Nice read, except in regards to Hammon, Dwyre, who's probably never been to a women's basketball game, misses the point (as he usually does).
By all accounts, Hammon, on talent, deserves to be on the U.S. team, while Kaman, Butch Lee and the Americans who played softball for Greece, probably wouldn't have been good enough to make their respective U.S. teams.
That's not the case with Hammon, who has been one of the top players in the WNBA the past few seasons, and she didn't make the commitment to play for Russia until it became apparent that politics were going to keep her off the U.S. team. Even the U.S. players think she's been wronged, recognizing that she is one of the top players in the world.
Here's a quote from the Sparks and Team U.S.A member DeLisha Milton-Jones.
“If (Becky) was given a fair shake to begin with than maybe she would be in a U.S. uniform,” Milton-Jones told Reuters. “I wish her well."
So do I.

Steve, i'll let you have the last word on this, ubt the L.A. Times has a take on this.

In fact, that reporter discribes the "turd" for what she is, a money grubber.

This is the link:

http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-olydwyre31-2008jul31,0,7647213.column

Jcaz,

I guess that's where you and I differ. I don't see her as a 'turd,' as you call her. I see her as a first-rate athlete who is living out her Olympic dream, and doing it within the present rules. I don't see anything wrong with that.

Nice quote. I like it. In fact it's even a pretty good attempt at damage control too.

However, if you go back and read what it was that I said, I never once mentioned that Russa (or anyone else for that matter) is an ememy of this county today.

The fact that she didn't make the team (for what ever reason) is not what is at issue here !

In fact, the only objection that I have with this "Turd" is the fact that she is compeating for another country.

She is a low life. Nothing more, nothing less.

Pretty streight and simple here don't you think ?

Jcaz,
I'm not changing my comment. The only reason I'm rooting for Russia is because Hammon is playing for them, so in essence, I'm rooting for her. If she's not on the Russian team, I have no reason to root for them.
The point of my original post was that others have called her a traitor, when they should call the U.S. coach and the committee that put the U.S. team together, and it's 'top 25 list,' the traitors for omitting one of the top players in the world who happens to be an American.
She belongs on Team USA for a variety of reasons. One of them being that her tale is an American success story, rising from not being selected in the 1992 WNBA draft to becoming one of its top two players last season. But the main reason is that she is, well, very, very good.
Again, she deserves to be on Team USA, and the fact that she was never given that chance, forces me to root for her, and in this case, Team Russia.
Oh, and one man's stupidity, is another man's genius.
I think it's stupid for some to cling to old values and hatreds.
I believe in what John F. Kennedy once said, "...our most basic common link: We all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal."

Steve

Please don't back away from what you wrote by trying to somehow say that, what you posted was'nt n fact what you ment.

Stick to the story you placed here and man up to it, even if it was a "stupid" comment.

Chris Kaman of the Clippers is playing with Germany and must fall in the same category-whatever that is.
And this blog IS funny until someone gets hurt-then it's freakin' hilarious! J/K

Traitor.

nope and if russia beats usa it cause they didnt want her on the usa team

:)

Slavery, ovens,segregation, genocide, cultural homocide it's all the same in the end. Good men doing evil.

Okay Jcaz we've had our fun..juvenile as it was...let's agree that this blog is fun only when both are laughing and NO ONE gets hurt.

Good luck with your team.

Wow, are you writing a book or what ? You want to know what school I went to ? hum...

Ok, you're tired, well, we can leave it at that then.

BTW, you're right about one thing here and that is that
we don't hate those countries you just mentioned, we just dispised the policies that they decided to undertake.

Something about us not likeing the idea of standing by and watching them undertake policies such as, the indiscriminating killing of human beings in one way or another.

One of those countries you may recall, decided to kill off a few folks in ovens and those people called it, "a solution."

Something wrong with that I think.

