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.
Taking an example from another sport, I'm sure many of you watched the final round of The Masters last weekend. Phil Mickelson made a tremendous 18 foot clutch putt to win. What if his putt missed by a fraction of an inch (and there weren't any huge explosions to nudge it in like in Caddyshack)? Would it be ok for the referees to say "we'll give you a mulligan on that, try it again. Ernie Els agrees it's o.k." I don't think anyone would say this is fair. I don't really think the Thorpe situation is too far from this scenario.
Taking an example from another sport, I'm sure many of you watched the final round of The Masters last weekend. Phil Mickelson made a tremendous 18 foot clutch putt to win. What if his putt missed by a fraction of an inch (and there weren't any huge explosions to nudge it in like in Caddyshack)? Would it be ok for the referees to say "we'll give you a mulligan on that, try it again. Ernie Els agrees it's o.k." I don't think anyone would say this is fair. I don't really think the Thorpe situation is too far from this scenario.
