The 2012 Olympics are about to come to an end. I will be glad to see the games go. NBC has done a pretty decent job overall of broadcasting the bigger sports and showing some interesting and unique stories.
But the bigger story for me is the consistent disrespect of the US Flag by American athletes.
Most nations have no law or custom regarding respect for their national colors. Some countries actually loathe their flag (Spain is an example - few people in that country even fly their colors - viewing it as a reminder of a dark period in their history).
The US is different. We have explicit rules regarding our flag. The US Flag dips for no person or nation. This has been the rule for the better part of 100 years. Jesse Owens refused to dip the flag to salute Hitler at the 1936 games in Berlin. We haven't dipped the flag since. This year, there was a fair amount of internet chatter that the US Flag Bearer may break that tradition and do what every other nation does - lower their colors to the host nation. After considerable negative feedback the Athlete Advisory Committee announced that they discused this with the flag bearer and she said she wouldn't do it. Why was it even an OPTION??
I saw so much disrespect for the flag at this Olympics that it is almost as if the athletes are encouraged to behave this way.
Note the photo above where the Gold medal womens water polo team has SIGNED a US Flag. SS176 (g) says: The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.
Signing the colors in sharpie clearly violates this.
Almost every winning athlete who appeared on camera placed a USF around their slimey, sweaty neck. Another overt violation of the Flag Code and a no brainer when it comes to showing disrespect. And yet I saw it over and over and over again.
The Games are about to end. I now have 4 years to change this trend. Time to get to work.
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