Becky Hammon redux

[msf22b]

Russian down 12-2 against Great Britain and looks slightly disorganized; Becky sent in and its now 30-22. This young woman is dangerous.

 

[alexrgct]

She's brimming with a deep-seated pride for Mother Russia.

 

[OneTrickPony]

And she might just be trying to make a statement about herself as a player too...!

 

[ThisJustIn]

If only she'd made time for USA Basketball, we might have won gold the last four years....oh. wait.

 

[VAMike23]

She's brimming with a deep-seated pride for Mother Russia.

Heh.

 

[OneTrickPony]

If only she'd made time for USA Basketball, we might have won gold the last four years....oh. wait.

Not arguing that she deserved to be on the team, just that she'd like to prove she did...

 

[EricLA]

I was under the impression that she either was not considered for Team USA or she did not make the team which is why she chose to play for Russia. I have no problem whatsoever with that if it's the case. She wanted to be in the Olympics, USA did not afford her that chance, but Russia did. Why would anyone disparage the way an athlete gets to be a part of the games? It's not like she cheated, stole, hurt anyone, or did anything against the rules to be able to play.

I know it's not exactly the same as many of the NBA players are actually FROM foreign countries, but tons of them play for other teams. Same in the WNBA. Would anyone begrudge Cappie if she were able to play for Australia or some other country? the USA would not select her. Frankly I don't get Donovan's histrionics. Traitor? Come on. She didn't make the US Olympic team.

Hammon got her Russia citizenship in 2007 - a year before the 2008 Olympics, and did so in part because it was apparent she would not be a part of the US National team. I found this in an article from June, 2008...

Hammon obtained Russian citizenship last year to secure a lucrative off-season playing contract from club team CSKA Moscow. When it appeared that she had little chance of making the U.S. Olympic team, she decided to play for the Russians.

Many, including U.S. coach Anne Donovan, have labeled the WNBA star a traitor, but Hammon says her loyalties have not changed. “Will I be playing for Russia? Yes. But I’m absolutely 100 percent still an American,” Hammon said. “I love our country. I love what we stand for. This is an opportunity to fulfill my dream of playing in the Olympics.”

 

[alexrgct]

I don't blame the athletes at all. I do think the system is messed up insomuch as it allows for this sort of mercenary free agency of one's citizenship. If you're naturalized, that's totally cool, but if you're naturalized specifically to compete in the Olympics, that's pretty ridiculous.

But yeah, if I'm an athlete and a country offers me money and an opportunity to have an Olympic experience, of course I'd be tempted. And then some.

 

[rjp172]

It wasn't that she just didn't make team USA. She wasn't even put on the list of potential candidates when she was at the top of mvp consideration for the WNBA and had been an all star for years. She was unheralded as a college player and a surprise in the WNBA. Team USA was sort of an "old girls club". If you haven't been in their system...you never will. There was a campaign to get Hammon in consideration and Donovan and USA basketball resisted. Once it got loud enough they had to for PR it was clear that she was going to be too late to the ball game to actually make the team and it was just for show. She took the Russian citizenship initially because it allowed her Russian team to get another American if she was no longer considered American in Euro ball standards. The $1 million dollars and Olympics were a tie-in. Have seen at least another 1/2 dozen American's playing for other teams in this Olympics. Some actually have some sort of tie to the country they play for others like Hammon and Hollingsworth seem to be only tied to their professional career.

 

[semper]

Leave her alone; let her play.

 

[alexrgct]

Leave her alone; let her play.

Happy to leave her alone. Think the system is dumb and should be fixed. If the outcome is that she couldn't play, my heart wouldn't bleed for her.

 

[EricLA]

I don't blame the athletes at all. I do think the system is messed up insomuch as it allows for this sort of mercenary free agency of one's citizenship. If you're naturalized, that's totally cool, but if you're naturalized specifically to compete in the Olympics, that's pretty ridiculous.

But yeah, if I'm an athlete and a country offers me money and an opportunity to have an Olympic experience, of course I'd be tempted. And then some.

Everyone is entitled to how they feel, but I'm not sure why you feel it's ridiculous that an athlete would get naturalized in ofder to have an Olympic experience. In some cases, the competition is so fierce, an athlete in US track and field, for example, may not even be in the top 10 in the US, but may be far and away the best in another country. It's not like these players can walk into the consulate (or whatever) in, say, Ghana and tell them "i want to be a citizen so i can compete in the Olympics". They have to have some connection to that country or some kind of reason.

In Hammon's case, she was getting her Russian citizenship partly for reasons related to her pro career there. But EVEN IF she only was doing it to make the Olympic team, so what? I'd love to be talented enough to make any Olympic team (maybe I could in curling lol) but I'd never begrudge an athlete doing something outside the box to make it, even if it's for a different country.

