In Support of Marion Jones

She may have admitted to doping, but I don’t think they should strip her of her medals. After all, she still had to put in phenomenal amounts of effort to achieve that medal…
http://snupped.com/marion-jones/

I'm not sure I could be a fan after this, but it did seem like a real apology. After wrongdoing, you need to pay the price and sincerely apologize - that's what makes forgiveness easier for people. Refusing to accept the responsibility or being insincere are deal breakers. As justice delayed is justice denied, an apology delayed is also pretty close to an apology denied. That's just foolish when the party IS guilty.
I hope that she finds peace with herself.

My heart broke yesterday when I heard that Marion Jones was going to admit to doping. I can't say the the "flaxseed oil" defense gave me any comfort - it's just lame and I was disgusted with the news.

Then I saw her on the news this morning. Contrite. Taking full responsibility. Asking forgiveness. Offering humility. My respect for her came flowing back.

I might not be able to get over the fact that she used performance enhancing drugs to win those now-clouded Olympic gold medals. But I certainly can reach out a hand of comfort to somebody who "manned up". Floyd Landis, Barry Bonds, Jose Cansenco, Mark McGuire ... they can and should take a page out of Marion's book and perhaps can back some self respect, and that of the public.

I hope that Ms. Jones can use this terrible set of circumstances to reach out to young athletes, and educate them to why winning clean is really the only way to win. Her travails can help the entire realm of sport clean up it's act and hopefully win back the respect of a most decidedly disgusted fan base.

Head high Marion -- you may have made a terrible mistake, but your ownership of it lifts you much higher in the end.

@anonymous, phx,and matthew: thanks all for your honest comments. Again to me this is what blogging is all about, the lost art of honest dialogue. -K

I don't really follow sports at all but I follow the news. The media coverage of this whole thing is terrible. They knocked her mother over on the courthouse steps without a care. I agree with you and support Marion Jones in coming clean. I'm proud of her for telling the truth and for understanding and accepting the consequences of her actions. You can't change the past and this shouldn't be held against her. I do hope she reads your blog and these comments because the snippets of people's commentary that the news has been airing are simply not consensus statements. Stay strong Marion!

Krista,

Maybe it's worth all of us examining the issue a bit for ourselves.

On one hand, we have rules that prohibit steroid use first to ensure a level playing field, and second because they are bad for the athlete's health in the long term or else - use all you want - free choice. That would level the field too.

So, because we have rules, it's cheating. And thus, because the victories were gained falsely, by illegal advantage, we, as a society judge these fallen heroes and heroines perhaps harshly.

Sports are a vicarious affair - the audience gets to form an emotional connection with their favorite athelete or team, and our moods rise and fall with the individual or team. So perhaps, we, feel a sense of betrayal - they blew it for US. We, the audience feels robbed of our feel good emotional victory. Perhaps that is in part, the emotional source of the judgements.

And then there is jealousy. Many of us, rejoice in the downfall of those that have done great things, because their fall from grace rationalizes to our egos, the mediocrity of the achievement of the great masses.

Great post. I'll not throw the first stone.

-Mark

@Mark(anonymous#2): I am glad you pointed out the health issue in addition to the rules issue involved with this. I wondered if steriods could be passed to either of her children and harm them, not to mention Marion Jones.

Professional athletes have access to the best health care and sports science in the world. Why risk your health putting something in your body you got from the ex-bass player for Tower of Power?(Victor Conte of BALCO)

One of the many Sunday editorials on this revelation referred to this as simply deception for money.

Who created this monster? The fans? The athletic shoe companies? The IOC?

I can't believe what is going on. I totally support Marion Jones because she did the right thing. She admitted, gave an apololgy, gave back the metals. She did the right thing and I'm proud of her. I was not a big fan of hers, but I am now. Hey everyone makes mistakes, but it's how we correct our mistakes is what counts. She should not hold her head down, she is a great example of what to do after you make a mistake. She had the guts to stand up and say she made a mistake, and as we have seen, there are not alot of people out there that could do that.
Marion, you rock.

Marion still be the best sprinter whatever they say.
Don't forget she has done a
lot of good, don't forget her kind deed.
Well- deserved success.
I remain a fan and I support you.

I made a mistake during my professional career in the services industry. Watching Marion's statement was like looking myself in the mirror. Time has passed by and yes, I learned from my mistake, and yes, accepting the consequences of my actions helped me move on with my life, I would love for her to know that there's people in the world that understand what she is going through support her. Marion keep your chin up, the worst part of the process is over.

Great post and excellent comments.

