Becky Harmon (U.S born and raised) to play for Russian National Women's B-Ball team

[isuarch80]

Re: Becky Harmon (U.S born and raised) to play for Russian National Women's B-Ball te

If Becky Harmon was invited (even secondarily) to the U.S. basketball tryouts, she had just as good an opportunity as every other athlete there to play for her National team. Instead she took the money from the Russians and REFUSED the invitation to the U.S. tryouts. The $$ was obviously more important than her national pride.

She only finally got invited becase another national coach heard about her Russian contract and found out that she wasn't on the list of 23, they expanded it to 30, and they got her a "tryout". It's not the same thing in my mind as what you're talking about.

I also don't wish any ill will towards her or her russian teammates for that matter.

On a non-sports related example: Do you only buy American made and manufactured products? Or do you buy electronics/cars/etc made by foreign owners (which is usually priced cheaper to get things made elsewhere) so aren't you selling out for $$ instead of staying with your America only stance?

PS. I know that was a very extremist way of looking at it, but I think the comparisons are fair since you want to put her in cement shoes for doing what was best for her :biggrin::biglaugh:

 

[Knownothing]

Re: Becky Harmon (U.S born and raised) to play for Russian National Women's B-Ball te

As a U.S. Marine. I say it's O.K. with me. If it was during the Cold War then I would say ship her out and never let her return. However that day is long in the past and Russia is no longer our real sports rival anyway. Basically she is getting 2 million dollars. I would do it for that much. Especially since some idiot coach snubbed her for the U.S. team.

 

[Cyclone42]

Re: Becky Harmon (U.S born and raised) to play for Russian National Women's B-Ball te

I think this says more about the state of the Olympics that about her in particular. They started down this road when they started allowing professionals to compete in the Olympics. I don't like that, but there is no way to prevent it, or police it (who is to say who is or is not a professional?)

But, there really should be a rule saying that all athletes competing for a certain country should be citizens of that country. Otherwise, this just opens up the Olympics to being just like other sports, especially other American sports. If the International Olympic Committee is going to allow this, I have no problem with her taking advantage of it; the burden should be on the IOC to not allow it.

I think eventually the IOC will adopt the rule I mentioned, but I think it will take something like some lower-populated rich country like Dubai buying a bunch of gold medals for them to do it.

 

[cmoneyr]

Re: Becky Harmon (U.S born and raised) to play for Russian National Women's B-Ball te

For $2 million I'd sell my mother to the russians.

 

[ianoconnor]

Re: Becky Harmon (U.S born and raised) to play for Russian National Women's B-Ball te

... so you don't have to be a citizen to represent a country in the olympics?

 

[Harry]

Re: Becky Harmon (U.S born and raised) to play for Russian National Women's B-Ball te

When Greece hosted the Olympics they wanted to participate in as many sports as possible. They did not play softball in Greece so they tried to find as many softball players of Greek origin from other countries as they could to put a team together. Former ISU player Kristen Kanazaris (sp) from California was selected for the team.

 

[jpete24]

Re: Becky Harmon (U.S born and raised) to play for Russian National Women's B-Ball te

That's what we like to call globalization. Too hard to do it in the US? Lets go somewhere else. Right or wrong? meh...I wouldn't give the girl treason for it, but it does seem somewhat unpatriotic...but if I were in those shoes I'd be asking where my goose down coat is and my hammer and sickle.