Boarders Unite! Jacobellis Gets Support

[joeybee12]

http://www.yahoo.com/s/273809

TURIN, Italy - The image of snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis hot-dogging her way out of a certain gold medal became the jaw-dropping, head-shaking, rubbing-your-eyes-in-disbelief moment of the Turin Games.

Sports columnists, television analysts and pretty much anyone over 40 were mortified. Seth Wescott, age 29 and the men's gold medalist in the snowboard cross, was thrilled.

"It was good that she got carried away," Wescott said Saturday in an appearance with silver medalist Jacobellis. "It would have been a shame if she didn't."

Rick Morrissey, a columnist for the Chicago Tribune, spoke for the 40-and-over crowd. "It probably would be a good thing if somebody explained to the snowboarders that once they decided to sit at the adults' table, they made the tacit agreement to play to win," he wrote. "They made the decision to act like Olympians, which now means to act professional."

At her news conference, Jacobellis focused on winning a silver rather than losing a gold, and proudly wore the medal around her neck. "I really don't care what people think," she said. "I still won a silver medal, and no one can take that away from me."

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This comment by her in the last paragraph I cut makes me dislike her. Is there any American who isn't a spoiled brat at these games? Geesh! On edit--yeah, I know these brats are minority--there are sweethearts like Joey Cheek, but seems to be more than the usual share of egotistical buffoons.

[aaronbees]

1. What the hell is she supposed to do?

Hang her head in shame and let herself be flogged by the idiots at NBC and armchair snowboarders across the world? Jesus, she made a mistake -- albeit a marginal one (where she was just joyfully putting that flair down) -- after a day in which she raced brilliantly 99.9 percent of the way down. I'm sure she's more disappointed than she lets on, and I didn't like her waffling on the reason why she pulled that move, but she has every right to, on the whole, be proud of her performance and want to see it again. Frankly, I think her last quote shows a little bit of wisdom -- much more than her detractors and crap journalists who are pissed that their feel-good stories go slightly askew.

[Princess Turandot]

2. The NY Times even mentioned her on their editorial page..

thankfully, with the right message. It was entitled " You Go, Lindsey".

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/18/opinion/18sat4.html?_r=1&n=Top%2fOpinion%2fEditorials%20and%20Op%2dEd%2fEditorials&oref=slogin

The commentator response was ridiculous, IMO. I'm sure that she is disappointed, but to act as if this was one of the greatest screwups in sports history was ludicrous. She may have even been a bit more forthcoming on what happened if they hadn't immediately accused her of show-boating. Meanwhile, they keep beating the drum for Bodie, despite his turning into a flop.

[cali]

3. The brouhaha

about Jacobellis is over the top, but it stems from her blowing it needlessly. That always gets a big response. As far as Bode goes, his success last year (winning the world title in alpine is a big deal), and his two medals in 2002, built big expectations within the sports punditry. Anyone who's watched him over the years, knows that his blowing it in the Olympics is hardly a surprise. I've been watching skiing for a long time. I raced in high school, my son races, and went to a ski academy. I've never seen anyone like Miller.

[joeybee12]

5. Lots of athletes don't do well at the Olympics...everyone talks about Kwan

but other athletes in different sports just don't perform well at this venue. The problem I have with Bode is that he nutured his bad boy image, got tons of publciity, and when he starts flubbing, he doesn't want the publicity. You can't just get people to focus on you when you want them to. He invited it in.

[joeybee12]

7. Yeah, but it probably was one of the biggest screw-ups of the games...

...she could have walked and still won.

To act like it doesn't matter is disrespectful to the athletes there who DO care about winning, who spent their lives training for it. It's giving the bird to their dreams.

[joeybee12]

4. A marginal mistake?

Yeah, she got carried away--and all she had to do was say that she did. But she didn't--she acts like a little brat. Her attitude after the race was wehre she showed real immaturity. God, I'd hate to have kids loo up to her.

[aaronbees]

6. If she got carried away...

why does she need to make amends for it? It's a mistake of someone youthful enjoying her sport. She wasn't hotdoggin all day and wasn't classless toward competitors. And I'll forgive her for trying to deflect criticism when she's crestfallen and gets a microphone in her face minutes after she's finished. This idea that's she's "a little brat" is just overblown and absurd.

And to think this has any bearing on whether or not kids should "look up to her" is, I think, getting carried away with the meaning of one event. Sheesh.

[joeybee12]

8. Um, when did she have the microphone thrown in her face...I believe

she avoided the press...and had others speak for her. She should have just come out right away and said she made a mistake, issue over. Instead, she acts like a little brat. It's disgarceful to the athletes who have given up a lot to be here--who have trained their entire lives. It's like spitting on their dreams.

[aaronbees]

9. She avoided the press?

Who spoke those quotes in the early AP stories? Who was interviewed at the event on camera (if I recall correctly)? And let's face it, she had some guts to go get interviewed by Costas. I'll say it again: little brat, my ass. She made a mistake, and the world needs to get over it.

I just don't understand how it's spitting on anyone's dreams ... but hey, if you want to hold her up as a true brat, go right ahead and have fun with it.

[joeybee12]

10. There are plenty of people who wait their entire lives to get to the Games

...and when you get people like her and Miller who don't seem to care, it tarnishes the games, pure and simple. If it doesn't matter that much to you, stay home and let someone else compete.

[aaronbees]

11. I see no evidence of her "not caring" ... eom

[HuckleB]

12. Indeed.

The last quote has nothing to do with being egotistical. It's a natural defense against the outrage of people who've never even been on a snowboard.

[THUNDER HANDS]

13. when does toobing become an olympic sport?

that's what I want to know