From Iceland — Icelandic Handball Team Compared Favourably To Nazis - Updated

Icelandic Handball Team Compared Favourably To Nazis – Updated

Published January 18, 2014

Andie Sophia Fontaine
Photo by
Hörður Sveinsson/DV

Television personality Björn Bragi Arnarson chose possibly the worst simile in sports history tonight.

DV reports that Björn was providing colour commentary for national broadcasting service RÚV during halftime of the Iceland-Austria game. The two are competing in the European championships, and the score was 17-9, in Iceland’s favour.

As broadcasting switched from RÚV over to the game, Björn decided to express his excitement and support for the Icelandic national team by saying, “The Icelandic national team is like the German Nazis in 1938. We’re slaughtering the Austrians.”
For those abroad reading this, take heart: an online poll put up by DV shows that most Icelanders responding believe the remarks were “very tasteless” (42.4%) and that “he should apologize” (16.7%).

Update: Shortly after his remarks caught like wildfire through the Icelandic social media, Björn issued the following apology:

“This was a very unfortunate and tasteless remark that was made in the heat of the game. This was an err in judgement and thoughtlessness. I understand very well that people were offended, and they have every right to be. I naturally apologise for this. You maybe let a joke fly, and some go over the line, whilst others go way over the line. This was both poor and tasteless, and was wrong. I am very sorry.”

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