An essential element of the Olympic Movement is the philosophy of Olympism. The Olympic Charter sets forth seven fundamental principles of Olympism. One of the fundamental principles of Olympism reads as follows:
Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example, social responsibility and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles (Olympic.com, 2022, para. 1).
Furthermore, the Olympic Charter lists the following as a fundamental principle of Olympism:
Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement (IOC, 2022, para. 5).
In a hypothetically situation, it was announced in June of 2020 that the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) selected Chicago, IL, home of the Chicago Blackhawks, as a finalist in the U.S. bid process to become the 2036 host city of the Olympics.
International Olympic Committee (IOC). (2021, January 1). What is Olympism. Olympic.com. https://olympics.com/ioc/faq/olympism-and-the-olympic-movement/what-is-olympism International Olympic Committee (IOC). (2021, January 1). The Olympic charter. Olympic.com. https://olympics.com/ioc/news/the-olympic-charter
In a 3- to 4-paragraph Journal entry, respond to the following questions:
- Does the use of the name Blackhawks by the Chicago Blackhawks violate either of the fundamental principles of Olympism listed above? Why or why not? How is this similar or dissimilar to the former name and logo of the Washington Football Team?
- Given that the USOC has selected Chicago, IL as a finalist for its bid process and the likelihood the Blackhawks home arena will be utilized for Olympic events, as time comes to submit a final bid to the IOC approaches, should the USOC put pressure on the Blackhawks organization to change their team name? Why or why not?
Support your writing with concrete examples from your personal experience, observations, and the Learning Materials. Be sure to use proper APA citations to support all presented thoughts and ideas in your work.