As a young woman, I was thrilled to watch Marion compete. I was excited, as an American woman, to see her win the medals. I was saddened by the allegations. I was disappointed by the truth. At the same time, however, I was proud of her, and amazed by her strength to come forth in her darkest hour with the truth. As a mother of two young children, I want my children to know that even when honesty may seem too miserable to bear, it is still the right choice. Let us look for the good in people, it is not hard to find in Marion. Marion, thank you, and hold your head high. As they say, "Well behaved women rarely make history." This is only a part of the Marion Jones story, and she has much life to live. What could be better, what could be worse. Having faced both, what more could she fear. I think we'll be seeing spectacular things from Marion in the future. She is a strong woman, an athlete conditioned to overcome adversity; a celebrity willing to publicly share her humility. Her capacity for greatness has barely been tapped. With experiences like this beneath her belt, I expect my children will look to Marion's life as great inspiration....as will the world.

my respect for Marion Jones has grown
ten fold...she admitted in front of the world that she made a terrible mistake..given back her medals...lost
everything...i believe she has been punished enough...and to give her a 6mths prison sentence on top is just
unfair...its not like she has committed murder...
i hope that when she comes out of prison she is giving the chance to get her life...everyone deserves a second chance....
keep strong and hold your head high
Marion you have nothing to be ashamed of...God bless you

Why is this young woman going to prison while we are always hearing about how this country is short of prisons? Reserve prison cells for violent criminals. Do they think Marion Jones might harm someone??? Let her do probation and community service. She has already surrendered her Olympic medals and suffered public humiliation. Enough already.

@Katy I agree with you. See my update post from today.

It is easy for everyone to stand on the sideline and critique Marion Jones for the use of steroids, however, the ones who are so quick to judge are the ones who have no idea what is entailed with track and field. I ran track against her years ago when I was part of West Valley Eagles, she was a woman of morals then and I think her to still be today. If anything, I find her to be more reputable and defined for having the strength to be honest and face the reality of all the ugliness we as society have to offer her. She has worked hard for her medals and deserves to stand by them. To her defense, I must say to all of you who think she got what she deserves or that being honest will be easier forgiven, you are absolutely foolish. She has made herself an easier target because she is a person with morals that out weigh the criticism from society. You give me a person who has honestly in one way or another done some form of performance enhancement and I will congratulate them. The truth of the matter is that there isn't someone out there who can say that and to all that are in the same boat don't have the balls to show their support but instead try to make a mockery of her to lessen any attention towards themselves. She might be guilty, but who isn't guilty of something. Ask that of yourselves before judging someone of integrity. As far as I am concerned, she will outstand anyone, not because of her physical strength but because of who she is and what she stands for.

I support Marion with all my heart. She came clean and didn't have to because they really couldn't make anything stick. She came clean because she is a stand up lady. Why do we choose to support atheletes like Barry bonds when we know he was doping and burn others like Marion at the steak. She has lost everything, not just money but the only job she ever loved and the support of the american people. And she knew this would happen and she still had the balls to admit her mistakes. Steriods was getting too much attention and someone had to go down so they chose Marion Jones as a scape goat. Why not Barry or Mark. She was wrong for doping but to keep it real a lot of top athletes are doing it and we all know that. Marion has already learned from her mistake and god will belss her again.

Marion has 8 days left to go. We all need to support her.To be real Marion did what everyone else was doing she just admitted it. She should have been able to keep the medals. So what she used steroids!!! SO THE F**K what!! did you see the people on the track this year shit they doing the same thing. Bolt ran so damn fast it looked like he was jogging. I bet he got "juiced" up but like I said so what. That's what they do in track and field. They all dope. It's just like bodybuilding they all on roids. I think it's different in the track world these drugs they are taking do have side effects but Conte had his shit togeather. They was on a regiment and by the doping calanders I have seen Conte was on point. 2 of the roids Marion was taking are currently being used in the medical filed HGH and insulin. and the EPO and Clear should be too. EOP gives you energy thats what people who have AIDS or cancer need. And the Clear should be given to diabetics because we all know it takes them longer to heal. If I know all this don't you think the government does? They are the ones who probably made the drugs and decided to test them on the athlets, something went wrong and they needed a scape goat. We know how our government has been running since bitch ass Bush got in office it's all a bunch of lies. Yall remember he owned a baseball team and that team name came up in the doping in baseball. Tell me his ass didn't know about it. Yea rite!! Then he has the nerve to not pardon marion. Yall need to wake up and look at the bigger picture.

MO from KANSAS