By JEREMY OLSHAN
Posted: 3:52 am
August 12, 2008
Spain's Olympic basketball team managed to commit a flagrant foul even before setting foot on the court.
In a series of full-page advertisements that ran in Marca, Spain's most popular daily newspaper, all the players posed with a Chinese dragon image while pulling back the skin on their eyelids, according to British newspaper The Guardian.
Both the men's and women's squads, including Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol, posed for the pictures, which were used to promote a Spanish courier service which is an official sponsor of the team.
These slant-eyed gestures were not intended to be offensive, according to the newspaper.
But Asians across the globe - from China to Flushing - were outraged.
"It's as if they are taunting - like kids to each other in school - it's a very childish advertisement," said Vicki Shu Smolim, head of the New York chapter of the Organization for Chinese Americans. "It's definitely not sending a message of sportsmanship, and is insensitive not only to the Chinese, but to all Asians."
The slant-eyed gesture has a long and sordid history, she said. "People think it is harmless and it's OK, but little do they realize the history of it. This goes back to when the Chinese and the Japanese were not allowed to come here and were painted as evil and demonic."
City Council member John Liu said he's been "hearing this sort of thing my entire life."
"I think what I will do is track down their address and send them a carton full of Visine to help them get the red out," he said.
Spain's sporting world has a history of racial insensitivity. Luis Aragones, Spain's soccer coach, was derided several years ago for making offensive remarks about black French player Thierry Henry, and black players on England's team were greeted with "monkey" chants.
The team has not publicly explained the content of the advertisements.
China's women's team defeated the Spanish, 67-64, on Saturday. Spain's men beat Greece, 81-66.
It's unclear what effect, if any, this will have on Madrid's bid to host the 2016 or 2020 Olympics.
Hours before the ads were publicized, Mercedes Coghen, head of Madrid's Olympic committee said, "Madrid is a city that wants to do more than aspire to the Olympic ideal; it wants to live those values through the Games with the human touch."
Additional reporting by David K. Li
