Giovanni Lanaro wants to hear Mexican National Anthem played, not the US anthem, even though he is a US Citizen

He should move to Mexico for a few years. Live there, train there, eat there, use the "toilets" there, etc. Then, we'll see which anthem he wants played. If he wants to hear Mexico's, the he can go live in Mexico. What an asshole!

I wouldn't use the word "traitor". He hasn't betrayed the US necessarily. On the other hand, I would see if there was some way to not allow this man to compete for the USA. Sure I don't like the president, his policies, and his war as well as many other things that come along with corporate America, but I'm not competing for them. I'm competing for AMERICANS. I'd be more excited getting a handshake and a congrats on the street than a shake from the prez after a win for America. This guy is taking away from the citizens of America who would gladly compete for red white and blue. I'm not sure what action can be taken, but last time I checked the governing body is the USATF, not the MTF. This guy is a disgrace, not a traitor.

Yeah, well if I was on the medal stand I wouldn't want to hear either of those tired songs. I'd be standing up proudly there while "Raining Blood" by Slayer was blaring over the PA.

The last time I saw him pole vault, he was wearing a mexico uniform. I think Gio is on the Mexico National team.

And well ... if you do the math ... yup the mexican national anthem.

Stop hating on him and go find something useful to do. Or go train harder and try to beat him that why you dont have to hear it.

Andy Ponce de Leon

Tony wrote:

He should move to Mexico for a few years. Live there, train there, eat there, use the "toilets" there, etc. Then, we'll see which anthem he wants played. If he wants to hear Mexico's, the he can go live in Mexico. What an asshole!

Right on.

"I kinda like running" doesn't want to hear the Stars Spangled Banner? Really. Maybe you can find another forum you like better. I sincerely believe most, if not all who post here, except you, would be proud and honored to hear that song while we are standing tall on the podium proudly representing our country.

I hope you inadvertently mis-spoke..

Although I don't know the song that "I kinda like running" prefers, I like the idea of doing away with national anthems at medals ceremonies and sporting events. Great writers, actors, ballet dancers, musicians, and scientists don't have to "stand tall on the podium proudly representing our country" in order to be acknowledged for their accomplishments. Why should athletes? And, conversely, why should a national anthem be played as an implicit national endorsement of whiny thugs who happen to run fast, jump high, hit hard, or rebound well?

I agree, take his butt to Mexico and leave him there.

Don't be such a prude, West Coast. I was obviously making a joke.

Although, I wasn't entirely joking. The world might be a better place if we did away with flags, national anthems, borders, etc. They just serve to help facilitate separatism, fear, and hate.

i kinda like running wrote:Although, I wasn't entirely joking. The world might be a better place if we did away with flags, national anthems, borders, etc. They just serve to help facilitate separatism, fear, and hate.

Sure, thats a real plausible scenario. So instead we have a superstate causing all new sorts of problems. Psh...dreamers...

Avocados Number wrote:

Although I don't know the song that "I kinda like running" prefers, I like the idea of doing away with national anthems at medals ceremonies and sporting events. Great writers, actors, ballet dancers, musicians, and scientists don't have to "stand tall on the podium proudly representing our country" in order to be acknowledged for their accomplishments. Why should athletes? And, conversely, why should a national anthem be played as an implicit national endorsement of whiny thugs who happen to run fast, jump high, hit hard, or rebound well?

Its a good thing nobody cares what you think.

Also, last I checked, billions of people don't watch scientists work their assays, and even the Nobel prize ceremony only draws a few hundred.

Steps to defeat this problem

1. Become pole vaulter

2. Get awesome at

3. Win the Pan-Am Games, defeating Lanaro

4. Hear your own anthem

Of all the problems in the world, this is surely one of them. Continue crying about it please.

Avocados Number wrote:

Although I don't know the song that "I kinda like running" prefers, I like the idea of doing away with national anthems at medals ceremonies and sporting events. Great writers, actors, ballet dancers, musicians, and scientists don't have to "stand tall on the podium proudly representing our country" in order to be acknowledged for their accomplishments. Why should athletes? And, conversely, why should a national anthem be played as an implicit national endorsement of whiny thugs who happen to run fast, jump high, hit hard, or rebound well?

Because it's tradition, that's why. Why do people bow to the queen of England? Why do muslims kneel towars Mecca and pray? Why do Grooms have bachelor parties?

TRADITION

It's a significant event to be on a podium REPRESENTING your country for athletic acheivement. If you take away the playing of the anthem, then take away the whole competition too....

You are probably the same asshole that sits during the national anthem at a baseball game.

Andy,

i have no problem with Gio representing Mexico; however, i do have a problem with him representing Mexico while receiving benefits from the US. He is welcome to compete for the Mexican National Team in the Pan Am Games--that's what the competition is about, but he has turned his back on his own country and basically snubbed everyone who helped him achieve his accolades. I think of the coaching staff at CSUF who helped him along the way while he went to school and lived in CALIFORNIA. Gio is turning his back to them by representing Mexico. He is welcome to move to Mexico and apply for citizenship and live and train in Mexico. If he loves Mexico so much, why not move there permanently?

orly? wrote:

i kinda like running wrote:Although, I wasn't entirely joking. The world might be a better place if we did away with flags, national anthems, borders, etc. They just serve to help facilitate separatism, fear, and hate.

Sure, thats a real plausible scenario. So instead we have a superstate causing all new sorts of problems. Psh...dreamers...

I know it's not a plausible scenario. We are too primitive to handle something like that. Most humans still operate on the "wolfpack" mentality and couldn't possibly fathom a world without these things.

Do not throw around the term "traitor" so loosely. Such frivolous uses of words like that lessen the impact of the word.

He has dual citizenship. He is free to choose a country to compete for.

His parents appear to be here legally and paid taxes so he is not taking anything more from education than you ever did. If he had a scholarship, then that was likely paid for by contributors and not taxpayers in total.

I do not think you can deport a person who was born in the US.

Get over it. A great thing about the US is that he is free to choose.

Many foreign athletes compete in the US. Do you want to run all of them out as well? Does that include baseball players? Basketball players? Then should other countries also not allow American athletes to train in their countries? If so, I bet the US ski team will be raising hell over that.

He admits that he has never lived in Mexico and does not pretend to know what it is like.

wjw0006,

since when does tradition automatically make something good and worthwhile?? We've always done it so we must continue doing it just because?

I have no problem with people thinking it would be great to stand on a podium draped in a flag while the Star Spangled Banner plays. But when that mentality facilitates a sense of nationalism that creates anger towards another person simply because they would like to hear a different country's song after they win an athletic event, there is a problem. It's just a f***ing song, and Mexico is separated from the US by man-made borders. God himself did not separate one land mass from another. We did that for the same reason dogs mark their territories. I mean, it's true that he is technically a US citizen, but his heritage and ancestry lie in Mexico. So if that's where his heart is and he wants to hear the Mexican anthem, so be it. No need to lynch him or deport him.

Sounds like Meb draping himself with a Eritrean Flag at every opportunity.

why do you assholes even care? i have no problem with it