Jcaz. i'm tired. Okay she's a traitor, hates her country, is ungrateful for all that this country has "given" her, should be dispised for not knowing her place, is unrealistic about her abilities or else why wasn't she invited at least given they did INVITE the 25 best players in Amaerica, (remmebr she WASN'T even INVITED) and any other dumping you can put on her. Except she got screwed. Yup jcaz THAT never happens in this country.

One question though seeing as you label her as "individualistic"...isn't that ultimately the MOST American of qualities.

Oh by the way...we don't HATE Vietnam, Japan, Germany or Korea anymore.

Jcaz what school did you attend?

"Drive by poster"

Americans love it when they "stick it to the man," even if that "man" is being represented (in this case) as you and I ?

Gee, I don't know if I can agree on that one there big guy.

You know, as long as I have been on this earth, Americans, from my vantage point, have shown allot more character than you give them (us) credit for.

I can't even begin to describe what "Americans" have done for me.

BTW, please don't confuse the "American ideals" of individualism and initiative as virtues, that the little "turd" is exemplifying here.

She's no better in virtue than the guy who steals from a blind man.

Interpersonal "politics" is the same as INTERNATIONAl and NATIONAL "politics"....just on a bigger scale.

For every point you made the "issues" were always EXPANDED by you..."see bodies in war"...Apple Pie...it's about a round ball and women with game.

Why was she kept off the team....that's teh issue. Americans love it when the little "guy/girl" stcks it to the "man"...follow along...and Hammond is doing just that!

I think she's on to something.

Russa

Please stick to the topic at hand. The word politics is never mentioned in Steve's discription of her reason to joint the Russian team.

It's all about her, and nothing more, and while I will conced that there may have been other "factors" as to why she was left out, they are not what's on the table here.

Russa, it is best to stick to facts, and not to simply speculate on things that nither you nor I have personal knowledge of.

Jcaz, why is the WNBA's MVP Runner up NOT on the TEAM?

No need to go Patriotic. Same reason the best rebounding fORCE (Dennis Rodman) since Bill Russel NEVER made ANY US NTIONAL TEAM much less OLYMPIC TEAM.

Politics... plain and simple. Imagine Rodman on Russia's team? Croatia's team? Hell even Brazil's team with the great shooting machine OSCAR? America gets beat down...oh wait THAT has ALLREADY happened.

The ORIGINAL DREAM TEAM had it right. The best of the best on full display. But even THAT team had the begining of this recent cancer...Christian Latner??? See it's always about the Stupid People...I mean the Olympic Committee and there need to CONTROL EVERYTHING for the Almighty dollar.

Is there any other reason hammond is NOT on the team other that personal BS?

I dont give a Shi- either way. I am as American as Fourth of July. If she wants to play for Russia let her. Our team is made up of what we considered the best. She wants to compete. This is no different than Fernando Vargas boxing for the USA but claims to be a Mexican national first. We took him on our team. Also with all the different nationalities that live here in the USA it is no big deal. We let them live here so why cant they play for their country of choice. We have athletes living abroad that come home to play for the good ol USA ...plus did we not have the Romanian Gymnist coach a few years back take our womens gymnastic team to the Olympics against his former country. It is all good. If Kobe wanted to play basketball for the Italian team F-it let him. We would kick his a-- like Boston of the good ol USA did Again!.

Loving Russia..

Ture, I am a cappy, er... slappy, ops, crappy speller, but hey, nobodys perferct right ?

Ok, so ya got me on the spelling, but how am I a moron ? You did'nt even point out one thing in you're rant about the substance of my post.

You know, its people like you who stand in line at starbucks with a java grade in hand, looking at the front page of the newspaper who make me the maddest.

You make me mad because, you stand there with a stupid smurk on you're face and read the headlines of the brave men and women serving this country. Yet you have no appreciation of what it means to have what you have today.

Maybe I take thigs like this more personal, because of the fact that I have seen up close, people die for what they believe in.

They have given folks like you the opportunity to speak freely and to seak stupidly also upon anything that you truly believe in, no matter how compleatly idiodic it is.

