Pia continues to be my hero! Check out this brief piece about her response to a recent invitation ... Thank you, Pia! (As a friend said, you're the bomb!)
Re: News & Media: Articles, photos, videos, etc. Refusing to go is bogus. Whether you agree with George Bush's politics or not it is still an honor to get invited to the White House by the President of the United States. You honor the office if nothing else. Being liberal or conservative should have no place in honoring our Olympic Champions.
Re: News & Media: Articles, photos, videos, etc. This is a PR disaster. Respect the Office he holds even if you do not respect the man holding it. This is like the people who give Americans a hard time just because they despise the US governments actions.
Re: News & Media: Articles, photos, videos, etc. She has every right to refuse his invitation and I applaud her. I wish some of the other athletes during Beijing would have had the courage.
Re: News & Media: Articles, photos, videos, etc. Thanks for the link. I'm now an even bigger fan of Pia's!
Re: News & Media: Articles, photos, videos, etc. Regardless of politics, I have disliked the practice of teams going to the White House. I guess I've been around politicians too long professionally, but they never do anything gratis. They are using the teams for their own political ends, to get attention and good feelings from those who support the teams. Their motives are not really to honor the teams. This may sound cynical, but believe me, I've worked in a political environment my entire 40+ year professional life and I've long since learned that the higher the office, the more the political calculation drives what politicians do. So, I think the entire practice is a bad idea.
Re: News & Media: Articles, photos, videos, etc. Actually, ALL countries should've boycotted the Olympics and just had it somewhere else. The IIOC are total idiots for giving the Olympics to one of the worst regimes on earth. Amnesty International has China near the TOP of its hit list for massive human rights violations. You don't hear all the horror that goes on there because the media doesn't report it since the U.S. are in bed with China as are many other countries.
Re: News & Media: Articles, photos, videos, etc. Love it. I totally agree with her. I'd have a hard time shaking the guys hand and smiling.
Re: News & Media: Articles, photos, videos, etc. She could have had a severe leg spasm and kick him in the balls (assuming Cheney hasn't snipped them).
Re: News & Media: Articles, photos, videos, etc. No, I think this is a perfect fit for news and media.
Re: News & Media: Articles, photos, videos, etc. While I can see the respect the office point of view I know that personally I could never, under any circumstances whatsoever, shake that man's hand. So I can't really expect someone else too.
Re: News & Media: Articles, photos, videos, etc. Yes. Let's devote this thread to facts, not opinions.
Re: News & Media: Articles, photos, videos, etc. Maybe, but Bush isn't running for anything at the moment. I think a whitehouse invite doesn't require you to honor the occupant. It's just an honor to be recognized by your country in this fashion. Keep the politics out of it.
Re: News & Media: Articles, photos, videos, etc. New thread started and posts moved accordingly. And please remember as we move forward with this topic... this is not a political board.
Re: News & Media: Articles, photos, videos, etc. I don't believe Pia is a U.S. Citizen, so I don't think she has any obligation to honor the office.
Re: News & Media: Articles, photos, videos, etc. Good point about China. Seems a bit hypercritical to go to China, but not to the White House.
Re: News & Media: Articles, photos, videos, etc. 1) Pia was an assistant coach for China's team before she was hired by USSoccer. 2) US Foreign Policy is and has been for some time the epitome of hypocrisy. (I assume you meant "hypocritical.") In essence, coutries with which we have good trade relations can commit all the human rights violations they want, but we invade other not-so-chummy countries at the drop of a hat. I believe that this was the point REALfootballRulez was making. 3) Agree with casoccerdad47 that Pia has no obligation as a citizen of this country. She's really just a hired gun, or a soldier of fortune. 4) Pia hasn't forbidden other members of the team to attend. I would think it would mean more to a US-born and raised player to appear at the White House anyway.
Re: News & Media: Articles, photos, videos, etc. That is not a logical argument. Going to a country to play in a tournament is not the same thing as accepting an invitation to meet a nation's leader at an official reception. Pia came to China to coach the Chinese team, (and then later with team USA to play), and she came to the USA to coach the American team - both of those things are equal. Perhaps Pia would also have turned down an invitation to meet Hu Jintao. Who knows?
Re: News & Media: Articles, photos, videos, etc. Terrific speech. And just what is that George Bush is running for, again? And don't talk about McCain - he's so busy distancing himself from Bush, he picks a basketball player for Veep. If Pia doesn't want to go, she can say she has a conflict, but don't dis the office like that. So ... she went to China because she likes their government? Well, I don't like her politics. So, guess I won't be going to see any of her games, now.
Re: News & Media: Articles, photos, videos, etc. aww..but if she feels that strongly about her political convictions then why take a job for a country(and the Chinese national team is gov't funded, which has an extremely poor human rights record, especially in regards to women. Pluhleeze. And I'm not a dubya fan but that doesn't wash.