Obviously we're not going to agree and i'm not looking to argue. I just don't understand why you begrudge her the experience, or how she made it possible...

 

[vtcwbuff]

Hammond for 3 at the buzzer! Russia wins 88-86! Gold for Russia, Silver for the USA. How ya' gonna' feel about Hammond if that were to happen?

There is a huge difference between playing for another country and playing against one's own country. The fact that Hammond willingly put herself in that position just so SHE could have an "olympic experience" says much about what's important in her world.

 

[EricLA]

Hammond for 3 at the buzzer! Russia wins 88-86! Gold for Russia, Silver for the USA. How ya' gonna' feel about Hammond if that were to happen?

There is a huge difference between playing for another country and playing against one's own country. The fact that Hammond willingly put herself in that position just so SHE could have an "olympic experience" says much about what's important in her world.

I'd feel exactly the same way I'd feel if it were Ivana Shootovaya hitting the 3 at the buzzer - it would suck that USA lost. I'm supposed to be MORE pissed off at Becky IF she were to hit the game winner in a gold medal game over the USA?

 

[OneTrickPony]

Hammond for 3 at the buzzer! Russia wins 88-86! Gold for Russia, Silver for the USA. How ya' gonna' feel about Hammond if that were to happen?

There is a huge difference between playing for another country and playing against one's own country. The fact that Hammond willingly put herself in that position just so SHE could have an "olympic experience" says much about what's important in her world.

We may be misunderstanding what the Olympic Spirit is all about...

 

[Waquoit]

Hammond for 3 at the buzzer! Russia wins 88-86! Gold for Russia, Silver for the USA. How ya' gonna' feel about Hammond if that were to happen?

There is a huge difference between playing for another country and playing against one's own country. The fact that Hammond willingly put herself in that position just so SHE could have an "olympic experience" says much about what's important in her world.

The Olympics are for the athletes not the country.

 

[OneTrickPony]

The Olympics are for the athletes not the country.

Well said...now explain that to Jimmy Carter!

 

[uconn_nyc]

The Olympics are for the athletes not the country.

The Olympics... Professionals playing against amateurs. I don't know if that reflects the olympic spirit. Just saying.

 

[Icebear]

I'd feel exactly the same way I'd feel if it were Ivana Shootovaya hitting the 3 at the buzzer - it would suck that USA lost. I'm supposed to be MORE pissed off at Becky IF she were to hit the game winner in a gold medal game over the USA?

Exactly, Hammond, the damn commie.

 

[TheTruthBelow]

I have no problem at all with what Hammon is doing. In fact, I wish more than one naturalized player was allowed per team. It's hard watching all of these teams other than the US play most of the time simply because of the lack of Olympic caliber talent on the squads. I'm not suggesting we allow a dozen Americans to represent a non-USA team, but I'm all for raising the limit to four naturalized players with no more than two coming from one country. Obviously this would be most beneficial to American players, but it would also give someone like Ticha Penicheiro a chance to compete in the Olympics.

Also, Sophia Young is a naturalized player. But of course she would have received nowhere near the backlash that Hammon did had she been selected for Team USA.

 

[OneTrickPony]

I have no problem at all with what Hammon is doing. In fact, I wish more than one naturalized player was allowed per team. It's hard watching all of these teams other than the US play most of the time simply because of the lack of Olympic caliber talent on the squads. I'm not suggesting we allow a dozen Americans to represent a non-USA team, but I'm all for raising the limit to four naturalized players with no more than three coming from one country.

Also, Sophia Young is a naturalized player. But of course she would have received nowhere near the backlash that Hammon did had she been selected for Team USA.

The truth above is that we already have that...it's called the WNBA!

 

[TheTruthBelow]

Growing the sport is important. No one is tuning in to watch anyone other than the US, which is probably a good thing at the moment.

 

[wire chief]

I for one love the sentence, "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel".

 

[VAUConnFan]

Hammond for 3 at the buzzer! Russia wins 88-86! Gold for Russia, Silver for the USA. How ya' gonna' feel about Hammond if that were to happen?

There is a huge difference between playing for another country and playing against one's own country. The fact that Hammond willingly put herself in that position just so SHE could have an "olympic experience" says much about what's important in her world.

I disagree.

 

[VAUConnFan]

Well said...now explain that to Jimmy Carter!

The 1980 boycott was as weak a response as one could ever imagine. What's worse is that a number of high profile athlestes including Bruce Jenner and Muhammad Ali endorsed and vocally supported the President's weak decision.