Good for Desi rejecting to wear that NIKE jacket in the photos.

remember MJ? wrote:

For the 1992 Olympic Dream Team in basketball, Adidas was the official sponsor and the uniforms were Adidas. Michael Jordan draped the American flag over his shoulder and used it to cover the Adidas logo above his left chest in all the celebratory photos because he was a Nike athlete.

In at least one of the post-race pics it looks like Meb has on the white Nike jacket but is doing exactly this with the US flag.

someone had to do it wrote:

Too bad the national singlets are sponsored. Guys like hall have to wear the nike singlet during the most followed race of 4 years. The IOC should let people put their sponsorships logo on the singlet instead of having an entire country wear the same singlet.

I've been up for half an hour and this will be the dumbest thing I hear all day. Why would you want all the athletes to be wearing different singlets at the Games? That would hurt the sport more than help it.

ray wrote:

Lots of respect for Desi. Now if she'd only told USATF to f*** off with the American Flag bullshit.....

This - and all the phukin military there too.

I'd put a matching color patch over the Nike singlet logo. Simply cover it up. Legal grounds: the ethics of USATF forcing a citizen to endorse a group or organization. Any justification could be cited and tied to the Constitution.

StandUp StandUp wrote:

I'd put a matching color patch over the Nike singlet logo. Simply cover it up. Legal grounds: the ethics of USATF forcing a citizen to endorse a group or organization. Any justification could be cited and tied to the Constitution.

No you wouldn't.

Boo for her., if it was intentional

I mean she'd rather wear the brook stuff than the USA stuff. Please give her spot to someone who wants to run for the USA not Brooks-Hansen.

runn wrote:

StandUp StandUp wrote:

I'd put a matching color patch over the Nike singlet logo. Simply cover it up. Legal grounds: the ethics of USATF forcing a citizen to endorse a group or organization. Any justification could be cited and tied to the Constitution.

No you wouldn't.

There's actually a case about this - San Francisco Arts and Athletics, Inc. v. United States Olympic Committee, 428 U.S. 522 (1987). Basically, the USOC is not the government, so the Constitution does not apply to them.

Dr.Know wrote:

ray wrote:

Lots of respect for Desi. Now if she'd only told USATF to f*** off with the American Flag bullshit.....

This - and all the phukin military there too.

No problem with the military being there. Organizers found a use for cheap labor. But it is against flag etiquette to use it in the manner USATF has been using it and it really pisses a lot of old timers and vets to see this happen. Learn a little something about your flag before you guys open your mouths.

As far as Desi representing her country and owing Nike anything......who's been supporting her for the last 4 years? Nike, Brooks or the USA?

ray wrote:

No problem with the military being there. Organizers found a use for cheap labor. But it is against flag etiquette to use it in the manner USATF has been using it and it really pisses a lot of old timers and vets to see this happen. Learn a little something about your flag before you guys open your mouths.

it's a piece of friggin' cloth. who gives a $hit? learn a little something about cheap pieces of fabric put together in CHINA before waxing your faux-nationalism bull$shit.

nuts wrote:

ray wrote:

No problem with the military being there. Organizers found a use for cheap labor. But it is against flag etiquette to use it in the manner USATF has been using it and it really pisses a lot of old timers and vets to see this happen. Learn a little something about your flag before you guys open your mouths.

it's a piece of friggin' cloth. who gives a $hit? learn a little something about cheap pieces of fabric put together in CHINA before waxing your faux-nationalism bull$shit.

As soon as they started cracking open boxes of flags to be distributed to spectators at the race Saturday morning, I knew the inevitible result would be the disgracing of hundreds of flags. It was sad to see how many flags ended up discarded and on the ground being trampled by the only-moments-ago so proudly American spectators. Funny how I was the one people thought was odd when I didn't accept their offers to wave the flag for the runners.

Also people, if you're wearing a hat when the nation anthem is played, please take it off. Thanks.

A lot of people have died to allow "nuts" to have his opinion, respect them.

The Olympic Games are different! Let them wear their logo stuff for the qualifiers and other races, but at the Olympics they represent their country and everyone should wear the same uniform. In the past, other vendors have sponsored some also - Ralph Lauren for the last two Olympics at least has provided what they wear into the stadium.

since Desi won with her Brooks stuff on - that is GREAT, fINE and wonderful to wear it on the podium of the TRIALS but at the Games whoever is the sponsor be it NIKE, ADDIAS, BROOKS, or what they should wear that uniform because basically at that point they are representing the USA not a team or logo.

The sponsored team can then use the athlete's image prior to and after the Olympics with a USA flag around them all over the place if they want.

the rule has always been:

1.wear individual sponsors SHOES

2.wear your country's sponsored CLOTHING

pretty simple. dont make it rocket science guys.

The more Nike pays to endorse U.S. Olympic team = less you have to pay in national dues....or the more athletes are allowed to compete in Olympic trials.

If it is Olympic team uniform Desi should be required to wear it....with no cover up.

cracked pepper wrote:

big f'ing deal. Nike pays to be the team sponsor. Athletes should wear the team gear other than shoes.

I don't wear nike shoes, but still want to point out that you people who are anti-nike running are a bunch of idiots. Nike has done more for running in the U.S. than any other company.

+1

If you look at the photo on Houston Marathon website, Desi has no jacket on, Ryan Hall has a yellow jacket...so not the Team USA jacket and Meb has a jacket on but the American flag wrapped around him so you can't see anything Nike. Way to go!!! Sticking it to the man!!!

i earned my national defense medal (before the current practice of awarding in boot camp). put seven years in. i have no issues with how the flag is used or if people wear hats during a song.in my humble veteran's opinion, the right defended was speech, not idolatry.

pay up sucka wrote:

Also people, if you're wearing a hat when the nation anthem is played, please take it off. Thanks.

A lot of people have died to allow "nuts" to have his opinion, respect them.

Guys, I doubt she was trying to make any kind of statement. I am pretty sure there would be significant financial repercussions with Brooks if she were to wear ANYTHING showing another athletic logo while being photographed at a racing event.

Seriously, this is not uncommon for sponsored athletes. Brooks will figure something out for her at the games, you won't be seeing her enter the stadium covered in red and yellow during the opening ceremonies.

bluenotes wrote:

I've been up for half an hour and this will be the dumbest thing I hear all day. Why would you want all the athletes to be wearing different singlets at the Games? That would hurt the sport more than help it.

I've been up for 2 hours and this will be the dumbest thing I read all day. Instead of a swoosh on their singlet they will have an addidas logo or an asics logo. How the hell will that "hurt the sport"??

erik bush wrote:

i earned my national defense medal (before the current practice of awarding in boot camp). put seven years in. i have no issues with how the flag is used or if people wear hats during a song.

in my humble veteran's opinion, the right defended was speech, not idolatry.

pay up sucka wrote:

Also people, if you're wearing a hat when the nation anthem is played, please take it off. Thanks.

A lot of people have died to allow "nuts" to have his opinion, respect them.

Thanks for your service Erik. I served four years in the AF myself. However, you weren't serving to protect a singular cause, you were serving to protect all the causes of the US, which are symbolized by the flag. I highly doubt you approve of foreigners burning the flag, why would you want Americans disrespecting it either.