USA Men's Swimming, NBC Announcers Sore Winners

We all know that France talked a little trash going into the Men's 4 X 100m freestyle swimming final yesterday. So the question is, what's the appropriate way to react to that sort of thing?

While the swimmers, (especially Michael Phelps) seemed to be a little over excited after the victory, it could be said that, "hey! They're athletes! This is what they work their whole lives for!" The announcers on NBC however, took winning in poor taste to a whole new level.

At the end of the race, after the team from the USA had come from behind and beaten the favored French team by 0.08 seconds, the American announcers on NBC shouted out with joy "WHO'S TALKING NOW?" and "I think the French better check their definition of 'SMASH'".

So whatever happened to unbiased commentary? After all, isn't this the Olympic Games? Aren't these games supposed to be promoting sportsmanship in completion? World peace? International friendship? Ok, so you could say that the commentators were extra excited that an amazing upset had just been accomplished, and that the fact that the upset was provided by their home country just magnified that joy. Even still, is that a reason to taunt and mock the team that finished 0.08 seconds behind the gold medalists? Sure, the French were talking a little smack before the race, but that is the job of the athletes. Leave the trash talk on the field, (or in this case in the pool) and out of the press box.

Another interesting point, is that the same commentator who shouted "WHO'S TALKING NOW??" was constantly stating before and during the race that he just couldn't see how the Americans could beat the French in this race. And yet, at the end he was shouting it from the rooftops. This seems consistent with the characteristics of the kind of coward that hides behind his shell until he knows that it's safe to come out, rubbing it in everyone's face when it is.

In closing my point, I would like to just state the fact that a poor winner is even more disgraceful than a poor looser, and it takes a lot more courage and dignity to win with class than it does to loose with class. I hope that we see a lot more winning with class throughout the rest of these games.