Badminton Scandal

Alternatively titled, a post I never thought I’d be writing.

Until today, the biggest badminton scandal I had ever encountered was when my friend’s uncle got too drunk at a barbeque and started trying to use bottle caps as the birdies. Now, unfortunately, good ol’ Uncle Joe has been upstaged. Eight female players have been expelled from the Olympics for throwing matches in weak attempts to earn better draws for the next rounds.  The offending duos hailed from China, Indonesia, and two teams from South Korea; the Chinese were the reigning world champions who surely didn’t really need the luxury of an easier draw in order to medal. The players repeatedly served straight into the net, which was such an obviously deliberate move that the referee stopped play to give them a warning. Video, here:

In a typically British-announcer comment, the decision was referred to as an “evening of shame” (which may have a different meaning for those of us still in college, but no matter). Other badminton players are calling it a disgrace, a disastrous day for the sport, and a farce. The rest of the world is calling it the lamest scandal in sports history. Personally, I’m just jazzed that something exciting happened in badminton.

@KristenGeilKSR