Team USA just won gold in men’s hockey — and those athletes showed exactly how you represent a country on the world stage. No disclaimers. No moral speeches. Just pride and gratitude.
Meanwhile, a few other Olympians this week felt the need to distance themselves from the United States while wearing the flag. Mixed emotions. Personal politics. A full disconnect from what the moment is supposed to be about.
In this Fray Shot, Ryan breaks down:
The viral “mixed emotions” comments
The curling captain’s constitutional monologue
The athlete who handled it perfectly and set the standard
And why moments like the 1980 Miracle on Ice and the 2002 Salt Lake Games show what representing the U.S. really looks like
If you’re tired of Olympic podiums turning into personal platforms instead of national representation, this one hits home.
➡️ Follow the show for more Fray Shots.
⭐ Rate the podcast 5 stars if you enjoyed this episode.
00:00:00
Hey guys, I wanted to jump on here.
00:00:01
Stay tuned. This will be the little Fray
00:00:04
shot. Episode I recorded.
00:00:05
That you're expecting, but I wanted.
00:00:07
To congratulate first the. US men's hockey team, 7:00 AM.
00:00:13
Puck dropped this morning on a Sunday here in central time and
00:00:16
it was well worth it. So congratulations on winning
00:00:19
the gold, beating Canada. Quite a few angry Canadians this
00:00:24
morning, I suppose, but I wanted to get on there and say that
00:00:27
and, and let me know what you think of this episode.
00:00:31
I was very disappointed to hear some of the responses from the
00:00:34
United States athletes when asked about representing this
00:00:38
amazing country. And so I thought I'd I'd
00:00:40
showcase it a little. Bit and.
00:00:42
Played a few clips and I also talked about some of the great
00:00:45
memories that we have in the USA Olympic history.
00:00:48
So check it out, I think you'll like it.
00:00:50
It's a short. One so let me know your thoughts
00:00:52
love you guys. Let's listen to Hunter Hess.
00:00:55
He's AUS skier at the podium, microphone full Team USA
00:01:00
uniform. Many have already seen this, but
00:01:02
here it is again. Just in case before I tear him
00:01:05
apart. Late boys.
00:01:07
If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I'm
00:01:10
representing it. Just because I'm wearing the
00:01:12
flag doesn't mean I represent everything that's going on in
00:01:15
the US. This is how you represent your
00:01:19
country at the Olympics, Roller guys.
00:01:22
I love representing the USI freaking love living there.
00:01:26
I love it and I'm so happy I get to represent USA.
00:01:31
That was Tamra Mensa Stock, a wrestler, after winning gold in
00:01:36
the Tokyo Summer Games. 1996 Kerry Strug lands on one leg and
00:01:42
salutes the flag. 2008 The Redeem Team dominates in Beijing
00:01:46
while America is in the middle of a financial crisis and a
00:01:50
heated election. Welcome to Stay in the Fray
00:02:02
podcast. I'm your host, Ryan.
00:02:04
This is where headlines get hit hard, hypocracy gets shredded,
00:02:08
and the absurd are laughed at. If you want comfort, this isn't
00:02:12
your place. If you want blunt and
00:02:14
unfiltered, I'm your guy. Join me in the fray.
00:02:17
Just. Listen up.
00:02:22
All right, everybody got to talk about the Olympics.
00:02:25
I don't understand why these athletes feel like talking shit.
00:02:29
You know, I was going to speak out, so here we go.
00:02:31
I was going to actually open with the Olympic Village
00:02:35
apparently running out of condom distribution again.
00:02:38
It's now the most undisciplined orgy in human history, I hear.
00:02:43
I don't know it enough, but you just research it a little bit
00:02:46
and you find out some things. All right, All right, I'll tell
00:02:48
you a little bit before I jump in.
00:02:51
Olympic organizers are now telling, saying they supplied
00:02:54
around 10 free condoms at the start of this Winter Games
00:02:58
in Milan. They were gone in three days.
00:03:02
Good for everybody. I I'm proud of you.
00:03:04
For context, the Paris Olympics handed out about 300 in
00:03:09
2024. So it looks like the real
00:03:12
competition this year is cardio and distribution logistics.
00:03:18
And by the way, just to even more perspective, the Summer
00:03:21
Games in Rio in 2016 handed out 450 condoms, all used or all
00:03:27
taken. I don't know.
00:03:30
Just some fun facts on promiscuity here at Stay in the
00:03:34
Parade podcast. As much as I'd I'd love to talk
00:03:38
about just the Olympic athletes banging, by the way, that would
00:03:42
be an amazing reality TV show. I need to get serious.
