THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, August 3, 1996 TAG: 9608030660
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: Olympics 1996, From Atlanta
SOURCE: Bob Molinaro, From Atlanta
LENGTH: 71 lines
Maybe it's just as well the United States baseball team didn't rendezvous with Cuba.
Had the U.S. run up against Fidel's formidable forces for all the gold marbles, the ping of ball meeting aluminum bat might have been drowned out by the sound of sabers rattling.
Just as well the Japanese shortcircuited American plans. What the Olympics need is less nationalism, not more. United States vs. Cuba only would have fed the flames of jingoism, one of the least attractive characteristics of the Centennial Games' host nation.
For what it's worth, some of us - Americans, I mean - would have been pulling for the red-suited Cubans.
Politics is not the issue here; which team needs the victory more is. For the U.S. - the country, not the athletes - Olympic hardball is a mere play thing. For the Cubans, the Olympics are the real world series.
Who knows the problems that could befall a Cuban baseball player who fails to win gold.
He could lose the use of his state-owned, 18-year-old Soviet automobile. He could have the electrical current to his home reduced to six hours a day. His children might be denied their usual allotment of government-issue shoes.
``Amateur'' sports are serious business for Cuba. A people who have so little count very much on the baseball team to bolster national pride.
Because the U.S. enjoys an abundance of riches, it can be embarrassing to witness America in the throes of defeat.
When Americans lose at the Olympics, it is because a boxing judge cheated or an Irish swimmer took drugs. Or in the case of baseball, because we didn't use our best players.
Americans are the worst losers at the Olympics.
Now that the U.S. has faltered in baseball, some will want to call in the Marines - Triple-A talent, maybe even actual big leaguers. Something, in any case, resembling the basketball Dream Teamers.
We just can't stand to lose. Losing is for other countries.
This attitude is reflected in the media, as well. Had triple gold-medalist Michelle Smith of Ireland been Michelle Smith of Boston, would TV and newspapers have bombarded us with rumors of her suspected chemical enhancement?
``I would say it's a typically American phenomenon to be so nationalistic when it comes to sports,'' said Andrea Visconti, a correspondent for a newspaper syndicate in Rome.
A native of Milan, Visconti has been based in New York City for 14 years.
``I enjoy living here very much,'' he said while sharing a cab with an American. ``But just look at the papers and the TV. It's like what a guy from Holland said to me; America seems to be at war with the world, even at the Games.''
America's insularity reveals itself at the Olympics.
``Every nation gets excited about their successes,'' Visconti was saying. ``But here you see a little less appreciation for the excellence of the sports and more an attitude of, `Did America get the gold? If not, who cares?' '
He reached for a copy of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and turned to page 22 to a report on the men's cycling road race held the day before.
``Look here,'' he said, pointing to a large headline touting an American who had finished a distant fourth.
``No mention of winner,'' he said. ``One, two, three, four, five ... in paragraph six you learn who won.''
In passing - in one sentence - the report mentioned that a Swiss rider captured the gold.
``Everything at these Games,'' said Visconti, ``is presented to us as if it was America versus the rest of the world.''
By the way, the Italian journalist was wrong about the cycling story. The name of the Swiss gold medalist did not appear in the sixth paragraph.
It didn't show up until the eighth.
KEYWORDS: OLYMPICS 1996 by CNB