# Now I know why I'm rooting for the US men's basketball team to tank. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 26, 2004, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680 "2004-08-26T21:58:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680/1 "2004-08-26T21:58:01Z")
It’s not because I think that they’re a bunch of childish primadonnas. Nope. Nor is it because I think that David Stern put this team together to try to cash in on some marketing dollars. That’s not it at all. And it certainly isn’t because I think that some of them like Allen Iverson are tattooed freakish criminals who are poor representatives of my country. Nope. Wanna know why I’m not too hip to the US Men’s basketball team? [It’s because I’m a racist](http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=whitlock/040826). > [@](#): > > I must’ve missed the memo – the memo that went out to the red-blooded American sports public and explains exactly when it became OK to throw patriotism out the window and openly root against a U.S. Olympic team. > > Yeah, I didn’t get that memo. I’m wondering what was in it. Did it mention Allen Iverson by name? Did it have stipulations about the number of tattoos acceptable on an Olympian? Was there a cornrows clause? Or was the memo just straight and to the point? > > What’s the real reason why so many people are rooting against Iverson and co.? > Americans do not have to support a group of black American millionaires in any endeavor. Despite the hypocritical, rabid patriotism displayed immediately after 9/11, it’s perfectly suitable for Americans to despise Team USA Basketball, Allen Iverson and all the other tattooed NBA players representing our country. Yes, these athletes are no more spoiled, whiny and rich than the golfers who fearlessly represent us in the Ryder Cup, but at least Tiger Woods has the good sense not to wear cornrows. Silly me. All this time I didn’t know. I guess it’s time for me to fashion a Klan hood from a bedsheet to wear while basketball is on, because now that I’m outed I should just put my full energy into it and take it to the next level. Which, I shouldn’t mention for fear of looking like more of a racist than I already am, is something that the US Men’s basketball team has been singularly unable to do. Or perhaps I’ll just root for them out of white guilt. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do. Mustn’t be seen as a racist, not in this day and age. I mean, it must be race, it certainly can’t be because they suck monkey balls or anything. Right? Right? :rolleyes: Ladies and gentlemen, putting the sarcasm aside for a minute, I find this sort of stuff to be extraordinarily exasperating and I long for the day when it all just goes the hell away. Help make this nightmare go away so we no longer get bombarded with this stuff by race-baiters like this Whitlock guy. Please. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680/2 "2004-08-26T22:42:58Z")
> [@](#): > > But do they (the US players) care about the Olympics the way Michael Phelps does? No. And we shouldn’t expect them to. American basketball players don’t spend their childhoods dreaming about playing in the Olympics. Their goal is the NBA. For swimmers and track athletes and gymnasts, on the other hand, the Olympics is the pinnacle. And that, Mr. Asshat author, is why it feels different to support someone like Phelps, who’s made sacrifices following a dream, and our B-ball team, who you’re even admitting are just taking an off-day from their “real” dream. If we shouldn’t expect them to feel the same way about the Olympics, then you shouldn’t expect us to feel the same way about them, either. > [@](#): > > If there was a professional swimming league that would make Phelps filthy rich, I guarantee he’d dream of making that league more than he dreamt of making the Olympic team. Phelps might even turn down a spot on the Olympic team, if it interfered with his professional swimming offseason. And then we might feel different about him, too. But there isn’t, so he didn’t, so we don’t. :rolleyes: > [@](#): > > Once every four years, Phelps and Carly Patterson and Justin Gatlin get an opportunity to strike it rich. They go all out. Don’t romanticize it. They’re chasing money – endorsement opportunities – just like the NBA players. Wow, once every four years they’re chasing money? That’s pretty noble compared to the B-ballers, who get more in one year than any of the other prospective Olympians could ever hope to earn. Proportion does play a part in our sentiment as well. > [@](#): > > Phelps, Patterson and Gatlin might be more cooperative and gracious with the media during the Olympics because they only have to deal with us once every four years. We don’t know how they’d react if they were forced to talk to us every day almost year round. :sniff: Gosh, a pity party for the poor oppressed sportsmen, who can’t be blamed for whatever comes out of their mouths. Wah! It’s not fair. Too bad life hasn’t cut them one single break. I bet their bling gets all wet from the tears. There’s more, of course–equally incoherent. Jerk. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680/3 "2004-08-26T22:48:30Z")
[Here](http://pitch.com/issues/2002-12-26/hall.html)’s a charming article on the man, too. > [@](#): > > In October 1998, Whitlock baited New England Patriots fans from his seat in the press box by displaying a handwritten sign to the crowd that read “Bledsoe, gay?” (Drew Bledsoe was the team’s quarterback at the time.) The Star suspended Whitlock for a couple of weeks and insisted he attend sensitivity training. ---
