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.
Ooooh, now you're getting nasty, Shaky. You are on shaky ground! Pun intended ;)
Seriously though. By all means I would love to see Thorpe swim. I truly would. I am happy for him. You are right, it is the AOC's decision and they will do what they will do. They did.
But, it still doesn't take the stinky fish smell away. This has been handled badly.
Oh, and why I said you're getting nasty... I HATE those people that go way too far to get their kid "what they deserve" when in fact they don't DESERVE anything that they haven't worked for.
I teach 6th grade in a more affluent area and you'd be amazed at the entitlement around there... it drives me batty. (Not a long trip for me ;) ) Parents are so concerned that their child didn't get an A and it not only won't get them into college, it will scar them for life! This is how these nuts think. Mind you, we've had former students who committed suicide in college because it was the first time they failed and couldn't handle it. Don't get me started, although I think you already did. :p
One of my former student's dad writes for the SF Chronicle and he wrote about this very thing. It can be found on-line. I'll find it later and attach it here. It's an amazingly accurate article, sadly.
THORPE FALSE STARTED.
I think I've mentioned that once or twice.
(This is a running joke with my students. Often 11 year olds don't listen very well, so when I really want to make sure they'll do something I'll repeat it 6 or 7 times in a row, until they roll their eyes and say, "You said that already!" then I'll say it again and say, "Did I mention that yet?" They have fun with it and they do what they're supposed to.) Hey, should I try that with the AOC? Nah, it's none of my business. But if I had to grade them, I'd give them an F for this assignment and it doesn't mean fail!
Ooooh, now you're getting nasty, Shaky. You are on shaky ground! Pun intended ;)
Seriously though. By all means I would love to see Thorpe swim. I truly would. I am happy for him. You are right, it is the AOC's decision and they will do what they will do. They did.
But, it still doesn't take the stinky fish smell away. This has been handled badly.
Oh, and why I said you're getting nasty... I HATE those people that go way too far to get their kid "what they deserve" when in fact they don't DESERVE anything that they haven't worked for.
I teach 6th grade in a more affluent area and you'd be amazed at the entitlement around there... it drives me batty. (Not a long trip for me ;) ) Parents are so concerned that their child didn't get an A and it not only won't get them into college, it will scar them for life! This is how these nuts think. Mind you, we've had former students who committed suicide in college because it was the first time they failed and couldn't handle it. Don't get me started, although I think you already did. :p
One of my former student's dad writes for the SF Chronicle and he wrote about this very thing. It can be found on-line. I'll find it later and attach it here. It's an amazingly accurate article, sadly.
THORPE FALSE STARTED.
I think I've mentioned that once or twice.
(This is a running joke with my students. Often 11 year olds don't listen very well, so when I really want to make sure they'll do something I'll repeat it 6 or 7 times in a row, until they roll their eyes and say, "You said that already!" then I'll say it again and say, "Did I mention that yet?" They have fun with it and they do what they're supposed to.) Hey, should I try that with the AOC? Nah, it's none of my business. But if I had to grade them, I'd give them an F for this assignment and it doesn't mean fail!
