Anti-Americanism seen in Euro vote against ‘masters’
Annette Koop, a world-class W45 middle-distance runner in Germany, (9/17 update: Actually a Swiss man wrote the post. See comment below) says on her blog that one reason the European Veterans Athletic Association failed to get the two-thirds approval needed for a name change was simple Yankees-suckism. (And I’m not talking about George Steinbrenner’s plaything.) According to a rough translation, Annette writes: “On the other hand (was) the Swedish delegation, which (noted) the world-political situation following, with crude anti-Americanism the word ‘master’ falsely as an American and therefore which can be rejected designated.”
Annette noted that a majority of the EVAA affiliates voted in favor of changing their name to the European Masters Athletic Association (as the British did a few years back). The vote took place at the recent European masters championships in Poznan, Poland.
The scary thing about the Swedes’ disdain for anything American is that it foreshadows how the Euros might vote next September when Sacramento goes up against Porto Alegre, Brazil, for the 2011 world masters meet selection.
The WMA General Assembly is top-heavy with European delegates — since delegation sizes are based on affiliate-country rosters at recent world masters meets. And since the trend has been to put world meets in Europe, the Euros only get stronger.
Although 2008 might see regime change in the United States (and a possible softening of furriner attitudes toward America), that would be too late for the 2011 site-selection vote.
Oh well.
12 Responses
she was saying the Swedes (incorrectly) think it’s an American word and is therefore something to be rejected.
She also goes over the trouble the Germans have when they name something “Meister”.
It’s funny the Europeans left it as a name which seems to me, a native English-speaker, to be that of a military organization.
Everyone else is afraid to say it so I will. Euros will take any opportunity to stick it to the U.S. They don’t like the government’s policy on an issue so they do this? How childish is that. The real problem is that they are afraid that their little monocultural societies are coming to an end and they are clinging to the hope that they can keep the rest of the world at bay. Well Euros it’s already too late, Europe is not going to be all white in the future so get used to it. You blast the U.S. at every turn and pretend to be sophisticated but you all don’t even believe in a diverse society like we do so we are way ahead of you on that one. Ask the France and Germany they already know… but I digress. EVAA it acting like a child who wants to take his ball and go home instead playing with the rest of the kids i.e. World MASTERS Athletics.
Europe is famous for anti-American decision making. This comes as no shock to me. Too bad we can’t put petty politics behind and become one unified force!
polish up your dancing shoes, we will be going to Brazil, the land of sunshine and wonderful music and dance. It is too bad that US politics are so hated that the Europeans cannot see beyond the end of their noses. As with all things, this too will change – some day there will be another dog to kick and WMA may return to the US for a meet. I am afraid that it is unlikely to be in Sacremento in 2011 however. Meanwhile all the WMA indoor meets will be in Europe – NYC will not bid again – and I doubt that there will be any US takers who want to spend the time and money to make a bid that will fail as long as US foreign policy remains as it is at present. On the horizon is a World Masters Games meet in Australia – if one is looking for a world meet that is not in Europe.
So let’s see, we already have the World Masters Athletics, so EVAA is going to thumb its nose at the U.S. by clinging to a bad marketing model name of “Veterans?!!”
For reasons why Masters is superior to “Senior” and “Veteran” see my NMN column “A jock strap by any other name would smell. ..” posted at:
http://www.geocities.com/ortmanmarchand/fs11.html
David E. Ortman(M53) Seattle, WA
The blog on Annette’ Seite was written by me, Pino Pilotto, a mediocre multievent-M50-athlet, and not by Annette Koop. I am member of the swiss masters athletics and there responsibel for international relations. We change our name from “Senior” to “masters athletics” in early 2006 without problems. Switzerland is not member of the European Community but it is in Europe.
At the assembly of EVAA in Poznan we was very close to the needed two-third majority for changing the name from “veterans” to “masters”. This is perhaps procentual a little bit more then who was the majority by the election of the current USA-administration…
To Rod Jett: Not all Europeans are Anti-Americans (and not all Europeans write a such bad English like me) and anti-Americanism is a problem, so anti-Europeism too.
I think that we (i.e. the EVAA) will soon (one..five..ten years – doesen’t matter) change the name from veterans to masters.
?¢‚Ǩ?ìWell said Pino. I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢m really disappointed that this news has brought forth such anti-European sentiments. There are many of us here who were totally bewildered by the decision not to adopt the name ?¢‚Ǩ?ìMasters?¢‚Ǩ¬ù. ?¢‚Ǩ?ìVeterans?¢‚Ǩ¬ù has served us well, but language moves on. The military connotations of the word are possibly stronger in the US than here, but they?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re not absent. ?¢‚Ǩ?ìMasters?¢‚Ǩ¬ù is the accepted term in many other sports ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú soccer, golf, tennis and even motor-racing. Where championships get held, and the crass decision to keep the old name have no connection, and it seems rather paranoid to suggest that it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s all being done because of some perceived anti-American conspiracy. Like my psychology teacher used to say ?¢‚Ǩ?ìAlways assume positive intent?¢‚Ǩ¬ù ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú even if I haven?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t!
Tom Phillips
M50 sprinter
EVACS 2006 100m finalist
WMA 2006 Indoor relay silver medallist
Kent, England
The “veterans” appellation is preferred not only in Europe.
Quick Silver
Athletic Veterans of Hong Kong
It comes down to competing and not politics. I say the USATF hold one meet every summer or every two years…USA MASTERS vs. EUROPEAN VETERANS, held in the USA somwhere on the east coast to ease their travel time. Top 3-5 ranked athletes from each event and country qualify for the meet. Let’s see if the athletes from the old country are willing to fork over the same cash and time off that some of the dedicated American athletes do to travel to their home turf. I say we settle this on the track and field ladies and gentlemen like a good old fasioned grudge match…LOL…Maybe we can get ESPN to televise it instead of Poker, Bass fishing or spelling bees…LOLOL…Just a thought… 🙂
Beyond the politics, the terms
Masters, Veterans, or Seniors, all are attempts to mask the “aging” nature of the participants in our division of our sport in a euphomistic haze of political correctness. These terms do nothing to describe what we are to the uninitiated masses who might possibly have an interest in participating (if they only knew what we were about)–I am meeting them constantly. I suggest the term “Age Group” serves the function much more directly.
I apologise, but, in my opinion, you are mistaken. I can prove it. Write to me in PM, we will talk.
It cannot be!
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