inpromissum

The Right Thing

Mike Celizic pretty much has it right. Think of it as an even bigger version of Phelps' gracious act, which I think has engendered a more lasting legacy than all of his success would alone.

That said, I would make the same argument for the Hansen/Kitajima situation and that's pretty much disappeared off the face of the planet (though it was obvious to me even watching from above the surface that he did use an illegal kick). Which makes Celizic's a tough argument ... who's to say that the whole thing won't blow over and that the color of the medal you hold won't be the only thing that's remembered?

Still, it seems obvious what the right thing to do is, whether you call it a matter of ethics or just pure sportsmanship. And the fact that Phelps made a gesture even when there was no reason to have to and Hamm didn't when he had a good reason is why I think Phelps is already being remembered in a better light.

--Nick

Edit: Spell Celizic's name right. :P

Edit: So, apparently there's more to the argument than I thought - according to tonight's (Monday night's) broadcast, even if the Tae-Young's start value had been correct, the judges actually forgot to count a deduction from doing too many holds on the same routine, so actually he should have gotten an even worse score. So I guess it's too simplistic to just say he should give up the medal. That said, I'm sure there are so many mistakes judging everywhere that they should probably cancel out, and somehow it still feels worse when something that is supposedly objective (start value) goes wrong instead of the subjective parts. Something still feels screwy. Either way, it seems like the judging was pretty crappy - I know I don't know exactly how it works, but seriously seems fubar. And what's with changing the scores when the crowd protests?

Edit: Added link to ESPN article about the too-many-holds issue and I find myself changing my mind ... he has a pretty good point in that article.

Edit: Bah. I'm stupid - obviously the deduction for having too many holds is also objective, so really, Paul was pretty much right from the beginning - you stick to the rules and if they're screwy, you fix them. And he's totally right ... just like tests, if you want a regrade, you have to expect your score may go either way. Poor guy - getting vilified for something he's not responsible for. I tell you, I doubt the South Koreans will ever see it this way ...

Posted by Nick at August 23, 2004 10:38 PM | TrackBack