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| Vol.3.123 | |
Not Because He Wonby Vince PoscenteAuthor of The Ant and the Elephant, Invinceable Principles and The Age of Speed Four years ago, an Olympic athlete was criticized for things he said. His public perception worsened with his solitary and unabashed single mindedness. The media jumped on a few words he said, isolated those words without full context of the situation and the general American public turned on him. In Torino, 2006 he came up short of expectations and he was nearly vilified. Today, with a handful of medals and a lower profile, this athlete, Bode Miller is back in the social graces of a forgiving public. I chatted with a friend tonight. He remembered how I defended Bode at the time. I flashed back to an article I wrote (that received angry responses immediately after - btw): Give Bode a Break (2.14.06)Bode Miller confessed on 60 Minutes to being 'wasted' during a World Cup race (due to the previous night of revelry). He meant that he was hungover... (or possibly he meant that he was in that no man's land between drunk and sober). Folks, he is not the first athlete in early adulthood to party. When I was ski racing, I personally wasn't talented enough to get away with a compromised state of mind and body the night before a race. But I knew and competed with guys who were. And they did race hungover on occasion. Bode just happens to say what he is thinking with little regard to using a filter. (When he gets a real job, he'll figure that one out in due course.) The Olympic Games exact an extraordinary amount of pressure for a young athlete. These athletes are doing the best they can while enjoying it as much as they can. On behalf of Bode and other athletes who appreciate that you have an opinion. Enjoy the Games and live fully. **** Bode Miller has matured since Turino and probably learned it's better to let the skis do the talking. Meanwhile he has been unapologetic or defensive about his past. He has focused on the importance of doing one's best, win or lose. A pinch of understanding trumps a popular yet uninformed opinion.
It's better to walk a kilometer in someone else's snowshoe before you speak out, eh. (Actually that's not true, we say "mile" and "shoes," but I had you Yanks goin' there for a minute, eh?) Tonight, my friend said he'd come around on his opinion. "Not because he won. You might have been right to defend Bode," he said to me. But being right doesn't matter. My only request - don't make decisions about issues based on an isolated shard of information. Congratulations to Bode, taking the high road and doing his best. Now, together, let's pray for a Canada - USA Gold Medal Game in Vancouver. Hopefully Bode is in the audience cheering for the guiding principles of the Olympics, striving for excellence. Me I'll take the high road too. I'll be totally hoping the Canadians make those hoser American hockey players hit the road. Until next week, it's full speed ahead,
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© 2010 Vince Poscente. All Rights Reserved. |
We have a saying in Canada.