Athletes' Homecoming: A Critical Look

[Historian]

I'm posting only the paragraphs relevant to the focus of this thread. The first several paragraphs have been deleted. The entire article can be read here:
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/glean...cleisure2.html

When our heroes return home
published: Saturday | September 13, 2008


Hartley Neita


We began to officially celebrate our victories at the Beijing Olympics when Usain Bolt returned home this week.

The tarmac at the airport, which is a high-security zone, was packed with everybody who knew some-body. What should have been an orderly welcome and motorcade bordered on chaos. Prime Minister Golding seemed pleased with the response.

"What it does say to you," he told Bolt, "is that you have captured the heart of the Jamaican people. You have captured their love and attention. The last time I saw people come out like that along that route was when Nelson Mandela was here."

That occasion should best be forgotten. It was almost similar to the chaos on the arrival of Haile Selassie in the 1960s.

I am sure many readers saw on television the welcome given to the Trinidadian medal winners when they arrived at the Piarco Airport this week. It was enthusiastic and exuberant. But orderly.

I also found on the Internet the welcome given to the Panamanian medallist when he returned home last week. Like Trinidad's, there was nuff respect for the occasion.

Now, please do not tell me that I do not understand the Jamaican culture. I am going to hear:
"That's how we are."
"That's how we show love!"

I hope our girls will be better protected when they arrive.

High standards?
Finally, I do not know who was responsible for the presentation to Bolt of a painting of himself at the welcome held at The Jamaica Pegasus.

Usain Bolt is a gold-medal winner, not once, but thrice. To present him with a painting based on a photograph by an artist whose only claim to fame was that he was a bronze medal winner in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission's Festival competition in 2007, and who could only receive a certificate of participation this year, is an insult to our artistic community.

I thought we had high standards. Are we going to present paintings of themselves to our female athletes?
I will not use Rex Nettleford's favourite phrase to describe this present.

[Bricktop]

These journalist nuh have nuttin better fi do wit dem time?

[HL]

It's all about Jamaican indiscipline Historian. The leadership is also highly susceptible to gross indiscipline. It's systematic!

Two example were cited in the piece you posted. Trinidad and Panama welcoming ceremony. That is typical of an ordered society...

(I admired the Chinese too for their almost mechanical disciplined way they hosted and conducted the olympics. Here in the US chaotic events are not the norm...).

Maybe BrickTop response (above)...answers the commects:

"..that's how we are".
"..that's how we show love"

~~~groan~~~

[Sensi]

The celebration of Trinidad and Panama was fit for their achievements, hence, not as much enthusiasm as ours. Therefore, when they win 11 medals, 6 gold with 3 world records and IN EVENTS THAT REALLY MATTER, then unnu can run unnu mouth if their celebration remain the same. HL, can't you find something in the US to criticize? or your citizenship "CERFITICKIT" have some fine prints preventing you? Yeah, a so wi stay, wi love wi heroes and a so wi dweet! What!?

[Baddaz]

The celebration of Trinidad and Panama was fit for their achievements, hence, not as much enthusiasm as ours. Therefore, when they win 11 medals, 6 gold with 3 world records and IN EVENTS THAT REALLY MATTER, then unnu can run unnu mouth if their celebration remain the same.

well said...

[HL]

Well Sensi..."gwane dweet nuh".

[Baddaz]

Usain Bolt is a gold-medal winner, not once, but thrice. To present him with a painting based on a photograph by an artist whose only claim to fame was that he was a bronze medal winner in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission's Festival competition in 2007, and who could only receive a certificate of participation this year, is an insult to our artistic community.

apparently dem nuh have nutten fi duh dan fi expose dem class bias...

[Me]

LOL the man vex cause them pick something from a man who get only a participation award.

Man sound like him well loyal to the queen.

[Mosiah]

Unreal! Maybe he should have had some OJ behind his name as well!

[Mosiah]

Well said! After the last Olympics we did have a celebration for our athletes. But compare that Olympics to this one - huge difference!

Still, I wish we had done a better job with the crowd control, but is big tings!

Does HL ever comment when fans turn di place upside down, burning vehicles and looting shops when dem team win di Super Bowl?!

[Gamma]

only when shat fiyah....unnuh have time, er..boss!

[Peter R]

Let's all get up to speed on the difference between "systematic" and "systemic"... I'm like the journalist... don't have anything better to do with my time.

Choose accordingly.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
sys·tem·at·ic var interfaceflash = new LEXICOFlashObject ( "http://devcache.lexico.com/d/g/speaker.swf", "speaker", "17", "18", "", "6"); interfaceflash.addParam("loop", "false"); interfaceflash.addParam("quality", "high"); interfaceflash.addParam("menu", "false"); interfaceflash.addParam("salign", "t"); interfaceflash.addParam("FlashVars", "soundUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fdevcache.lexico.com%2Fdicti onary%2Faudio%2Fluna%2FS12%2FS1230800.mp3"); interfaceflash.write(); /ˌsɪstəˈmætɪk/Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[sis-tuh-mat-ik]Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation–adjective 1.having, showing, or involving a system, method, or plan: a systematic course of reading; systematic efforts. 2.given to or using a system or method; methodical: a systematic person. 3.arranged in or comprising an ordered system: systematic theology. 4.concerned with classification: systematic botany. 5.pertaining to, based on, or in accordance with a system of classification: the systematic names of plants.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share Thissys·tem·ic var interfaceflash = new LEXICOFlashObject ( "http://devcache.lexico.com/d/g/speaker.swf", "speaker", "17", "18", "", "6"); interfaceflash.addParam("loop", "false"); interfaceflash.addParam("quality", "high"); interfaceflash.addParam("menu", "false"); interfaceflash.addParam("salign", "t"); interfaceflash.addParam("FlashVars", "soundUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fdevcache.lexico.com%2Fdicti onary%2Faudio%2Fluna%2FS12%2FS1231400.mp3"); interfaceflash.write(); /sɪˈstɛmɪk/Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[si-stem-ik]Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation–adjective 1.of or pertaining to a system. 2.Physiology, Pathology. a.pertaining to or affecting the body as a whole. b.pertaining to or affecting a particular body system. 3.(of a pesticide) absorbed and circulated by a plant or other organism so as to be lethal to pests that feed on it.

[Time]

The Brooklyn West indian Labour Day Parade 2008

The Brooklyn West indian Labour Day Parade 2008 was also a disgrace. People out of uniform marching and dancing amongst the uniform groups. They have the option of doing that with the reggae parade but that was not enough.

The black leaders need to find a way to keep the public from the uniform groups. The NYPD did try to use barrier to prevent the barrier jumpers from running back to the next parade but the NYPD was getting a little rough and some people in uniform also got roughed up.

[HL]

For that reason i've stopped attending the Brooklyn (Labor day) parade.

This parade has the potential to be New York's best! One of America's best for that matter...

This is also attributed to poor planning!