Dara just one the national title in the 100M Freestyle in 54.4 at the ripe old age of 40. Simply Incredible. :applaud: :woot:
If that's not inspiring I don't know what is.
Former Member
And by the way....Barry still has not been proven guilty....suspicious absolutely....but not guilty.
You obviously have read nothing I've ever posted about Title IX or women in sports or the fact I have two daughters. That's a low blow and not even remotely close to what I have said. I could care less if she's a woman or a man, I'd be skeptical either way.
She's not heroic in my definition of the word hero. It's a term tossed about too lightly these days. She has a single minded dedication, both physically and financially, to her goal. She won't be a hero to my daughters, no way. She is potentially inspirational but hero is a big big stretch.
Of course, some called Marion Jones heroic also, go figure. And wasn't Barry Bonds once heroic? How about Roger Clemens and Floyd Landis? Be careful tossing that word around for sports figures.
So, unless you had some kind of moralistic problem with it, what does her being an unwed mother have to do with her being heroic or not? It was a remark that was a total slam for no reason...it had nothing to with your point unless you were using it to judge her.
How old are your daughters? Something tells me eventually you will learn that they will speak for themselves. They may or may not thinks she is....not your choice to decide for them.
Why do you keep referring to druggies to prove your point? There is absolutely NO evidence anywhere that even assumes Dara is! NONE!
From the article:
"She said she already has undergone testing that would test anyone - last year hearing the knock of testers at her front door at 7 one morning when she was breastfeeding daughter Tessa."
The potential implications of using some horrible drug and then (possibly) passing it on to her child via breastfeeding are too monstrous to wrap my brain around. I NEED to believe that Ms. Torres wouldn't do something like that and that her boyfriend/partner/love monkey who is the child's father and an M.D. would not stand by and allow it to happen.
Question for our legal types: Suppose, for the sake of curiosity, it is shown that she is guilty of taking a banned or illegal substance of some sort that is passed on via breastmilk. Does this constitute a reason that the authorities (Child Protective Services or some such) could seek to take the child away?
-LBJ
Being a realist is not necessarily associated with being unhappy or sad or bitter! What's wrong with questioning things? Who wants to blithely or blindly accept what others say without independent analysis? No reason to put the brain in storage! And there's really not "proof positive" for virtually anything in life. If you're waiting around for that, you'll be waiting a long time. Of course, George still thinks Clemens and Landis are clean ...
You're right Leslie. I don't think anyone here disagrees that questioning isn't necessarily a bad thing. Questioning Torres' achievements would go something like this in my mind, "Wow, Torres is really doing something unheard of. I certainly hope she's not cheating." But the posts that I object to go something like this, "Wow, Torres is doing something unheard of. Spitz couldn't do it and other extremely talented swimmers couldn't do, so she must be cheating. There is no other way to explain it." The Ben Johnsons, Floyd Landises and Marion Joneses of this world have given me pause when watching a remarkable performance. But I want at least a shred of evidence before I accuse. Otherwise, why watch at all? Again, these are my opinions, but I think there are others who might agree.
And John, McGwire didn't cheat!!!;-)
holy (insert noun, verb, whatever)!!!!!
seems like some folk have an extremely jaded view of some other swimmer setting the bar. i swam a couple of workouts w the masters in coral springs a couple of years ago, ms. (unwed mother?....pretty f...ing judgemental mr geek) torres was swimming a couple of lanes over...preggers and all. a beautiful stroke to behold.
the power of massage should not be underestimated. after just one week of daily massage, i was able to bench-press a volkswagon....photo documentation to follow.
.....anyway, its not like she has done anything really amazing, its just 50's and 100's. (sorry, couldn't resist)
I have never ever said she is doping. I have said her achievements warrant great scrutiny, as with every single recent notable sports accomplishment. And, that has been the tenor of almost all the skeptics on this forum. That's opposed to those who put their heads in the sand and proclaim her to be their hero. What exactly makes her heroic anyway? She's an unwed mother who has spent $100K on a selfish quest, that doesn't make her heroic, focused and talented yes, but not a hero.
Again, your choice of words sinks you. What exactly is "surprising?" If you are caught off-guard by her results, then you too are scratching your head. Oh yeah, it's cause she does a lot of stretching.
When you continue to modify how you describe her it becomes extremely hard to follow. Is she an anomaly? Is she surprising?
If she and her doctor sugar daddy are on the outs, it might be surprising to hear his comments.
So many surprises to ponder.
So you resort to saying we have our heads buried in the sand because we believe her? Nice tack away from the real point of this discussion....if I can't prove my point I'll resort to childish name calling......
It sounds like you have more of a morals issue with miss Torres when you spout garbage about her being an unwed mother and not a hero...or is just against women in general? Do you know the circumstances of her life? Passing judgement on someone else is not the way to make a point.
And now the Olympics are a "selfish quest?" Or is there some jealousy behind that remark and the fact that you don't have the resources to do what she is doing?
And yes it is a little surprising how well she has done, she is doing what nobody has ever done before.....anyone would be a fool not to recognize it as surprising....does that make me automatically think she is cheating? NO!!!
Go back and give me some examples of my so called modifications on how I described her!!!
I think I have been pretty straight forward on my defense of what she has accomplished.
And yes.....for a lot of women and young girls and even a few of us old men... she comes off as being quite a hero....because despite allowing all the testing and putting up with the accusations she still continues to do well! I for one applaud her for this!!!:bow::applaud:
I love this thread, too! Particularly The Smiths, and i'll lump everyone else as Not Smiths by Birth or Marriage. Back to Dara....what does The GoodSmith by Marriage think? I would love to hear her thoughts...since she was on the 1984 (or more?) Team. And, correct me if I am wrong.....she is so dear because she was the Lane 8 (for real! Or maybe Lane 1?) smoker at Trials! She's my hero, too!
