 THE SCRAP MEDAL for Going For the Gold goes to Ralph Lauren who is perhaps taking that old Olympic slogan the wrong way. As official outfitter of the American Olympic team, Lauren has supplied the US athletes with smart looking outfits AND is offering gear for Team America's supporters to purchase to show their support for the team... at exorbitant prices! Want the official cardigan sweater? Be prepared to shell out $385.00! Knit sweater? 425.00! Down vest? $295.00! It doesn't even have sleeves! A humble hoody? $165.00! At least there's a simple T-shirt for the average Joe, right? HA HA - nope! T-shirts start at $49.50! Way to make sure a recession-smacked American audience is incapable of affording to support the team. But hey, at least the proceeds are all going to support the American athletes, none of whom get government sponsorship and very few of whom get the big corporate ad monies of the Shaun Whites and the Apolo Anton Ohnos. Wait, NONE of the money is going to help the athletes? Ralph gets it all while also getting free advertising by having the athletes wear outfits with massive oversized Polo logos? Bite a medal, Ralph Lauren. Bite it hard.
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