Jamaican Usain Bolt Stops Interview To Pay Respect To US Anthem

Unlike our Potus, who rambled on during the British National Anthem at a Queen's banquet last year, amazing Jamaican runner Usain Bolt knows protocol and stopped an interview with a Latin reporter when the U.S. national anthem started playing at the London Olympics 2012.

The Olympics According To Obama- Joke of the day

This pretty much sums up Barack Obama's "you didn't build this" statement."

NBC Cut Moving Dance Piece From Olympic Opening Night Ceremony

I love the Brits, but I was not impressed with the Olympic Games opening night ceremony. It had its moments, but factor in some shoddy camera work by NBC and I have to admit that I snoozed through a bit of it. Noise and all. But I had no idea that NBC didn't air all of it.

According to Bangladeshi/Brit choreographer and dancer Akram Khan, he was shocked to find out that his segment never aired in the U.S. Apparently, it was preempted by a Ryan Seacrest interview with two-time multiple Olympic medal winner for swimming Michael Phelps.

Naturally, Khan was “...disheartened and disappointed,” asking “Is it not accessible enough? Is it not commercial enough?” Probably not, considering the penchant of American audiences for works without substance, but who knows what the reason was, and NBC hasn't responded.

Khan had been commissioned to create a piece dealing with the theme of "mortality."

The section featured 50 specially selected professional dancers, a 9-year-old boy and Khan himself. Set to the voice of Emeli Sandé singing Abide With Me, the piece was a moment of reflection and contemplation following the vibrant and astonishing, high tempo proceedings.

Khan’s work brought an infectious stillness to the Ceremony, a reminder of our own mortality and the transfer of possibilities and hopes between generations. Danny Boyle invited Khan to choreograph the section after watching a performance of his piece Vertical Road – which explores similar themes.

His dance piece took place right before the athletes made their grand entrance.  For some reason, the bulk of worldwide media reported that the dance was a tribute to the 2005 7/7 London bus and train terrorist bombings, but not so, at least according to this article.

The media, though, had already begun reporting about the "7/7 tribute" that was cut by NBC, with one glaring error: Khan made no mention during the 90 minute discussion about the terror attack on London on July 7, 2005 that claimed 52 lives. It didn't come up once. There is also no mention of it being a tribute in the official media guide of the opening ceremony.

The confusion seems to lie within a video tribute that showed pictures of victims and asked the crowd to pause for a moment of silence for "friends and family who could not be here tonight." Khan's performance began right after that, confusing viewers and reporters as to whether it was part of the tribute.

However, Khan's failure to mention the dance being any kind of dedication would suggest that it was not part of the tribute.

However, there were 50 dancers plus Khan and a 10 year-old boy, which makes 52 dancers total, the same number of victims killed during the suicide bombing attacks. And the BBC coverage implied it was a tribute to. Who knows if it was or wasn't, what we do know is that NBC erred in cutting the piece.

In Honor Of The 11 Israeli Athletes Killed During The 1972 Munich Olympics

40 years ago in September, eleven innocent Israeli athletes were  murdered at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics. The IOC refused to spare one minute of the 2012 opening night spectacle for a moment of silence, though Bob Costas managed to sneak in a comment during the Parade of Nations:

As Israeli athletes entered the stadium, Costas recalled the 1972 Munich tragedy and said "there have been calls from a number of quarters" for the IOC to have a moment of silence in the London opening ceremony. Costas then noted the IOC had held a moment of silence this week at the Athletes Village. Costas' conclusion: "Still, for many, tonight, with the world watching, is the true time and place to remember those who were lost and how and why they died."

After pausing, Costas said before an NBC commercial break: "We're back to London after this."

So maybe Costas then stayed silent. And maybe viewers decided to stay silent during NBC's ad break. But Costas didn't specifically call for any silence even as he remembered the Israeli victims 40 years after their deaths.

Costas had said he would ask for a moment during the broadcast, but for whatever reason he obviously changed his mind. However, I'm glad he at least brought the subject up with a global audience, which is what the IOC should have done. Instead, IOC president Jacques Rogge held a "surprise"  private tribute in the Olympic Athletes Village. No doubt as a result of world-wide pressure, and not because it was the right thing to do.

Thought you'd be interested to know that the above photo, along with: "Victims of terrorism in Munich olympics RIP", was posted on a secular Iranian Facebook Page.

