If I am reading this right, Swiminfo.com is reporting that Craig Stevens is indeed going to back out of the 400 and leave it up to Australia Swimming to "pick another member of the Olympic Team" to swim that race in Athens. If I am ANY other country, swimmer, the 3rd place finisher at the Trials or an organization interested in ethics, then I am raising a stink on this one!!!! Thorpe DQ'd and the Aussies are going to skirt the rule and get him in anyway. They would be relegated to the status of Ben Johnson, Rosie Ruiz, and the 60+% of MLB who are on steriods! This is FREAKIN' UNBELIEVABLE. I have no respect for any of the aforementioned and if this happens, none for Ian Thorpe and the Australian swim federation (or whatever official name they hide behind) are in that seeming, stinking pile.
Parents
Former Member
Sorry Craig and Carl. I am not attacking you guys. I simply don't like what is happening in so much of the sports world and I get oddly uptight about it. We (humans) seem to have forgotten the respect we gave our sports when we were kids. Steriods, endorsements, money, shortcuts, ESPN, NCAA cuts; these and so many things have changed our perspective on pro and amateur sports. Maybe I am idealistic, but I miss the simplicity of the early '80s sports world and true amatuerism of the Olympics (when was THAT?!). Pre-NHL, NBA, MLB, pro volleyballers, etc. Emmitt Smith handing the ball to an official after a TD; Float and Gross after the Relay; Moffett trying to swim the *** with a torn groin; Borg, any time McEnroe was losing it on the court; skinny ballplayers in the 70's and 80's. That was all kind of cool to me. Now, I know none of that can come back but things like this Thorpe issue (and trust me, I KNOW the USA isn't above greasing the wheels in our favor, as well) just rub me wrong. We can move on and drop this thread now. My soapbox is broken.
Sorry Craig and Carl. I am not attacking you guys. I simply don't like what is happening in so much of the sports world and I get oddly uptight about it. We (humans) seem to have forgotten the respect we gave our sports when we were kids. Steriods, endorsements, money, shortcuts, ESPN, NCAA cuts; these and so many things have changed our perspective on pro and amateur sports. Maybe I am idealistic, but I miss the simplicity of the early '80s sports world and true amatuerism of the Olympics (when was THAT?!). Pre-NHL, NBA, MLB, pro volleyballers, etc. Emmitt Smith handing the ball to an official after a TD; Float and Gross after the Relay; Moffett trying to swim the *** with a torn groin; Borg, any time McEnroe was losing it on the court; skinny ballplayers in the 70's and 80's. That was all kind of cool to me. Now, I know none of that can come back but things like this Thorpe issue (and trust me, I KNOW the USA isn't above greasing the wheels in our favor, as well) just rub me wrong. We can move on and drop this thread now. My soapbox is broken.
