Bob MolinaroAs the Summer Olympics approach, Becky Hammon has become a controversial figure.
For me, she was an anonymous figure. For you, too, I'm guessing. But that was before the borscht hit the fan.
The other day, Anne Donovan, former sweetheart of Old Dominion basketball and current coach of the U.S. Olympic team, called Hammon a traitor. What Hammon is doing, Donovan said, "is unfathomable to me."
Detractors notwithstanding, Hammon is going ahead with her summer plans. In Beijing, this small-town girl from Rapid City, S.D., will be living out her American dream... by playing point guard for the Russians.
"I don't expect everybody to understand or jump on my bandwagon," Hammon said recently.
She's a 10-year veteran of the WNBA who finished second in the MVP voting last year playing for the San Antonio Silver Stars but, until recently, she flew very low under the radar. Now she's an Internet target who's being asked to defend her patriotism.
"I know how I feel about my country," she said. "I'm very proud of what America represents to the world. But this is a basketball game. This is not life or death."
Hammon will enter Beijing National Stadium during the opening ceremonies under the Russian flag, wearing Russian colors. She has no genealogical connection to the country but was granted a Russian passport after signing a seven-figure contract with a professional team in Moscow over the winter.
Hammon isn't the only American player who carries a passport from another country; it's standard operating procedure for WNBA globetrotters because players with European passports don't count against the limit of "non-Europeans" allowed on overseas pro teams.
Financial reasons factored into Hammon's decision to apply for Russian citizenship. There are marketing opportunities in Moscow for a star player with connections to the country.
I'm not sure what the definition of a patriot is these days, but taking advantage of the free market to make a lot of money is as American as it gets.
Hammon, though, insists economics weren't the determining factor in what she characterizes as a "soul-searching" process. It was about the Olympic opportunity she didn't have in America.
Despite her WNBA credentials, at 31, she had never been invited to try out for the U.S. squad until after signing with her Russian club. The gesture was too little, too late as far as she was concerned.
Hammon could have been like thousands of U.S. athletes with thwarted Olympic ambitions. Instead, she chose the unorthodox, less-traveled route - seizing her one shot at the dream, knowing it would leave her open to abuse from self-styled patriots, cold warriors and anyone for whom the Olympics are more about nationalism than athleticism.
It may be that the Olympics, as she says, are "supposed to encompass the spirit of sportsmanship." It's also true that international borders, if not completely down, are blurred. More than ever, it's easier to celebrate athletes as individuals, rather than as chips in a geo-political poker game.
But wishing it so won't change the inherent political nature of the Summer Games. With Hammon in the lineup, the Russians are given a decent chance of contending for the gold. How would she look in the eyes of America if the Russians beat the United States?
"If you play in this country, live in this country and you grow up in the heartland - and you put on a Russian uniform - you are not a patriotic person," Donovan said.
While many agree with that hard-line approach, I'm more inclined to view the Olympics as a celebration of individual effort and accomplishment over national pride. Who says we have to root for each and every athlete that wears red, white and blue - and against their opponents?
"Olympic sports should be about unity, friendships and bringing the best athletes on the planet together," Hammon said. "Not about gloating over dominating other countries."
Hammon is catching a lot of heat, but is she really a traitor?
Not to her own dreams.
Bob Molinaro, (757) 446-2373, bob.molinaro@pilotonline.com
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not as cool as you think, guy
1. Comrade was a common salutation in the former USSR and was part of the proper title of military ranks and of party members. I was referring to the Soviet state, not the Communist Party.
2. I believe mrfinger was referring to Yao Ming, who plays for China in international competitions such as the Olympic Games. China is a Communist country.
3. I reiterate, you were the only one to link Russia and communism.
CS
1. All "representive" forms of government are an oligarchy in practice. In some places, its a certain party, in others, like the US, its the wealthy elite. You cant chastise Russia for it, when every country is the same.
2. Russia was directly or indirectly linked to Communism by mrfingr and you. If you deny it, please explain your dasvidania comrade comment, clearly Russian for good bye and a connected reference to the title communists refer to each other as. Spare me the ingorance plea.
from someone who's actually been to the former ussr
First of all, nobody linked Communism and Russia except you. Second, as point of fact the Communist Party of the Russian Federation holds the second-largest number of seats in the Russian Duma. While the Russian Federation may technically be a Federal Presidential Republic, in practice it is an oligarchy.
Lack of education shows.....
Not only has Russia never been an actual communist state, but they havent even attempted to call themselves communist in 15 years. They are a representitive democracy and are actually set up, in principal, to operate very similiar to the US form of government.