Indeed Rest In Peace:

David Berger (weightlifter)
Yossef Gutfreund (wrestling referee)
Ze'ev Friedman (weightlifter)
Eliezer Halfin (wrestler)
Yossef Romano (weightlifter)
Amitzur Shapira (track coach)
Kehat Shorr (shooting coach)
Mark Slavin (wrestler)
Andre Spitzer (fencing coach)
Yakov Springer (weightlifting judge)
Moshe Weinberg (wrestling coach)

and Anton Fliegerbauer, the German police officer who was killed.

The terrorists who were killed don't deserve mention.

Wikipedia has an account of the sequence of events.

Pakistani Olympic Team Visa Scam Discovered By The Sun

I don't enjoy watching sports except every 4 years when I sit down to enjoy the best athletes in the world competing. I love that, for the most part, certain countries can set aside their animosity and hatred for each other and just participate in healthy competition, even if it's only for a few weeks.

I pray nothing horrific happens, like it did in 1972 in Munich, but one can never tell. The level of violence since the 1970s has spiraled out of control, and nowhere in the West are we safe. Although British police denied any clear ties to the Olympics, 6 Muslim extremists were arrested in a series of raids early July, including Brit convert Richard Dart aka Salahuddin Al Britani.  He's the freeloader who has been enjoying a carefree life living in a rent-free luxury apartment and receiving £1,250 per month in benefits, courtesy of the U.K. taxpayer, and who threatened the wedding of Prince William and Kate.

Yes, security is heightened, but does the Olympic Committee really have that much control over the hordes of workers it has hired? What about the security?  Easily infiltrated. And what about the delegates that travel with the athletes?  Granted it's a tabloid, but the UK Sun uncovered a massive Pakistani Olympic Team visa scam. They're not claiming there were any terrorists given visas, but the potential is/was certainly there:



It's so sad the world has come to this- that one has to worry about the potential of terrorist strikes at any venue that attracts large crowds, but it is what it is. If only the spirit of camaraderie and global brotherhood that events like the Olympics create, could carry over into the real world. I doubt that will happen in my lifetime.  But you never know.

2012 US Olympic Team Uniforms "Made In China"!

The U.S. team uniform for the Olympic Games in London made its debut amidst beaucoup criticism. Not just for the design elements, which include an overly huge Ralph Lauren 'polo' logo (he designed the getup) and a beret, but because the outfits were made, get this- in China! Yes, with our economy in a shambles, a plethora of people out of work Lauren outsourced the sewing to China.

And it costs beaucoup bucks, to boot.

The price of all this made-in-China preppiness — if you for some reason want to buy it — $598 for the women’s blazer and $498 for the silk skirt. The men’s blazer is a staggering $795, flat front trousers $295 and nubuck shoes are $165. And that damn beret? $55.

I don't have as much problem with the beret as others who find it far too Frenchy for their liking, or the Brit preppy aspect of the uniform. The whole look to me is far more militaristic than preppy, a kind of upscale, blue, designer version of the Green Berets. Which probably isn't appropriate either. What irks me the most is that not one item was made in the USA.
Way to go Ralph and the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Olympics Committee Says Leave Your Discrimination At Home

This is good! The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has told athletes to leave their prejudice and discrimination at home. Although it could refer to anyone, we all know it's aimed at those with the boycott, "I Hate" Israel mentality. Those that notoriously refuse to compete or collaborate with Israelis. And it's not just Arab, Middle Eastern Muslim types that love to boycott Israel.

But I'm glad to see the IOC taking a stand.

Refusing to compete against a fellow athlete at the London Games because of nationality or religion would be a “serious breach” of the Olympic code of ethics, the IOC said Friday.

The International Olympic Committee said athletes and teams should “stay at home” if they are not prepared to compete without discrimination.

The IOC comment came after an Algerian kayaker withdrew from a World Cup last month in which an Israeli was entered.

Without commenting specifically on that incident, the IOC condemned such a “hypothetical scenario” at the London Olympics.

“Refusing to participate in an Olympic event because of a fellow athlete/team’s religion or nationality, would not only be unsporting behavior but a serious breach of the IOC’s code of ethics, the principles of the Olympic Charter and the athletes oath,” IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau said in a statement.

“If an athlete/team is unable to come to the games in spirit of friendship and fair play, then they should stay at home,” Moreau said. “There can be no discrimination for any reason between participants at the Olympic Games.”

That's right stay at home. Keep politics and religious hatred out of sports.

Mother's Day 2012

This is a wonderful ad for the 2012 Olympic Games about motherhood.

Happy Mother's Day to all who happen to be mothers.



Cross Posted at Mind, Body and Spirit