Should diversity be a factor in Olympic team selection?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you mean "a factor"? The fact that the team, which was put together through meritocracy, happens to be more diverse is great. It's representative of the country it's supposed to represent, and shows that the pipeline has widened.

That people like Fox Vice Presidents see diverse Olympians and assume that a more qualified white man somehow got cheated out of his due is predictable BS.

So does this mean that there should be a diversity "plus factor" for Asian and Caucasian players to make the U.S. Olympic basketball team?

No minority is advocating affirmative action in the Olympics. Fox was mad to see minorities and gay people in the Winter Olympics, and couldn't help but get upset.

THIS RIGHT HERE. There is zero proof or even inclination that the US Olympic Team was chosen on the basis of anything but merit. However, Fox News can't imagine that there wasn't a whiter straighter candidate who was passed over, since their entire worldview is predicated on white supremacy. To see a Black or brown person win, by merit, represents a massive cognitive dissonance that they cannot handle.

[Anonymous]

You could argue Adam Rippon was selected at least in part on his, um, personality and not on his skating, which while good, was never going to have a realistic shot at an individual medal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that more efforts should be made to find athletes in nontraditional settings, and to give them coaching and support. If all the elites in X sport are white, what does that say about X sport? Does it involve a lot of money, or access to venues that are closed to the public?

So we should start at the grass roots level to ensure that more people have the option of becoming a world-class athlete. But once they're at that point, choose the objectively best one.

So you are advocating for additional supports and affirmative action to bring more whites into olympic basketball and track and field?

Affirmative action to bring more asians into power weight lifting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You could argue Adam Rippon was selected at least in part on his, um, personality and not on his skating, which while good, was never going to have a realistic shot at an individual medal.

NBC skipped over covering Zhou in prime time mens skating in favor of recaps from womens skiing even though he was higher scoring than Rippon by a long shot and by all accounts gave one of the performances of the night in the long program. They did a cut away to Rippon but did not even show a highlight of Zhou. They posted Rippons entire program on their facebook page and only posted Zhou's ending pose.

Zhou was in 2nd place until the very end and came within striking distance of a medal, finishing much higher than Rippon's 10th place finish.

NBC completely ignored Zhou.

It was so blatant.

Rippon got highlighted and Zhou was barely even mentioned. The difference is that Rippon had the "gay storyline" and Zhou was just another asian kid.

NBC had terrible coverage choices for mens figure skating.

[Anonymous]

But Adam worked so hard!

[Anonymous]

There's a big difference between team selection and whatever crap NBC does.

[Anonymous]

You are right, there is a big difference.

So about team selection...

Adam Rippon gets selected for the Olympics after finishing 4th at Nationals over the guy who finished 2nd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are right, there is a big difference.

So about team selection...

Adam Rippon gets selected for the Olympics after finishing 4th at Nationals over the guy who finished 2nd.

US Figure Skating is very clear that the Olympic team is based on body of work, not just on Nationals. Adam Rippon has had greater success internationally than Ross Miner. I think it was the right choice, and Adam did help the US win a medal in the team event with his free skate.

[Anonymous]

The outspoken leftists got pounded. They were undisciplined and emotional. Vonn got pummeled by being sloppy and unfocused too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The outspoken leftists got pounded. They were undisciplined and emotional. Vonn got pummeled by being sloppy and unfocused too.

My God, what a stupid thing to say.

[jsteele]

This thread was started by a troll who was hoping to stir up trouble. Since many posters have obliged him, I am going to lock the thread.