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Vince Matthews, Wayne Collett, and the Forgotten Disruption in Munich / David K. Wiggins
This essay assesses the refusal of Vince Matthews and Wayne Collett to adhere to expected decorum on the victory stand during the 1972 Summer Olympic Games. The two athletes failed to act within stipulated parameters by turning their backs to the American flag during the playing of the national anthem and casually chatting with hands on hips. Because of their refusal to act appropriately, Matthews and Collett were banned from the Olympic Games for life. As much as the vitriol they encountered and publicity they received, the Matthews and Collett disruption was quickly forgotten and has been overshadowed by the Tommie Smith and John Carlos Black Power salute four years earlier in Mexico City. Why the Matthews and Collett incident has been forgotten is open to speculation, but one logical explanation is that it took place after the once-flourishing Black athletic revolt had lost much of its steam and impetus.