choosing comfort over common sense

[Snoopy the Celtics Beagle <snoopy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Three months.

That's how long it took for USA Basketball to show themselves once more a 
group of hypocrites.

Normally, when athletes from various countries gather at events like the 
Olympics, or the World Championships, they stay at the same place.  Many of 
them make new friends, often attending events they're not in themselves 
just to cheer their newfound friends along.

With one notable exception--the NBA basketball players--er, that is, the US 
Men's Basketball team.

Ever since the "Dream Team" of 1992, every US Men's Basketball team has 
been comprised almost exclusively of NBA players, and since that year, 
every team has stayed in it's own hotel--usually an expensive one.  this 
practice reached--I thought--it's lowest point during the world 
Championships in Indianapolis, when the US team, playing in a US city, 
chose to stay in a separate hotel from all the other teams.  It was 
perceived as somewhat snobbish, as if to say not only weren't the other 
teams good enough to share the court, but weren't worthy of the chance to 
associate with them at the hotel.

Following the hue and cry--not to mention the embarrassment of the US 
team's poor finish in Indianapolis--USA Basketball made some changes.  They 
said that anyone who wanted to play in Athens had to be willing to play in 
the prelims this past year.  That ended faster than you could say "Kobe 
Bryant".  They also said there'd be more practice time, blah, blah.  Didn't 
happen.

Finally, they said that when the Athens Olympics rolled around, the US 
Men's Basketball team would be staying in the Olympic Village with everyone 
else.  Three months ago, they said that.

Today, USA Basketball announced--and I'm quoting from ESPN.com--it was 
"working with Athens organizers and US Olympic committee officials to 
determine whether the team should stay on a luxury liner that will be used 
for athlete's housing."

"At this point, probably the most prominent reason would be better 
performance conditions in terms of being closer to our venue," USA 
Basketball spokesman Craig Miller said. "There's less traffic, it's near 
our practice site and our preliminary round venue."

Less traffic?  Near the practice site?

In January, one stretch for the Celtics:  on the 13th at Milwaukee, on the 
14th at home vs. Houston, on the 16th at Orlando, on the 18th at home vs. 
San Antonio, on the 20th, back to Florida against Miami, on the 23rd at 
home against Washington, and on the 25th at New Jersey.  Seven games 
between the 13th and the 25th, no consecutive games at home, and a back to 
back away and home.

You'd think people would be thrilled to play the games at the same place 
with no flights in between.  They drive from the village to the court--most 
likely in a bus, not individual cars.  And I doubt they'll be required to 
suffer the normal rigors of Athens traffic--which, I might add, is not as 
bad as Boston, according to a friend who's driven in both cities.

But no, the Olympic village is not good enough.  They want to stay on a 
boat, a "luxury liner" no less.

I don't honestly know who is responsible for this idiocy--be it the 
officials at USA Basketball, the USOC, or the players themselves.  Whomever 
it is, this is utterly stupid.  The athletes should stay at the village and 
hand with their fellow athletes.   Not only is it simpler logistically, 
it's also safer to stay where several countries worth of protection can 
keep en eye on things.  Theres also the fact that it shows you're not above 
everyone else.  Whatever you may think of some of the other basketball 
teams, some of the fastest, strongest and most agile athletes on the planet 
are there.  Go say hello, hang out.  Maybe play a pickup game with the 
Canadian Curling team.

But stop acting like you're all that.  There's no Gold Medal for vanity, 
stop competing for it.

Snoopy the Celtics Beagle
Please visit the <http://www.celticsbeagle.net/>Celtics Beagle Website