Perhaps you’ve heard the name Becky Hammon.
More specifically, perhaps you’ve heard a bit about her story.
You can watch my latest video commentary or continue reading below:
Hammon is a point guard for the WNBA’s San Antonio Silver Stars. She was born in South Dakota and went to college in Colorado. She is fair skinned and blond haired. In another words, she’s an all-American girl.
And she’s playing basketball in the Olympics for Russia.
While she is one of the best point guards in the WNBA, she doubted her chances of making the U.S. Olympic team, so she decided to play for Russia. She plays professionally there when the WNBA isn’t in season.
Her decision created something of a firestorm. ESPN jumped on the story, and Team USA coach Anne Donovan had some strong words for Hammon, questioning her patriotism.
I’ve got questions, too, but they have little to do with patriotism. We’ll get to those questions in a minute.
There are at least eight other American-born athletes who are headed to the Olympics to play for other countries. Chris Kaman, the Los Angeles Clippers center, will be playing for Germany. His connection — his great-grandparents were German. There are two other men playing basketball for Russia, where they play professionally. There is also a guy pole vaulting, another wrestling and another boxing for Mexico. One gal is playing basketball for Mexico. The Canadian softball team will also have a gal who’s an American.
Rules allow for a limited number of foreign-born athletes to play for teams in the Olympics, and if you’re up in arms about these Americans playing for other countries, be sure to realize that the U.S. Olympic contingent has its fair share of foreigners.
The Americans will send athletes who aren’t Americans to Beijing to compete in everything from table tennis to marathon and badminton to triathlon.
Which leads back to my questions.
Where is the uproar about these athletes? The scrutiny and the indignation over Becky Hammon was pretty intense, and yet, no one seems to be screaming about Chris Kaman trying to help Dirk Nowitzki win a medal. No one seems to be up in arms about a guy named Langowski wrestling for Mexico.
Is it because Hammon is playing for Russia? Are the Cold War feelings still hot when it comes to Olympic competition?
I don’t know the answer to those questions. The only thing I do know is that the Olympics are supposed to be about the best of the best from each country going against one another. Apparently, the part about “from each country” is up for interpretation.