yao should sit the first half of the season

[grond]

If Yao doesn't play, he can't really walk in his country again. I don't think you realize the amount of pressure on him to play.

Strangely, I think you're correct. As far as I can tell most of the reasonable people on the board assumed that Yao was not being unduly pressured to play, and that the govt or national sports body or whoever is in charge was being reasonable in light of Yao's serious injury. Only the alarmists/idiots were bleating about him being forced to play no matter what.

Thanks for clearing that up for us.

That fervor is that much more passionate for these Olympics, as China believes it is its opportunity to show the world how much stronger it has become.

Just sayin' ... if I meet a person in the real world that wants to go out of their way to show people how much stronger/cleverer/whatever they are, I think to myself that that person has a rather obvious inferiority complex.

Just sayin'.

For those of you that will inevitably respond that China treats its athletes/citizens/people poorly, that doesn't matter. You will never understand the culture.

Oh, let me try to understand. Kids from a young age are taught that sacrifice for their country is a great and noble thing and are happy to be, and to see others, treated poorly, etc, etc in that cause. Did I get that right?

And while China may have a ways to go in terms of improving its record on individual rights, it has made dramatic strides over the years; and though it may not from your perspective compare with the Western world, China has reason to be proud of itself.

I agree! (limited tho' my knowledge of such stuff is). No sarcasm intended either.

Apologies if this post seems overly anti-Sino. It's not meant to be. Rather, I would like to think that the poster is not exactly indicative of general Chinese sentiment.

Here's to a successful, injury-free (especially Yao!) games.

Peace.

[Dinky Bits]

If Yao doesn't play, he can't really walk in his country again.

Better that than put himself in a position where he'll have trouble walking, period.

[moofs]

True, but obviously that's his decision to make. I don't like him playing in the Olympics, but that's mine.

p.s. I'm somewhat familiar with Chinese culture. From what I know, it has both its high and low points, same as ours and any other system of human devisement. The multiple apologist posts all have good points, as do the counters. There's really no resolution other than good fortune and whatever Yao wants to do, which is play in the Olympics.

[jove9]

Forget that, Moofs. I say we argue about it for three more pages.

[shawngoat23]

Disclaimer: my post above wasn't meant to apologize for the "Chinese" perspective. I don't agree with it myself. I think the responsible thing to do would be to heed the advice of an objective physician, and a Western-trained physician at that.

And I do agree that China seems to have a bit of an "inferiority complex" in that it is trying to hard to impress the rest of the world. But neither it is the backwards, totalitarian regime that would like to portray it as.

[moofs]

Disclaimer: my post above wasn't meant to apologize for the "Chinese" perspective. I don't agree with it myself. I think the responsible thing to do would be to heed the advice of an objective physician, and a Western-trained physician at that.

And I do agree that China seems to have a bit of an "inferiority complex" in that it is trying to hard to impress the rest of the world. But neither it is the backwards, totalitarian regime that would like to portray it as.

Oh, ah, I didn't mean that you were "apologizing" for it in the sense it appears you understood it.

Apologist - noun - A person who argues in defense or justification of something, such as a doctrine, policy, or institution.

[Baller 24]

He should pull a Shaq and take off January, so then when its time to make a push for the higher seed in the playoffs, and time to perform in the playoffs he will be ready.