Category: Sports

Stephen Fry is receiving a lot of press for his impassioned open letter to the IOC, asking them to move the 2014 Winter Olympics, coming up in six short months, away from the Black Sea Resort of Sochi.  (George Takei made a similar statement at http://goo.gl/R1bmn9 and a petitition at http://goo.gl/mcH0jx has about 80k signatures so far).

In contention is Russia recently passed law against "homosexual propaganda."  Couched in language about protecting children and respect for traditional values (which all sounds vaguely familiar), it increases fines and jail time for "promotion of homosexual lifestyles". It's ostensibly regarding minors, but the language has been used about any public demonstration, protest, or activity in support of gay rights that some minor, somewhere, could see.  The Russian Sports Minister has confirmed that includes any athletes, trainers, or fans attending the Games.

This come against a backdrop of increasing intolerance against gays in Russia, where in addition to explicit oppression, the police turn a blind eye to beatings and other acts of violence.

This is one of those sticky "minding one's own business" vs "speaking out against injustice" things.  While one can respect that other cultures and countries are going to have different values, when those countries are trying to engage with the rest of the world and portray themselves a someplace where the world should come and visit, "respect" starts becoming "complicity."

There are also some uncomfortable pot-kettle-black issues here.  While the cause of gay rights in the US is on a much more solid footing than in Russia, the idea of suppressing discussion / "promotion" of homosexuality is still socially popular in some circles, complete with "Don't say gay" laws in some school districts; it's not a morally equivalent situation, but the bright line isn't quite as bright as it might be.

Indeed, I sadly suspect there are a substantial number of Americans who would support laws (if not extralegal activities) like that of Russia on the matter.  This would be a clearer or less controversial concern if Russia were, for example, suppressing discussion / "promotion" of, say, Christianity, or Judaism, or some other group we are more used to considering as protected.  Or perhaps not; Russia has some pretty draconian laws (or implementation thereof) suppressing political and press activities unfriendly to the State (for that matter, so did China, and suggestions that either country not be selected as Olympics hosts in the first place got pretty much nowhere).

A more serious concern is the simple practical aspects of this.  Handwaving suggestions aside, its not at all clear that recent past venues (Vancouver has been repeatedly suggested) could or want to host the Olympics, should the IOC make such a radical and costly decision.

So what, aside from signing a petition, should one do, either as an Olympic viewer, a potential Olympic tourist, or an Olympic athlete?  Boycotting the games is unlikely to have much effect, except for some of the very top athletes; moves to pressure individual countries to boycott aren't likely to gain much traction because "it wouldn't be fair to the athletes" (recalling the 1980 American boycott).  

It may be that, having presented the case, the best thing to do is to have the guts to protest.  How many athletes, fans, etc., will Russia really be willing  or able to fine, imprison, or deport with the eyes of the world on them?    

A critical element here would be whether NBC, for example, would be willing to give any air time the the matter, both in its plans and as events unfold.  NBC's highly-scripted, highly-lucrative past coverage does not fill me with hope.

I salute Messrs. Fry and Takei in their efforts, in at least publicizing this issue.  I look forward to see how things play out.

Reshared post from +Mathew Hanley

Stephen Fry wrote an open letter to +David Cameron  and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to campaign against the Russian Winter Olympics

He wants the IOC to pull out of Russia for the Winter Olympics and go somewhere else. This is in reaction to Russia's anti-LGBT  laws. I really have to agree, and I'm sharing so more people know about this open letter

since his website seems to have having issues read the whole letter here 

Join the petition also https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/international-olympic-committee-ioc-relocate-the-2014-winter-games-to-vancouver-2

"Dear Prime Minister, M Rogge, Lord Coe and Members of the International Olympic Committee,
I write in the earnest hope that all those with a love of sport and the Olympic spirit will consider the stain on the Five Rings that occurred when the 1936 Berlin Olympics proceeded under the exultant aegis of a tyrant who had passed into law, two years earlier, an act which singled out for special persecution a minority whose only crime was the accident of their birth. In his case he banned Jews from academic tenure or public office, he made sure that the police turned a blind eye to any beatings, thefts or humiliations afflicted on them, he burned and banned books written by them. He claimed they “polluted” the purity and tradition of what it was to be German, that they were a threat to the state, to the children and the future of the Reich. He blamed them simultaneously for the mutually exclusive crimes of Communism and for the controlling of international capital and banks. He blamed them for ruining the culture with their liberalism and difference. The Olympic movement at that time paid precisely no attention to this evil and proceeded with the notorious Berlin Olympiad, which provided a stage for a gleeful Führer and only increased his status at home and abroad. It gave him confidence. All historians are agreed on that. What he did with that confidence we all know.

