Ignorance about history by NBC's Bob Costas


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Posted by Themis D. on September 16, 2000 at 22:48:00:

Did anyone catch the hilarious, yet inexcusable, comment that Bob Costas, NBC's 'star' commentator on the Olympics made on the national broadcast of the Opening Ceremonies of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games ? Upon seeing that Egypt had a strong weightlifting contingent at the games, he reasoned that Egypt must have had excellent weightlifting teams in the ancient Olympics during the construction of their pyramids !!!!!!!!!!!!

Unbelievable !!! If I were American, I'd be truly embarassed (I'm Canadian, of Greek ancestry). Bob (who, unbelievably, possesses Greek ancestry also), was probably making this statement, tongue in cheek, because I can't believe that he didn't know that:

a) the Olympics were open only to free Hellenic males, therefore no Egyptians were able to participate in the Olympics (Hellenes of Egypt, were, of course, able to compete) as the magnificent pyramids were built by Egyptians, not Greeks
b) the Olympics began (in 776 B.C.) about 2000 years after the greatest of the pyramids were finished !!!

Did anyone else notice this faux pas ?



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