The hypocrisy of Jacques Rogge

[yendi]

Over at Yahoo Sports, Dan Wetzel nails the hypocrisy of IOC President Jacques Rogge. Referring to the bad sportsmanship exhibited by professional whiner Evgeni Plushenko, Wetzel notes:

Plushenko’s comments showed zero respect for his opponents. At the Beijing Olympics, Rogge, the IOC president, ripped Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt for just such a thing when Bolt threw up his hands in celebration before crossing the finish line. “That’s not the way we perceive being a champion,” Rogge attacked.

When asked for comment about Plushenko’s antics, Rogge defended the skater to the Los Angeles Times. “I think he was very disappointed, obviously, and sometimes in disappointment, you express things you wouldn’t express at another time.”

There is one difference in these cases. Plushenko hails from a wealthy, powerful country. Bolt doesn’t. Rogge would never attack a Russian (or American or Chinese) athlete the way he did with Bolt. With the stuffy, elitist IOC, it’s always the same game. Power protects power, and when a suit like Jacques Rogge needs to act tough, you know who is going to get called out.

Yup.

Comments

[pixelfish.livejournal.com]

*files away another reason to be an Olympic Grinch*

Jacques Rogge has also been contemplating ditching women's hockey for lack of competitiveness. No word on men's hockey, natch, which had years of Canada/USSR/US matchups.

[yendi]

Yeah, and considering what he did to Softball, the man is long in my doghouse. The notion that "competitiveness" is the concern is, of course, utter horseshit.

[ex-gnomicut.livejournal.com]

Oh, I think Rogge has plenty of problems with Bolt that are not just about the wealth of his nation. I think his inconsistent treatment of male and female athletes is right up there is evidence that he is perhaps not the most objective when it comes to treatment of athletes as a general rule.

[yendi]

Yeah, if you're referring to Rogge having problems with Bolt's skin color (and the fact that that majority of folks in his country share that skin color), I took that as a pretty strongly implied possibility in light of his actions.

[feste-sylvain.livejournal.com]

There's another contrast, of course:

Bolt was a winner. Plushenko was a loser, just like Rogge.

[digriz.livejournal.com]

Not that this excuses him, but I'm sure he didn't want to piss off the hosts of the 2014 Games, either. He's turning out to be just as much of a jerk as his predecessor.