General Mills Snubs Gold Medalist

[cattyfan]

Hamm Homecoming -- A Call to Action for Newsradio 620 WTMJ Listeners!

Appearing live on Wisconsin''s Morning News Wednesday, September 15, Waukesha natives and U.S. Olympic gymnasts Paul and Morgan Hamm asked Newsradio 620 WTMJ listeners to contact General Mills. The Hamms want the company to reconsider its decision not to put gold medalist Paul Hamm on the Wheaties box.

this is found at www.wtmj.com they have the links there to e-mail General Mills. Please support these American gymnasts in their quest for the traditional Wheaties box...it might seem like a small thing to us, but to two people who trained their whole lives for the Olympics, it's huge. And I believe they earned it.

 

[Greywolf]

I can understand General Mill's position, seeing as how the two American gymnasts didn't *really* win the event.

(This isn't in anyway meant to belittle the two American gymnasts, BTW. Third in the world is still very good.)

 

[cattyfan]

I know some believe Hamm didn't really win...the Asian gymnast may have not been given credit for his more difficult routine, but upon review of the tapes it was discovered the judges had missed several infractions which should have been deductions. Had the judges been perfect, beginning the score correctly and not missing any of the mistakes, Paul Hamm still would have won. As it was, his medal was not taken away from him (nor should it have been.)

He has more than earned his rightful place as a winner in American Sports History.

And you make a valid point: even if the judges had decided to scrap the score they gave Hamm, bronze is still worth celebrating, and twin brothers with that level of talent is truly impressive.

 

[cattyfan]

some folks are having trouble with the e-mail links, so, in my never ending quest to make expressing our displeasure easier and less painful, here are the e-mail addresses for the appropriate General Mills parties to whom we should complain...vociferously and often...

write to:

this woman jenny.foster@genmills.com or this guy: steve.sanger@generalmills.com


thanks.

 

[Zakath]

"Earned it"??????:darwinsm:

What they earned was the medals they received. Period.

Having one's likeness on a Wheatiesâ„¢ box is not a constitutional or legal right. Nor is it a condition, the last time I checked, of participation on a winning U.S. Olympic team.

Shouldn't a corporation be allowed to advertise their product with whomever they choose and let the public decide whether to buy it or not?

Why should we give any credence to some, hopefully well meaning, group be trying to pressure a corporation through economic blackmail into doing something that is fundamentally against the corporation's right to self determination?

:think:

 

[philosophizer]

I agree with Zak. The Wheaties box isn't given out by the Olympic committee. The Hamms are truly world-class athletes, but General Mills is a corporation that can decide what to do with it's own time and money.

 

[cattyfan]

GM has traditionally offered their box to American Gold medal winners...specifically the gymnasts and swimmers. Their decision isn't based on anything more than politics.

And, Zakath, no one is trying economic blackmail. No where in that article or in any of my posts, or even in the e-mail I sent to Wheaties is a boycott called for. I'm not advocating threats. I'm suggesting if you believe the Hamms should receive the same honor given to other athletes before them and the other athletes from the most recent Olympics to let General Mills know. Since when is expressing an opinion blackmail?

 

[Zakath]

There have been at least a few comments floating around the Web calling for boycotting General Mills, though I wouldn't give them much potential for success.

Perhaps my language was imprecise. Blackmail is a form of coercion. Encouraging consumers to figuratively twist a company's arm by emailing them isn't a form of coercion?

Suppose some Muslim broadcaster suggested that people make a similar complaint against some Christian publishing organization for refusing to put one of their folks on a book cover or some other such potential launch pad for product endorsements, claiming they had "earned it"...

Wouldn't you consider that coercion? :think:

 

[cattyfan]

Suppose some Muslim broadcaster suggested that people make a similar complaint against some Christian publishing organization for refusing to put one of their folks on a book cover or some other such potential launch pad for product endorsements, claiming they had "earned it"...

an incredible and ridiculous comparison....but if the Christian organization had a history of putting Muslim groups who had the exact same credentials as this particular Muslim group on their covers, it would be something I would take a hard look at.

 

[Zakath]

Originally posted by cattyfan

....but if the Christian organization had a history of putting Muslim groups who had the exact same credentials as this particular Muslim group on their covers, it would be something I would take a hard look at.

OK. :thumb:

 

[aharvey]

Originally posted by cattyfan

GM has traditionally offered their box to American Gold medal winners...specifically the gymnasts and swimmers. Their decision isn't based on anything more than politics.

Cattyfan, can you explain the "politics" behind GM's decision?

 

[cattyfan]

General Mills has product distribution all over the world. Regardless of the findings of the Olympic review committee, there are still countries who are disgruntled about Hamm receiving the Gold. The are afraid if the put him on a Wheaties box, it may negatively affect their international sales. And if the complaining was coming from a third world country that didn't import their products, I believe GM would have signed up the Hamm boys without thinking twice.

Hamm shouldn't have to keep apologizing for having won...whether other countries approve or not.

 

[Zakath]

So you think it's a business decision, not a political one... :think:

 

[cattyfan]

it's both, as it in part hinges on which country is complaining.

Quite honestly, it doesn't matter. They have the right to make the decision, and I, as the consumer, have the right to express my displeasure.

Regardless, I will probably keep buying their products. I like Wheaties...it would have to be something far bigger to keep me from doing business with them.

 

[Zakath]

Originally posted by cattyfan

...I like Wheaties...it would have to be something far bigger to keep me from doing business with them.

:think:

Like what? :think:

 

[Nathon Detroit]

Originally posted by Zakath

:think:

Like what? :think:

Like maybe if they put a homo on the box.

Was Greg Luganus :vomit: ever on a Wheaties box? :think:

 

[cattyfan]

Like maybe if they put a homo on the box.

Was Greg Luganus ever on a Wheaties box?

I'm not sure...the only thing I remember about him is when he cracked his skull on the diving board...it was scarey. I don't like to see anybody hurt, and I hate seeing athletes who have spent years training have their hopes crushed by injuries.

 

[Nathon Detroit]

Originally posted by cattyfan

I'm not sure...the only thing I remember about him is when he cracked his skull on the diving board...it was scarey. I don't like to see anybody hurt, and I hate seeing athletes who have spent years training have their hopes crushed by injuries.

Well the bad thing was..... at the time Luganus cracked open his skull he was a practicing homosexual who KNEW he was HIV positive.

When his blood spilled into the pool he knew it was a risk to the other divers but said nothing. :nono:

 

[cattyfan]

I would agree...it was more than just irresponsible ( His supporters at the time he came out and most media used that word, if they were critical at all....which many were not.)

 

[jeremiah]

I suspect there decision is based on the simple fact that there slogan has always been -- " Wheaties, breakfast of champions!"
They do not want sombody looking at their box and saying to themselves, I am not sure if this person was the real champion, therefore is Wheaties really the breakfast of champions.
I am sure some one with a masters in marketing and advertising could give any # of reasons why it would be a bad idea.
Especially if at some later date the corruptible IOC strip him of his gold medal, while his face is on the Wheaties box!