Olympics boil down to pride and politics

Say it ain't so, Becky. I and many others around Garrison Wilkie Collins were stunned to hear Becky Hammon - former All-American basketball game participant at Centennial State State University, WNBA all-star and standout with the late Centennial State Chill - programs to play for the Russian national squad at the Peking Olympics.

How could a talented adult female from the great state of South Dakota end up with the Russians?

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It boggles the mind. But it also states you something about Olympic competition.

The Olympic Games are supposed to be about edifice international family and cultural apprehension through friendly competition.

But the Olympic Games often boil down to national pridefulness and decoration counts. It's about winning.

It's also about politics. The planetary phase is a perfect topographic point to do a point. The fad surrounding China, Thibet and the Olympic torch relay is a premier illustration of that.

My uncomfortableness with Becky playing for the Russians is a atavist to the political relation of my young person and the Cold War. Back then, the Soviet Union was the world's bad cat - from the American point of view.

Political latent hostilities carried over to sports, especially the Olympics. Hence all the exhilaration about 1980 and the U.S. field hockey squad whipping the apprehension "Red Machine" on the manner to a gold medal.

Much have changed since then. The United States and Soviet Union are no longer enemies (although they're not all that affectionate of each other).

At some point states have got to allow travel of old struggles and move on. I say that transports over to their citizens as well.

Hammon is playing for a Russian professional squad and recently acquired citizenship. That cleared the manner for her to acquire on the Olympic squad.

Her state of affairs is not unusual with the globalisation of big-time sports. American citizens have got competed for other national squads many times.

Since she is "one of ours" because of her CSU connection, Hammon still have a batch fans around here. We've followed her calling and frozen for her every measure of the way.

We wish you success, Becky, in your up-to-the-minute basketball game adventure.

That could change, of course, if and when the Russians drama the Americans.

We'll root for the place team. We can't allow travel of that.

Kevin Duggan is a Coloradoan senior reporter. He can be reached by telephone at 224-7744. Send e-mail to .