Let's Play Fair
The final outcome of athletic competition should be decided on the playing field, but today it is being decided in the courts. It is a sad statement on our sports society. The Olympic ideal is summed up by modern Olympic founder Pierre de Coubertin, who said:
"The most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well."
The Olympics (and all athletics for that matter) is about fighting the good fight. It is about the journey to competition as much as the competition itself. It is about overcoming odds - overcoming one's self both physically and mentally. It is about training for a lifetime and competing for what may be mere seconds. We have lost that philosophy today.

There has been eight cases in American sports, more than that the U.S. Olympic Committee ever imagined when its constitution provided for the appeal process. Arbitration is supposed to me for athletes who faced clear discrimination, or were clearly cut off from the chance to compete for a sport on the Olympic team. Instead, it has been used to upend the results of trials, and second-guess the selection process of team sports
In wrestling - (now see if you can follow this!) - a federal judge overruled an arbitrator who favored a wrestler who had lost a rematch against a wrestler who won a court decision after he lost two appeals and the Olympic Trials. That's three reversals in court, and one on the mat. What are we teaching here? Train hard, if you lose, you can still fight it in the courts and make the Olympic Team. The key is to have a good coach and a great lawyer.
Matt Lindland (red) vs. Keith Sieracki in the Olympic Trials.
Team sports also represent a real problem as well. There is just no way to have an objective way to pick a team. It happens time and time again, athletes with "super-star" names - even if they are not performing at their peak are chosen over lesser-know, but more skillful players.
Part of the problem starts with the fact that a lot of sports have unclear criteria for the selection process. By the rules of many sports, Michael Johnson (left) and Maurice Green would still be running in the 200 meters in Sydney, rather than enduring the consequences of pulling up lame in the Olympic Trials.
The United States Olympic Committee says it plans to find a way to clean up the arbitration process. Clearer, more well defined qualifying rules would help some sports. Howeverr, in the wrestling case, this should of never gone before a judge, much less three judges.

It started because the Olympic Trials runner-up, Matt Lindland, said the champion, Keith Sieracki had committed a violation, tripping him in a 2-1 over time loss in the Greco-Roman Olympic Trials. Lindland protested to the Official's committee following the loss. When the official's upheld the match, Lindland went to the Greco-Roman Sports Committee of USA Wrestling and protested. Again the results of the match was upheld. Then Lindland went to the courts, and now he will be going to the Olympic Games.

There was no discrimination against Matt Lindland. It was a judgement call. They happen all the time in sports, in fact it is part of the game. All of us who are athletes and coaches need to accept those situations. The game is won on the field of play and not in the courts. Our charge is to play fair and clean, and to give it our best efforts. Let's keep politics out of sports.

All of us in athletics need to live and compete by the Olympic motto:
"Ask not alone for Victory, ask for Courage. For if you can endure, you will bring Honor to yourself. Even more you bring Honor to us all..."
We need to bring back honor to sports...it begins with you!
To The Next Level (c)2000 Reprinted with permission