Greeks are angry at International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge. During the Olympic Games 2012 opening ceremony Rogge called hosting city London “Home of the Olympics.” And not only that. Jacques Rogge did not mentioned Greece at all, the country that created the Olympic Games more than 2,500 years ago.
Rogge described London as “home of the Olympics” and explained that this is because the English capital hosts the Olympics for the third time.
“In a sense, the Olympic Games are coming home tonight. This great, sports-loving country is widely recognized as the birthplace of modern sport. It was here that the concepts of sportsmanship and fair play were first codified into clear rules and regulations. It was here that sport was included as an educational tool in the school curriculum. The British approach to sport had a profound influence on Pierre de Coubertin, our founder, as he developed the framework for the modern Olympic Movement at the close of the 19th century.” (Rogge’s speech)
Whether in this or another sense, Greeks got angry at Jacques Rogge and Greeks around the globe started to comment on social media, many of them in real ….”French”. In one voice they all asked Jacques Rogge to retract the comment.
Strong Reactions
The issue soon got political with mostly right-wing parties to strongly reacting to Rogge’s ‘slip of tongue’ – to say it diplomatically.
Indepentant Greeks party issued a statement describing Rogge’s statement as “historically ignorant, unacceptable and provocative,” and collaed Rooge to apologize.
Chrysi Avgi (Golden Dawn) declared that “Unhistorical and arrogant Europeans officials bring every civilized man to laughter with their terrible statements. In a sense he is right, Jacques Rogge, as the modern Olympic Games of the multinationals and commerce have nothing to do with Ancient Greek Immortal Spirit.”
LAOS-leader Giorgos Karatzaferis spoke of “snobbish cravings of the international jet set” and added “The Olympic Games began in Greece in the 8th century BC, when people in Rogge’s country [Belgium] were eating acorns, when they weren’t eating each other.”
IOC Explanation
Conteplating Rogge: A home is a home is a home is a home…
The President of the Greek Olympic Committee, Spyros Capralos, contacted the IOC and spoke with Jacques Rogge who issued a statement saying:
“As all students know, the Greeks gave birth to the Olympic Games, Greece is the birthplace (house) of the Olympics. But yesterday in my speech I said that Britain is “the home of modern sports” where rules and codes of many modern sports were invented and codified in the 19th century. In this sense, the United Kingdom is the home of modern sports but Athens is the home of the Olympics. “
Are the Greeks satisfied with this explanation? I doubt it – in this or in another sense…
Rogge: Can someone tell me where’s the home of Olympics? In any sense!
It is time for a new IOC President.
Somesone educated at least.
And did any reporter mention that the Chariots of Fire Symphony was written by Greek composer “Vangelis”
I think also he has been IOC president for muuuuch tooo long. I am sure he keeps reading the same old opening ceremony speech and changes only the hosting city name. therefore… a home is a home, but not eveyr home is the same home 🙂
What an idiot! Great Britain, my home country, may have introduced rules and regulations in sport and given us a level playing field but Greece is and always will be the true home of the Olympics. If Rogge doesn’t respect this fact, he is in the wrong job. When did we lose sight of the true Olympics? Amateur sportsmen and women competing against the best each nation had, instead of the corporate pap we now have to suffer. As usual money and profit overuns everything.
The modern Olympics are nothing short of corporate sponsored Junkie-ville, and the less we bother with it, the better. It’s going down the exact same route as the “Tour the France”, pills on wheels…
Greece would do really well for itself to remember its magnificant historic contribution to the world of sport, and distance itself from the corporate take-over of that contribution.
The olympyada should return to Greece where it belongs. It’s birthplace is beautiful Hellas! Never will be conquered by the uneducated pseudo counts. The snobs have stolen all the ancient marbles. They stole our language. They bastardized our language. We gave them our lights. We civilized them! They never stopped digging us. The reason is: THEY ARE JEALOUS OF HELLAS. THEY WANT TO CONQUER HELLAS. Their ridiculing is discusting. GIVE US BACK OUR CIVILIZATION AND GO BACK TO WOLFS. RETURN OUR HISTORY, OUR ASIA MINOR. Through your deviousness and treacherous past, present and future you shall never be civilized as the ancient brilliant minds of Hellas. We shall conquer!
7