00:03:46
Some things need to be addressed because some of our athletes
00:03:49
wearing USA across their chest are acting like they're
00:03:53
reluctantly borrowing the flag and that is a problem.
00:03:57
So while the Olympic Village is apparently conducting population
00:04:00
studies in real time, we've also got the nonsense from the virtue
00:04:04
signalling crowd. It never seems to end.
00:04:06
It is unbelievable. Let's just go quickly.
00:04:09
Start with this. Let's listen to Hunter Hess.
00:04:12
He's AUS skier at the podium, microphone full Team USA
00:04:17
uniform. Many have already seen this, but
00:04:19
here it is again. Just in case before I tear them
00:04:22
apart. Playboys.
00:04:24
It brings up mixed emotions to represent the US right now.
00:04:27
I think it's a little hard. There's obviously a lot going on
00:04:32
that I'm not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people
00:04:35
aren't. If it aligns with my moral
00:04:37
values, I feel like I'm representing it.
00:04:40
Just because I'm wearing the flag doesn't mean I represent
00:04:42
everything that's going on in the US.
00:04:46
So yeah, I just kind of want to do it for my friends and my
00:04:48
family and the people that support me getting here.
00:04:51
Sorry, I know I rolled my my eyes like 6 times but it it
00:04:55
deserved it. Mixed emotions if it aligns with
00:05:00
my moral values. He's really just.
00:05:02
He's just doing it for his friends and his family.
00:05:04
Dude bro, this isn't Thanksgiving dinner.
00:05:08
You're at the Olympics. You don't get to shrink the
00:05:10
American flag down to your little group chat.
00:05:13
When you try out for Team USA and you make the team and you
00:05:17
step onto the podium, hopefully you're not just representing the
00:05:21
people who supported you getting here.
00:05:23
You are representing the United States of America, all of it.
00:05:26
The people you agree with, the people you don't agree with, the
00:05:30
ones who voted like you, the ones who absolutely did not,
00:05:34
which by the way, is over half the country.
00:05:36
That's the gig. And this whole, well, I'm
00:05:39
wearing it, but I don't really represent everything that's
00:05:42
going on. That is self-righteous nonsense.
00:05:45
You don't get to wear the uniform and emotionally distance
00:05:48
yourself from it like it's a toxic relationship.
00:05:52
If what he's talking about is the immigration enforcement,
00:05:56
federal policy by ICE, or all that, those are laws passed by
00:06:00
elected government and enforced under constitutional authority.
00:06:05
You can disagree with them all you want, dude.
00:06:07
You can vote differently, You can even protest on your own
00:06:10
time peacefully. But when you're literally
00:06:12
selected to represent the country on a world stage?
00:06:17
This is not your Ted talk. This isn't your therapy session.
00:06:20
This is not America. Yeah, but only the parts I vibe
00:06:24
with. And here's where it really falls
00:06:26
apart for me. There are many documented cases
00:06:30
every single year of violent crimes committed by people who
00:06:33
were here unlawfully. You don't like the term illegal
00:06:37
aliens? That's what they are.
00:06:39
But I'll. I'll appease you for now.
00:06:42
Undocumented. I've been through many examples
00:06:44
of these in previous episodes. Those victims are real.
00:06:48
Those families are real Law enforcement files.
00:06:52
Those cases of the court, court systems process them.
00:06:54
You don't get to pretend miss about that enforcement is some
00:06:59
cartoon villain while innocent Americans deal with very real
00:07:02
consequences. You want to have a policy
00:07:04
debate, fine, but don't stand under the American flag and say
00:07:08
I'm kind of representing it but not really.
00:07:11
That's weak. If wearing the flag makes you
00:07:14
uncomfortable because you don't like who's in office or how
00:07:16
certain laws are being enforced, then don't try out for the
00:07:19
American team. Go compete for yourself.
00:07:22
Go compete for your brand. But if you're going to wear USA
00:07:25
across your chest, own it. All of it.
00:07:28
That wasn't just one douchebag skier having mixed feelings.
00:07:32
We've also got the captain of the US curling team weighing in
00:07:36
curling, a sport that looks like professional house cleaning on
00:07:39
ice. I kid, I kid.
00:07:41
I actually want to learn the rules so I can understand
00:07:43
because it, it, it seems kind of fun to watch.
00:07:46
And I do, I do kind of tune into it sometimes.
00:07:48
So I'm just joking, but here's Rich Ruhonen, so I'm going to
00:07:54
say it. He's the coach.
00:07:56
He's talking about Minnesota specifically.
00:07:59
I assume he's from there and the Constitution play this guy's.
00:08:03
But we'd be remiss if we didn't at least mention what's going on
00:08:06
in Minnesota and what a tough time it's been for everybody.
00:08:11
This stuff is happening right, right around where we live.
