OT: Russia banned from using name, flag in Olympics...
https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/30538012/russia-banned-using-name-flag-next-2-olympics
I vote they go by "Giant European Country Team" in the meantime.
December 17th, 2020 at 11:39 AM ^
Comrade, Russia banned the olympics from using their name and flag during the games. Get it right
December 17th, 2020 at 11:40 AM ^
They should bring back "the Unified Team" from the early 90s, at least it would have some nostalgia.
December 17th, 2020 at 11:48 AM ^
Putin wishes.
December 17th, 2020 at 12:23 PM ^
That dude is going to absolutely demolish Harris after Biden gets Epstein’d.
December 17th, 2020 at 12:49 PM ^
Nah, China will protect her.
December 17th, 2020 at 1:21 PM ^
Uhh...NO POLITICS, OK?
December 17th, 2020 at 11:51 AM ^
In Soviet Union, Olympics name you.
December 17th, 2020 at 3:02 PM ^
Overhyped.
December 17th, 2020 at 11:56 AM ^
Do we get to include "United" in our name???
December 17th, 2020 at 11:56 AM ^
Do we get to include "United" in our name???
December 17th, 2020 at 12:06 PM ^
how about BOO, for band of oligarchs? kind of catchy.
putin, you better have a great comment in this thread, it is a softball waiting to be hit.
December 17th, 2020 at 12:49 PM ^
putin properly pumping (said in a faux-austrian accent)
December 17th, 2020 at 3:04 PM ^
Haha - Sorry if I missed this before H-Put, always love your blog posts... just curious how you chose this username? Obviously don't say anything that will get you poisoned. Na Zdorovie!
December 17th, 2020 at 12:10 PM ^
Wasn't that the case in 2018 too? Three straight Olympic games now..wonder if they'll learn their lesson, or if the IOC learns that Russia don't care.
December 17th, 2020 at 12:14 PM ^
European or Asian?
December 17th, 2020 at 12:21 PM ^
Eurasian.
December 17th, 2020 at 1:01 PM ^
No, I'm American
December 17th, 2020 at 12:19 PM ^
In [ ] PEDs take you!
December 17th, 2020 at 12:19 PM ^
So what you're saying is that Russia isn't going to be our next head coach, right?
December 17th, 2020 at 12:19 PM ^
Russia should cut a crazy deal with the rest of the former Soviet republics that they all march together under the old, red hammer-sickle flag as "the Soviet Reunion." I'm sure they'd all go for that. /s
December 17th, 2020 at 12:19 PM ^
Soviet Comeback Tour
December 17th, 2020 at 1:19 PM ^
I don't think the gang would get back together, but unless there is some fine print in those 186 pages (which obviously), this was my first thought. Change the name back to the USSR and carry on like normal.
I'm not sure if this is the dumbest thing in the universe or not. Why not just ban them entirely rather than ban the name and flag? I'm assuming 186 pages being distilled down to a summary in ESPN is losing a tad bit of nuance.
December 17th, 2020 at 1:35 PM ^
Just call itself the Russian Empire again and crown Tsar Vladimir. They've been pretty much on the verge of doing that anyway.
December 17th, 2020 at 1:46 PM ^
What do you mean? Vladimir won those election fair and square with nearly a 103% approval rating.
December 17th, 2020 at 12:22 PM ^
Political stunt - like high school sports, college sports, professional sports, biking, etc, everyone is doing it and the best cheaters get to the top. Hell, I've even seen cheating in Pee-Wee football.
Might as well add on.
December 17th, 2020 at 12:50 PM ^
I don't know, man. I believe cheating is pretty rampant but Russia had a state-sponsored doping program. I think that's a whole other level of cheating.
(not sure what that quote is supposed to convey but seems like he was actually right about that?)
December 17th, 2020 at 1:47 PM ^
Man, if it's state-sponsored, it's not cheating, because it's YOUR dog.
December 17th, 2020 at 12:30 PM ^
The country which shall not be named?
Scary.
December 17th, 2020 at 12:32 PM ^
Now do China...
December 17th, 2020 at 12:44 PM ^
What a fine, upstanding organization...
December 17th, 2020 at 1:19 PM ^
Russia is ruled by a bunch of goons and has been throughout recorded (Russian) history. There have been varying flavors of goons.
December 17th, 2020 at 1:54 PM ^
One man's goon is another man's Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias.
December 17th, 2020 at 3:39 PM ^
China worse
December 17th, 2020 at 1:29 PM ^
In Global Guts they went by the "Commonwealth of Independent States"
December 17th, 2020 at 1:30 PM ^
There's more:
The ruling also blocked Russia from bidding to host major sporting events for two years.
Now that is dropping the hammer. Russia won't get to bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics or World Cup. They'll have to content themselves with having hosted both of them within the last decade.
December 17th, 2020 at 1:30 PM ^
They're out of the 2022 World Cup which is actually the worst part of this deserved punishment lol.
December 17th, 2020 at 1:40 PM ^
They're still allowed to compete (if they qualify).
Russian athletes and teams will still be allowed to compete at next year's Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, as well as world championships including the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, if they are not implicated in doping or covering up positive tests.
Russia just can't bid to host any international events over the next two years.
December 17th, 2020 at 2:24 PM ^
When will this happen to Bama and OSU?
Oh yeah, NCAA is completely impotent.
December 17th, 2020 at 3:27 PM ^
This is no better than an NCAA punishment. It's purely superficial. They're free to compete, but just have to put "Russia Neutral Athlete" on their uniforms and play a different song than their anthem.
Picture the Ohio State Neutral Athletes playing the Alabama Neutral Athletes for the title, with "Rock 'n Roll Part 2" playing after touchdowns.
December 17th, 2020 at 3:39 PM ^
The Siberian Bears
December 17th, 2020 at 4:15 PM ^
This is definitely going to put an end to their top to bottom government sponsored doping. Absolutely.
December 17th, 2020 at 7:31 PM ^
"WE ARE A BOBSLED TEAM"