflamatory.
I'm not saying that protecting your health is the same as making a political statement. However, its not like you're going to die in a day from breathing air in China and its also not like wearing a mask for 30 minutes in the airport is going to do anything. If they truly thought that the mask from what I can see in the picture is going to filter anything smaller than saw dust and didn't do it as a display of their concerns for pollution then I weep for them.
I don't think they thought they were going to die. I think they wanted to inhale as little of the pollution as possible in order to give them the best chance to perform. I know someone who used to travel extensively in Asia and he said that the air pollution in China would make him hack and cough. For an Olympic athlete in an endurance sport I'm sure every little advantage helps.
Really the Chinese shouldn't get so butt hurt over it. They had several years to try to fix the air pollution situation so if they're getting any bad press over it now they deserve it.
- Ginger - 08-06-2008
Maengelito Wrote:However, its not like you're going to die in a day from breathing air in China and its also not like wearing a mask for 30 minutes in the airport is going to do anything. If they truly thought that the mask from what I can see in the picture is going to filter anything smaller than saw dust and didn't do it as a display of their concerns for pollution then I weep for them.
A lot of cyclists racing are professionals... this is how they make their living. If there was a concern that it would impact their performance, which it seems very realistic that there is, then who can blame them? They don't get the right to preserve their performance just to make a bunch of facists happy? Screw that.
- Maengelito - 08-06-2008
G.Irish Wrote:I don't think they thought they were going to die. I think they wanted to inhale as little of the pollution as possible in order to give them the best chance to perform. I know someone who used to travel extensively in Asia and he said that the air pollution in China would make him hack and cough. For an Olympic athlete in an endurance sport I'm sure every little advantage helps.
Really the Chinese shouldn't get so butt hurt over it. They had several years to try to fix the air pollution situation so if they're getting any bad press over it now they deserve it.
If they truly are concerned about their health and competitive advantage I hope they wear the masks continuously for the next two weeks instead of just inside of one building where I'm sure the air that's circulated passes through some sort of filtering medium. I also hope they get masks that will actually filter the air they breathe instead of what appears to be a napkin tied to their face.
But I agree that the Chinese shouldnt get butt hurt over it.
- G.Irish - 08-06-2008
Maengelito Wrote:Yeah, if it was some stunt to make a statement about the air quality in the airport I would agree that it is lame. I still don't think the Chinese authorities need to get riled up or involved either way. If the athletes wanna come in wearing dead presidents masks, sombreros, or wedding gowns, who cares? It's not like it's going to cause the collapse of Chinese society.G.Irish Wrote:I don't think they thought they were going to die. I think they wanted to inhale as little of the pollution as possible in order to give them the best chance to perform. I know someone who used to travel extensively in Asia and he said that the air pollution in China would make him hack and cough. For an Olympic athlete in an endurance sport I'm sure every little advantage helps.
Really the Chinese shouldn't get so butt hurt over it. They had several years to try to fix the air pollution situation so if they're getting any bad press over it now they deserve it.
If they truly are concerned about their health and competitive advantage I hope they wear the masks continuously for the next two weeks instead of just inside of one building where I'm sure the air that's circulated passes through some sort of filtering medium. I also hope they get masks that will actually filter the air they breathe instead of what appears to be a napkin tied to their face.
But I agree that the Chinese shouldnt get butt hurt over it.