By SUZANNE DOWNING / FOR NEWSMAX
For the first time since 1972, the United States Olympic Team failed to win a medal of any color on the first day of competition. The team pulled about even with China on the second day in Tokyo.
Americans in the past would have been disappointed, or even alarmed at such a start to the Olympic Games. Instead, they were ambivalent.
The truth is, many Americans don’t care about the Olympics this year. Instead of being joyful that after a year of pause, the world is ready for sports competitions again, they are tired. They’re weary of brainwashed athletes who have been given the greatest opportunity in the history of the world to achieve their athletic dreams, only to spoil it for the rest of America by disrespecting our country.
At a youth baseball game in South Anchorage on Saturday, parents agreed: They “don’t give a damn” about the Olympics anymore. The feeling was universal, from conservatives to moderates. They didn’t even bother with the always theatrical kickoff ceremonies, which saw a 36 percent decline from that opening ceremony back in 2016. Jusst 16.7 million Americans watched the opening ceremony, the smallest audience for the event in 33 years, if NBC numbers are correct.
Just as they are tired of hearing movie stars lecture them about immigration, American conservatives have tuned out Tokyo. The athletes – some of them, at least – bought into the currently faddish idea that merit doesn’t count and that everything is all about equity, or equal outcomes, as opposed to opportunity. So be it, Americans are saying: “What’s the point in competition, if it’s all about equity?”
It’s worse. Conservatives actually cheered last week when the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team lost to Sweden in the opening match. The memes on social media were brutal: “Get woke, go broke.” In fact, there is a wide swath of America that is now hoping the women’s soccer squad will go home empty handed, a well-deserved reward for their faux resistance, take-a-knee insistence.
“Maybe if they would just focus on playing soccer and less on talking politics and espousing their personal opinions on many subjects. Dismal uninspired play. They’re acting like they don’t even want to be there,” wrote one Twitter user, echoing the sentiments of millions of Americans.
The men’s basketball team also spectacularly failed, suffering America’s first Olympic loss since 2004, and to France, of all countries, 83-76.
“Must be really difficult to win a game when 80% of the players hate the country they are playing for,” wrote another critic.
Cheering for your country’s team to lose on the international stage is new territory for America’s big socio-political divide. We have never seen Americans turn on their own Olympic team.
Sports lovers and those who appreciate athletic prowess far greater than their own can thank a handful of athletes who started the recent trend of lower spectator appreciation – Colin Kaepernick and Gwen Berry being among the most notorious for petulant behavior. Spectators walked with their TV channel changers over the past year.
The NFL and NBA have already suffered from Americans’ disgust. After two years of growth, in 2020 the audience for NFL games declined 7 percent, averaging the lowest average audience since 2017.
As for the NBA, they were down more than 35 percent after players started becoming political experts. Meanwhile, hockey, which is still a sport and not a political statement, is seeing viewership up by 14 percent.
Last week, more than 150 academics, activists, and athletes signed a five-page letter demanding that the International Olympics Committee to not punish athletes who demonstrate political statements during the Summer Olympics.
Berry, American hammer thrower, has already shown what we can expect if she is on the medals stand in Tokyo. She says she’ll use the Olympics platform to point out racial inequality in the United States.
How much of this will the International Olympics Committee tolerate? It has already made major changes to Rule 50, which bans political activism at the games. The new rule says demonstrations to occur so long as they happen before the start of competition.
In any case, a lot of Americans are “done with it,” according to those informally polled by Must Read America. More is the pity, because by and large, the athletes representing our country are hard-working and outstanding ambassadors for the United States. They don’t deserve our scorn or being lumped in with the brat pack.
Sadly, the ones who have spoiled the Olympics don’t seem to care. And America has returned the favor.
Suzanne Downing is publisher of Must Read America and Must Read Alaska, and writes for NewsMax.
Why yes, yes we are.
Exactly!
Brainwashed kooks
Poor white grievance. So sad for you and your privilege being challenged.
Seriously Mark, shove it right up your A$$! What a racist thing to say. You should be ashamed of yourself – but, of course Marxists never are ashamed when they tear down a country.
Go Canada
Mark you must be a native living off the government?
So sad for your racism being exposed.
Really? Many people just want to watch sports. Wanting them to lose or not watching them play is a right .For me this is not a poor white grievance, it has nothing to do with color, it has to do with respect for all of us in the USA that they represent..Get it, got it good.
Challenged to what end?
What privilege? What challenge?
They changed the product (sports entertainment) to become more political, and the consumer base has largely left it. If you enjoy a healthy dose of left wing political positions with your sports entertainment, Olympic or otherwise, more power to you. These people don’t. It’s really that simple.
What a professional victim you must be.
Many of these shameful “athletes” who hate the USA have neither my support OR interest! I simply find them boring and inconsequential.
Yes. And lose badly.
Yes. We absolutely are. That’s how much we hate this woke crap. How about “awake”? The sleeping giant is awake and we’re not gonna take it any more.
