LOL @ a 20 year grudge by an admitted cheater...

[Wulfran]

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/amateur/story/ ... iracy.html

I don't know if most of you would remember this but it was a pretty big deal to a lot of us up here when we thought Ben Johnson had beat Carl Lewis. Johnson seemed quiet and understated compared to the brash and egotisical Lewis, just the kind of sporting hero that we love to call our own in Canada (look at guys like Joe Sakic and Stevie Yzerman for other examples): guys that let the performance on the field/track/ice speak for them. I was in a crowded bar the night of the gold medal final and they actually had the band on stage take a breif break and we all watched on a big screen and roared our approval.

When Johnson was stripped it was almost as if a national hero had died. Our parliament had official inquiry into doping in amateur sports (the main focus on the Olympics and track and field) to try and get some answers, where some athletes, doctors and training staff revealed that they had knowingly taken/allowed athletes to take performance enhancers. Ben Johnson tried to maintain his innocence even after others close to him admitted he was using them, to the point that he almost became a national joke as compared to his former hero status.

8 years later when Donovan Bailey won the Olympic 100m and set a new record, my first thought and that of a lot of people I spoke with, was "please let him be clean; we don't need that embarrassment again". It was a disservice to Mr Bailey and his integrity, one that he has publicly reacted to since.

And now 20 years later, Johnson still insists he was set up. That the drugs they found weren't the ones he was taking. I didn't think he could sink much lower than he had but damn! Now his complaint is " I was cheating but they didn't get me for the right cheating". WTF? Why don't some people know when to let shit die? Its probably about selling a book that I hope no one ever buys.

[Siji]

Reminds me of Pete Rose.. if he'd just man up and apologize he might actually make it into the hall of fame (where he belongs) before he dies.

Also reminds me of cycling where you just hope the winner was clean. I'm still hoping Landis is cleared (and is cleared rightfully so)..

[Kelshara]

If Landis is cleared it will be because of errors in handling his samples. The shadow will always be hanging over him.

Ben Johnson is a joke heh.