Tip of the Hat/Wag of the Finger

Tip of the Hat:

Photo via Getty Images

To super awesome, kick ass (and super duper awesomely eye candy worthy) Australian diver Matthew Mitchem, who caused a huge upset and won a gold medal over the favored Chinese diver, Zhou Luxin.  His dive kept China from sweeping the medals in the Men’s diving events.  Also noteworthy is that Mitchem is also openly gay and feels free to just be himself.  Not only is his status as a world class athlete worthy of attention but his ability to be free and comfortable just being who he really is makes him classic role model material.  Our children need more role models who are not only exceptional at what they do but are exceptional at being themselves.  People who are comfortable in their own skin.

Wag of the Finger:

To NBC for being great big homophobes and not paying any respect whatsoever to Mitchem’s family, who included his enthusiastically supportive partner, Lachlan.  Mitchem was awarded a Johnson & Johnson Athlete Family Support grant to help pay to allow Lachlan to attend the games and support him.  But, no that is not enough for NBC to pay attention.  NBC, who has made the family and support systems of other athletes newsworthy by featuring them during their coverage.  NBC who has already pissed me off by pissing to mark their territory over the coverage of the Olympics, blacking out coverage on China’s own CCTV in the states so that no one here could get simulcast feed in Mandarin.  Now, they take a shit all over a world class athelete’s family and righteously declaring it not good enough.  Thanks a ton NBC!  Good to know you are using any shred of journalistic integrity and not exerting your morals where they don’t belong…on someone else’s family.  

h/t to Ren.