The Whine Heard Around The World
The Gold Medal for boorish behavior has been handed out and the whiner, I mean winner is Russia. Last night in one of the most stunning victories ever, young Sarah Hughes became the new sweetheart of America. Then the Russians opened their mouths...
The Russian Federation's Olympic leaders had threatened to walk away from the Winter Olympics and to boycott Athens in 2004. Since the Canadians got their medal in Pairs Figure Skating, the Russians want theirs. What a load of crap! Wiser minds have spoken, as President Putin stated that they will not boycott. That's fine, but it never should have been an option.
Only two points need to be mentioned:
- There is NO comparison between the two events. In the pairs it became clear that there was a problem. The Canadian pair had skated what appeared to be a better program...but that was not enough to change the results...what changed the results was evidence that something was smelly with the French Judge. She had cheated, or been pressured to cheat.
In this case the winner clearly skated -by a mile- the better performance -- hands down, no doubt about it. Sarah Hughes put all the other skaters to shame last night. She won simply because her long program was so vastly superior that it buried the other skaters, and allowed her to come from fourth to first. Get over it.
- The Russians have stained this Olympics with their complaining. They have tried to suck the joy out of the events. It wasn't like their Pairs skaters lost their Gold, They still got one, one that they may well have not deserved. They should be glad things turned out the way they did...it could have been worse. The people they should be pissed at are the French. It was the French Judge who caused this, it was pressure from the French Skating federation that caused this. Why punish your own athletes and the city of Athens for something the French did?
They should be ashamed, and if this is the best they can give...then fine, don't come to the Olympics. We don't need you or your attitude. This is, after all, the same Olympics that saw a Relay Team [Russian, I think] sent home after the first round because..."They stunk so why should we pay to keep them here!" This is the same Olympics where the Canadians fired the whole ski team coaching staff during the games because they performed so poorly. Excuse me but does anyone else see anything wrong with that attitude? That kind of boorish, judgemental, peevish, childish behavior has no place at the Olympics. It's the...'if I do not get what I want, I am going to take my toys and go home' attitude...fine, if that's the way the Russian team feels then go and don't let the door hit your ass on the way to the airport...mj
12:39:57 PM 
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...I am still stunned, wow. It's too bad that the Russian team had to rain on the parade. I have been 
Tonight I sat and watched the Womens Figure Skating...it was amazing. Talk about the Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat. I felt bad for Kwan, but it was all in her control. Sixteen-year-old Sarah Hughes was simply Olympic -- it was a performance of grace under pressure that left my wife and I stunned! We got to witness one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history...Not quit the 80 hocky team, but when they ran the tape of her as a little girl talking about how "she was going to win a gold medal...my wife and I lost it...what a great night...sorry Michelle...
