Personally, my spine does not chill over her decision. Here's a few reason why:
Are athletes the personal property of the US during the Olympics?
No they are not and Hammon has the right to play for a foreign country if she chooses. She is being called a traitor and mercenary. A mercenary implies a SOLDIER fighting in a foreign army for payment. Last I checked, the Olympics do not constitute war. As US citizens, we do not own the services of Becky Hammon. A traitor to our nation endangers the lives of its fellow citizens. The only thing Becky is shooting is jump shots.Should we hold athletes to higher standards than we do other professionals.
Becky Hammon is a professional basketball player. Her primary employer pays her $500,000 a year. She has a guaranteed job in a highly competitive profession for the next 4 years with her employer. At 31, she is considered to be approaching the twilight of her career. Her Russian employer pays her 5 times the amount as her American employer and a $150,00 bonus since she helped guide Russia to an Olympic Bronze Medal. General Electric, who is expected to earn a profit of $150,000,000 in advertising alone during the Olympics, has it's global production center in China. In a recent Harris Poll, 31% of Americans polled believe that China is the biggest threat to global stability. Is GE a traitor? Is GE a mercenary company? Why can Nike, GE, and all the other American companies make money off of the Olympics but Hammon is a traitor and selling her soul for doing the same thing? Here's a thought that should chill some spines, How much money would be pumped into our economy if Nike and GE did not outsource American jobs to China?
What is good for the goose is good for the gander
How did the world catch up to America so fast in basketball? Why are the men called the "Redeem Team" as opposed to the "Dream Team"? The reason is that brilliant American Coaches have been hired to teach and train foreign coaches and players about how to play the game. Our coaches have trained these countries to beat us in the Olympics. Are they traitors? No, they are not considered traitors because they are not actively coaching in the official games but their contributions are more widely felt than Hammons. Nolan Richardson ,an African American coach born and raised in El Paso, Texas, coached the Mexican team in the world games last year. If the Mexicans would have qualified for the Olympics, would Richardson be a traitor too?
The Americans did not want Hammon
In relation to the worlds population during the times of Olympic completion, only a few people have been privileged enough to compete and the US team chose not to pick Hammon. Instead of crying and pouting, Hammon played with a country that wanted her services. The "entitlement" attitude is despised among the elite in America. The story goes," You should have to work hard for success since I did". I agree. And so does Beck Hammon. She worked hard enough to be one of the best player in the WORLD and her American counterparts said " we do not need your services". No problem. Hammon went out and found someone that DID need and appreciate her services. Anne Donovan calls her a traitor for that. That sounds like entitlement to me. American Basketball is not entitled to the services of Becky Hammon, especially since they rejected her to begin with.
