Comments on: A leper never changes his spots… http://www.yappari.co.uk/archive/2008/02/13/a-leper-never-changes-his-spots/ The musings and rants of two thirty-something Englishmen...of course! Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:49:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 by: Daniel http://www.yappari.co.uk/archive/2008/02/13/a-leper-never-changes-his-spots/#comment-41166 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:36:16 +0000 http://www.yappari.co.uk/archive/2008/02/13/a-leper-never-changes-his-spots/#comment-41166 Looks like I'll be cheering on an American at World Indoors for the 60m. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/7265779.stm Looks like I’ll be cheering on an American at World Indoors for the 60m.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/7265779.stm

]]> by: Daniel http://www.yappari.co.uk/archive/2008/02/13/a-leper-never-changes-his-spots/#comment-40237 Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:16:05 +0000 http://www.yappari.co.uk/archive/2008/02/13/a-leper-never-changes-his-spots/#comment-40237 http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/7256961.stm To 'reward' the cheat that is Linford Christie, they're getting him to carry the Olympic torch... Neverends. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/7256961.stm

To ‘reward’ the cheat that is Linford Christie, they’re getting him to carry the Olympic torch…

Neverends.

]]> by: Ian Burnett http://www.yappari.co.uk/archive/2008/02/13/a-leper-never-changes-his-spots/#comment-39640 Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:23:57 +0000 http://www.yappari.co.uk/archive/2008/02/13/a-leper-never-changes-his-spots/#comment-39640 If Chambers isn't going to be able to make a living from Athletics then he may well end up at Asda. I'm with you on this one Daniel, but I'm also of the opinion that drug cheats, whatever the sport, should be banned totally. As has already been intimated, what kind of message does this send out to the younger end of the Athletics spectrum, when a "big name" cheats and is then allowed back into the sport ? I'm heavily into cycling and have seen a lot of cheating over a great many years. A zero tolerance mentality is now coming into this sport, with 3 expulsions from the Tour De France last year - 2 of those being "big names". These riders will never be allowed back, thankfully. This is the kind of mentality that we need to see in all sports. If Chambers isn’t going to be able to make a living from Athletics then he may well end up at Asda.

I’m with you on this one Daniel, but I’m also of the opinion that drug cheats, whatever the sport, should be banned totally. As has already been intimated, what kind of message does this send out to the younger end of the Athletics spectrum, when a “big name” cheats and is then allowed back into the sport ?

I’m heavily into cycling and have seen a lot of cheating over a great many years. A zero tolerance mentality is now coming into this sport, with 3 expulsions from the Tour De France last year - 2 of those being “big names”. These riders will never be allowed back, thankfully.

This is the kind of mentality that we need to see in all sports.

]]> by: Daniel http://www.yappari.co.uk/archive/2008/02/13/a-leper-never-changes-his-spots/#comment-39427 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:45:20 +0000 http://www.yappari.co.uk/archive/2008/02/13/a-leper-never-changes-his-spots/#comment-39427 Interestingly enough though, one of the main athletics promoters was saying that it's unlikely Chambers will be able to make a living anywhere close to what he did before through athletics. He said he won't be asked to run at any of the major events on the circuit, as the sponsors won't want him to tarnish the event and their image. Interestingly enough though, one of the main athletics promoters was saying that it’s unlikely Chambers will be able to make a living anywhere close to what he did before through athletics.

He said he won’t be asked to run at any of the major events on the circuit, as the sponsors won’t want him to tarnish the event and their image.

]]> by: Ian http://www.yappari.co.uk/archive/2008/02/13/a-leper-never-changes-his-spots/#comment-39423 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:46:10 +0000 http://www.yappari.co.uk/archive/2008/02/13/a-leper-never-changes-his-spots/#comment-39423 I think this whole episode, played out in the athletics arena, actually reflects a broader and more sinister issue in wider society - that of ineffective deterrents for would-be law-breakers. Bev makes a good point - why should cheating athletes be treated any differently to cheating footballers? In my opinion they shouldn't! Unfortunately, being treated the same in sport, as within wider society appears to mean watering down the penalties to the lowest common denominator - so ultimately they serve as no deterrent to wrong-doing whatsoever. For murderers - it's just an average of 7 years behind bars before they can rejoin the rat race. Hardly surprising then, that for a relatively minor drug offence 2 years is sufficient to wipe the slate clean, and get you up and running again! I think this whole episode, played out in the athletics arena, actually reflects a broader and more sinister issue in wider society - that of ineffective deterrents for would-be law-breakers. Bev makes a good point - why should cheating athletes be treated any differently to cheating footballers?
In my opinion they shouldn’t! Unfortunately, being treated the same in sport, as within wider society appears to mean watering down the penalties to the lowest common denominator - so ultimately they serve as no deterrent to wrong-doing whatsoever.
For murderers - it’s just an average of 7 years behind bars before they can rejoin the rat race. Hardly surprising then, that for a relatively minor drug offence 2 years is sufficient to wipe the slate clean, and get you up and running again!

]]> by: Daniel http://www.yappari.co.uk/archive/2008/02/13/a-leper-never-changes-his-spots/#comment-39376 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:35:45 +0000 http://www.yappari.co.uk/archive/2008/02/13/a-leper-never-changes-his-spots/#comment-39376 If a club wants to employ the cheating footballer then fine. But I don't think they should play for their country again. They've forfeited their right, and let someone 'worthy' take that place - someone who hasn't cheated. A shoplifter can lead a normal life after their sentence. They're not going to get a job at a bank though are they? Chambers can go an work in Asda or somewhere - why does he deserve to represent his country at athletics? If a club wants to employ the cheating footballer then fine. But I don’t think they should play for their country again. They’ve forfeited their right, and let someone ‘worthy’ take that place - someone who hasn’t cheated.

A shoplifter can lead a normal life after their sentence. They’re not going to get a job at a bank though are they? Chambers can go an work in Asda or somewhere - why does he deserve to represent his country at athletics?

]]> by: Bev http://www.yappari.co.uk/archive/2008/02/13/a-leper-never-changes-his-spots/#comment-39375 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:31:57 +0000 http://www.yappari.co.uk/archive/2008/02/13/a-leper-never-changes-his-spots/#comment-39375 What I don't understand is the lack of consistency between sports. Footballers can serve a 12 month ban for using nandrolone and then come back afterwards, so why are athletes any different? He used performance enhancing drugs, got given a ban and served it. So why the furore when he comes back to athletics and does well? Just like the shoplifter who serves a jail sentence and then is released. Can they then not live a normal life after serving their due to society? What I don’t understand is the lack of consistency between sports. Footballers can serve a 12 month ban for using nandrolone and then come back afterwards, so why are athletes any different? He used performance enhancing drugs, got given a ban and served it. So why the furore when he comes back to athletics and does well? Just like the shoplifter who serves a jail sentence and then is released. Can they then not live a normal life after serving their due to society?

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