Firestorm erupts over Chinese made US Olympic uniforms

[jamaica50]

http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2012 ... nite-anger

Senator Harry Reid
I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again

[IanS_Liv]

I tend to agree with this. Our kit had a British designer but goodness only knows where they were made.

[Quick Silver]

The Hong Kong uniform has been described as "a little bit anime school yard" but I'd far rather be seen in it than in one of those berets. It's made in China too, but a lot cheaper.

Quick Silver
Hong Kong

[Marlow]

http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2012/story/_/id/8160403/2012-olympics-china-made-team-usa-uniforms-ignite-anger
Senator Harry Reid
I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again

Harry is a reactionary, He needs to check who one of the USA's major creditors is. If they're good enough to give us money (LOTS), they're good enough to make our uniforms. If he wants USA-only business, that ship has long sailed. It's not a firestorm. It's not even a spark. It's a smoldering pile of rubbish.

[gh]

Expect lots of posturing in an election year, of course, from both sides of the aisle as they pay lip service to "amateur sports" by getting all patriotiically righteous about it.

They do have a point, of course, but this probably wouldn't happen in any of the other three years in a cycle.

Yet another reason it's a crying shame that U.S. elections and the OG are on the same cycle (can you say '80 or '84?)

[Conor Dary]

They do have a point, of course, but this probably wouldn't happen in any of the other three years in a cycle.

True on the first point and really, really, really false on the second. By the way both Boehner and Reid are 'outraged' so it is a wash.

[gm]

To heck with the pols. They don't fund the teams.

[j-a-m]

Interesting how the senator wants to burn stuff just because he doesn't like it, and clothes colored in red, white, and blue, of all things.

[Conor Dary]

To heck with the pols. They don't fund the teams.

I won't argue with that.

[MightyBurner]

This seems to be a lot of political masturbatory gesturing. Nothing to see here.

[aaronk]

Isn't EVERYTHING made in China??

[Rye Catcher]

Interesting how the senator wants to burn stuff just because he doesn't like it, and clothes colored in red, white, and blue, of all things.

Burn it and pollute and get Al Gore all over his back. Hahahahahahaha

[ExCoastRanger]

Maybe these guys should check the labels of their own suits.

[Per Andersen]

Aren't Ralph Lauren and Nike American companies?

I believe ABC News may have started this . They run semi hysterical segments a couple of times a week called "Made in the USA". Diane Sawyer is all worked up about this, finding US flags made in China and stuff like that.

In an election year it's safe to jump on that bandwagon.

[rainy.here]

This seams ( ) really simple to me: if the US Gov funds the USOC, then they have a point. If the US Gov does not fund the USOC, then it's all rubbish.

[bushop]

Maybe these guys should check the labels of their own suits.

Amen... and their car(s), phone(s), vacations destinations, political donors, laptop(s), furniture, off-shore accounts... ect.

[Randy Treadway]

I agree with everything everybody has said. Let Reid have his symbolic uniform burning on the Capitol steps, so he can get arrested and tossed in the pokey for building an illegal campfire on capitol grounds.

Then everybody can go back to enjoying watching the Olympics on TV. (he can watch on TV too, from the hoosegow).

Given the usual leanings on this board, I'm a bit surprised that no dissenters have spoken up.

[Randy Treadway]

To heck with the pols. They don't fund the teams.

The pols might change the whole equation by giving the Chinese seamstresses U.S. citizenship, thus bringing USOC into politically correct good graces, that they "bought American". LOL Nothing would surprise me these days. That means the seamstresses could vote in November.

[Pego]

To heck with the pols. They don't fund the teams.

I won't argue with that.

Yes.

[Al in NYC]

I think they are the perfect symbol of everything America is today.

[dukehjsteve]

Pontificating Pols, left and right. Dorks.

[kamikaze7]

According to the media, most of the athletes interviewed support the pols esp Nick Symmonds who tweeted. Maybe they are just being politically correct ?

