Ever since this board started, I've been reading with growing horror the delight some people get in bashing the athletes in our sport. Webb criticism went on for - ev - er. Just since the WC have started we've had such highbrow comments as Greene and Montgomery are washed up, Kederis is a 'cheat' who ducks competition, EVERYONE FROM AFRICA IS DRUGGIE, well that was paulie, so that doesn't count, Mutola looks like a man, Drummond is a disgrace to mankind, the SP dude cheated (bad example, he did), the list goes on.
Do you remember when someone had a big problem with the Jr World Champ hurdler being named Athlete-of-the-Week(!)? The kid came on here and was hurt by the comments. Let's pretend that the people we discuss are real people with real feelings who can and do read this board (more than we think, I bet, since T&FN is the pre-eminent American track publication). Let's pretend we have compassion for them. Let's pretend we have common decency. These people are training their asses off to earn a living and to provide us with the pleasure of our favorite sport. Maybe it's the 20-year Navy vet in me, but we don't come off very high in character on this board sometimes. Forgive the preachy tone (I don't like it either) but we really do need to clean up our act. I'll try.
[I'm gonna get flamed 50 times just for fun on this one, but it really is getting old]
Do you remember when someone had a big problem with the Jr World Champ hurdler being named Athlete-of-the-Week(!)? The kid came on here and was hurt by the comments. Let's pretend that the people we discuss are real people with real feelings who can and do read this board (more than we think, I bet, since T&FN is the pre-eminent American track publication). Let's pretend we have compassion for them. Let's pretend we have common decency. These people are training their asses off to earn a living and to provide us with the pleasure of our favorite sport. Maybe it's the 20-year Navy vet in me, but we don't come off very high in character on this board sometimes. Forgive the preachy tone (I don't like it either) but we really do need to clean up our act. I'll try.
[I'm gonna get flamed 50 times just for fun on this one, but it really is getting old]
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