It’s been sad to see highly privileged individuals speak on topics that are trending on social media but not in truth. Woke athletes decrying racism while taking in millions off slave labor is disgusting & Americans who DON’T make decisions about people based on race, gender,, or sexual orientation are sick of being told they do, ironically, being condemned, in turn, for their race, gender, &/or sexual orientation. I AM a minority & have been discriminated against more by those with whom I share a demographic status than by those I don’t. I don’t even get Obama & Kapernick- both are as much or more white than they are anything else & just ignore that fact when it suits them. BO literally spent a heafty chunk of his childhood being raised by his white grandparents in KANSAS. Come on, folks! These people aren’t trying to do anything but satiate their own wanton desires for money & power & will say & do anything for it! I’m so over the Olympics.
Yawn! I am so over the Olympics, NBA, NFL and every other sport that no longer is about playing the game, but political activism. Change the channel. Haven’t watched an NFL or NBA game on TV in years.
You hit the nail on the head, a few can spoil everything for everybody. The proverbial one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel. I stopped watching or going the MLB or NFL games and I do my best not to patronize their sponsors when I buy things. The last two years I didn’t even watch the Super Bowl commercials which ever always a must see part of the game. I have always been a financial contributor to the Olympic teams and their training but no more. I used to watch the summer and Winter Olympics every year. I am very proud of the accomplishments of all the Alaskan athletes and will watch their events until someone acts out against our Country. After last years display by the women’s Olympic Soccer Team and the continuing media coverage of some of their players I will never watch or support them again. I won’t watch the field events or any other event where an athlete chooses to use it as a platform for personal grievances.
Yes, indeed!
I used to look forward to the Olympics. Not anymore.
Yep. Just done with the whole thing.
Well written and so true. The only sport I enjoy now is Ice Hockey. I hope they do not succumb to this sad unpatriotic trend.
Nope. This American hopes they win big and keep speaking about any subject that they want to speak about…free speech is as American as you can get. If some Americans don’t like it they don’t have to support it.
You must be living under a rock. You have missed the part that says “free speech for me, but not for thee”. Americans who are white, heterosexual, are not “gender confused”, are Christian (specifically Catholic), and are conservative and/or support the values this country was founded on are considered dangerous, extremist, and are being silenced and “cancelled” at every turn, and are fighting tooth and nail for THEIR right to free speech. Social media companies, news stations, commentators, professional sports organizations, private businesses, schools, etc., are cancelling, attacking and making criminals out of those people I have described above. And it’s happening publicly, with the full support of the left and the demonrats in government, who are controlled by big tech. Free speech is NOT just for some soccer-playing b1tch who equates everything with being gay, and pushing the illegitimacy of everything that does not include or revolve around being gay. But, when someone challenges or questions that, THEIR free speech is stifled, because it is not in line with the leftist/deep state agenda. God forbid someone hurts the feelings of a homosexual, but it’s ok for these people to call for the public destruction of the lives of heterosexuals, Catholics, conservatives, etc. They are calling for the eradication of Christianity, yet one cannot disagree with the fake idea of “transgenderism” or state that they will not laud and applaud a homosexual lifestyle, These people are trying to tear down America from the inside out. They way to do that is to eliminate a country’s core values, erase its history, take away the speech of the people, and criminalize any views they deem as “dissent”. You need to wake up first and foremost and realize what is going on in this country. It’s a concerted effort to destroy the US. You also need to do some research on what happened in Germany and other countries with marxist and fascist regimes. The similarities will shock you. And here’s another tidbit: the ones claiming they are fighting “fascism” and are “anti fascists” are actually truly the fascists and the marxists.
What long winded dribble. How much you get paid for being a professional victim?
They were chosen for the high honor of being on the team, something most athletes can only dream about. The least they can do is show respect for the country they are representing.
Agree 100%
Haha they lost
Olympics??? no one cares. But I will support our athletes from Alaska!
I am hoping every woke US athlete/team loses.
Sports is just another part of the entertainment sector. If the circus animals don’t want to follow a script that the audiance is interested in watching, eventually they will find less food in their bowls.
The Women’s Soccer Team might win if they replaced all the natural females with Hairy Man Beasts on Estrogen. Either way soccer sucks and communist female soccer is the worst.
I hope they come home with no medals. No endorsements and no name recognition. They won’t get my or my family’s interest or support.
My Granddaughter is in shock , losing to Canada , I asked her does she know what Karma means, at 12 she doesn’t, i asked her if she would kneel if they played the USA National anthem, she looked at me with a puzzled look . I told her what the Women,s soccer did when they played the Anthem in Tokyo. She asked me why would they do this . I told her the dislike our country, she was confused, I told her a few on the team wanted to be recognized by people who hate our country, At 12 she said they must not be Americans !!! Exactly they are Marxists !!
I sincerely hope that the US Women’s Soccer team does not medal at these Olympic games. I actually cheered when I read that they lost to Sweden without scoring a goal. I do not watch most professional sports these days because of this “wokeness.” It is probably easy to guess that I am an old white guy.
