US Olympic athlete with Mexican flag

[Princess Dolly]

I think it depends on the sport. Track & Field is very much an individual sport at the professional level even though in the Olympics you are under a team banner. I view it much more as an individual medal, not a team medal (relays aside of course).

I would bet money that most of the athletes there identify much more with their sponsors than their team. It is just the way professional track works. Watch a Diamond League event and while the country of the participants is listed they are wearing jerseys of their sponsors and that is who is paying their salary, not teams as in other sports. I think a lot of people don't watch track year round and only watch it once every four years so they just don't have the same perspective. It is a different beast.

 

[BlovesC]

I personally don't see a problem with it. As others have said, if he had ONLY the Mexican flag, it would come across a bit different. But as it is, I simply see it as a nod to his roots.

 

[Hrhpd]

I think it depends on the sport. Track & Field is very much an individual sport at the professional level even though in the Olympics you are under a team banner. I view it much more as an individual medal, not a team medal (relays aside of course).

I would bet money that most of the athletes there identify much more with their sponsors than their team. It is just the way professional track works. Watch a Diamond League event and while the country of the participants is listed they are wearing jerseys of their sponsors and that is who is paying their salary, not teams as in other sports. I think a lot of people don't watch track year round and only watch it once every four years so they just don't have the same perspective. It is a different beast.

I disagree.

My grandfather is an Olympic Bronze medalist in track. In his day, he was one of the fastest in the 100M.

All his track medals are individual except the Olympic medal. That one he was clearly representing his country and the country has national pride for that medal.

Many of my modern day cousins have followed in his footsteps and are great runners. And they all say the same thing. The Olympics is a completely different event than all the individual events. There it is just as much for National Pride as it is for the individual success. It is all about representing your country.

 

[bunkkinsmom]

Were you all just as upset in 1992? From the opinion piece in the OP.

Nope, I didn't even watch then so I really didn't have an opinion.

 

[sam_gordon]

No not everyone has said that he has the right. One even went so far as said he/she would never allow him to race for the USA again if he/she were in the power to do so.

Well, he must have the right... you don't see police officers leading off in handcuffs, do you? Just because you have the 'right' to do something doesn't mean you don't have to suffer the consequences. You have the 'right' to call your boss a $#@&*. You don't the 'right' to keep your job after doing so.

In this case, the consequences of his actions are people criticizing him. If the consequences of his actions were he's kicked off the team, that doesn't mean his rights were taken away.

 

[Pigeon]

I have no problem with it at all. He worked hard and should celebrate in a manner that's meaningful to him.

 

[Robinrs]

I can't believe that anyone would have any problem with what this athelete did.

This overblown sense of patriotism that some people show during the Olympics really makes me shake my head sometimes.

It is a non-story. He was born in one country, immigrated to the United States, and is proud of both his home country and his adopted country. I grew up with a great grandma that was born in Sicily and came here as a teenager. She loved this country but still identified closely with Italy. There is nothing wrong with both remembering where you are from and where you are.

If I have kids and when they are young we move to some other country I would hope they love both the US and their adoptive country even if they compete for the adoptive country in the Olympics. There is nothing at all wrong with feeling like you are representing two countries even though everyone knows the medal was won for the USA.

Of course, that's not what he said. His actual tweet was ""Silver medal, still felt like I won! Representing two countries USA and Mexico!"

He was clearly speaking about his actions reflecting on (or 'representing') both countries. The mere fact that he feels that his actions represent both countries is not a slight against either country.

There's a BBC interview with him here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19184750. He still has both flags with him and I think he's articulating how he's appreciative towards the US but still has Mexican roots quite well. He seems pretty well balanced to me in terms of patriotism.

We will have to agree to disagree.

Amen!

I personally believe heritage is VERY important, no matter if you ran screaming from a country or came over on a cruise ship or underneath one as was my ancestors story.

It defines a person and it's not a DIS on the next home if they remember and love the foods, traditions and ways that make them who they are.

Should he hate a country that his parents took him from to have a better chance on life? Should I hate a country where we had to fight to be called a human being and to vote? NO. All of the history and the tradition are now a part of you. It's a choice. That's the beauty of America, we are ALLOWED that choice now.

 

[irishbosoxfan]

I don't believe he should have held up the Mexican flag (or any other flag for that matter) if he was competing for America.

That's like if Burger King University and Hamburger University (McDonalds) were competing against each other in a series of games to determine who had the best employees and the guy from McDonalds won the fastest expeditor contest but waved both flags because his first job in high school was with Burger King.

You can't have it your way.

The moment he took to the field he wasn't Mexican or Irish or Italian. He was an American. An American athlete there to represent the United States.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

Please don't. It's something you can't Un-see.

too late I watched the you tube video.

 

[luvmy3]

Were you all just as upset in 1992? From the opinion piece in the OP.

Well can't say I'm upset about any of this, but yes I do feel the same. If you are representing a country by being on their team, then you display that country's flag, not the one from the country you were born in, or where your parents were born, or where you'd like to visit, or if you just like the design of it, etc, etc..

However I wouldn't mind watching a video where Oscar was licking himself

 

[sbell111]

Imagine that I was a pro baseball player playing with my team in the World Series. If I hit a home run for my grandmother, am I wrong? I should be hitting that homer for the team, after all.

 

[sam_gordon]

Imagine that I was a pro baseball player playing with my team in the World Series. If I hit a home run for my grandmother, am I wrong? I should be hitting that homer for the team, after all.

I think a better analogy would be you saying you're representing your little league team.