Folks like you really get under my skin. Not so much because you take for granted all the things that have meaning in life, but because you think so little about the price that was paid by others.

You're a sad and confused little man.

Where to start?

IDIOT...I must say I like option #2. Although in my mind that was/is a "hobby" already. LOL

JCAZ...you're a complete moron. The word "turd" tells me you are a 70's child while your writing and spelling skills tell me you couldn't be a private school alum unless it was Bishop Amat. (just kidding) The first part of your comment said one thing and then you tumbled into stupid land and came out like a "caricature" with no "character"..."COMPLEATELY???"

STEVE-O...great topic...bad headline...better one would have been..."TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE" ...I mean why start with the "negative" TRAITOR comment and let the boobirds (must be NY residue) come out and slam the lady. But iI see your point...shock sells.

History is replete with the bastadization of the "OLYMPIC MODEL". The intentions were pure but really the "amatuer" requirements was just "blue blood" exclusivity raising it's ugly head...it's in ALL SPORTS...Jackie Robinson, Juan Maricial, Jesse Owens, Jim Thorpe, Lee Trevino, Greg Louganis...even Australia's Freeman.

Now this lady has her hurdle...it's called STUPIDITY. Maybe she's proving her point. I hope she does well. I think alot can be learned from her selecting Russia....like all hate eventually it must/will die from it's own useless weight.

CCCP! I seen it on window of a car recently. I felt proud as an American to see that ...why you may ask...Because it proves that this country is FREE! Not from STUPIDITY and HATE but from within our ability to say and do our INDIVIDUALITY. Every time I see that truck go by I smile...THANK GOD THEY ARE PROUD...AND THANK GOD THAT "HATERED OF RUSSIA IS OVER"...at least it was until "she" decided to wake up the worst of us. Commie?

Most young kids today don't eevn know what that is...oppps "WAS". Apologies to Living Legend and my Republican Party members who need "FEAR" to control the a$$es$ ...I mean the "masses".

Now "if" she can hit the winning shot and show the US Olympic establishment up...well WHAT'S MORE AMRICAN THAN THAT!!!!

Congratulation Becky Hammon

It is ridiculous for other people to be judging this young lady. She tried to be a part of the US Olympic family and she was shut out by a biased program. Anyone who is not on the "ins" with Olympic "program" gets left out, not because of lack of talent but because of "politics". They don't pick the best players they pick the best marketing prospects. Becky is doing the right thing because she is playing for the love of the game not the political or marketing gains that the US Olympic fosters. Unfortunately for the US this has become bigger because of the situation they put her in and now not only is she becoming a marketing gold mine but the Russian team is getting great exposure also. Leave it up to the great American marketing machine to take something so simple and turn it into one of the hottest stories of the Olympic "experience".

it's a funny thing, these olympics. It seems to me that the whole idea of these events are, and have always been to somehow to project to the world that you're country is better than everyone else's.

It's always been like that you know, even during the begining of the games in Greece and. And no matter what others will tell you, it's all about nationalisum.

Interstingly, there are those that say that the olymipics are all about the "competition" and it's all about the amature and how they play for the love of the sport; Bull.

The fact is that, anyone who represents the interests of anonther country over mine is a low life in my eyes especialy if she is in fact an american.

Remember, someone like her has little caricature and even less honor.

She is the lowest of the low. A scum bag in the worst possible way, because she is doing this not for the people she loves, or the country that raised her but for her own self interests and for the interst of others who would laugh at the thought of harm to america.

And steve, for you to make such a compleatly stupid remark about how you might root for another country over you're own, is a compleate puzzle to me.

Are you that confused here ? Or are you so detached in you're thinking, that you just had to come up with something to say in order to make a story of a selfish little turd into something of value ?

Well don't we have some right wing politics in here?
you guys are all idiots. its prep sports.
go find a real hobby or get some pussy

Living Legend,

Read it again, I'm in support of Hammon. I believe she was wronged and had very little choice to make this decision, if she wanted to live out her Olympic dream.
I used the "traitor" headline, because that is what others are writing about in telling her story. One publication went to the extent to call her a traitor. I don't believe that. I believe that U.S. coach Anne Donovan is the traitor to Hammon, and our Olympic team.

