Greek Olympic Athlete Expelled for Tweets. Good or Bad?

by Heisenberg Posted 2012/07/25 16:12:42

Related Topics: Sports, Twitter, YouTube, Vote, Travel, Election, Party, Tweet, Tweets, Video, The View, Bad, London, Videos, Committee, Image, Normal, Images

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	Good thing	21 votes	19%
	Bad thing	90 votes	81%

Greek Olympic athlete expelled for tweets.

Triple jumper Voula Papachristou was expelled from Greece's Olympic team Wednesday for her comments on Twitter mocking African immigrants and expressing support for a far-right party.

The Hellenic Olympic Committee said Wednesday that Papachristou is "placed outside the Olympic team for statements contrary to the values and ideas of the Olympic movement."

Papachristou is in Athens and has not responded to calls from The Associated Press. The committee said she was to travel to London shortly before the track events start.

Papachristou's Twitter account ((at)papaxristoutj) contains several retweets and postings of YouTube videos promoting the views of Golden Dawn, a formerly marginal extreme right party that entered the Greek Parliament in the recent two national elections — in May and June this year — by polling almost 7 percent of the vote.

Good thing or bad thing?

+11

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Heisenberg 2012/07/25 16:15:48 (edited)

Bad thing

+13
I read the Tweets and I don't see racism, I see silly comments and I have seen much worse from athletes that were never suspended.

I guess the Europeans don't have a 1st amendment.

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More polls by Heisenberg

dekecds to SJG 2012/08/01 03:13:56

And what race, exactly is she demeaning with her comment?

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SJG to dekecds 2012/08/01 12:08:45

What race do you think the Olympic Committee was referencing? Did you read or hear about it?

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dekecds to SJG 2012/08/01 23:41:33

Yes, I did, and there was no mention of a specific race. "African" is not a singular race, especially when the atheletes from Africa this year are from a plethora of races. If you look at the color alone and disregard actual race, fully 1/3 are white (unless you count the dark skinned mediterranean descent as white also, bringing the split to near 50%). So which African race, exactly, was this woman being derogatory towards?

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eNewsAl... to dekecds 2012/08/05 17:46:55

+1
You are right on the diversity. Some people out there really look hard to try to nail somebody for racism. They think they are mind readers. But people who want to constantly get someone for racism are the real haters, in my opinion. Hate is hate.

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eNewsAl... to SJG 2012/08/05 17:48:30

+1
I understand that. Just think this was a big stretch. I am sure in their contract they could find a way to suspend a hundred athletes if they are going to try to divine their intentions.

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Red Branch 2012/07/25 18:50:34

Bad thing

It is a bad thing and the worst part of it is that there was no racism involved. Actually, there is some humor in the tweet.
Claim victimhood, Cry and Whine and the politically correct types cannot do your bidding fast enough.

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*Mahogany Goddess of P.H.A.E.T 2012/07/25 18:48:05 (edited)

Bad thing

+4
Mixed feelings; if there are rules that all athletes must adhere to then she knew. If not, then she should be allowed to play; if I'm not mistaken, we have let some Middle Eastern countries who have lesser value on women play.

As for Europeans; many are still walking on eggshells because of the past. There are European countries with freedom of speech legislation, but because of a long history with Stalin, Hitler etc...many find hate speech to not be acceptable.

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blindfaith 2012/07/25 18:21:11

Bad thing

+1
A minor glitch, the Greeks have far more pressing issues than silly censorship to contend with. Let's not also forget that Greece is the gate from Asia into Europe, and has paid unwelcome 'host' to 1,000s of immigrants heading West.

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Philo-Publius 2012/07/25 18:08:07

Bad thing

+2
I'm Team Free Speech.

Sometimes it's ugly, but it's never quite as ugly as the alternative.

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Michael 2012/07/25 18:04:26

Good thing

This is the World Olympics, not Greece only, therefore needs to be all inclusive, not good sportsmanship to begin with!

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dear•LT13☻ 2012/07/25 17:55:41

Bad thing

+1
More proof that Twitter is not good for you.

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Mike 2012/07/25 17:52:39 (edited)

Bad thing

+1
Ridiculous

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MlssCue =Go Blue= 2012/07/25 17:46:03

Good thing

Bet she's regretting that right about now. Was it really worth giving up your Olympic dream for?

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dekecds to MlssCue... 2012/08/05 19:58:27

No, it's not, but then how do you censor yourself? I guess humor is not included in the favored attributes of an Olympic Athlete. No more jokes, no matter how innocent. What she tweeted was the equivalent of saying " Wow, with all these Buckeyes that have sprung up, the athletes from Ohio might feel at home" How is that derogatory? Here is her tweet:

“With so many Africans in Greece, the West Nile mosquitoes will be getting home food”

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MlssCue... to dekecds 2012/08/06 02:59:41 (edited)

ok

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MlssCue... to dekecds 2012/08/06 03:06:46

Hold on, wait. Where anywhere do you see that I said it was derogatory? I read what she put, I could care less what she or anyone else would say about Ohio Buckeyes. This isn't just any competition here this is the Olympics & she as well as everyone else knows they are going to be under close scrutiny. Very bad decision on her part.