00:08:15
And I am a lawyer, as you know, and we do the cost.
00:08:24
We, we have a Constitution and it allows us to freedom of the
00:08:28
press and freedom of speech, protects us from unreasonable
00:08:34
searches and seizures and makes it that we have to, you know,
00:08:41
have probable cause to be pulled over.
00:08:44
And what's happening in Minnesota is wrong.
00:08:47
There's no Shades of Grey, it's clear, and I really love what's
00:08:58
been happening there now with people coming out, showing the
00:09:03
love, the compassion, integrity and respect for others that they
00:09:09
don't know and helping them out. And we love Minnesota for that.
00:09:18
Goodness, first of all, I love when Olympic athletes, much less
00:09:24
coaches, but suddenly they transform into constitutional
00:09:27
scholars mid tournament and it's amazing.
00:09:30
One minute we're talking about broom angles, the next minute
00:09:33
we're doing Supreme Court analysis, he says.
00:09:36
What's happening is wrong. There are no Shades of Grey.
00:09:39
Actually, Rich, there are Shades of Grey in policy debates where
00:09:43
there are not Shades of Grey are when civilians in your state
00:09:47
attack law enforcement officers carrying out federal orders.
00:09:51
That part's pretty binary. You also invoked the
00:09:53
Constitution. Freedom of speech still exists
00:09:57
100%. Sorry, there's fighter jets
00:10:00
going over my house. The freedom of speech still
00:10:03
exists, 100%. All the idiots wasting time on
00:10:06
the streets screaming about virtue, they're allowed to do
00:10:08
that. Freedom of the press still
00:10:10
exists, no matter how biased and false the info is.
00:10:14
Protection from unreasonable search and seizure?
00:10:16
Still subject to judicial review and federal authority.
00:10:20
Disliking enforcement is not the same thing as proving
00:10:23
constitutional violation. That's not how this works.
00:10:26
And you say you're proud of what's happening, of people
00:10:28
showing love and compassion. Let's be clear what that means.
00:10:32
If by showing love, you mean attacking and obstructing
00:10:35
officers. If by compassion you mean
00:10:38
impeding lawful operations, if by integrity you mean deciding
00:10:42
which federal laws you personally feel like honoring,
00:10:44
that's not integrity. That's selective obedience.
00:10:47
You don't get to cheer on disorder and anarchy and then
00:10:51
wrap yourself in constitutional language.
00:10:53
It's not noble all of a sudden. Here's what bothers me most.
00:10:57
The Olympics are supposed to be one of the few spaces where we
00:11:00
put internal political fights aside and represent the country
00:11:04
collectively. Not because the country's
00:11:06
perfect. Not because every law is
00:11:07
flawless, but because representation requires
00:11:11
maturity. You don't get to wear the
00:11:12
uniform and act like you're reluctantly tolerating the
00:11:15
nation that trained you, funded you, and put you on that stage.
00:11:19
If you want to debate immigration policy, fine.
00:11:22
Do it on your own platform. But when you're standing there
00:11:25
as the captain of Team USA, this isn't a press conference for
00:11:28
your feelings. This is the fucking Olympics.
00:11:31
And if you truly believe there are no Shades of Grey, here's
00:11:34
one for you. Either you represent the US or
00:11:37
you don't. Now let me show you something
00:11:40
completely different, something refreshing.
00:11:43
No lectures, no disclaimers, no mixed emotions.
00:11:47
This is how you represent your country at the Olympics.
00:11:52
Roller guys feel to represent your country.
00:11:53
Like this? It feels amazing.
00:11:57
I love representing the USI freaking love living there.
00:12:00
I love it and I'm so happy I get to represent USA.
00:12:09
That's it. That was Tamra Mensa Stock, a
00:12:13
wrestler after winning gold in the Tokyo Summer Games.
00:12:16
That's the energy. That's not blind nationalism.
00:12:20
That's not political endorsement.
00:12:21
That's gratitude. That's understanding the moment.
00:12:25
She probably didn't agree with every single policy happening in
00:12:27
Washington when she won gold. I don't agree with every policy
00:12:31
happening in Washington right now, contrary to what some of
00:12:33
you trolls like to claim. That's not the point.
00:12:36
The point is maturity. You can live in a country,
00:12:40
benefit from a country, train under its flag, compete under
00:12:43
its anthem and still understand that representing it is bigger
00:12:48
than your personal political mood.
00:12:50
That clip of hers is the Tamara is pure joy.
00:12:54
The other clips? Those were disclaimers.
00:12:56
And here's what makes this contrast even stronger.
00:12:59
We've seen other athletes in these games as well.
00:13:01
Layla Edwards, first black US female hockey player.