Stever, really are you serious...asking if she is a traitor? She did not steal nuke plans and sell them nor did she trade any secerts to enemy states.

So all you people saying she is a commie, well i'll expect you down at Los Altos tomorrow morning demanding the firing of Sarah Farnsworth for playing for the Greek softball team at the last summer olympics! I mean if not then you are just a blow hard and not a person of their own word!

Get over it and get a life

Israel will strike oil big time.

And the Russians WILL invade Israel.

Sleeping giants lying in wait, buddy...count on it.

Damascus Syria will be nuked.

Well Steve, i respect your opinion, as far as MS Hammon, what can i say except Good Luck!? I know i as an American born citizen will NOT be rooting for her should the Us meet Canada in the olympic.However, i will not stoop down to booing her either.

CommiePerra:

“Anybody that sides with Hammon is a Commie F**K!”
Don't you think this is a bit excessive? I don't even think the Russians are Commie F**Ks anymore.

“What a clusterf**k that would be.”
I suppose everyone needs to be an expert on at least one subject.

Let's try and ease up a little on the caffeine, OK?

i say deport her to russia and let her freeze her ass off playing hoops in russia

Commie:

What if, like what appears the case here, politics is keeping you off the team. I only say that, because Hammon is clearly one of the top players in the World, let alone the U.S. She was not WNBA MVP runner-up for nothing.

Anybody that sides with Hammon is a Commie F**K! If you're a U.S. citizen, you play for the U.S. If you don't happen to be good enough to make the team, or get an invite, then WORK HARDER ON YOUR GAME.

Would everybody be okay if all the NBA/NCAA stars (US citizens of course) who didn't make the U.S. team decided to go to another country, and play for them??

What a clusterf**k that would be.

I guess a gold medal is more important to her than her country. I know guys who've earned medals for their America. Bronze stars. Silver Stars. Purple Hearts.

I don't think we can count on her to stand up for one of those, can we?

Americans dont care about sports, all they care about is the money. Many soccer players play for different countries even though they werent born there. Happens all the time.

Patrick, LA Conq:

It was I, Steve Ramirez, who posted this topic. I'm not sure where Fred stands on the issue, but I back Hammon, because she was painted into a corner, so to speak. I also think its a big topic, because it invloves Russia, which was our enemy in the cold war, and old habbits die hard.
After seeing her play against the Sparks last week, I find it hard to believe she wasn't on that top 25 list. She should be on the top 5 list, let alone the top 25. She's clearly one of the top players in the WNBA.

Former Los Altos Softball Coach Sarah Farnworth played in the 2004 Olympics for the Greek National Team. No one questioned her patriotism, we all thought it was an amazing opportunity.

Now, had she chosen to play for the Greeks over the Americans that would have been a different story, but she was not offered a spot on the US team. And neither was Hammon. I'm with you Freddy...no problem with this decision as long as she didn't snub the US in favor of Russia.

The US Team apparently felt they were just as well off without Ms. Hammon so she decided to shop her skills elsewhere. How does that make her a traitor?

The real questions ought to be put to the governing bodies who allow players with vague, or in the case of Hammon, no, connection whatsoever to a team's home country.

As I understand it, Becky's closest association with her new national team is that she likes Russian Dressing on her Reuben sandwiches.

This isn't any worse than the dozens of American Baseball players signed on for national teams with countries they have never even been to. If you can hit or pitch, the Italian National Baseball Team will take you as long as you like pasta.

Fred i think i might have to disagree on this one.I am of Cuban/AA descent,but while i love many things about my Cuban heritage, it is ultimately the US that gave me my America birth rights along with all the other opportunities i benefit from. If the US has allowed Ms Hammond to call it home and enjoy its benefits , then why should she be rewarded by being allowed to slap the US along with Americans; not to mention the American olympians in the face?