[BruceFlorman]

Any Americans wearing "made in America" clothing today, are wearing either hand-me-downs or homemade.

[preston]

the political righteous indignation had me thinking about the below excerpt from the job interview in "Good Will Hunting"

...Now the politicians are sayin', "Oh, send in the Marines to secure the area" 'cause they don't give a shit. It won't be their kid over there, gettin' shot. Just like it wasn't them when their number got called, 'cause they were pullin' a tour in the National Guard. It'll be some kid from Southie takin' shrapnel in the ass. And he comes back to find that the plant he used to work at got exported to the country he just got back from. And the guy who put the shrapnel in his ass got his old job, 'cause he'll work for fifteen cents a day and no bathroom breaks. Meanwhile, he realizes the only reason he was over there in the first place was so we could install a government that would sell us oil at a good price. And, of course, the oil companies used the skirmish over there to scare up domestic oil prices. A cute little ancillary benefit for them, but it ain't helping my buddy at two-fifty a gallon. And they're takin' their sweet time bringin' the oil back, of course, and maybe even took the liberty of hiring an alcoholic skipper who likes to drink martinis and fuckin' play slalom with the icebergs, and it ain't too long 'til he hits one, spills the oil and kills all the sea life in the North Atlantic. So now my buddy's out of work and he can't afford to drive, so he's got to walk to the fuckin' job interviews, which sucks 'cause the shrapnel in his ass is givin' him chronic hemorrhoids. And meanwhile he's starvin', 'cause every time he tries to get a bite to eat, the only blue plate special they're servin' is North Atlantic scrod with Quaker State. So what did I think? I'm holdin' out for somethin' better. I figure fuck it, while I'm at it why not just shoot my buddy, take his job, give it to his sworn enemy, hike up gas prices, bomb a village, club a baby seal, hit the hash pipe and join the National Guard? I could be elected president.

[Riff80]

My local ABC new station was just reporting on this and they referred to Nick Symmonds as a "SPRINTER" and didn't say the last name correct but I will give them a break on that.

[j-a-m]

Nick Symmonds who tweeted.

His tweet may have supported raising the issue, but it doesn't support burning stuff, or otherwise support politicians explicitly.

[MDC]

Faux outrage. Great opportunity for a reporter to ask any politician in front of a microphone to spot check the labels of the clothes they're wearing. (And guessing that at least one dressage horse will have all "Made in the USA" labels.)

[MightyBurner]

Any Americans wearing "made in America" clothing today, are wearing either hand-me-downs or homemade.

Or New Balance

[Smoke]

Expect lots of posturing in an election year, of course, from both sides of the aisle as they pay lip service to "amateur sports" by getting all patriotiically righteous about it.

They do have a point, of course, but this probably wouldn't happen in any of the other three years in a cycle.

Yet another reason it's a crying shame that U.S. elections and the OG are on the same cycle (can you say '80 or '84?)

This is the type of foolishness that cost many of my heros their shot at the 1980s games and marred the 1984 games. The absolute irrelevance of this is maddening. But what about politics isn't?

[18.99s]

According to the media, most of the athletes interviewed support the pols esp Nick Symmonds who tweeted. Maybe they are just being politically correct ?

No, they're just being logically consistent.

If you're going along with the whole nationalistic theme of "represent my country" and "proud to be American", it's stupid to have the athletes walking into the opening ceremonies wearing stuff that's made in China. If you want to portray American to the world, wear American!

On the other hand if you're not going along with the patriotism and nationalism, then don't bother to have them wear anything American-looking at all. Let everybody wear a generic business casual outfit or suit of their choosing.

The cost aspect is nonsense. Those uniforms are over $1000 each. The USOC could have easily had them made in the US for less. The cost savings of making them in China went to Ralph Lauren's profits, not the USOC budget.

[Randy Treadway]

On the other hand if you're not going along with the patriotism and nationalism, then don't bother to have them wear anything American-looking at all. Let everybody wear a generic business casual outfit or suit of their choosing.

