The Olympics: Athletics or Politics?

In an election year, consumers want nothing more than to get away from politics for a little while. A favorite focus of those who wish to avoid politics is often sports. Sports are about competitiveness, companionship, and love of the game, so why have politicians been sticking their noses in the world of sports for the past week?

Last week, it was reported that the uniforms to be worn by the United States Olympic Team during the Opening Ceremonies at this month’s Olympic Games in London, England, were manufactured in China. Ralph Lauren, the uniforms’ designer, has stated that for the next Olympics – the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia – the uniforms will be made in the United States.

Many politicians from both parties have been very outspoken in the past week about how the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) should handle this dilemma. On National Public Radio (NPR), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the Olympic committee should “put [the uniforms] in a big pile and burn them.” House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said, “You’d think they’d know better,” in reference to the USOC. Being that a presidential election is less than four months away, and the United States has an unemployment rate of about 8.2%, many people see this issue as very relevant to the political realm. Why does the USOC support a company that is willing to outsource jobs and work to a thriving economy, while our country struggles with unemployment?

The USOC has taken a lot of criticism in the past week for allowing this to happen, but it is no rookie to issues with big name corporate partners. In February of 2010, the USOC signed a sponsorship deal with oil and gasoline giant BP for between $10 million and $15 million, which represents between 6% and 7% of the federation’s sponsorship revenue, according to the Associated Press. Following the Gulf Coast oil spill that began on April 20, 2010, and continued for nearly three months, many people questioned whether the USOC should dissociate itself with the company responsible for the spill, BP. The USOC held its ground, as did BP, and now BP is one of the head sponsors of not only the US Olympic Team, but also the 2012 London Games. BP America’s executive vice president for government and public affairs was quoted in 2011, “The Olympic team and its quest for excellence and belief in getting up each day and doing the right thing and striving for success, it’s very much like what we do in the Gulf. We keep the commitments we’ve made in the Gulf. And we’re committed to the success of the U.S. athletes and their programs.” Allowing BP to stay on as a sponsor of the USOC will provide the company with a great opportunity to restore their brand and reestablish a strong reputation with the citizens of the United States.

The Olympic Games are an opportunity for the United States to showcase the best it has to offer. Although athletics are a major part of that, the opportunity to spread the American Way around the globe through sports is also very important. Sports are slowly becoming less about the game on the field, and more about everything else behind the scenes, but whether or not that benefits the athletes and the fans is still up for question.


By: Kevin Murray