Putin is eerily repeating this insane crime, only this time against LGBT Russians. Beatings, murders and humiliations are ignored by the police. Any defence or sane discussion of homosexuality is against the law. Any statement, for example, that Tchaikovsky was gay and that his art and life reflects this sexuality and are an inspiration to other gay artists would be punishable by imprisonment. It is simply not enough to say that gay Olympians may or may not be safe in their village. The IOC absolutely must take a firm stance on behalf of the shared humanity it is supposed to represent against the barbaric, fascist law that Putin has pushed through the Duma. Let us not forget that Olympic events used not only to be athletic, they used to include cultural competitions. Let us realise that in fact, sport is cultural. It does not exist in a bubble outside society or politics. The idea that sport and politics don’t connect is worse than disingenuous, worse than stupid. It is wickedly, wilfully wrong. Everyone knows politics interconnects with everything for “politics” is simply the Greek for “to do with the people”.

An absolute ban on the Russian Winter Olympics of 2014 on Sochi is simply essential. Stage them elsewhere in Utah, Lillyhammer, anywhere you like. At all costs Putin cannot be seen to have the approval of the civilised world.
He is making scapegoats of gay people, just as Hitler did Jews. He cannot be allowed to get away with it. I know whereof I speak. I have visited Russia, stood up to the political deputy who introduced the first of these laws, in his city of St Petersburg. I looked into the face of the man and, on camera, tried to reason with him, counter him, make him understand what he was doing. All I saw reflected back at me was what Hannah Arendt called, so memorably, “the banality of evil.” A stupid man, but like so many tyrants, one with an instinct of how to exploit a disaffected people by finding scapegoats. Putin may not be quite as oafish and stupid as Deputy Milonov but his instincts are the same. He may claim that the “values” of Russia are not the “values” of the West, but this is absolutely in opposition to Peter the Great’s philosophy, and against the hopes of millions of Russians, those not in the grip of that toxic mix of shaven headed thuggery and bigoted religion, those who are agonised by the rolling back of democracy and the formation of a new autocracy in the motherland that has suffered so much (and whose music, literature and drama, incidentally I love so passionately).

I am gay. I am a Jew. My mother lost over a dozen of her family to Hitler’s anti-Semitism. Every time in Russia (and it is constantly) a gay teenager is forced into suicide, a lesbian “correctively” raped, gay men and women beaten to death by neo-Nazi thugs while the Russian police stand idly by, the world is diminished and I for one, weep anew at seeing history repeat itself.

“All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing,” so wrote Edmund Burke. Are you, the men and women of the IOC going to be those “good” who allow evil to triumph?
The Summer Olympics of 2012 were one of the most glorious moments of my life and the life of my country. For there to be a Russian Winter Olympics would stain the movement forever and wipe away any of that glory.

 The Five Rings would finally be forever smeared, besmirched and ruined in the eyes of the civilised world.
I am begging you to resist the pressures of pragmatism, of money, of the oily cowardice of diplomats and to stand up resolutely and proudly for humanity the world over, as your movement is pledged to do. Wave your Olympic flag with pride as we gay men and women wave our Rainbow flag with pride. Be brave enough to live up to the oaths and protocols of your movement, which I remind you of verbatim below.

Rule 4 Cooperate with the competent public or private organisations and authorities in the endeavour to place sport at the service of humanity and thereby to promote peace

Rule 6: Act against any form of discrimination affecting the Olympic Movement

Rule 15 Encourage and support initiatives blending sport with culture and education

I especially appeal to you, Prime Minister, a man for whom I have the utmost respect. As the leader of a party I have for almost all of my life opposed and instinctively disliked, you showed a determined, passionate and clearly honest commitment to LGBT rights and helped push gay marriage through both houses of our parliament in the teeth of vehement opposition from so many of your own side. For that I will always admire you, whatever other differences may lie between us. In the end I believe you know when a thing is wrong or right. Please act on that instinct now.

Yours in desperate hope for humanity

Stephen Fry

via http://www.stephenfry.com/2013/08/07/an-open-letter-to-david-cameron-and-the-ioc

If you agree, please re-share this post to support Stephen Fry's campaign

Same apparent motion. Very different results.  I'm not a baseball fan, but this is very cool.

Reshared post from +Ethan Cohen

one of the coolest (and most insightful) gifs i've seen in a while.

most batters say then can read pitch type by reading a pitcher's body/arm movements – yu darvish is almost identical in all five.