>Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 13:30:43 -0700 (PDT) >From: Jonas Mureika <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Re: t-and-f: Greene sets career record at Rome > >I never accused Greene's marks of being "such", nor do I intend my remarks >to be taken in that light. However, it is naive suggest that Ben Johnson >was the only such world class athlete to win medals and set WRs. > >Evidence? Well, to begin with: many people chastise Ben for being a >"triple cheat" (even though the circumstances behind his 2nd and 3rd >"positives" were questionable). However, those same people are quick to >forget CJ Hunter, who had tested positive *at least* 4 times....
This is not the place to try to rehabilitate Ben Johnson. If you want to see a very long ongoing discussion about Ben Johnson's guilt or innocence, please go to the t&f-list archives where my position and that of many others are well stated. BTW, I agree that the current drug cheats should be punished severely and consistently, but that doesn't justify past criminals. That's like arguing that we shouldn't incarcerate convicted murderers because there are still unsolved murder cases. Johnson was caught breaking the rules and he suffered the known consequences (and he may have gotten off lighter than he could have, e.g., returning his 87 WC gold too.) Richard McCann
