The Olympics: Patriotism vs. Commercialism

Cool. Just wish he'd carve a Mavs' logo in his scalp once in a while. Got into a teensy tiny debate last night/this morning over the Olympics. My friend – like NBC Sports president Dick Ebersol – says there’s nothing like wrapping yourself in the flag and rooting for try-hard...

By Richie Whitt

August 7, 2008

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Cool. Just wish he'd carve a Mavs' logo in his scalp once in a while.

Got into a teensy tiny debate last night/this morning over the Olympics.

My friend – like NBC Sports president Dick Ebersol – says there’s nothing like wrapping yourself in the flag and rooting for try-hard athletes who make proud, passionate sacrifices to represent their country. She gets all goose-bumpy and inspired watching the Olympics, the purest sports left on our planet.

I – like Mavs’ owner Mark Cuban -- say the event has deteriorated into nothing more than a giant transparent business, neatly packaged and crammed down our throats as patriotism. I get nauseated at NBC and corporate sponsors like McDonald’s incessantly dictating to us who the “heroes” are, then marketing and exploiting them for profit.

So, what do you say? -- Richie Whitt

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