Crap, I typed the work Olympic. I guess my Cease and Desist letter must be on the way because I didn’t spend millions of dollars to use the word Olympics, or parts of the word, in my blog post. Olympic… Olympic… Olympic… there are another three letters.
I guess the US Olympic team must seriously be underfunded for the USOC to come after a bunch of fiber artists like this. We were just trying to have a little fun and feel like we’re a part of something bigger than ourselves. I completely agree with one “Outraged Knitter”:
Dear US Olympics Committee:
While I understand that Ravelry should respect trademark and change the name of the Ravelympics to something else, I do not like the assertion that knitters coming together from all over the world to participate in friendly competition, while promoting the Olympics is somehow disrespectful to athletes. And the notion that knitters from all over the world, coming together for events could not possibly promote education, culture, respect, world peace, and harmony as the Olympics do is just absurd. Wherever global tragedy strikes, knitters are lending a helping hand with hand knit toys, blankets, hats, mittens, scarves, prayer shawls, and the like. They sell patterns on Ravelry to benefit victims of global atrocities and natural disasters or to bring light to illnesses. They come from such varied backgrounds on Ravelry and use knitting as a way of connecting our cultures. Shame on you, US Olympics Committee, for writing a letter that could’ve merely stuck to the trademark infringement issue, but chose to insult millions of men and women for whom knitting is not a frivolous distraction, but a way to create, connect with others, and give back.
An Open Letter To The US Olympics Committee
I guess I’m not really outraged as much as I’m saddened and really disappointed. I guess no “Sports Games During the Summer Time in a European Location that Brings Athletes Together from around the World” for me. (I wanted to change the name before I got a fourth letter.)
Want to read more or see real time reactions from fiber artists check out the hash tag #ravelympics on Twitter or check out the article from Gawker.com: Knitters Outraged After U.S. Olympic Committee Squashes Knitting Olympics—and Disses Knitters.
