Tell you what... I'll cheer for the Americans. Whether its team USA, or an American playing with Russia. I don't think I'll get the tears in my eyes with Travis, like I do when I see a USA jersey... but I'll still have the pride in my heart, that my favorite player I've ever watched at BYU is playing in the Olympics. What an awesome opportunity.

One thing that should be considered, is the fact that this is a common practice in the US too. Martina Navratilova wanted to win a gold for the US, and many sports have foreigners that have come to the US and taken citizenship.


Some of the best gymnasts this country has brought to competition(and all of the coaches) are foreign born.

domanater wrote:

One thing that should be considered, is the fact that this is a common practice in the US too. Martina Navratilova wanted to win a gold for the US, and many sports have foreigners that have come to the US and taken citizenship.


Some of the best gymnasts this country has brought to competition(and all of the coaches) are foreign born.

Not to mention many US soccer players (Adu, Feilhaber, Mastroeni, Agoos, Stewart, Dooley, Ramos, Wagerle) and hockey players (Brett Hull)...

I'm about as big as a USA sports fan as it gets, and I wear my USA hockey and soccer jerseys with pride when I watch them play, but I have no problem with Hansen playing for Russia. Maybe I'm influenced by my multi-nationality background and my experiences abroad, but I feel that if Russia wants Hansen to play for them, he should jump at the opportunity. While the Olympics are a golden opportunity for an athlete, in the end, they are only a game.

I wonder what people here would think if they found out that people may maintain their U.S. citizenship even if they serve in the armed forces of another country.

I feel slightly torn. I usually root for the USA in everything, but if I can root for a former coug to beat a team with kobe (a former rapist) I will.

There's a pretty good highlight video of Travis on the YouTube from his 2005-2006 season in Spain.

There's also an article in the Deseret News that talks a lot about the Hansen's charity efforts.

One of the non-humanitarian-related parts that stood out to me was this:

Hansen said he is an American first, but that the U.S. roster was already stocked with names like Kobe and LeBron, and USA Basketball wasn't going to consider a 30-year-old who had played one season in the NBA and the rest in Europe.

"I'd love to play for Team USA but they didn't invite me," he said.
...
Hansen only gave the OK to continue with the naturalization after being assured that it would in no way affect his U.S. citizenship. He will also miss the first part of the Russian camp to be home for the Fourth of July.

Reading the comments, it's embarrassing how many people call him a traitor for accepting an invitation (not asking for it) to play on Russia's team, while those same people have no problem with Russian-born people coaching American gymnastics teams for the last few decades, or any of the other naturalized U.S. citizens that play and coach U.S. sports teams.

But everyone has a right to their opinion, even if it's wrong.