**Author:** ![Creative\_Munster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Creative\_Munster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creative_Munster)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680/4 "2004-08-26T23:06:50Z")
You bringing that up just proves you are racist. Why do you judge him by his demeanor, his words and his actions? It certainly must be because he is a black man in a racist society. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lilacs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Lilacs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lilacs)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680/5 "2004-08-26T23:11:02Z")
**Airman** , I’ve had the misfortune of reading other articles of his and was appalled when he got a guest gig on espn’s website. He just likes to cause trouble, in order to draw attention to himself. I’ve always thought he was an asshole, and that has nothing to do with his race. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680/6 "2004-08-26T23:15:57Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > It’s not because I think that they’re a bunch of childish primadonnas. > And it certainly isn’t because I think that some of them like Allen Iverson are tattooed freakish criminals who are poor representatives of my country. I’d like to know which of the Olympians on the men’s basketball team you think are (1) childish primadonnas, and (2) tattoed freakish criminals. Names, please. Remember that Allen Iverson volunteered to go to the Olympics to represent his country when most of his peers were running away as fast as they could. To make it easier, here is the roster: Carmelo Anthony Carlos Boozer Tim Duncan Allen Iverson LeBron James Richard Jefferson Stephon Marbury Shawn Marion Lamar Odom Emeka Okefor Amare Stoudemire Dwayne Wade ---
**Author:** ![Creative\_Munster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Creative\_Munster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creative_Munster)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680/7 "2004-08-26T23:21:15Z")
I’ll start with Iverson. Here’s the link: [http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/story/5510101](http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/story/5510101) ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680/8 "2004-08-26T23:31:46Z")
[Carlos Boozer](http://www.woio.com/Global/story.asp?S=1926298). Verdict: Primadonna. [LeBron James](http://www.fact-index.com/l/le/lebron_james.html). Verdict: Primadonna and selfish rule violator. [Stephon Marbury](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/news/2002/02/08/marbury_dui_ap/). Verdict: Primadonna and public nuisance. Is it necessary for me to go on? It’s not like I can’t. The Internet has no secrets. But hey, thanks for missing the point, **Lamar**. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680/9 "2004-08-26T23:33:20Z")
Black guy stepping in to say what a load of horseshit! Funny thing is he actually did manage to find the source of the problem. It was right here: > [@](#): > > The international style of basketball play is superior to the American game, particularly the NBA game. The wide lane, shorter 3-pointer and prevalence of zone defenses limit the effectiveness of the NBA’s two-man game. You can’t have three guys stand on one side of the court and talk to Spike Lee while your two best players go two-on-two on the other side. It’s boring, and it doesn’t work in international play. Other than that, the rest is stupid. As I recall it, wasn’t the first (Dream Team) and hell all subsequent USA teams all Black? So it surely not racism. **Lamar** Let me be the first to call Iverson a whiny premdonna. But thanks for the link, I haven’t watched the Olympics (nor the NBA until the finals) at all, and had no idea who was on the team. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680/10 "2004-08-26T23:36:48Z")
> [@Stuffy](#): > > Other than that, the rest is stupid. As I recall it, wasn’t the first (Dream Team) and hell all subsequent USA teams all Black? So it surely not racism. The first one had Larry Legend and the second one had John Stockton if I recall correctly. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680/11 "2004-08-26T23:39:22Z")
Whitlock has been an embarrasment to Kansas City for years now; it’s good to know that he’s branched out to a national level. ---
**Author:** ![akennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@akennett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akennett)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680/12 "2004-08-26T23:46:40Z")
The problem that you, **Airman** , and your ilk have is you are being niggardly in expressing your patriotism. 😃 This means that both you (for your niggardliness) and I (for daring to use such a shocking word) are racists. Yep, that’s it, we’re all racists. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2004, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680/13 "2004-08-26T23:52:15Z")
I’ve got to be entered in the 100 meters, because I just don’t have the energy to be a long-distance racist. Anything over 440 wears my ass out. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MikeCollins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bbce88/32.png) [@MikeCollins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeCollins)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680/14 "2004-08-27T00:11:44Z")
When was Justin Gaitlin white? ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680/15 "2004-08-27T00:21:28Z")
