Knittin' Crap: 2,000,000 Angry People With Pointy Sticks

Apparently the US Olympic Committee sent a cease-and-desist letter to Ravelry (posted here for people with Ravelry accounts, and reproduced in full on Gawker for those without) over use of the term "Ravelympics" for the knittin'-and-crochetin' tie-in event hosted on (but not officially sponsored by) Ravelry.

Needless to say, the floodgates have opened.

Yes, in less than 12 hours, it got onto Gawker. The letter is being dissected, denigrated, and worse, in many venues, but I'll pick out my two favorite little bits and leave it there.

We believe using the name “Ravelympics” for a competition that involves an afghan marathon, scarf hockey and sweater triathlon, among others, tends to denigrate the true nature of the Olympic Games. In a sense, it is disrespectful to our country’s finest athletes and fails to recognize or appreciate their hard work.

Really? There are athletes who are so petty and have so much time on their hands that they've told the USOC that they're upset by a bunch of afghans? (The insulation device, not the nationality.) I call shenanigans!

The Olympic Games represent ideals that go beyond sport to encompass culture and education, tolerance and respect, world peace and harmony.

Really? Because the whole letter sounds pretty disrespectful, especially since they do go out of their way to denigrate afghans (again, the insulation device, not the nationality) and the effort put into them.

With this post, I'm inaugurating a new tag: facepalm.

Karen, Captain, Team Minecraft, Ravelympics 2012 (so sue me, assholes)