In Hot Water Over Hotpot Dinner

(Photo by Celie on Flickr)

Yesterday, I made a startling discovery that I, as a Japanese ex-pat, was the only non-whitey in the Unprofessional Foul stable of writers. Well, as my first act in the role of the representative of my people, I will give my co-bloggers a word of advice - never get between an Asian and his hotpot dinner. When the temperature drops, we don't just crave hotpot; we depend on it for survival (sadly, the go-to place in my old neighborhood, Happy Shabu Shabu closed last year - anyone know any decent hotpot/shabu shabu joint in New York?).

I bring this up, because Chinese national women's team coach Elisabeth Loisel is this close to being sacked for ordering her players not to attend a hotpot dinner arranged by Chinese federation officials out of dietary concerns.

According to the Beijing Morning Post, Loisel ordered players not to attend the dinner arranged by Chinese officials because of dietary concerns.

But Chinese officials hit back, over-ruling the hotpot ban and issuing a public rebuke against the Frenchwoman.

"The team's welfare is in the hands of management and not the coach," said Zhang Jianqiang, the manager of the team. "She has no right to interfere."

Damn right. Okay, so she has issues with punctuality and her team has underperformed, but denying her players hotpot? That's cultural oppression of the worst kind. China should seriously consider sending her to a Cultural Revolution-style reeducation camp and set the bitch straight.

Though I have to ask - with players like these, do they really need a coach?