But that's not the only problem going on either, no sir.
Yesterday, four US cyclists who who arrived in Beijing decided to wear protective masks - while getting their luggage at the airport - because of the ridiculous pollution that's always hovering over the city.
Was it necessary to wear the masks? In all honesty, probably not, but I can't exactly blame them for taking the greatest of precautions. After all, they have been working somewhat hard to get to the Olympics, and the last thing they want to have hurt them in a race is something as stupid as smog.
But of course since they wore the masks, naturally China is pissed. So of course the US Olympic Committee is stepping up for our athletes. Just kidding, they're throwing them under the bus for doing this.
But USOC officials were apparently unhappy with their choice, scolding the cyclists for walking off the plane wearing the masks because it might embarrass the host country, Friedman and Lea (two the cyclists) said.
Wait a second though, wasn't it the USOC who advised the athletes to wear the masks in the first place? Yes, yes it was.
The United States Olympic Committee had issued the specially designed masks to protect athletes from the potentially harmful air here. The U.S.O.C.’s lead exercise physiologist, Randy Wilber, had advised the athletes to wear the masks on the plane and as soon as they stepped foot here.
Well, glad to see everyone's on the same page, and that we're ready to criticize our own athletes about something we told them to do, rather than state the obvious, which is Beijing's air quality sucks.
And in addition to the masks, word has also leaked today that former speed skating gold medalist Joey Cheek who co-founded Team Darfur, which raises awareness about human rights violations in the Sudan, has been banned from China. I wonder if this has anything to do with China being Sudan's ally.
Cheek said in a telephone interview Tuesday night that he received a call shortly after 5 p.m. (Eastern time) from someone either from the Chinese embassy or consulate who informed him that his visa had been revoked.
"I asked for a reason, and they said we don't give reasons," said Cheek, 29, a part-time Washington resident who was scheduled to leave for Beijing on Wednesday afternoon.
He said his visa request had been granted a few weeks ago. "I said, who else can I speak to about this, and they said, 'There is no other recourse.' "
He said his visa request had been granted a few weeks ago. "I said, who else can I speak to about this, and they said, 'There is no other recourse.' "
While not a lot can be done about this, it doesn't exactly seem as though anyone's rushing to help Cheek.
But the good news is that someone - probably not anyone in the gutless USOC - decided to make a bold move and make Sudanese-born Lopez Lomong the flag carrier for the United States at the Opening Ceremonies. Lomong was separated from his family in Sudan at age 6, lived in a refugee camp in Kenya, and came to America in 2001. He has only been a US citizen for 13 months, but his selection is a rather powerful statement to China.
Of course, it'd be nice if all the athletes could get some kind of indication of what is and isn't acceptable for these Games, but that'd probably be too simple.
Anyway, considering the Games have basically just started, and things are already this nuts, it should be an interseting two plus weeks, to say the least.
US cyclists are masked, criticism is not [NY Times]
Outspoken '06 medalist Cheek has visa revoked [Washington Post]
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