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dekecds to MlssCue... 2012/08/06 03:13:25

No, I know you didn't say it was derogatory. I'm simply asking that rhetorically. I saw no ill behavior in the statement, nor any reason to think it was malicious or pointed. Just a coincidental statement on her part. I guess she should have thought about it for about an hour before she decided to post something. The closest thing that I see to racism is the word "African" which is an attention drawing word here in the US unless you are in a geography class. American's don't seem to understand that Africans are just as diverse as American's in terms of race...

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thefatguy 2012/07/25 17:28:42

Bad thing

+3
I haven't read the tweets, but it doesn't matter. It's an international athletic competition. Is it now a competition between only those athletes who espouse political views "acceptable" to the Olympic Committee? If she tweeted offensive remarks, it may reflect on her poor decisions but is irrelevant to her athletic prowess.

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MlssCue... to thefatguy 2012/08/06 03:04:48

You haven't even read them & you say it doesn't matter? That's a vital piece of information.

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thefatguy to MlssCue... 2012/08/06 06:23:40

No, it's not important. I don't care how offensive the tweets were. There is nothing she could have tweeted that would have ever made throw her off the team because it is wholly irrelevant to her athletic performance. And, for the record, I have read them now. But, even if I hadn't, it's still not important.

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jay 2012/07/25 17:26:12

Bad thing

+3
she is entitled to her opinion and what she said was nothing to get all bent about. Look out america this type of crap is already here and coming.

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blindfaith to jay 2012/07/25 18:22:53

+1
I'm afraid so.

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Drummerboy 2012/07/25 17:15:31
Dave0626 2012/07/25 17:11:18

Good thing

+2
Don't know all of what the 'rules' are. But I will have to say it's a good thing because I believe there is a time and place for everything.
One of the tenets of 'free speech' is you do have to right to say what you wish, speak your mind. But don't have the right to yell fire in a crowded theater. ....Unless of course the house be actually on fire. The point of that being - a time and place for everything. She is indeed representing her native country. And I don't think her status as an Olympic athlete is the time or place to express her 'political views' to the world.
At my job...people don't want or need to hear me at the 'political or religious podium'. Because that's not what any of us are there for.

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Patric 2012/07/25 17:08:14

Bad thing

+1
do not agree wit the expell ..
do like the picture,
odd choice, going greek on us ,

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doc moto 2012/07/25 17:01:55

Bad thing

+2
Its just a EU EURO deal, no rights; and what they demand and says goes and she is GONE! Playboy or some-other deal would and probably will be heading her way or maybe a book or movie deal!

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Walt 2012/07/25 16:59:30

Bad thing

+2
Everyone is entitled to their opinion and the last time I checked there were no Olympic Tweeting events scheduled. Twitter comments have nothing to do with Olympics participation - or at least they shouldn't.

What's going on with liberals? Do they think they can turn the world into a villainless place through their censuring and disapproval? That's not realistic.

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firelooker 2012/07/25 16:58:52

Bad thing

+2
She's not allowed to say what she thinks? Like that first pose.

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Kingarthurup 2012/07/25 16:53:46

Bad thing

+3
free speech is under assault

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Footage 2012/07/25 16:27:38

Bad thing

+3
Perhaps the joke was in poor taste (but it was funny). Nonetheless, it wasn't overtly racial. If the West Nile Virus was called the West Mississippi Virus, and she would have replaced Africans with North Americans, no one would have referred to it as racial, and there probably would have been no backlash.

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Allbiz - PWCM - JLA 2012/07/25 16:26:02

Bad thing

+4
I don't agree with her radicalism, but if they are going to make participation for athletes political, then they need to also expel the Cuban and all other communist country athletes.

As Obama would say, it's only fair.

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Chaya2010 2012/07/25 16:25:18 (edited)

Good thing

+1
Don't need people like that in Britain. This is the party she supports:

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Drummerboy to Chaya2010 2012/07/25 17:17:47
Chaya2010 to Drummerboy 2012/07/25 18:09:08

I presume you are talking about Britain, if so, remember (other than the US) Britain has sent troops to fight, die and get maimed in Iraq and Afghanistan than any other nation. Second point Sharia Law doesn't supersede British Law. The IOC is the British government regarding Jerusalem. Engage with your brain, get your facts straight, worry about what your country does across the world before telling me about hypocrisy when there are three fingers pointing back at stupidity!

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Drummerboy to Chaya2010 2012/07/25 19:00:17
Chaya2010 to Chaya2010 2012/07/25 19:38:54

@BELOW:

False dichotomy!

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Don Leuty 2012/07/25 16:24:27

Bad thing

+4
The home of democracy honors it no more.

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Bronar 2012/07/25 16:23:31

Bad thing

+3
I feel it is too extreme to expel an olympian for discussing her politics outside the sphere of the games, but as long as they have a clear policy that they adhere to with every athlete I don't have a huge problem with it.

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Squatch 2012/07/25 16:23:11

Good thing

+3
She should know better. As a military officer I realize that, regardless of my personal opinion, I represent something bigger than myself. I cannot say whatever i want to no matter how much I would like to sometimes.

This is the reason I love SodaHead. It gives me a chance to anonymously say what I really think without being penalized.

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LittleMistersMom 2012/07/25 16:23:03