Posted by Glenn Ribotsky on August 05, 2004 at 07:44:10:
In Reply to: Re: Rathmines posted by Edward Manganel on August 04, 2004 at 23:54:03:
One thought, though--given the BALCO revelations (how far that probe will extend is unknown, but it's certain to involve myraid athletes in track and field and in other sports), and the fact that USAT&F resisted putting a comprehensive drug-fighting/tracking/sanction plan in place for years under the guise of respecting athletes' rights to due process, it's not surprising that Europeans and others have this attitude.
I have a feeling there'd be less of that attitude not so much if there were fewer incidences of cheating, but if Americans were perceived to be less hypocritical, less holier-than-thou about it. American athletes have bent the rules just like everybody else, but when caught they tend to go on massive public relations offensives, to say "oh no, not me, couldn't possibly be me--the testing was wrong, I didn't know that substance cuold be in my vitamin water", etc.--sounds sanctimonious, and everybody loves to see the sanctimonious brought low.