Thanks to Top of the Chain.
Showing posts with label olympics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label olympics. Show all posts
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Monday, February 2, 2009
He's Still the Greatest Swimmer
The internet is flooded with the shocking news that Michael Phelps had been photographed smoking a bong pipe. He admitted it and apologized. CNN reports:
I'm sure he's sincere about that. He's certainly got a lot to lose. The endorsements which followed his astonishing Olympic success amount to an estimated $100 million.
But the reports in today's news point out that in 2004, he was arrested for driving under the influence. At that time he said almost the same thing, apologizing, but qualifying it with mention of his young age.
What does it all mean? Some fans are disappointed; others say he's human like the rest of us. I say, he's not like the rest of us at all. His accomplishments in the sport of swimming are nothing short of miraculous. To have done that while occasionally indulging in drugs and alcohol makes it even more amazing. I'd say it's obvious that his partying was always kept to a minimum, never allowed to interfere, or he wouldn't have achieved what he did.
What I wonder is, could his behaviour with pot and drinking, occasional as it has been, indicate some latent problem that will manifest itself in increased abuse and more trouble in his future? Time will tell.
What's your opinion? Do athletes like Michael have a greater responsibility, being role models and all that? Should they be held to a higher standard? Or should the public stay out of his private life?
Please feel free to leave a comment.
"I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment," the record-setting American athlete said in a statement issued Sunday.
"I'm 23 years old, and despite the successes I have had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner that people have come to expect from me," Phelps said. "For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public -- it will not happen again."
I'm sure he's sincere about that. He's certainly got a lot to lose. The endorsements which followed his astonishing Olympic success amount to an estimated $100 million.
But the reports in today's news point out that in 2004, he was arrested for driving under the influence. At that time he said almost the same thing, apologizing, but qualifying it with mention of his young age.
What does it all mean? Some fans are disappointed; others say he's human like the rest of us. I say, he's not like the rest of us at all. His accomplishments in the sport of swimming are nothing short of miraculous. To have done that while occasionally indulging in drugs and alcohol makes it even more amazing. I'd say it's obvious that his partying was always kept to a minimum, never allowed to interfere, or he wouldn't have achieved what he did.
What I wonder is, could his behaviour with pot and drinking, occasional as it has been, indicate some latent problem that will manifest itself in increased abuse and more trouble in his future? Time will tell.
What's your opinion? Do athletes like Michael have a greater responsibility, being role models and all that? Should they be held to a higher standard? Or should the public stay out of his private life?
Please feel free to leave a comment.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Best Olympics Ever
Sports Illustrated has a wonderful slide show of the closing ceremony. In many respects it was the best Olympic Games ever. From the world records set to the smooth organization to the sheer spectacle of the opening and closing ceremonies. But what are we to think about the quashing of protesters? Wasn't China a bit heavy handed in dealing with things like that? The absense of even a hint of trouble was proof enough. One can imagine what went on behind the scenes. One of the stories that did surface was this one on CNN. A small group of Americans unfurled a "Free Tibet" banner. The demonstration didn't last long.
Chinese law allows police to hold foreign nationals in jail for up to two weeks before pressing formal charges, but most other foreign protesters that China detained were held for only a few hours before authorities deported them.
Nick Snyder, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Beijing was naturally asked to comment on this delicate situation. Mr. Snyder of course, comes from the country which produced the Patriot Act and legalized wire-tapping of its citizens. This is the same country which is considering granting the FBI much more power, to "allow agents to open a national security or criminal investigation against someone without any clear basis for suspicion." That's from the NY Times, via our commenter Thomas. How Mr. Snyder was able to make the following statement with a straight face is beyond me, but I guess he takes his cue from his superiors in the State Department.
"We urge China to take positive steps to address international and domestic concerns about its record on human rights and religious freedom," Snyder said.
Please feel free to share your opinion with us by leaving a comment.
Chinese law allows police to hold foreign nationals in jail for up to two weeks before pressing formal charges, but most other foreign protesters that China detained were held for only a few hours before authorities deported them.
Nick Snyder, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Beijing was naturally asked to comment on this delicate situation. Mr. Snyder of course, comes from the country which produced the Patriot Act and legalized wire-tapping of its citizens. This is the same country which is considering granting the FBI much more power, to "allow agents to open a national security or criminal investigation against someone without any clear basis for suspicion." That's from the NY Times, via our commenter Thomas. How Mr. Snyder was able to make the following statement with a straight face is beyond me, but I guess he takes his cue from his superiors in the State Department.
"We urge China to take positive steps to address international and domestic concerns about its record on human rights and religious freedom," Snyder said.
Please feel free to share your opinion with us by leaving a comment.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Medal Count
Unrelated to the photo on the left, a good friend of mine pointed out that Great Britain is holding a solid third place with only a tiny fraction of the population of the US and China. I guess that's why they ran the world for so long. Didn't they also own Jamaica at one point?
The New York Times has the story.
The New York Times has the story.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Lightning Bolt and Lightning Phelps
CNN reports on the historic eighth gold medal for Michael Phelps.
Phelps won some races by ridiculously large margins, others with the closest of finishes -- most memorably, his seventh gold by one-hundredth of a second over Serbia's Milorad Cavic in the 100 fly.
What fantastic Olympic action!
For many of us, an even more exciting and awe-inspiring performance was that of the Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. The lead he took and ease with which he won the race, setting a new world record along the way, was just phenomenal. The New York Times has the story.
Phelps won some races by ridiculously large margins, others with the closest of finishes -- most memorably, his seventh gold by one-hundredth of a second over Serbia's Milorad Cavic in the 100 fly.
What fantastic Olympic action!
For many of us, an even more exciting and awe-inspiring performance was that of the Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. The lead he took and ease with which he won the race, setting a new world record along the way, was just phenomenal. The New York Times has the story.
| COUNTRY |  |  |  | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 United States | 17 | 18 | 22 | 57 |
 China | 28 | 13 | 9 | 50 |
 Australia | 8 | 10 | 11 | 29 |
 France | 3 | 9 | 10 | 22 |
 Russia | 5 | 8 | 8 | 21 |
 South Korea | 7 | 9 | 4 | 20 |
 Germany | 9 | 5 | 5 | 19 |
 Britain | 8 | 3 | 7 | 18 |
 Japan | 7 | 5 | 6 | 18 |
 Italy | 6 | 5 | 5 | 16 |
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