If we're looking for who to blame, it ultimately comes down to a single organization to grant a host city and nation the privelege of hosting the Olympics: International Olympic Committee (IOC). And the power of the IOC largely rests in the hands of its lead representative: IOC President.
The IOC President has historically been a controversial post with its most infamous holder being Avery Brundage, an outspoken Nazi-sympathizer and self-proclaimed white supremicist.
Enter Jacques Rogge.
If you're looking for somebody on which to blame Olympic crimes, look no further.
He's the man defers questions about human rights and why the IOC sits silent as 70 year old women are being carted off to re-education camps because they attempted to register a legal protest. He's the man who sat silent while Beijing citizens were removed forcefully from their homes and arrested if they did not comply.
Rogge's legacy will be one of silence, of complicity, and of utter ignorance. He is a man who too easily fits into the social and political inanity and irresponsibility of upper-class white European man. And merely propogates a history of cultural ignorance and oppression.
The real reason we are here, however, is because of Rogge's recent comments pertaining to Jamaican track star and triple gold medalist Usain Bolt.
Below are some excerpts of Rogge's comments:
"I think [Bolt] should show more respect for his competitors and shake hands, give a tap on the shoulder to the other ones immediately after the finish and not make gestures like the one he made in the 100 metres."
"I understand the joy. He might have interpreted that in another way, but the way it was perceived was 'catch me if you can'. You don't do that. But he'll learn. He's still a young man."
-Jacques Rogge
First and foremost, Rogge is entitled to his opinion and there has been a consistently negative response from IOC presidents to showboating sprinters in the past. They simply have no taste for celebrating athletes. If this issue was limited to Bolt, Rogge would come off as an up-tight crotchety old man with a slight racist complex. But, this issue runs a lot deeper than merely one amazing sprinter.
There are more than a few problems with these statements, and there is no way that we'll be able to get into all of them. But it is absolutely essential that this conversation is featured more prominently in the blogosphere.
Here is our first concern, a picture of an event that took place later in the week.
What is wrong with this picture? Well, this is British 4x400m relay anchor leg Martyn Rooney, mocking a Bahamian and Jamaican runner in the 4x400m relay semifinals after he finished first. Yes, mocking in the semifinals. Bolt won one of the most difficult individual events in the Olympics and Rooney is celebrating because of a qualification (NOTE: The British team finished fourth place in the final)
But, more importantly, Rogge has been silent on the issue. In fact, he might as well not care at all. This is important for a couple of reasons:
1. Rooney is white; Bolt is black. Bolt is criticized for being a showboater; Rogge is silent on Rooney's actions. Are stereotypes your thing, Mr. Rogge? Is a showboating black man more offensive than a showboating white European, Mr. Rogge?
2. There is an historical subtext to this issue. Jamaica was a colony of imperial Great Britain (as were the Bahamian islands). It was also a slave society. Historically, this fact makes Rooney's actions all the more deplorable and offensive. If we're to read into the symbolism of Rooney's actions, it is a white British man, the essential image of oppressive colonialism, excessively celebrating the defeat over colonized citizens.
Of course, even without the exaggerated symbolism, Rooney's actions are in the exact same celebratory genre as Bolt's.
The racial dynamic, however, greatly complicates Rogge's anger over one action and his ambivalence over another. As witnessed in most questionable comments made by rich, old, white men, Rogge's comments drip of jealousy that a young, black man proved himself vastly superior to the rest of the field of competition. And, instead of acting gracious, celebrated his accomplishment. To Rogge, there is no doubt that Bolt is a bit too uppity for his refined European taste. To Rogge, the mere concept of Bolt celebrating must seem offensive. How else do you get so upset over celebration.
Is there a problem with this picture? Should we are about Rogge's double standard? After all, it's nothing new. Nobody is expecting Rogge to care about the less-fortunate in the rest of the world. The world of the IOC is notorious in its willingness to be bought, sold, and pandered to as long as it sees benefits. Rogge, in particular, has, with his silence, supported racist acts and propogated negative legislation and opinions.
But, this situation takes the double standard to the next level. Rooney gets off free of charge? What about the Estonian athlete who replicated Bolt's celebration? Are they not deserving of similar spite and disdain? How is mainstream media (outside of Dan Wetzel's transcendent column on Yahoo)?
The difference between past IOC moral ambiguities and Rogge's statement is that Rogge has never made a personal attack such as the aforementioned comment that has been so reliant on racial prejudice and deliberate, unadulterated hate.
For Rogge to give a young, white, and arrogant British male (who, like Bolt, was also featured prominently on primetime NBC coverage) a free-pass is despicable, but predictable. The Estonian athlete's display was not nearly as high profile, but the same judgement extends to Rogge's response to his actions.
Jacques Rogge is a deplorable personality and a human being that is in need of significant education and understanding. We know this. We know this about most "leaders" in government and society.
The real question is, however: "Why is Rogge exempt from criticism?"
Why he receives a free pass in Olympic controversy is beyond us and is one of the more interesting questions that has been absent from mainstream media.
The Olympics are now over, but there is no doubt that we'll experience more gaffes courtesy of Rogge and his cronies. It's just that he really ought to apologize to Usain Bolt over his latest.
