NationStates Jolt Archive

This guy is a perfect example of what the Olympics is not about. I can't believe anyone could be that self-involved and have such a feeling of entitlement.

http://sports.aol.com/olympics/story/_a/bbdp/i-dont-care-about-this-medal/134046?icid=200100397x1207761834x1200409304

Woah, he should be at least happy he's in the Olympics. At least he came in third, he shouldn't be throwing a hissy fit.

The Olympics failed him. The only solution is to discontinue the Olympics altogether.

This guy is a perfect example of what the Olympics is not about. I can't believe anyone could be that self-involved and have such a feeling of entitlement.

http://sports.aol.com/olympics/story/_a/bbdp/i-dont-care-about-this-medal/134046?icid=200100397x1207761834x1200409304
I can believe it; he is Swedish after all.

I can't believe anyone could be that self-involved and have such a feeling of entitlement.

Sarcasm right?

Edit: I like the way the article says "threw down his Olympic medal" then later further down simply says "places in the centre of the mat"

The first implies disrespect, the second implies a protest - which he is well within his rights to do.

Wow....talk about poor sportsmanship.

Hey, if I were awarded second loser I'd be pretty pissed too...

Hey, if I were awarded second loser I'd be pretty pissed too...

It just means two people suck less than you.

Yeah, that was pretty freaking childish. Lodging a formal protest is fine. Throwing a hissy fit at the judges and storming out in the middle of the medal ceremony is repulsive, and is a lot more likely just to make people reject his complaints out of hand than to make anyone take him seriously.

It just means two people suck less than you.

I think that just rubs it in. ;)

Terrible sportsmanship. Now the coach can bitch and moan. That's his job. The press can bitch and moan. That's their job. His job is to smile and wave and hold his medal up proudly and then to bitch and moan to his friends in the comfort of his own all expenses paid hotel room. *nod*

You know, we have a Swedish NSGer who somehow reminds me of the complainer. I wonder if it's something they teach there, or if it's just that we get the noisy ones.

You know, we have a Swedish NSGer who somehow reminds me of the complainer. I wonder if it's something they teach there, or if it's just that we get the noisy ones.

You'd think with all the massages and sex toys that uptight swedes would be almost unheard of.

This guy is a perfect example of what the Olympics is not about. I can't believe anyone could be that self-involved and have such a feeling of entitlement.

http://sports.aol.com/olympics/story/_a/bbdp/i-dont-care-about-this-medal/134046?icid=200100397x1207761834x1200409304

He's Swedish.

You'd think with all the massages and sex toys that uptight swedes would be almost unheard of.

Maybe he's not getting his quota in China.

so we are going to completely ignore the other side of the story?

okay so he's not exactly tommie smith... but if he doesn't want his stinking medal he doesn't have to take it.

so we are going to completely ignore the other side of the story?

The judges can be asshats for all I care - that's not an excuse for the wrestler's behavior.

so we are going to completely ignore the other side of the story?

I doubt anyone saw it, and I further doubt that anyone has the expertise to correct the judging. And while there've been complaints about the boxing judging, it's hard to see why the judges'd favour an Italian over a Swede.

Well, the loss was pretty shady, it was really kind of odd. I mean, maybe he shouldn't have protested it when he did, but I think there's quite a possibility that he was wronged.

You know, we have a Swedish NSGer who somehow reminds me of the complainer. I wonder if it's something they teach there, or if it's just that we get the noisy ones.

Nah, I know a Swedish dude on another forum who's pretty cool.

Maybe he's not getting his quota in China.

That would make me a bit cranky.

The judges can be asshats for all I care - that's not an excuse for the wrestler's behavior.

well the judges have been corrupt in previous olympics both for ideological reasons and for fimancial, why do you feel the wrestler is obligated to take his medal and not protest by retuning it.

Imho, if you can't take a judges decision as final, you should practice a sport where winning is not determined by judges.
And messing up the ceremony for the other 2 medalists is just poor taste really.

Imho, if you can't take a judges decision as final, you should practice a sport where winning is not determined by judges.
And messing up the ceremony for the other 2 medalists is just poor taste really.
but if you feel the entire process was arrived at through conscious misconduct, why are you obligated to make sure those who benefitted from the misconduct have a perfect moment of false glory?

well the judges have been corrupt in previous olympics both for ideological reasons and for fimancial, why do you feel the wrestler is obligated to take his medal and not protest by retuning it.

Because this was an incredibly immature and childish way to protest. It's not so much what he did, so much as it is the way he went about doing it.

Because this was an incredibly immature and childish way to protest. It's not so much what he did, so much as it is the way he went about doing it.
i think it is very mature and adult to give up a bronze medal as a matter of principle. what is childish is to blindly submit to authority, to take the easy path of acceptance when you know you have been wronged.

i think it is very mature and adult to give up a bronze medal as a matter of principle. what is childish is to blindly submit to authority, to take the easy path of acceptance when you know you have been wronged.

