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.
Originally posted by Matt S
It seems to me that all the folks hollerin' about "the right thing" are hiding the fact they would like to see Thorpe out of the event so someone else (some American) will have a shot. What are the ethics of people who hide their own self-interest behind a facade of virtue, especially when it's a rule that is none of their dang business.
I think you're way off base here. In fact I'd like to see Thorpe in the race. It just won't be the same without him. Yet, I also know that Thorpe competing would be wrong because he didn't qualify. In fact, I'm offended that someone would even suggest that we're glad to see Thorpe out so an American has a chance.
Your point about Australia should be able to select their team however they see fit is o.k. as long as they determine how this selection is going to be made a priori and communicate this to the competitors. When the results aren't how they want them it is pretty darn lame to go back and say, "oh, we really meant to choose the team this way, not the way we said initially."
And let me clarify one thing here: Thorpe has done nothing wrong yet. From what I've seen he's accepted the fact that he was DQed. Until Stevens actually decides to step down or not step down it isn't fair to compare Thorpe to Jeff Farrell.
Originally posted by Matt S
It seems to me that all the folks hollerin' about "the right thing" are hiding the fact they would like to see Thorpe out of the event so someone else (some American) will have a shot. What are the ethics of people who hide their own self-interest behind a facade of virtue, especially when it's a rule that is none of their dang business.
I think you're way off base here. In fact I'd like to see Thorpe in the race. It just won't be the same without him. Yet, I also know that Thorpe competing would be wrong because he didn't qualify. In fact, I'm offended that someone would even suggest that we're glad to see Thorpe out so an American has a chance.
Your point about Australia should be able to select their team however they see fit is o.k. as long as they determine how this selection is going to be made a priori and communicate this to the competitors. When the results aren't how they want them it is pretty darn lame to go back and say, "oh, we really meant to choose the team this way, not the way we said initially."
And let me clarify one thing here: Thorpe has done nothing wrong yet. From what I've seen he's accepted the fact that he was DQed. Until Stevens actually decides to step down or not step down it isn't fair to compare Thorpe to Jeff Farrell.
