Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave (and honest) in the attempt.
1
This is another example of the corruption of sports by excessive money. the system of strict amateurism had its problems, too, but at least it promoted an ethic of fair play. As long as money is a motivator, this problem will never go away. Also, good luck with collecting money from Russian athletes.
Sounds about right to me..........when we were just wee tots approaching the end of a game, no matter the game, we "smoothed everything out",made new rules if needed or threw out the old. But you get the idea - - - make everything "nice" so nobody has hurt feelings, whatever they are. Looks like real life is becoming make-believe one more time, as if a person could tell the difference. Oh well. you know how important those accolades are, if somebody can define such things..........almost at the same level of money........OH! Wait a minute! I see, they ARE the same.....dumb me......
I suspect a "neighborhood-watch" would get a better response from authorities (i.e. police) than an athletes' commission going head-to-head with the I.A.A.F. who has skin in the game with their complicant cheating financial bonuses. It was not only the cheating athletes who got money, but the I.A.A.F. members.
There will be no solution to the problem of doping in sports unless one of two things happen: either sports are made entirely amateur, so that one's income isn't related to athletic performance (and the incentive to dope), or the amount of drug testing is increased by several orders of magnitude so that the odds of being caught are an almost certainty. Mathematical models (what is called "game theory") have shown that currently the financial rewards of getting away with doping (and hence winning in one's chosen sport) so outweigh the likelihood of getting caught, that doping is in fact the rational course of action. And this applies across the board, be it track, weight lifting, baseball, cycling, soccer, football - really any sport with enough money to create a "career."
1
I doubt doping was much more common in Russia than in the United States. As for track, it can stand in line behind cycling. What's the latest on the lawsuits against Lance Armstrong?
1
Let's establish two arenas for competition in all sports.
In the first arena, we will have each athlete sign an affidavit that he/she is "clean" and performing with only their natural and developed skills.
In the second, we will have a full-on freak show. Get as big and ripped and juiced as you can possibly get and break all the records that you can. Your records will be followed by an asterisk, but you no longer live in the shadows. And if your aging body is hit with strange cancers or ailments, you must effectively waive exceptional treatment, based on a letter of agreement you sign at the outset.
Let the market then decide who gets the endorsements and who does not.
Sometimes the best way to cure children of a love for candy is to literally lock them in a room with all the loot from Halloween. Let's not keep performance-enhancing drugs in the closet. Let's go all out and set up two arenas for competition. And let the fans decide whom to shower with accolades.
In the first arena, we will have each athlete sign an affidavit that he/she is "clean" and performing with only their natural and developed skills.
In the second, we will have a full-on freak show. Get as big and ripped and juiced as you can possibly get and break all the records that you can. Your records will be followed by an asterisk, but you no longer live in the shadows. And if your aging body is hit with strange cancers or ailments, you must effectively waive exceptional treatment, based on a letter of agreement you sign at the outset.
Let the market then decide who gets the endorsements and who does not.
Sometimes the best way to cure children of a love for candy is to literally lock them in a room with all the loot from Halloween. Let's not keep performance-enhancing drugs in the closet. Let's go all out and set up two arenas for competition. And let the fans decide whom to shower with accolades.
3
This is getting mileage because it is Americans seeking damages from Russians.
Let's see what the NY media says when it's Americans vs Americans - the Yankees paying because Rodriguez and Clemens were juiced. Then the question will suddenly become complicated.
Let's see what the NY media says when it's Americans vs Americans - the Yankees paying because Rodriguez and Clemens were juiced. Then the question will suddenly become complicated.
3
Its always about the money
2
Perhaps the athletes who were cheated out of their rightful medals/earnings could be paid reparations in Russian rubles....
The damage is greater than you think. I no longer have any interest whatsoever in professional or amateur sports.
4
@codger: And yet you came to the sports section and then clicked on this article, and commented.
6
Good idea, funds for honest training are difficult to come by in track and field.
The Olympics have so much to answer and atone for, the list is endless. How about doing something with the egregious highway robbery committed against the U.S. Men's basketball team in 1972? To their credit, to this day the team refuses to accept their tainted silver medals.
4