by Jack Lee
19 JUL 2011: China’s favorite basketball team was supposed to play a friendly game with Georgetown’s team in Beijing. Maybe it was because its team members were drawn from the Army and they are young and aggressive. Or maybe it was due in part to China’s constant propaganda campaign against America. Whatever it was, the Chinese started a fight, a huge bench clearing fight, the fists flew and Georgetown players clearly got the worst of it.
It’s a safe bet that the American team had been coached to avoid doing anything that would cause an international incident and this is why they were very much on the receiving end of this melee.
One Georgetown player can be seen on his back being repeatedly slugged full force in the face by his Chinese attacker. The ferocity and rapidity of the punches thrown at this downed player seemed likely to cause severe injury…it was a cowardly and unsportsman thing to do.
To show their solidarity with the Chinese team, fans tossed garbage, mostly water bottles and paper cups at the US team as they exited the court.
To imagine that American fans would behave this way to China’s team or to any guest nation’s basketball team is unthinkable. We just don’t do that, its never happened before. The courtesy by America fans towards players from other nations on U.S. soil is legendary.
This ugly event coincided with Vice President Biden’s diplomatic mission to China.
Was this a deliberate “Arch Duke Ferdinand” moment? Probably not, but it has had an impact on the honor of the Chinese team and on their fans too.
Not so fast jack. I was watching Fox Business this morning and one of the guests on the show said the chines team has been fined all over the world for this bahavior. it may be they’ve gotten orders from above…to create the impression that you don’t mess with China because our men are feirce on the court and would be even more fierce in battle? Who knows…it’s hard to believe it’s spontaneous unless…were they winning each time or losing? maybe they are indeed just poor sports spoiling for a fight!
We may not strike first, but we do remember, just like after 9/11. Don’t think those Chineese players will be well received if they have the guts to ever come here to play.
I know they had a fight with a team from South America once, but was unaware they had mixed it up with other teams. If that was the case I wonder why our State dept. didn’t give them some advanced warning and special instructions on what to do if attacked? All it looks like is the Americans are trying not to get hit. .
Maybe if we just tucked in the elbows … internationally.