Iranian Samsung Smartphone Row
It’s a shame that there aren’t more clever, tongue-in-cheek novelty props on the Olympics. After all, the Olympics is the most politicized, drama-filled sporting event in the world, and sportsbooks typically eat that stuff up. In a little hint of what could have been, here’s something that should have been posted at Bovada and Bet365: What are the odds that Iranian athletes get new Samsung smartphones at the Olympics?
This is pertinent (and amusing) because, as of right now, both Iran and North Korea were left out of Samsung’s massive gifting of their flagship Galaxy handsets ($1100 MSRP) to every Olympian at the PyeongChang Winter Games. For its part, North Korea doesn’t really care, as its athletes’ handlers wouldn’t let them use the smartphones to access the Internet in the first place.
However, Iran is incensed about the sanctions-related “snub,” calling not receiving free cell phones “unethical” and complaining that such a slight went against “the spirit of the Olympic Games.” Because, apparently, the spirit of international competition is getting free stuff from electronics corporations. Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif even gave Samsung an ultimatum: Overturn the decision or he will personally stop using the company’s handset. Checkmate!
Ultimately, the IOC caved – at least on paper – to Iran’s nonsensical whining, saying that both their and North Korea’s athletes would receive the mobiles after all. These have yet to be doled out, but the odds are that they will be. Hey, the Iranians need something to do while they’re busy being huge olympic betting odds underdogs in literally every single Winter Olympics event. Maybe they can play Candy Crush while they’re not crushing it on the slopes.