WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH COMPETING FOR FOREIGN COUNTRIES?
By Geoff Calkins

Scripps News
Aug 22 2008
DC

She stood during the national anthem, stood with her hands clasped
behind her back, listening respectfully, just like the other Americans.

Except she was not like the other Americans.

They wore the red, white and blue of the United States women’s
basketball team.

She wore the red and white of Russia.

She grew up in South Dakota, but was playing for Russia.

She was raised in the shadow of Mount Rushmore, but would spend the
next 40 minutes trying to defeat the United States.

How could that have possibly felt? Surely, she had some mixed feelings.

"Absolutely not," said Becky Hammon. "This was a big game because it
was a semifinal game in the Olympics, not necessarily because of me
and the whole United States thing."

The United States thing.

Meaning, it’s her country. Hammon is by every real definition an
American.

She grew up here, she lives here, she considers it home.

"I know where my heart lies," she said, and she didn’t mean
Vladivostok.

So why did Hammon try her darndest to lead Russia to victory over
the United States Thursday?

Because, well, it paid better.

CSKA Moscow signed Hammon to a four-year contract worth $2 million. One
of the conditions of the deal is that she plays for Russia in the
Olympics.

"She made a great business decision," said Anne Donovan, the United
States coach, and Hammon is not the only one. Everywhere you look at
these Olympics, athletes who grew up in one country are suiting up
for another one.

All five members of the American table tennis team are from China. The
Swedish wrestler who was stripped of his bronze medal the other day
is from Armenia.

The Georgian beach volleyball team is from Brazil. Benjamin Boukpeti
grew up in France but won a medal for Togo.

"Unfortunately," said Boukpeti, "I’ve been to Togo only once when I
was very young."

Once?

That’s practically a lifetime these days. Haley Nemra is a runner
for the Marshall Islands who has never been to the Marshall Islands.

Rashid Ramzi won a gold medal in the 1,500 for Bahrain. Bahranians
everywhere were bursting with pride, at least until Ramzi declared that
"I am Moroccan."

Why get hung up on nationality, anyway? Why get hung up on math?

Irving Saladino grew up in Brazil, won a gold medal in the long jump
for Panama, and was asked what exactly he considers himself.

"Fifty percent Brazil, fifty percent Panama, but more Panama," he said.

At these Olympics, maybe even that makes sense. All you need is a
passport to compete for the team of your choice.

What do you want to be today? Romanian? Costa Rican? What colors go
best with your eyes? Finnish blue? Swedish yellow?

So here came Hammon, into this world of global free agency, deciding
to play for Russia. It might have worked out OK except Donovan,
the United States women’s coach, called her a traitor.

Which is preposterous, of course. Hammon is just a basketball
player. She doesn’t have the designs to our newest nuclear submarine.

And yet it just feels wrong, you know?

If nationalities don’t matter at all at the Olympics, why do they
play anthems? Why do they raise flags? Why do they keep medal counts?

Athletes are supposed to compete for themselves at world
championships. They’re supposed to compete for their countries at
the Olympics.

When we’re cheering Michael Phelps, we’re not just cheering Michael
Phelps. We’re cheering the land that produced him.

That’s why people stop and pay attention every four years. That’s
why the United States women’s team spent the better part of their
pre-game meal Thursday talking about Hammon.

"We had a debate," said Lisa Leslie.

And?

"It’s complicated," she said.

Why hold Hammon to a standard that doesn’t apply to anyone else? The
American women’s volleyball team is coached by one of the best players
in Chinese history. Herb Brooks coached the French hockey team after
he coached the United States to a gold. If Mr. Miracle on Ice can
try to defeat the Unites States, why can’t Hammon?

She can, of course. That’s one of her rights as an American. Just as
it was the right of the women on the United States team to make it
clear they wouldn’t have made the same decision.

"I couldn’t do what she did," said Kara Lawson.

Why not?

"I just couldn’t."

But what if – like Hammon – there was no guarantee you’d make the
United States team?

"I had no idea if I’d make it," said Lawson. "I was on the bubble. But
if I didn’t make it, I’d know I tried my best and I’d cheer for
my country."

She shrugged. To each their own, and all that. But it was clear
the American women had resolved they weren’t going to let Hammon
beat them. They trapped her whenever she got the ball. They didn’t
exchange pleasantries.

"She said something to me at one point but I just kept right on going,"
said Leslie. "I tell you, Becky was a Russian today."

For the longest time, the Russians hung in there, too. The game was
tied well into the third quarter.

Then the Americans did what the Americans tend to do and won easily,
67-52.

So all’s well that ends well, right?

No harm, no foul. The Americans won. The Russians lost. Hammon wished
the Americans the best in Saturday’s gold medal game.

"She told us to bring it home," said Fowles.

Wherever that is.