Did you read the article? He wasn't being mature. He was being a brat.

The judges can be asshats for all I care - that's not an excuse for the wrestler's behavior.

he hardly went on a rampage, if I was in his shoes I would...of probabaly kept quite and slowly lost my mind

Imho, if you can't take a judges decision as final, you should practice a sport where winning is not determined by judges.
And messing up the ceremony for the other 2 medalists is just poor taste really.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c8/Carlos-Smith.jpg

Did you read the article? He wasn't being mature. He was being a brat.

now lets look at the full story:

Less than one hour before the fight for bronze was due to start, Abrahamian's coach Leo Mylläri was involved in a heated argument with the judges whom he accused of corruption.

---

According to the Swedish team and Abrahamian's coach Mylläri, the verdict was unjust. The argument escalated to the point that Mylläri told newspaper Expressen that they were planning to take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Abrahamian even threatened to boycott the bronze match and not participate.

http://www.thelocal.se/13690/20080814/

bad show. if he truely wanted to protest, there were better ways to do so.

Did you read the article? He wasn't being mature. He was being a brat.
well that particular article seems extremely biased against him, i still feel the act of publicly rejecting the medal was a mature one.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c8/Carlos-Smith.jpg

]

Bad example, since iirc they discussed it with the Silver Medallist beforehand.

well that particular article seems extremely biased against him, i still feel the act of publicly rejecting the medal was a mature one.

Yeah. Making such a scene that everyone else couldn't enjoy their medals. That's pretty mature.

Yeah. Making such a scene that everyone else couldn't enjoy their medals. That's pretty mature. because being an adult means appeasing those in power and not making anyone upset?

well the judges have been corrupt in previous olympics both for ideological reasons and for fimancial, why do you feel the wrestler is obligated to take his medal and not protest by retuning it.

He can protest and return it - but throwing it on the floor and being physically threatening is lame.

He can protest and return it - but throwing it on the floor and being physically threatening is lame.
lame... as in can't walk, i don't think the athletes at the para-olympics would appreciate that remark.

lame... as in can't walk, i don't think the athletes at the para-olympics would appreciate that remark.

Ok, it's "unsportsmanlike conduct".

Awww - I had hoped he would have said something about China, human rights and so on while throwing down the medal.

because being an adult means appeasing those in power and not making anyone upset?

No. Because being an adult means that, while you should stand up for yourself and protest if you truly believe you should, it should also be tempered by the knowledge that the world doesn't revolve around you.

So, what would be everyone's idea of a mature way to protest?

So, what would be everyone's idea of a mature way to protest?

Look up the appropriate procedure for apeeling a judge's decision at the olympics.

Look up the appropriate procedure for apeeling a judge's decision at the olympics.

i.e. shutting the fcuk up and sounding like a sore loser when you return home and the everyone says "Why didn't you say something at the time?"

He didn't 'throw it' or 'dump it' on the ground. He placed it in the centre of the mat (which is similar to when a wrestler retires - he places his shoes in the centre and walks away), and walked away.

i.e. shutting the fcuk up and sounding like a sore loser when you return home and the everyone says "Why didn't you say something at the time?"

He didn't 'throw it' or 'dump it' on the ground. He placed it in the centre of the mat (which is similar to when a wrestler retires - he places his shoes in the centre and walks away), and walked away.

I'd believe that were merely the case, if it weren't for the fact that earlier he had...

The Swedish wrestler had to be restrained by teammates earlier when a row erupted with judges over the decision in a semi-final bout at the Chinese Agricultural University Gym with Andrea Minguzzi of Italy, who went on the take gold.
Abrahamian shouted at the referee and judges then went over to their seats to speak to them up close. He angrily threw off the restraining arm of a team official then turned and left.

And the Olympics are supposed to bring out the best in these athletes........>_>

Look up the appropriate procedure for apeeling a judge's decision at the olympics.

Does anyone remember the 1988 Seoul Olympics, when South Korea's Park Si-Hun won the gold in boxing over Roy Jones, Jr., despite being completely dismantled all three rounds and outpunched by like 50 punches? The official IOC investigation took 9 years, and even though they found that South Korean officials had wined and dined all three boxing judges that judged for Park several nights prior to the gold medal fight, the IOC concluded that nothing improper had occurred and the decision stood.

I'd believe that were merely the case, if it weren't for the fact that earlier he had...

So he argued with the judges prior to the medal ceremony.

So?

At the presentation (which is what this whole thing is about) he walked off mid ceremony. That's the talking point - not that he argued with the refs (which happens in all sports)

because being an adult means appeasing those in power and not making anyone upset?
The other people getting their medals are the people in power? Or is it the crowds in the stadium? No, wait, it must be the people watching on TV.
So, what would be everyone's idea of a mature way to protest?

Lodge a formal protest and publicly refuse to accept the medal the next day in a press release.

So he argued with the judges prior to the medal ceremony.

So?

