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http://olympictalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/22/american-wrestlers-shake-hands-with-iranian-president/

Interesting story. I remember when ping pong was the big thing with China and how nuts it seemed that, because of a game, we'd get friendly with a nation that at the time was looked at the way we view North Korea today.

Yeah... I think the US-Iran issues are a lot more deep-seated than can be solved by a mutual love of Greco-Roman wrestling.

Ping Pong didn't have the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to overcome; nor did it have to deal with harsh, fundamental lines being drawn about Christians vs. Muslins that exist openly in both governments today.

Lets not forget what happened with the Iron Sheik.

 azazel the cat wrote:
Yeah... I think the US-Iran issues are a lot more deep-seated than can be solved by a mutual love of Greco-Roman wrestling.

Ping Pong didn't have the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to overcome; nor did it have to deal with harsh, fundamental lines being drawn about Christians vs. Muslins that exist openly in both governments today.

Even though I meant the title of the tread as a joke, I think back to all of the media at the time and their depictions of China before Nixon's visit to China, and just after the Red Guard and The Great Leap Forward. The last thing anyone expected was the relationship with China that developed. If anyone told me at that time that, as an adult I'd be dealing with groups of Chinese scientists in my place of work, due in part to ping pong, I'd be thinking they were crazy.
You're probably right, but with our navy's rescues of Iranian fishermen and this, maybe one day we can have enough tiny but positive links to get something good going with Iran.

Relapse wrote:

 azazel the cat wrote:
Yeah... I think the US-Iran issues are a lot more deep-seated than can be solved by a mutual love of Greco-Roman wrestling.

Ping Pong didn't have the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to overcome; nor did it have to deal with harsh, fundamental lines being drawn about Christians vs. Muslins that exist openly in both governments today.

Even though I meant the title of the tread as a joke, I think back to all of the media at the time and their depictions of China before Nixon's visit to China, and just after the Red Guard and The Great Leap Forward. The last thing anyone expected was the relationship with China that developed. If anyone told me at that time that, as an adult I'd be dealing with groups of Chinese scientists in my place of work, due in part to ping pong, I'd be thinking they were crazy.
You're probably right, but with our navy's rescues of Iranian fishermen and this, maybe one day we can have enough tiny but positive links to get something good going with Iran.

Forrest Gump had that big an impact on global politics?? holy feth, I wonder what Hulk Hogan, or The Rock can do

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

Relapse wrote:

 azazel the cat wrote:
Yeah... I think the US-Iran issues are a lot more deep-seated than can be solved by a mutual love of Greco-Roman wrestling.

Ping Pong didn't have the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to overcome; nor did it have to deal with harsh, fundamental lines being drawn about Christians vs. Muslins that exist openly in both governments today.

Even though I meant the title of the tread as a joke, I think back to all of the media at the time and their depictions of China before Nixon's visit to China, and just after the Red Guard and The Great Leap Forward. The last thing anyone expected was the relationship with China that developed. If anyone told me at that time that, as an adult I'd be dealing with groups of Chinese scientists in my place of work, due in part to ping pong, I'd be thinking they were crazy.
You're probably right, but with our navy's rescues of Iranian fishermen and this, maybe one day we can have enough tiny but positive links to get something good going with Iran.

Forrest Gump had that big an impact on global politics??

More than a lot of people nowadays think.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-ping-pong-diplomacy.htm


http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/pingpong.html?device=ipad