Dear John...

Dear Greek Track & Field Spectators:

Nice. Way to look like major asses. YOUR athlete is an ass and screws himself over by not appearing for a drug test, then crashing his motorcycle, and you think that's somehow the 8 competitors on the track's fault? Bite me. This is sport. Yes, there are drugging issues. That's why there's testing. They pass the test, they run. These 8 guys passed their tests and ran their hearts out. This is a once in a lifetime chance for many.

I also don't care if Shawn Crawford has made an ass of himself in the past. From what I can tell, there are a lot of athletes at the games who have egos. It's one thing to be cocky and a bad sport, but it's another thing to not be able to then back it up. Shawn? Backed it up.

So, dear Greek fans...shut the fuck up for something that is not these athletes' fault. If you can't behave maturely, then go home.

With much ire,
Maveness

Dang internet

Lingerie shopping is hard when you have something very specific in mind, especially when it's for someone else.

And in what I *swear* is a totally unrelated note: I really am the evil twin. *eg*

Of course truly evil people lie.

*walks off whistling*

(no subject)

*rolling on floor*

The Pits Online

When it loads, hit "previous". I love Junior, but they're mocking his hair, which is priceless.

*pets poor Junior* Poor baby. That's what you get for trying to grow your hair out. You end up looking like Bill Elliott.

Aren't I just a spammy fool!

USOC says "Back off Hamm"

Seems that now the international gymnastic federation thinks that Paul Hamm should "give" his gold medal to the South Korean gymnast. They wrote him a letter saying he should do so. Never mind that the IOC said the matter is closed and there is to be no further discussion. Never mind that the USOC and the South Koreans had tried to get a second gold medal awarded.

I wasn't crazy for a while there that Hamm was adament that no additional gold medals be awarded. Hey, he DID win fair and square. He wasn't judged unfairly. One competitor out of many was judged unfairly, and it just so happened that he was in contention for a medal. No doubt many other competitors that found themselves with a lower start value at the beginning of the games (Wilson? Gatson?) could claim unfairness as well. But the fact of the matter is, Hamm's performance had nothing to do with it all. He did what he did. This is a judged sport. Deal.

What chafes me the most though is the intimation that Hamm give up his medal with no compensation. I'm sorry, but if Hamm were to give up his medal, the automatic response should be that the South Korean in the silver position should give *his* medal to Hamm. Is that being suggested? No. Because that guy does not want to give up his medal either.

The FIG needs to shut up already, because this isn't even like the Salt Lake City scandal with ice skating. That was a case of a payoff and a bribe. The games were literally rigged by government officials without the knowledge of the athletes. The athletes did their part and were rewarded thusly. No gold was taken away from the Russian pair, because it wasn't fair to take it away. They weren't at fault. That's why an additional gold medal was awarded to the Canadians. In this case, the judges (2 of them) made an error on the start value. They've been suspended. But the IOC found that no complaint was lodged before the end of the rotation, so the score couldn't be changed. Rules are rules...abide by them or shut up already. I can understand the point of the South Korean (in my opinion, that whole bit about the .2 points he could have had deducted over that extra hold is just extraneous talking...they didn't take that deduction and most likely wouldn't have if he'd had a 10.0 start value vs. the 9.9). But taking away Hamm's gold doesn't solve anything.