> [@Stuffy](#): > > As I recall it, wasn’t the first (Dream Team) and hell all subsequent USA teams all Black? The original dream team had Larry Bird, John Stockton, Chris Mullin, and (for some reason) token collegian Christian Laettner. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680/16 "2004-08-27T00:28:27Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > [Carlos Boozer](http://www.woio.com/Global/story.asp?S=1926298). > > Verdict: Primadonna. > > [LeBron James](http://www.fact-index.com/l/le/lebron_james.html). > > Verdict: Primadonna and selfish rule violator. > > [Stephon Marbury](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/news/2002/02/08/marbury_dui_ap/). > > Verdict: Primadonna and public nuisance. > > Is it necessary for me to go on? It’s not like I can’t. The Internet has no secrets. But hey, thanks for missing the point, **Lamar**. Carlos Boozer took a better offer. That’s capitalism in action. You against that? A High School kid who is months away from becoming a multimillionaire gets a car on collateral. Nothing wrong with that. He accepted some gifts that were against the rules, and gave them back when he found out. I don’t see selfish or primadonna there. In fact, LeBron James is probably the most unfairly judged NBA player there is (other than John Stockton, who everyone thinks is a prince, except NBA players, who know rightly that he is a prick). Marbury got a DUI. You have a point there. See, you are illustrating the point Whitlock overstates. You branded a team as “selfish primadonnas” when you can only name four, and two of which are bogus. Guys like Tim Duncan, Omeka Okefor, Carlos Boozer, and Shawn Marion are real salt-of-the-earth types. Why would you do that? Probably because you didn’t really look at the team, but relied on stereotypes that don’t apply to this team. That is called prejudice. You’ve identified Iverson as one of the “tattooed, freakish criminals”, but can’t come up with any others. One thing to remember - Iverson is like Dennis Rodman, maybe not the greatest example for your kids, but both are/were generally regarded as the hardest workers in the game. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680/17 "2004-08-27T00:41:20Z")
And it doesn’t get any whiter than Bird, Stockton and Mullin! Stockton was also on the second Dream Team, and I guess he was the last white guy so honored. As far as the current team goes, the only one I’d characterize as a criminal, whiny prima donna is Iverson. And even I have to admit he works his ass off on the court. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680/18 "2004-08-27T00:50:26Z")
I stand corrected. The guy is still full of shit though. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680/19 "2004-08-27T01:19:03Z")
> [@Lamar Mundane](#): > > Carlos Boozer took a better offer. That’s capitalism in action. You against that? No, I’m against him breaking his word, whether he gave it illegally or not. > [@](#): > > A High School kid who is months away from becoming a multimillionaire gets a car on collateral. Nothing wrong with that. He accepted some gifts that were against the rules, and gave them back when he found out. When he found out?!?! Are you kidding? He used his superstar status to get the stuff the way he did. The rules are no big secret, and he broke them. Period. > [@](#): > > Marbury got a DUI. You have a point there. Well gee. Thank you very much. > [@](#): > > See, you are illustrating the point Whitlock overstates. You branded a team as “selfish primadonnas” when you can only name four, and two of which are bogus. No, I stopped at four. I found one more. By the way, that makes five, out of twelve. In other words, slightly less than half have either seen the inside of a jail, broken a major athletic rule, or done something questionable but nonetheless scummy. So, here’s the last example: [Lamar Odom](http://www.s-t.com/daily/12-00/12-13-00/l02sp028.htm) Verdict: Primadonna rule violator (taking money from boosters). I can go on busting up Captain Iverson, including the time he sat out for not showing up on time for a meeting. Nice example there. As far as the other ones being bogus, that’s your opinion. They broke the rules. Period. > [@](#): > > Guys like Tim Duncan, Omeka Okefor, Carlos Boozer, and Shawn Marion are real salt-of-the-earth types. Why would you do that? Probably because you didn’t really look at the team, but relied on stereotypes that don’t apply to this team. That is called prejudice. Tim Duncan is probably the one player on that team that has my respect. He shows up, doesn’t talk, signs his huge contract with a minimum of fuss, and stays out of trouble. The other guys (Okafor, Marion, Wade, Anthony) I don’t know enough about to make an informed decision. But who’s the face of USA Basketball? Iverson. Who just made the paper for setting the single game scoring record? Marbury the egocentric ballhog. So, when those other guys play, let me know. And let me restate that you’ve done a good job of missing the point. Unless you’re actually mounting a defense of Whitlock by trying to obscure what a douchebag he is by going off on this tangent, in which case I’m not playing anymore. Let me know so that I can say how pure as the driven snow they all are and how I was so awfully mistaken and how it was just that latent racism that Whitlock has accused me of reasserting itself in my words. Because if you’re not accusing me of racism as well I don’t get your point. And if you are we’re done talking. ---
**Author:** ![Toddly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@Toddly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toddly)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680/20 "2004-08-27T01:36:32Z")
I think he makes some good and valid comparisons with Canadian hockey and NBA basketball. I wonder if his opinion is not shared by many black men who love these players and see how they are being supported during these games. I don’t like it when he describes taking verbal abuse for wearing a USA team shirt to a Chiefs football game. The conversation he relates from his radio show where the caller says he hates the team because he feels threatened to walk on the streets. Its not the America he “fell in love with”. If I was black and heard that comment I might take it for racism. I don’t know if their argument is valid but I think that there may be a portion of people who feel the same way.That it is racial. I want them to win and I do think we shoud pull for the US team. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/now-i-know-why-im-rooting-for-the-us-mens-basketball-team-to-tank/261680.md?page=2)