The Olympics and Feeling Like a Dope
Posted on August 21, 2008
Filed Under Commentary |
Usain Bolt from Jamaica has won the 100 and 200 meter races at Beijing in record times. I wonder if other people than myself are very hesitant to rejoice? Will these records stand? 3 out of the last 5 male 100 meter Olympic Champs were stripped of their medals and a fourth is under suspicion of doping but the allegations have not been proven. I could mention Marion Jones and many others but why go there? The performance by the rest of the Jamaican sprinters and hurdlers at the Olympics will certainly bring very close scrutiny. What ever happened to the days when you could just watch sports and not wonder if you were watching a dope or not? Yes, dopers are definitely dopes.
Will trust ever be restored to athletics or is this just another sign of the times in which we are living? I for one can not see things getting any better before they get even worse. The only solution seems to be the elimination of much of what we call amateur athletics and just go ahead and put the professional tag on them.
Most Olympic athletes are not amateurs the way you think of amateurs. To call most major collegiate athletic programs amateur is a farce. Just take a look at the money involved and you will know what I am talking about. Why not just go ahead and pay the players instead of the whole underground system of remuneration? I think enough is enough. Let me stop ranting and raving - as you can see this whole topic causes me to get very heated.
Should we rejoice with Usain Bolt and the other athletes who have won at the Olympics? Only time will tell but if recent history is any indication, you might want to hold that applause. For more on this topic check out the excellent article over at the New York Times
Till next time, Jim
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I would sure like some comments on this one if you read the article. Usain Bolt is 6′.5″ or 6′.6″ and he runs like someone 5′9″.