on the “Scam Cup”

The “Scam Cup”: How A Very American TV Event Gives U.S. Gymnasts A Leg Up On The Olympic Competition

That’s the provocative title of post by DVORA MEYERS on Deadspin.

She does a terrific job of explaining to the general public why the American Cup is the most mocked of the major competitions.

… Among dedicated fans the event is often called the “Scam Cup” or, more the point, the “Scamerican Cup.” The real “scam” isn’t any sort of outright cheating—the American judges haven’t colluded with the Germans to produce a favorable result—but instead the lopsided nature of the event, in which the very best U.S. athletes at the peak of their game are pitted against a group of up-and-coming gymnasts that have been sent by their federations merely to gain experience and exposure. …

… the perception that that the meet doesn’t treat foreign women fairly has acted as a self-fulfilling prophecy, harming the prestige of the American Cup. Though the U.S. women mostly deserved their last decade of wins, the damage had been done long before the current crop of gymnasts even started competing.

So once again, after Saturday’s competition concluded, some fans were crying “scam” online. Wieber’s and Raisman’s bar marks were too high and Iordache’s were too low, they claimed. …

read more on Deadspin

Myself and Brigid McCarthy, as foreigners, are quoted.

Dvora Meyers writes about gymnastics and Judaism at Unorthodox Gymnastics.

Actually, Dvora picked the worst possible year for an expose. The meet was not nearly so scammy as in the past.

The past was very scammy.

Check out who’s won the American Cup over the years on Wikipedia.