House Clean USATF

[road crayon]

I am tired of reading news releases about USATF hinding behind lawyers to itself and its reputation and to protect dirty athletes. Athletes that essentally took USATF money (in the form of cash, training facilities, medical staff, and testing services) to cheat their way into sports contracts. USATF has pr personnel/laywers that are paid out of your contributions and it goes to stuff like this instead of being put back into the sport. They do have grants for athletes that show promise at being the USA's best, but most of the athetes don't need really need the money because many of them have some support through other sponsorship. It keeps the money at the top of the running food chain and lets the others struggle. Compairng it to those highschool footlocker athletes that get all the attention, but come a few year into college you never hear of again. Yes, those at the top do deserve help, but the programs are mainly geared at keeping those individuals at the top, not creating new ones. The last thing i read was that USATF was to impose a lifetime ban for steriod use, that will only take effect if the IAAF will go along with it. Not likely. And what about other drugs that are easly gotten by vets and trips to Mexico. Just window-dressing and pr bull that tarnishes all USA track athletes. If someone does well out of hard work and sacrifice then the nay-sayers will say "that man/woman is doping, those USA people can get away with anything" F-ing Americans. I don't want to be apart of any organization that would gladly disqualify/suspend a foreign athlete, but adamanatly defend a USA athlete.

Money makes the world go round and sports are essentially an investment. It is all about money and selling tickets to USATF meets and TV sponsorship, so they try to keep the big names negative and running.
I think that a combined effort of athletes can make a difference. The only problem is that those who may have the loudest voices are those athletes at the top, and those who rely on USATF money. But they are a minority of those people who contribute and make up the financial structure of USATF. And it is all about money. Good publicity is the life-blood of a charity and USATF has already hurt itself, a little more by athletes could initiate a change.

Unless you are running in the Olympic Trials, voice your message, do not re-new your USATF membership this year.

[tafnut]

Re: House Clean USATF

I'll tell you why I most assuredly WILL renew my memebership: Craig Masback (we shall personify USATF thusly) is between a rock and a bigger rock that's falling right at him. The international drug problem is being handled differently all over the word. Some federations are totally burying their heads in the sand. Others are trying to take a hard line. We (USA, arguably the 'biggest' federation) have the most to lose in drug scandals and we have a legal system that insists on defendants' rights. So Craig wants to (and should) protect our athletes' rights, 'until proven guilty', and also wants a relatively level playing field - since so many federations do nothing. So he 'errs' (to some people) on the side of the people he is supposed to represent (as I would). If and when an athlete is PROVEN guilty AND has exhausted all appeals, then we should (and I believe Craig WILL) toss him/her. Until then, Craig is trying to protect us (that's his job). He IS unquestionably a gentleman in the old British sense, and he will do the right thing by everyone. This is, of course, just my opinion, but in this case, this is what appears to be happening now.

[road crayon]

Re: House Clean USATF

We agree to disagree. I have heard this argument of the American "guilty till proven inocent". I agree whole hearted with this. But there is "NO" federal law , as stated by Masback, saying he must protect the namesof those who fail the A and B sample of a drug test. The USA releases names of people charged with murder, rape, theft, tax evation, parking violations, delequent child support ... on and on. These are released prior to and trial, and these people have much more at stake than adults who decide to cheat in a sport. As an administrator, what would you say to the person who finished 4th in the Olympic SP trials and missed his only chance of going to the Olympics because Hunter tested positive 4 separate times , failing "A" and "B" sample on all tests. The status quo is not working for currently competing athletes, the internationa Athletics community feels we are corrupt and cheaters. We need people who will support athletes who travel outside the USA and compete, we are exposed to the values of countries other than the USA, and are being judged though the actions of the USATF.
Why does the "LA Times" release the name of the forth THG positive, who is running the interests of our athletes. It is not the media's responsibility do dig these things up. Give Jill Geer a call at USATF, now she has to scamble around and release an explanation to the LA times story.

I won't argue this point futher , best to you TFman, I respect your opinion.

[Pego]

Re: House Clean USATF

I am a total outsider, not familiar with the inner working of USTAF, but my gut feeling is that tafnut is right.

[gm]

Re: House Clean USATF

Lordy, lordy Mr. (or Mrs.?) Self Righteous.

I hope for your sake that you are never falsely accused of something that could ruin your career.

Then again, why not? You don't seem to think it matters, so let the accusations begin!

Craig is actually trying to do the right thing and protect athletes until they are proven guilty, yet people insist on outing them in a witch hunt atmosphere. Sad.

[road crayon]

Re: House Clean USATF

>Lordy, lordy Mr. (or Mrs.?) Self Righteous.

I hope for your sake that you
>are never falsely accused of something that could ruin your career.

Then
>again, why not? You don't seem to think it matters, so let the accusations
>begin!

Craig is actually trying to do the right thing and protect athletes
>until they are proven guilty, yet people insist on outing them in a witch hunt
>atmosphere. Sad.


Take the time to read my post. I have not accused anyone who did not fail a "B" sample. The international standard is, once you fail a "B" sample , you have failed the test and sanctions must be applied. You must be referring to the moderators of this site and the editors on T&FN creating a
"sad witch hunt atmosphere" , they openly published the names of the 4 THG American dopers, yet they have not gone through the appeals process. This society spends far too much effort protecting the rights of law/rule breakers, I'm on the side of the victums rights, the athletes who make the decision to complete clean. I have NO fear of failing a drug test , of which 17 times my federation has tested me, because I do not take speed or roids.

[H Watkins]

Re: House Clean USATF

>So Craig wants to (and should)
>protect our athletes' rights, 'until proven guilty', and also wants a
>relatively level playing field - since so many federations do nothing.

The IAAF's philosophy is that on the confirmation of the B sample, an athlete is guilty, period. The appeals process is essentially equal to the sentencing phase of a criminal trial. In my eyes, USATF doesn not need to come to the aid of anyone. This viewpoint isn't so uncommon, but is never printed in the pages of T&FN.

As for "wanting a level playing field", that's nothing more than aiding those who cheat because there's a suspicion that somewhere in the world there's a cheat who is not American. It's like a little child yelling "Everyone else does it!"

Any agency which simultaneously attempts to produce success AND regulate is serving two masters and cannot satisfy both. There may be many reasons that UK Athletics wants the BOA to overturn its lifetime ban on Myerscough, but an obvious one is that he represents a medal chance and the increased lottery funding that goes along with it.