Now I know that every man and woman feels the bile in their throat rise at the thought of politics in sport, but this is due to an extreme generalisation of the term 'politics'. I am not talking about John Howard in his neatly pressed suit watching a football game with one eyebrow raised and changing the rules as he sees fit. I am talking about the more subtle things, like social awareness. Damien Hooper knew that choosing to wear the Aboriginal flag rather than the regulated Australian one was going to cause controversy. I can also accept that Aboriginal Australians might have difficulty associating themselves with this flag, as they should. It does represent a cruel and bloody period of history to many people. But so long as he is representing Australia in the international sporting field, there are rules and regulations he must follow. There are many controversial flags that are not worn for this very reason. If Hooper wanted to represent his cultural identity, he could have painted his skin in traditional dot painting - artwork that is well known and admired across the globe - rather than those ridiculous tattoos.
The issue goes alot deeper and can become very complex once explored, devolving into into freedom of speech and human rights, but the Olympic playing field is not the place to discuss such matters.
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