At the presentation (which is what this whole thing is about) he walked off mid ceremony. That's the talking point - not that he argued with the refs (which happens in all sports)

that didn't look like just an argument.

The Swedish wrestler had to be restrained by teammates earlier when a row erupted with judges over the decision in a semi-final bout at the Chinese Agricultural University Gym with Andrea Minguzzi of Italy, who went on the take gold.
Abrahamian shouted at the referee and judges then went over to their seats to speak to them up close. He angrily threw off the restraining arm of a team official then turned and left.
and while the action of refusing the medal in and of itself is ok with me (Tho he should've either 1) waited till after the ceremony or 2) refused to have the medal placed around his neck in the first place.) what I didn't like was his statement afterwards.

"I don't care about this medal. I wanted gold," he said. everyone wants the Gold. but some settle for the Silver or Bronze and other make due with receiving nothing. this makes his protest one of pettiness and not about what was 'fair'.

Look up the appropriate procedure for apeeling a judge's decision at the olympics.

in that case?
several choices between...
Refusing to have the medal put around my neck.
Not showing up for the medal ceremony
Wait till after the ceremony THEN place the medal in the center of the ring

WHILE stating why I am refusing the medal in a calm and reasonable manner.
"I believe the ruling of my match was in error."
"I am lodging a formal complaint about the ruling of my match"
etc. not "I don't care about this medal. I wanted gold"

and if I was serious about my complaint... lodge it formally with the IOC and FILA.

How is he a spoiled brat?

How is he a spoiled brat?

... he went past his freshness date. :p

... he went past his freshness date. :p

Meh, at least he isn't a 13 year old pretending to be 16. *glares at China*

Meh, at least he isn't a 13 year old pretending to be 16. *glares at China*

but they are 16, after all PASSPORTS don't lie! :D

You know, we have a Swedish NSGer who somehow reminds me of the complainer. I wonder if it's something they teach there, or if it's just that we get the noisy ones.

Yeah, cuz all the mouth-breathing knuckle-dragging USians around here aren't indicative of the general quality of the citizens of the USA...but one Swede posting here can tell you all you need to know about Swedes in general.

What a douchebag...

Yeah, cuz all the mouth-breathing knuckle-dragging USians around here aren't indicative of the general quality of the citizens of the USA...but one Swede posting here can tell you all you need to know about Swedes in general.

Well yeah, 'cuz the USA is pretty large and Sweden is a lot smaller and...um...could you stop glaring at me...please?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball_at_the_1972_Summer_Olympics#Controversy

I can understand it. His attitude is what makes a person a champion imo. Being "at least happy he's in the Olympics" and "at least he came in third" isn't good enough. If you're happy just to be there or happy just to come 3rd, you're not competitive and you're definitely not going to win.

The story never explains just what he felt was so unfair about the decision which cost him the gold medal bout. Poor reporting there.

If we're talking about ppl throwing their toys from the cot, you can add this guy to the list:
Blake rips foe after Olympic tennis loss (http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/tennis/news?slug=ap-ten-tennis&prov=ap&type=lgns)
James Blake could shrug off the three match points he failed to convert, and even the misfire on an easy forehand that would have given him a berth in the Olympic final.

What stuck in his craw was the notion his opponent didn’t play fair.

Blake came up one shot short Friday, losing in the semifinal to Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 4-6, 7-5, 11-9. Afterward he accused Gonzalez of failing to fess up on a disputed point two games before the finish.

“I’ve spoken all week about how much I’ve enjoyed the Olympic experience, how much I love the spirit of it,” Blake said. “That’s a disappointing way to exit the tournament, when you not only lose the match, but you lose a little faith in your fellow competitor.”

...

The incident that upset Blake occurred with Gonzalez serving at 8-9 in the final set. On the first point, Blake hit a backhand passing shot long but contended the ball ticked Gonzalez’s racket before landing, as TV replays confirmed.

Blake appealed in vain to the chair umpire, and said Gonzalez should have conceded the point. Blake went on to lose the game to make it 9-all.
So he screwed up 4 times which would have gotten him into the final, but none of that matters. It's because his opponent didn't back up Blake over an umpire's decision that he lost out.
That's pretty whiny.

lame... as in can't walk, i don't think the athletes at the para-olympics would appreciate that remark.

Ha ha… lame. :tongue:

Yeah, cuz all the mouth-breathing knuckle-dragging USians around here aren't indicative of the general quality of the citizens of the USA...but one Swede posting here can tell you all you need to know about Swedes in general.

Didn't you know? That poster is actually Sweden's shared NS account.

Yeah, cuz all the mouth-breathing knuckle-dragging USians around here aren't indicative of the general quality of the citizens of the USA...but one Swede posting here can tell you all you need to know about Swedes in general.

Be fair. It wasn't one Swede posting here. It was one Swede posting here, and one Swede being childish in China.

You'd think with all the massages and sex toys that uptight swedes would be almost unheard of.
maybe it's where he's putting his sextoys that's made him uptight.