04/26/24
February 22, 2010
John Napier: The good teammate: The other day in the Olympic Village at the Winter Games, bobsledder John Napier stopped snowboarder Shaun White and asked, "Hey, you mind if I get a picture with you?" Both men are 23. Napier is about seven inches taller. White is about $30 million richer. White obliged. Napier got his snap and thanked him. Here's why it should've been the other way around: Napier, the driver for two of America's six Olympic men's bobsled teams, wants to do two remarkable things. First, he wants to win a gold medal in these Olympics, something no American bobsledder has done in 62 years. John Napier has requested deployment to Afghanistan when his Olympic run is finished.Then he wants to leave immediately and go fight in Afghanistan.
John Napier sounds like a decent guy, but Rick Reilly is as douchey and jingoistic as ever.
Sorry, but why should it be reversed? Shaun White is about the best in the world at what he does (he's earned $30M? Really?!), whereas John Napier is not. There were other ways to pay off a debt, such as a second job.
He's not the only Olympian who isn't rich or famous, and who has to hold down a regular gig in between Olympic appearances- that's the norm, not the exception. Olympians who are schoolteachers or firefighters 'serve' their country as much or more than military personnel. It's a crummy and unnecessary war, and Napier chose to join. I can't applaud that, even though I can applaud service men and women who work hard and are honest and decent, because it's their job to follow orders. Even if those orders were misguided at best, criminal at worst.
posted by hincandenza at 10:52 PM on February 22, 2010
By 'serve,' I hope you mean performing in the Olympics. Even then I couldn't begin to understand how teachers 'serve,' their country as much or more than military personnel.
You mean when they blackmail homeowners into levies? You know, vote for the school levy or busing will be cut off? All extra curricular activities will cease, if they don't get their raise? Thanks, teachers. Enjoy your tax funded pensions. Thank you for your "service" to our country. It really is appreciated that you would volunteer for such a hazardous way to "serve." Thanks for threatening the safety of our children by making them walk across busy streets so that you can get your raise, instead of catching the bus.
Thanks, Hal, for applauding the service men and women who work hard and are honest and decent. Just as long as they didn't volunteer. Ooops, they all did. Guess you can save your applause.
Yeah, get a second job, Napier. Maybe you could serve your country more by teaching summer school.
posted by tselson at 12:15 AM on February 23, 2010
This will end well.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 08:30 AM on February 23, 2010
lil_brown_bat, I hope it wll, I hope he does well on both fronts, both very difficult. What is not to love of his determination to serve his country in more than one way. Disagree with the war, I understand. To fault him for patriotism never.
posted by gfinsf at 08:57 AM on February 23, 2010
Even then I couldn't begin to understand how teachers 'serve,' their country as much or more than military personnel.
"Serve" means to provide a service. Helping to provide an educated citizenry is a great service. I admire those who choose to serve their country through the military, but that certainly isn't the only means to help out your country.
This article made me question things, too. How many of our young and talented are we going to risk in places like Iraq and Afghanistan? Is what we are likely to achieve worth the risks our servicemembers are facing? And, yes, unfortunately, I also wonder if we didn't have so many patriotic young souls like Napier if our Presidents would be more prudent in choosing their battles.
posted by bperk at 09:07 AM on February 23, 2010
That was really offensive, tselson.
posted by boredom_08 at 11:14 AM on February 23, 2010
Is what we are likely to achieve worth the risks our servicemembers are facing?
Obviously, it is, or those who disagree would get off their complacent asses and voice their displeasure at the ballot box. Most of our service members seem to think so, too, by all accounts I have read and heard.
That was really forthright, tselson.
posted by mjkredliner at 12:03 PM on February 23, 2010
Count me among the people who believes that teachers serve our country as much as soldiers, even if Tselson's kids can't take the bus.
posted by rcade at 01:05 PM on February 23, 2010
Sweet crackers, I hate Rick Reilly. What a hack. It is seriously hard to believe that is the same guy who was writing 20 years ago. You know, when he was good.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 06:09 PM on February 23, 2010
That was really offensive, tselson.
Why?
Count me among the people who believes that teachers serve our country as much as soldiers, even if Tselson's kids can't take the bus.
So, you think that's funny? Yeah, screw me and my kids.
I simply don't comprehend classifying the teaching profession as performing a service to our country. It's a job. A publicly funded job and unionized. If you think it's equal service to get summers off versus being deployed for months on end and getting your ass shot at, I don't know what to say.
Anyways, I thought it was a nice post. Thank you for posting gfinsf.
posted by tselson at 10:43 PM on February 23, 2010
So, you think that's funny?
I think your argument is ridiculous. Most teachers are paid poorly for what is an extremely important job. No knock on the soldiers given the task, but I regard the ability to win needless elective wars in distant Middle Eastern countries as less vital to the future of this country than the education of the next generation.
Teachers don't blackmail homeowners. Publicly elected school boards set property tax rates and reach contracts with unions, and if you don't like their decisions vote them out.
posted by rcade at 08:00 AM on February 24, 2010
Soldiers get paid too. They get some decent benefits too, like money for education, medical care from the VA and so on.
I'm not saying soldiers don't serve our country, and I don't think too many others are either. But they're not the only ones.
posted by billsaysthis at 11:27 PM on February 24, 2010
I like Napier cause he's trying to get a medal in a real sport...White sucks for sooooo many reasons, one of which is the "sport" he competes in.
Teachers are just as good as soldiers...currently, teachers are much more important. Perhaps they can teach our young people not to volunteer to fight in unnecessary wars.
posted by StarFucker at 11:34 PM on February 28, 2010
I like Napier cause he's trying to get a medal in a real sport...White sucks for sooooo many reasons, one of which is the "sport" he competes in.
Where exactly is the demarcation line between a real sport, and a "sport" ?
I'm curious to know the sooooo many reasons Shaun White sucks ?
posted by tommybiden at 11:48 PM on February 28, 2010
John, Godspeed in both your quests.