SHOULD MARION JONES BE PARDONED? Earlier this week a news item caught my attention. Marion Jones has applied for a pardon from President Bush. I was appalled to think that Jones might walk away from her punishment and so was new CEO of USA Track & Field Douglas Logan. He wrote a compelling letter to President Bush, urging that no pardon be granted. His letter was sent to members of USATF whose email address is on file at the national office. I feel his message is so important that I am reprinting it with his permission in its entirety.
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With her cheating and lying, Marion Jones did everything she could to violate the principles of track and field and Olympic competition. When she came under scrutiny for doping, she taunted any who doubted her purity, talent and work ethic. Just as she had succeeded in duping us with her performances, she duped many people into giving her the benefit of the doubt.
She pointed her finger at us, and got away with it until federal investigators teamed up with USADA and finally did her in. It was a sad thing to watch, the most glorious female athlete of the 20th century in tears on courthouse steps.
Our country has long turned a blind eye to the misdeeds of our heroes. If you have athletic talent or money or fame, the law is applied much differently than if you are slow or poor or an average American trying to get by. At the same time, all sports have for far too long given the benefit of the doubt to its heroes who seem too good to be true, even when common sense indicates they are not.
To reduce Ms. Jones' sentence or pardon her would send a horrible message to young people who idolized her, reinforcing the notion that you can cheat and be entitled to get away with it. A pardon would also send the wrong message to the international community. Few things are more globally respected than the Olympic Games, and to pardon one of the biggest frauds perpetuated on the Olympic movement would be nothing less than thumbing our collective noses at the world.
In my new job as CEO of USA Track & Field, I must right the ship that Ms. Jones and other athletes nearly ran aground. I implore you, Mr. President: Please don't take the wind out of our sails.
Respectfully Yours,
Douglas G. Logan
If you share Logan’s view, as I do, you can make your voice heard
by emailing the president at comments@whitehouse.gov
WESTFIELD HIT WITH BAD LUCK ON WEDNESDAY
It doesn’t happen often, but when a race has to be called due to weather, it can present real problems. Runners may have been unhappy that the popular Downtown Westfield 5K was cancelled on Wednesday, but not as unhappy as the race organizers.
When I caught up with race director Mark Zenobia, of On Your Mark Productions, he related how he had been watching the weather radar all day on Wednesday. So had the police and when they began to get reports of downed power lines and what have been called ‘touchdowns’ in Rahway and Dunellen they decided they had to shut down the race for safety sake..
“The cops weren’t letting it happen,” said Zenobia. “That’s their call. I can’t overrule them.”
Letters have been sent to all registered runners letting them know that they can pick up the race t-shirt, if they did not get one Wednesday before the torrential rains soaked them. Those who do not live close to Westfield may request that one be mailed to them.
The runners who stayed on after the race was called did get one thing. The race is often referred to as ‘the pizza’ race, and indeed pizza for more than 2,000 runners had to be dispersed.
“People were walking home with boxes of pizza,” said Zenobia.
One thing is certain. There will be no re-scheduling, as some had suggested.
“You can’t,” said Zenobia. “All the money’s been spent.”
He went on to list all of the services that had to be paid – race or no race; portable toilets, police, staff, computer scorer, all that pizza and the DJ.
“We dodged the bullet for years,” said Zenobia. “It
was an act of God and most people understand.”
MT. TABOR 5K ON JULY 31ST
You won’t find it on most race calendars, but the Mt. Tabor 5K is on Thursday night, July 31st at 6:30 pm. Email keithpaterson@msn.com for an application.
MASTERS TRACK MEET IN SPOKANE
I will be in the great Pacific Northwest for the next two weeks. Look for my column on August 17th where I will report on our masters athletes at the National USATF championship being held in Spokane Washington.
Originally published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey on Sunday July 27, 2008
Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2008
