Anyone catch Women's Snowboardcross yesterday? Lindsey Jacobellis, Team USA, who kinda botched it (okay, really botched it) at the finish line in '06, was the go-to girl for gold in '10, and everyone was rooting for her redemption. Didn't happen, as she messed up a jump, over-corrected, and slid into a gate. As if that wasn't painful enough for her, she has to endure the likes of walking-talking A-holes like this guy who, by the way, is a baseball writer - very relevant - I'm sure he's read at least two books about snowboarding. Anyhoo, nothing like kicking her once, and once more for good measure, while she is down. You probably saw his scathing article on the Yahoo home page this morning http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/snowboard/news?slug=jp-jacobellis021610&prov=yhoo&type=lgnswhat a dick!!!
Yeah, yeah...I get it...Who doesn't want our revered and loved US athletes to make us proud and bring home the gold? Certainly in a snowboarding event, as the US is a snowboarding nation. That said, can't we have some basic respect for people who put their heart and soul and every ounce of their being into the sport but, for lack of a better way to put it, are still human.
My 11-year-old, who is a boarder and loves it more than most things, will see the article on his homepage when he logs on today. He will no doubt read it, because it's about snowboarding. What kind of message are we sending here? These athletes are supposed to be heroes for our kids, no? Maybe I'm missing something. Imagine 100 years ago, running out to get the newspaper to find out what was going on at the Olympic Games, and reading the headline, "Sorry, Your Hero is Really a Big Fat Loser". Wouldn't have happened.
On a final note, Passan's comment at the end of the article about Jacobellis representing everything that's wrong with kids these days - what is he, twelve? I was so disappointed to read this piece of sh*t article when I woke up this morning - did I mention? what a dick!!!
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