I'll vote for that.
But I don't think we'll ever see it in our lifetime. Nationalism has been part of the modern Olympics since it's inception. And IAAF's WC's--- same thing.
It's not going to go away because it's built into the very organizational structure of both the IOC and the IAAF.

I suppose a significant part of the viewing public would not watch on TV if everybody was in identical white uniforms.

[18.99s]

But I don't think we'll ever see it in our lifetime. Nationalism has been part of the modern Olympics since it's inception. And IAAF's WC's--- same thing.
It's not going to go away because it's built into the very organizational structure of both the IOC and the IAAF.

I don't expect nationalism to go away from the Olympics. It is the biggest embodiment of nationalism.

I'm just saying that if you're going to spend money to look and act patriotic and all of that, do it right and don't undermine it by wearing "made in China" at the opening ceremony. It would have been better to have them wear an American-made white T-shirt with "USA" ironed on the front and a pair of blue jeans.

[Dave]

Expect lots of posturing in an election year, of course, from both sides of the aisle as they pay lip service to "amateur sports" by getting all patriotiically righteous about it.

They do have a point, of course, but this probably wouldn't happen in any of the other three years in a cycle.

Yet another reason it's a crying shame that U.S. elections and the OG are on the same cycle (can you say '80 or '84?)

This is the type of foolishness that cost many of my heros their shot at the 1980s games and marred the 1984 games. The absolute irrelevance of this is maddening. But what about politics isn't?

A country will put down $B to put on an Olympic games for nationalistic purposes. The athletic events are the sideshows, the rest is why the money is spent.

[Tuariki]

But I don't think we'll ever see it in our lifetime. Nationalism has been part of the modern Olympics since it's inception. And IAAF's WC's--- same thing.
It's not going to go away because it's built into the very organizational structure of both the IOC and the IAAF.

I don't expect nationalism to go away from the Olympics. It is the biggest embodiment of nationalism.

I'm just saying that if you're going to spend money to look and act patriotic and all of that, do it right and don't undermine it by wearing "made in China" at the opening ceremony. It would have been better to have them wear an American-made white T-shirt with "USA" ironed on the front and a pair of blue jeans.

And just where do you think the jeans, and the denim, are made. My bet. Try Guangdong.

And for all of you "MUST BE MADE IN USA" hypocrites I presume you will be equally insistent that all the USA athletes should be made to wear spikes that are actually made in the USA. They mustn't be allowed to wear those Nikes made in the foreign hell sweat shops of forced child labour. By all means give the rest of the world's athletes a competitive advantage and make Jessee Williams wear high jump shoes made from USA sourced raw materials and actually made in the USA by USA citizens - and not some poor schmuck illegal in some underground illegal operation.

[Conor Dary]

And for all of you "MUST BE MADE IN USA" hypocrites I presume you will be equally insistent that all the USA athletes should be made to wear spikes that are actually made in the USA. They mustn't be allowed to wear those Nikes made in the foreign hell sweat shops of forced child labour. By all means give the rest of the world's athletes a competitive advantage and make Jessee Williams wear high jump shoes made from USA sourced raw materials and actually made in the USA by USA citizens - and not some poor schmuck illegal in some underground illegal operation.

If you are going to be so self-righteous it would help if you knew what you were talking about.

Who, then, were the good actors of the trade? There are a number of them, actually, but here I'll just point out two that often surprise people. The first is Mattel, the same company that was tarnished last summer by a recall of toys that were found to have lead paint on them. ....

The second unexpected company is Nike, which long ago took its bad press to heart and remade itself into a role model of how to carry out thoughtful labor monitoring. Nike has become such a leader in the field that its Web site may be the single best resource for those trying to understand the difficult business of international labor standards. Not only does Nike prescreen factories, it also discloses the name and address of every factory it uses and makes public much of its monitoring.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/featur ... frank.html