Disgusting isn't the word...

I don't mind that Lauren designed the clothes, I do mind that he put his logo on the pocket. But the most egregious and insulting thing was to have Chinese labor make the damn things. I don't like that most clothes worn in America are made in China, but we (Americans) have wished for Wal-Mart cheap over US quality for decades. But our Olympic team uniforms with a polo logo on the pocket and made in China is a bit over the top.

 

I agree! Maybe they should ditch the berets too!

 

I don't mind the berets, they have been a part of American patriotism for generations. Don't forget what our special forces wear. Only Fox News seems to forget that little bit of information for a little "false outrage". The polo logo is not welcome, Ralph Lauren doesn't need the ad space, but even though the 2008 uniforms were also made in China, America was in recession and the funds were cut for the USOC to use and not made up with donations.

With American textile mills sitting idle, I really think they should have given the bid to an American company rather than the "lowest bidder" this time.

 

Two weeks to go and they just now realize. Mindblowing.

 

Aye, I'm not a big fan of outsourcing at the expense of home labour either.

 

The biggest problem for the USOC is that it isn't funded by the US government, one of only three nations which doesn't sponsor its teams. So all the funds, come from fund raising drives, private donations, and such. The total is pretty dismal when you think of all the teams they have to support, less than the salaries of the New York Yankees starting team actually, and they have to finance something like 45 separate sports.

I can see it as a "bottom line" thing, but there should have been a solution other than simply sending the work off to China again.

Its annual budget of $150 million is already less than estimated budgets for European rivals with smaller populations. Comparisons across borders can be deceptive, since individual sports raise additional money separately—some U.S. programs, such as skiing and figure skating, are flush with cash. But in small sports for which the USOC is the primary sponsor, the difference is clear. Former canoe/kayak director David Yarborough estimates, for example, that the U.S. budget for his sport is one-tenth of Britain’s, France’s, Germany’s, or Hungary’s.Most of the 205 Olympic nations provide government funding for their Olympic committees. The U.S. does not.

Goto:

http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/opinion-until-congress-funds-us-olympic-team-they-should-shut-up-about-uniforms/politics/2012/07/13/43557

 

I wonder if it isn't time just to quietly forget about the Olympics altogether, since it seems to be more about money & politics than anything else these days. I know the genuine athletes will be penalised, but they're bound to be sick of being classed with all the drugs cheats that get caught every bloody time.

 

I am having a bad time remembering when an Olympics ever made money for the hosting country. I mean think about it, Greece never got out of debt after hosting, neither did Spain. I think America lost money big time at Atlanta, and I'm not sure where China fell in the mix since they really are so far away from a true market based society. I am hard pressed to recall an Olympics game host which isn't still sort of paying, or just finished paying for the "honor" of hosting.

 

Here's a patchy chart on Wikipedia: Cost of the Olympic Games - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It has a lot of missing info, but it claims that LA, Seoul and Salt Lake made sizable profits (above 100 million). A few others barely broke even (Sydney, Barcelona). It doesn't have much information for the more recent ones. I think the Vancouver games lost money.

On the topic of the Vancouver Games, I think the opening ceremony was a disaster -- the big torch array broke, and we really went overkill on the aboriginal heritage. If a viewer hadn't been to Canada, I think they got the impression that we still live in Igloos and Teepees. There was no mention of our status as a world leader in technology, and so on. I'm interested to see what they do for the London opening ceremony. I don't think anyone can do worse than ours.

 

You mean you don't? Next you'll claim you got electricity and indoor plumbing!

 

This fiasco is typical of how we lost our edge. Instead of seeing a great marketing opportunity, the USOC has a public relations mess...

The old American way of thinking would be to enter an exclusive agreement with a clothing line, like Lauren. Have the official clothing line of the USOC manufactured in the USA. Then promote the hell of of it !! After Phelps and our other athletes win gold medals, those jerseys, jackets, hats, etc would be hot items !! The USOC would of made millions in sales over here selling the "American Pride" theme.

The new America just takes the outrage with a grain of salt, throws out an analogy, and wonders where we went wrong...

America needs to get it's edge back and become active verses reactive.

 

Lauren has gone on record as saying the next uniform he produces for the US teams will be made in the USA. He also mentioned that putting the "polo" logo on the left hand breast pocket was a mistake. It won't be on that side next time, and it will be smaller than the US Olympic Team logo.

 

The Ralph Lauren logo is nothing compared to the Team Canada uniforms a few years ago. They were plasted with very large "Roots" logos (Roots was the designer/manufacturer of the uniforms). I forget what year this was, but it was outrageous. I think they got enough complaints, because they cut back after that.

 

What bothered me (besides the original story) was why the conservative politicians weren't all over this. LibDems Pelosi and Reid were outraging all over NPR news radio, and finally there was a little statement from John Boehner, but where was everyone else?

DaveBj

 

Congress has nothing to do with the USOC, or its funding, consequently they probably didn't know what was going on until the uniforms were debuted. And let's not forget that the "bottom line" and "privatizing" are right-of center touch stones of faith. Fox was all pissed about the berets, but those have been there many times in the past, and some of our best wear distinctive berets in the US military.

 

I'm not going to wade into the political controversy too much, but I feel that both sides will use this to further their arguments. Obama and the Democrats will tie it into their arguments about outsourcing and tie it back to Romney (they have been calling him a "pioneer of outsourcing" for some time now). Romney and the Republicans will use it to show that Obama is too indecisive to take a stand on the issue, didn't do enough to ensure the USOC didn't run into this problem (ads have been out portraying Obama as not taking the job seriously - I believe the term used was "celebrity president") and tie in into the need for a "hard stance" on China. There's nothing new here -- its just the same old political BS. Rather than do something about it, both sides will use it to attack the other.

 

I Don't have an answer to this question, so its not a trap, trick, or meant to be demeaning to anyone or nation...but who makes USA armed forces uniforms? I know China turned up as Santa in the UK 3 years ago in a massive bulk ship carrier and brought Xmas to the UK on the cheap. We were not too bothered then, but bothered now when it seems our banks cannot even input a program change that does not lead to weeks of not being able to get money out of accounts and pay mortgages because development and helpdesk routines reside in India now. Complain by all means but the complaint should be at the beginning of the process when jobs are on their way out...interview folk on streets then and You'll find as long as it can be done cheaper whats the harm...then interview them later after the problems roll in. We have no one to critisise but ourselves gentlemen.

 

The Canadian clothing manufacturer Roots provided the uniforms and clothes for the US Olympic team for the Winter Games at Salt Lake City in 2002 also. No one cried foul then. Just a point.

I used to donate to the USOC, but no more. I quit when I realized that I was helping Bode Miller party and socialize at an "Olympic Level" in the winter games in Torino, Italy. He butchered up that one. After that and the current Chinese/Ralph Lauren incident, never again.

If we ever get a US clothing company to manufacturer to ever produce the US Olympic teams uniforms, I believe the uniforms should be patterned after the Harlem Globetrotters uniforms. Blue tops with white stars, and red and white striped shorts. Man that would be cool.

 

Here we go, want to wear available clothes made in America for the opening Ceremony?