With all the important
With all the important issues in the world, I think it's great that Bob has the courage to take a stand about this.
Sports and Patriotism
Yes, clearly, the Olympics are all about dreams: Ms. Hammon following her dream of playing in the the Olympics, and the Russians following their dream of winning gold medals. Clearly, if a celebration of youth, sports, and international unity were all that the Russians were interested in, then they would simply field a team with the best Russian players, and not worry about the result.
Patriotism
I don't see anywhere in the article where they talk about the very well paid male basketball player whose playing for a communist country.... Personally, if my choices were to participate in the Olympics wearing other colors or not participating, I'd do the exact same thing. These athletes train their whole lives for this event - the Olympics are about the sport, not about the country or its ideologies. Don't grade the Iranian athletes based on the politics of their country - THEY ARE ATHLETES no politicians. Their only political angle is that they are representing a country in sports not political or military views. You go girl! I won't wish you luck over anyone on the USA Team but this is your time to shine.
Becky Hammon
This is a bogus issue. I support Mexico in international soccer competition. I support the Brazilian women's indoor volleyball team. As a citizen of the world I have this right, as does Becky Hammon have the right to play where she pleases. Ever since returning from Vietnam long ago, I've felt I can choose whatever I want to believe and not what someone else wants me to believe. The same goes for everyone else in this country. The US did no good in Vietnam. The only justification I have for what I did is that Americans can think and do what is best for them. Go ahead, Becky. Its ok.
Patriot
She isn't denying that she's an American. She's just trying to fulfill her goal of making it to the olympics. It should tell this country something by the fact that our olympic team didn't even offer her a chance until they found out she accepted Russian's invitation.
Politically America is known for backstabbing. This seems to be the prefered method for getting elected. And this article is another media attempt further proving we aren't about to change our tactics, even for the olympics.
Let her attempt her dream. The country of representation provides an inlet. It's the athlete that earns the gold. No matter whether she earns it under Russia's flag or ours, it's still her earned medal.
This could also be part of why "Russia" earns so many golds. They scan the globe for athletes, instead of picking personal (attention gathering) favorites from their sports like the USA is known to do. Case in point: NBA media stars for the olympics instead of olympic tryouts like the rest of the world does.
Let her stay in Russia
If she wants to prostitute her skills to the highest bidder, wear another country's uniform and march behind its flag in the opening ceremonies, let her stay there. Dasvidania, Comrade.
Traitor? not in my book
If the US Team/coach was so gung ho to have her play for them they should have invited her to try out.
Their loss and their mistake.
I wish her well in the games.
Hammon
I've been a fan of Becky Hammon since her days at Colorado State University. She's been a clutch player since then and has continued to be excellent in San Antonio for the Silver Stars. And, the US Olympic team should look hard at themselves for failing to ask her to try out years ago. It is a travesty. That being said, the Olympics are not about money, they are about competing for your nation. They are about taking pride in the United States and doing your best for the nation that helped to bring you to where you are. Becky has every right to play in Russia for a big contract under a private team. However, playing for Russia in the Olympics is the act of a traitor. She has turned her back on her country, turned her back on her fans and has decided that Russia is a better nation for her. Of course, she can choose that course, but if she wants to be a Russian citizen so badly now, we should revoke her United States citizenship and call it a day. She can still play here or anywhere else in the world, just don't tell me you care for your country and then play in the Olympics for another. It isn't about her "dream" to play in the olympics, the olympics are about a group of A
She's No Traitor
...not any more than the hundreds of CEOs who have chosen to lay off American workers and replace them with communist Chinese serfs earning cents an hour.
At least she isn't accumulating vacation homes, personal jets, and vast amounts of wealth through the suffering of her fellow citizens like these corporate leeches.
What's the point?
So if the Olympics is not about representing your country and its only about ahtleticism, why ought athletes particpating under a nation flag? Why play the gold medal winner's national anthem? Why ought we cheer for our country in the events? What's the point of it all then?
Sacerne nihil est?
The Olympic Ideal
I always thought the Olympic Games were about excellence in sports, as opposed to political correctness.
Give her a chance.
In the US there is no public support to fund the Olympic teams as in other countries. The process, from my perspective is a random shot that you may or may not get a chance to try out for the US team. Hammon was not asked until after her signing. I wonder why - the people in charge of vetting potential candidates for the team overlooked her - their mistake and now their loss. Obviously the view of Olympic participation in the states is different than many other countries since the "passport" rules exists. I would have though, rather, I believed before this you can only play for the country of your citizenship. Not true - let her fulfill her dream however possible - since the rules allow it and we "follow" rules.