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Give them the gold medal for ingratitude

August 25, 2004 Posted by Paul at 3:46 PM

One of the big feel-good stories of the Olympics has been the success of the Iraqi soccer team. So why will I be pulling for Italy in the bronze medal match, notwithstanding that Italian teams are known for cynical tactics and cheap theatrics (e.g. diving in the penalty area)? This story by Washington Times sports columnist Tom Knott is why. It seems that certain Iraqi players regard President Bush as a criminal. Of course, some of the Italian players probably do too, but then President Bush didn't liberate Italy.

By the way, my feel-good Olympic story is the gold medal won by Israeli wind-surfer Gal Fridman. It's the first Olympic gold in Israel's history.