 

[luvmy3]

Imagine that I was a pro baseball player playing with my team in the World Series. If I hit a home run for my grandmother, am I wrong? I should be hitting that homer for the team, after all.

If that grandmother had her own team and you were playing on a team that represented your other grandmother, then yes IMO you are wrong

 

[Nancyg56]

I'd feel the same no matter what flag it is. If you are competing as a citizen of a country, then you display that flag, not the flag or flags of your heritage.
I don't believe the winning podium of the Olympics is the place to show your pride for your heritage, when you aren't competing for the country in which you were born. It would be the same if someone held up an American flag when competing for Mexico, Canada, Spain, etc. It just doesn't feel right to me.

I totally agree with you. I know he probably has the right to display both flags but I don't like it. He was competing for the US. He medaled for the US. I understand heritage. I do, I just think that there is a place for that display and the Olympic Podium is not that place.

FWIW- I am a totally Rah-Rah American, have bunting on my porch from Memorial Day to Labor day, sport my Red White and Blue all year long, tear up when I see my flag flying high and proud and get chills every time I hear the National Anthem. I have nephews who served and are still serving to protect the right to display any Flag you want but deep down in my heart I wish that when someone represents the USA the only Flag that person holds is the United States Flag.

My feelings about his 'representing' both countries:

When we are in public, we represent ourselves. We represent our families. We represent our employers. We represent our former colleges. We represent our religious faiths. We represent all manner of affiliations because people can and do equate our actions with the groups that we belong.

The mere fact that a person recognizes that he belongs to more than one group and, therefore, 'represents' more than one group, does not dishonor any other recognized group.

It does not dishonor or diminish any other group, I agree. I don't think it was appropriate though. This athlete competed for the USA. He represented the USA from the moment he entered the competition and will until the end. He can be proud of his heritage, he should be proud. But he should leave that flag home for a bit in my opinion.

Those who disagree with it or who don't understand it, it's because you don't know what it's like to identify with two countries. This athelete does, and trust me when I tell you he has his reasons for doing it and his reasons are very valid.

I think that it is condescending to declare that I disagree because I do not identify with two countries. I disagree because I think that there is a time and a place for everything and when one competes for one country it is not the time to sport another country's flag. My thoughts are valid as well.

Please don't. It's something you can't Un-see.

Too late My eyes are still burning

 

[Toad_Passenger]

I feel like we need to slap this sticker on this thread.

 

[Hrhpd]

Those who disagree with it or who don't understand it, it's because you don't know what it's like to identify with two countries. This athelete does, and trust me when I tell you he has his reasons for doing it and his reasons are very valid.

I identify with 2 countries. I thoroughly understand identifying with 2 countries. We are the only ones in my family that actually live in the US. All other relatives are in the "other" country.

I still don't agree and I don't see any valid reason for doing it.

Please don't paint all immigrants with such a broad brush. There are many of us who think what he did was disrespectful to his country of choice.

 

[cornflake]

The whole 'but he's part of the US team' thing misses something. Mostly, people have no choice at all BUT to be part of their national team if they want to compete in the Olympics.

If I were in the Olympics, I'd be stuck in Team USA gear, even though in my regular life I would never wear anything like that. It's not like they athletes are all choosing to be on the team because they want to be - they may want to go to the Olympics and have no option.

Hence, I don't think it's really the same standard to hold them to to say they shouldn't hold another country's flag because they're there for Team USA. They may just be on Team USA by default.

 

[topolino]

I identify with 2 countries. I thoroughly understand identifying with 2 countries. We are the only ones in my family that actually live in the US. All other relatives are in the "other" country.

I still don't agree and I don't see any valid reason for doing it.

Please don't paint all immigrants with such a broad brush. There are many of us who think what he did was disrespectful to his country of choice.

I was looking at what he did from my own point of view. Obviously I'm not an olympic athelete but I truly have a sense of belonging to two countries. I am a citizen of two of them, and have lived /grown up between the two.

I don't know this athelete's story, but splitting allegiance between two countries is completely normal to me, as I've done it my whole life.

 

[luvmy3]

The whole 'but he's part of the US team' thing misses something. Mostly, people have no choice at all BUT to be part of their national team if they want to compete in the Olympics.

If I were in the Olympics, I'd be stuck in Team USA gear, even though in my regular life I would never wear anything like that. It's not like they athletes are all choosing to be on the team because they want to be - they may want to go to the Olympics and have no option.

Hence, I don't think it's really the same standard to hold them to to say they shouldn't hold another country's flag because they're there for Team USA. They may just be on Team USA by default.

They are on Team USA because they are competing as athletes from the USA and representing the USA at the Olympics. Of course they are on the team by default, its their country's team, that is what it is supposed to be at the Olympics.
And they do have a choice, they can choose not to be in the Olympics if they aren't okay representing their country and just seeing it as "default". (Not saying this guy feels that way, just pointing out what you said seems kind of ridiculous).

 

[jrmasm]

The whole 'but he's part of the US team' thing misses something. Mostly, people have no choice at all BUT to be part of their national team if they want to compete in the Olympics.

If I were in the Olympics, I'd be stuck in Team USA gear, even though in my regular life I would never wear anything like that. It's not like they athletes are all choosing to be on the team because they want to be - they may want to go to the Olympics and have no option.

Hence, I don't think it's really the same standard to hold them to to say they shouldn't hold another country's flag because they're there for Team USA. They may just be on Team USA by default.

I disagree 100%. No one makes them try out for Olympic teams. They chose to be on the team they are representing when they try out. Especially in cases of athletes that have dual citizenship.