Spain's women's team didn't seem to mind doing it either. And the fact that their whole country seems utterly dumbfounded by the controversy indicates that as long as they think it's harmless than nobody else should think otherwise.

Maybe they're right?

The fact is, this wasn't an ad placed in USA Today,yet the chronically bored journalists forced to fly over to Beijing to cover the Olympics sick of fawning over Michael Phelps (or being videotaped chewing on dog penis) are treating it that way.

The most telling, eye-rolling response to the whole controversy came from Spain's head coach Aíto García Reneses:

“If I go to play with a taller team and I put here (raising up on the tips of his toes) it is not an offense,” Reneses said. “I can’t understand anything more.”

Tall Mens' Clubs all over the world have yet to respond to that statement.

IOC Critical Of Basketball Team Ad [LA Times]
That Slanty-Eyed Asian Ad? Misinterpreted [AdRants]

Spain, patron saint of the New World, land of low-priced cerveza, Sergio Garcia's homeland, and where slant-eyed jokes by the Spanish national basketball team leave the entire country rolling on the floor with laughter. Those were the fourth grade days. Just imagine what would have happened if they'd followed up this team photo with bunny ears behind every player's head.

The above photo was actually included in a Spanish newspaper according to The Guardian: "Spain's Basketball Federation has published a good luck advert for their men's team, the world champions, in which they stand pulling at the sides of their eyes in a slit-eyed gesture."

The Spoiler reports that this photo ran on a full page in the Spanish sports daily, Marca. Yep, this ad ran in Spain and not a single person had an issue with it.

Wait, is it slit-eye or slant-eye? I've always gone with slant-eye. Am I wrong? Regardless this will really help Spain's quest to host the Olympics in 2016 and 2020.

Spain basketball team pictured in controversial pose [The Guardian]
Spain brings racism to the Olympic games [The Spoiler]