My first deal. As quoted in the most recent issue of Sports Illustrated, August 18th, 2008:
"It was a bad time for cynics. You never saw so many faces SO HAPPY."
I agree. I must admit that I was one of those who was waiting for a disaster only to realize that this is easily the best opening ceremony of any Olympics I've followed since the 1992 Barcelona games. I asked myself how did I not realize the self-proclaimed communist country (I truly believe this country looks more like Socialists rather than Communists) is ultimately THE financial powerhouse who can afford the price to rent miracles for one evening. But no, wait...is that the word "scandal" I hear? You bet your ass it is. Other than Ashlee-Simpsoning the opening song, why couldn't you just say that those firework footprints in the air were really just laser? The word "scandal" really just never live without the mutual support of the Maos. It's almost like you enjoy letting 40+ swimmers throughout the decade in the 1990s to compete in the international scene, or fake the biggest show your country will ever offer in the form of an Olympic opening ceremony, or even...get the government support in falsifying two international documentation such as passports to send your better gymnasts to compete even though the required age is much older?
But "wait"! You said. "Aren't people innocent until proven guilty?"
I don't believe so. In today's sporting world, everyone is guilty until proven innocent. As much as my distate to Mr. Gary Hall Jr. and all his cockiness, I must agree with his point of view in saying that the Speedo LZR racer might not be the reason why 50 or more world records have been broken since the introduction of the suit in February, 2008. (Don't get me wrong, the LZR looks sleek and if I was back in the competition scene, I'd get one too). Because from history, which just happen to be the all time #1 ranked doping scandal, we'll learn that the 1970s East German Swim Team also reasoned their Olympic gold medals to "It's the suit!". So I must agree with Gary Hall Jr. that the suspicion of a doping scandal was definitely a reasonable possibility. Gladly, it was proven that it was in fact the suit, and the suit was later on proven to be created out of materials deemed legal to the FINA committee.
My point being, although it was not proven that the two female gymnasts were under required age to compete. I have no doubt in my mind that their passports were forged, by the very own government who wants to sweep the gymnastic gold medals that they are willing to tell the rest of the world lies, only to realize that they still ultimately did not actually win. It is a matter of time, before the good conscience finally reaches either of these athletes somewhere down the road a few decades from now, will one or both of them step out and say "China made me three years older on paper so I can compete in the 2008 Olympics, held in China".
To quote the famous Peter Griffin: "And that's, what crank my gears".