00:13:06
Aaron Jackson believe she's a speed skater.
00:13:09
Athletes like this who are proudly speaking out about
00:13:12
representing the United States. No hesitation, no caveats, no,
00:13:16
but just pride in the opportunity that is adulthood.
00:13:21
That is someone who understands this moment is bigger than me.
00:13:25
That's the difference. One posture says.
00:13:27
I'll represent the country, but I need you to know that I have
00:13:31
some objections. The other posture says I'm
00:13:34
grateful to carry this flag no matter what.
00:13:37
You do not have to think America is flawless to be proud to
00:13:40
represent it. But if you feel the need to
00:13:42
emotionally distance yourself from it while literally wearing
00:13:45
it across your chest, maybe the issue isn't flat.
00:13:48
Maybe it's the ego. Let's go back to 1980.
00:13:51
Lake Placid, a Miracle on Ice. A bunch of American College kids
00:13:55
beat the Soviet Union in the middle of the Cold War.
00:13:58
The Soviets were the most dominant, dominant hockey team
00:14:01
in the history of the sport, Probably.
00:14:03
This was not a just a normal rivalry.
00:14:05
This wasn't just sports. This was US versus the USSR,
00:14:09
democracy versus communism, the Cold War at full temperature.
00:14:14
Was America politically unified in 1980?
00:14:16
No inflation was high. The Iran hostage crisis was
00:14:21
unfolding. Carter and Reagan supporters
00:14:23
were at each other's throats. Sound familiar?
00:14:25
But when that final buzzer went off, or when Mike Eruzione
00:14:28
scored that goal to take a lead, nobody asked who he voted for.
00:14:33
No one asked who voted for who at celebration.
00:14:36
Nobody stepped up to the mic and said, let me make sure you know
00:14:39
I don't agree with every policy happening right now.
00:14:41
They waved the flag. They represented the country.
00:14:45
That is what the Olympics are. Fast forward to 2002 Salt Lake
00:14:49
City. Five months after 911.
00:14:52
The country was grieving, angry, debating war, debating security,
00:14:57
debating everything. Politics were intense.
00:15:00
What happened at the opening ceremony?
00:15:02
They carried in the American flag, recovered from Ground
00:15:04
Zero, and the entire stadium stood together in unison.
00:15:09
That moment wasn't about party lines.
00:15:11
It wasn't about immigration policy.
00:15:14
It wasn't about who was in office.
00:15:16
It was about representing the country in a moment that was
00:15:18
bigger than any one person. That is the assignment.
00:15:21
Does it take a foreign attack for us to unite for two fucking
00:15:24
weeks? 1996 Kerry Strug lands on one
00:15:27
leg and salutes the flag. 2008 The Redeem Team dominates in
00:15:32
Beijing while America is in the middle of a financial crisis and
00:15:36
a heated election. Countless track and field
00:15:38
podiums, swimming dynasties, gymnastics teams.
00:15:42
Did they all agree politically? Of course not.
00:15:45
Did they treat the podium like a disclaimer session?
00:15:47
No, they understood the assignment.
00:15:50
The Olympics have never required political uniformity.
00:15:54
They require national representation.
00:15:57
You don't have to think America is perfect to represent it with
00:16:00
pride. Miracle and Ice didn't pause for
00:16:02
policy objections. Salt Lake 2002 didn't ask for
00:16:05
disclaimers. The Olympics unify politics are
00:16:09
for voting booths, town halls, debates and some bar fights, I
00:16:13
suppose, not the podium. And if wearing the American flag
00:16:17
feels like something you need to emotionally distance yourself
00:16:20
from, maybe the problem isn't the flag or the country.
00:16:24
Maybe you're not built for the responsibility that comes with
00:16:27
it. So that's it.
00:16:28
It's disappointing that this even needs to be said.
00:16:31
No athlete is the moral compass of 330 million people.
00:16:36
You don't get elected to that role because you can ski fast or
00:16:39
sweep ice. Well, the Olympics aren't about
00:16:42
your personal virtue. And here's the truth right now.
00:16:45
The vast majority of the country showed that we disagree with you
00:16:49
by democratically voting in an election.
00:16:52
Just because you don't like the result doesn't mean you turn
00:16:55
your nose to the country who gave you everything.
00:16:59
So to the athletes who carried that flag with pride, without
00:17:03
disclaimers, without caveats, we see you and we're proud of you.
00:17:08
That is how you do it. Politics belong in debates and
00:17:11
ballot boxes. That's it.
00:17:12
The Olympics belong to the country as a whole.
00:17:15
All of us. Go, USA.
00:17:16
Good luck. Love you guys, all you.
00:17:21
Had to do was just listen up.