Should this Olympian have been banned from the Olympics?

Originally Posted by Colonels_Wear_Blue

So she gets kicked out of the Olympics for telling an off color joke....buuuuut they let the German Nazi State HOST the whole damn thing?

Well, it was the Greek national Olympic committee that pulled her off the team, not the International Olympic Committee.

Originally Posted by Getslow

Well, it was the Greek national Olympic committee that pulled her off the team, not the International Olympic Committee.

True. Still, I think comparing the two gives a little scale to the scenario. I would also wager to guess that, had she not been pulled from the team, the number of people realizing that a Greek triple-jumper said something off-color would have been much, much smaller.

Again, though, as I replied to Clyde's post - I DO think it was perfectly within the Greek national Olympic committee's right to pull her. I just wouldn't have done it.

Originally Posted by Colonels_Wear_Blue

True. Still, I think comparing the two gives a little scale to the scenario. I would also wager to guess that, had she not been pulled from the team, the number of people realizing that a Greek triple-jumper said something off-color would have been much, much smaller.

Maybe, but this is 2012, not 1936. The Europe of today is much more sensitive to this kind of stuff, primarily owing to the social structures they put in place as a reaction to the Nazis following the Second World War.

Originally Posted by Getslow

Maybe, but this is 2012, not 1936. The Europe of today is much more sensitive to this kind of stuff, primarily owing to the social structures they put in place as a reaction to the Nazis following the Second World War.

True.

Still, I think all things considered, it's an over reaction. I'm sure you can look somewhere on pretty much any large country's Olympic team and find someone that has said something as off-color as Papachristou's wise-crack. I can't say for sure, but I'd take a guess that you need not look any further than the USA 2012 Olympic basketball team's roster and you can find something comparable.

^ I have no doubt you're correct on that. At the same time, I don't think the USA is very comparable. Certain types of hate speech are illegal in much of Europe. Heck, the captain of the England national soccer team just went through a trial this summer on a charge of "racial abuse." We wouldn't even consider that such a thing ought to be a criminal offense. Like I said above... they're a lot more sensitive to that sort of thing.

Originally Posted by Getslow

^ I have no doubt you're correct on that. At the same time, I don't think the USA is very comparable. Certain types of hate speech are illegal in much of Europe. Heck, the captain of the England national soccer team just went through a trial this summer on a charge of "racial abuse." We wouldn't even consider that such a thing ought to be a criminal offense. Like I said above... they're a lot more sensitive to that sort of thing.

Fair enough...

Originally Posted by sportsfan41

I'm just sad I won't get to see her in the games, but it was a pretty dumb this to say. However I feel like it's worse in american society due to our nations history of being condecending towards people of African descent thoughout our history, not sure it's as bad in other countries that haven't had the same notable history. I guess perhaps it's more to do with the fact that the region has historically been exploited and colonized for hundreds of years?

Many countries have a history of slavery going back to the Old Testament days....ie. the Jews. And, in past times, the poor were "indentured servants" which is akin to slavery, but not peculiar to race but to bloodline.