One might be forgiven for hoping these pampered divas receive the very public humiliation which they seem so pathetically eager to inflict on our beloved America.
.
We’re so disappointed in them, so betrayed by them, why should we care abou anything they do… or say?
Remember Jimmy Carter, Vietnam, and the malaise that clung to the country in the late 70s / early 80s? Gas lines? Insane inflation?
Now remember Herb Brooks, coach of USA Hockey who molded a bunch of players from different universities that hated each others’ guts, into the team that beat the Russians at Lake Placid in 1980.
`He is famous for many “Herb-isms” but I think the best is, “The name on the FRONT of your jersey matters a he!! of a lot more than the one on the BACK. Get that through your heads!”
And that is what formed his team, and that is why they won. People will never forget the “Miracle on Ice” game. But they’ve already forgot these Olympics.
If they don’t respect what they were given “Freedom as a USA American Citizen” they don’t deserve to play. Send them to a Country that supports Marxism and Communism and see how they fair there…
Setting aside the “wokeness” moronic BS, why should I get excited that pro Athletes are in the Olympics at all? What part of the “Olympic Spirit” involves handing them merely another way to win lucrative endorsements during the off-season?
This Spectator article makes several good points. Make the Olympics actually mean something again.
www . spectator . co.uk/article/it-s-time-to-cut-back-on-the-olympics
LOL, yes, lose badly. That’s what they get for taking a knee, using the world stage as their platform was poor judgement, I mean c’mon, what an honor to represent your country! I support the USA, the greatest country ever. BLM, ANTIFA, CRT enthusiasts, Democrats and all the other Marxist idiots please move to another country, the Biden administration is already doing a good job of destroying this country. I don’t separate any of them from their respective affiliations, they are all Marxist and should be treated as such, communist.
YES!
I would prefer the US not lose, but when members of a specific team use their win to promote their political observances, then all bets are off. More specifically I hope that player loses rather than the team.
I will simply add my vote that they lose. A few others as well. I will, though take time to watch, and wish the best for those who respectfully represent our country and are thankful for the blessing of doing so.
NHL still keeping it classy, just going about their day knocking each others teeth out.
To be fair, I have a Swedish national team soccer jersey in my closet. I have worn it several times. That said, I expect that teams from the other countries don’t much care how “woke” their opponents may be – although the Swedes are plenty “woke” themselves. I shed no tears over the Swedish victory.
And today, Sweden is off to the gold medal game against …….. Canada. Go Sweden!
I think this just a continual trickle down to affect continual disunity between Americans, so America will eventually be subdued by enemy nations.
America’s enemies will be happier than Americans see its world teams lose agianst countries hostile toward America.
I am among the many Americans who want the U S Womens Soccer team to lose every game that they play. Then maybe they will get back to practicing and quite running their mouths about how much they hate the United States.
Freedom of Speech is every bit as important as Freedom of Choice. Until the Marxist Party seizes absolute power with the vote of the people – however rigged that election may be – anybody can say what they have on their minds about any issue. It is important for politicians, athletes and other celebrities to remember that we choose what to buy and what to read and what to watch. Go Woke is a choice. Changing channels and ignoring them is also a choice. Research the brands offered for sale and choose wisely. China has more fingers in the American Pie than the Biden Cabal. A slogan that will always have relevance is “caveat emptor”. Learn it and practice it.
God Bless the USA and the Constitution that supports all liberties granted by God.
Entitled white, pampered females complaining? Say it aint so. (sarcasm). Hope they go home with nothin but shame.
They were shamed by their coach and their actions before they even entered the competition.
A little late, I know, but to answer the question asked in the headline:
YES, I hope they lose. They are an embarassment to our country. – M.John
The arrogant US women’s soccer team sucks at politics and soccer. In the past most Americans either had a positive view of US women’s soccer or had no opinion… today, half of America thinks they are worthless.
I cannot speak for anybody else, but I am a huge Olympic fan from way back, and this year is no exception. I have watched many hours of the Tokyo coverage and I am very proud of team USA. Regarding women’s soccer, I am not a huge fan of some of their outspoken members and that is my prerogative. The thing about free-speech is other people have the freedom and right to disagree. I will never pull against the US, but I will say I have watched zero coverage of women’s soccer. I hope they are successful in their bronze medal quest, but I will not be watching. Again, I am exercising my freedom. It is a very interesting contrast to see that one young woman from Belarus sought help to avoid going home and being punished for her comment about a decision made by the Olympic team leaders. She is now worried for her family’s safety. I think everybody who is lucky enough to live in America needs to take a step back and appreciate the many freedoms they have. A news personality recently interviewed young people on and around the Georgetown campus asking if they thought the United States was the best country and if they were proud to be Americans. The responses were overwhelmingly negative, but not one of them could come up with a country they thought was better or in which they would like to reside. In all honesty, it does kind of piss me off to hear millionaire athletes, privileged youth and entertainers complain about how bad they have it. It seems like these days some people are just looking for something to be mad about. That is not how I choose to live my life.
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