Still A Champion (Despite The Actions of a Cheater)

Sprinter.

Hurdler.

State champion.

National champion.

Hall of famer.

Olympic gold metalist.

Until last week, LaTasha Colander was all of these. She won a gold metal in the 4X400 Meter Relay at the Sydney Olympics of 2000. And she was fast. She was always fast as long as I knew her. We weren't friends in the traditional sense. We had common friends at Wilson High, but we rarely came across each other in the halls. She was a year ahead of me as well. But my school and my city was proud of her and her efforts. In 2000, the city gave here a homecoming parade to celebrate her Olympic victory. My then three-year old cousin even posed with her and wore the gold metal around his neck (I would have shared this photo with you, but some bastard stole my photography portfolio, which included the photo AND the negatives, that semester). It was a proud moment for Woodrow Wilson High School (where Perry Ellis held his first ever fashion show and where Missy Elliott first performed) and a grander moment for Portsmouth, VA, which had began its transformation into a world-class city.

Last week's announcement from Marion Jones stating she had used steroids during the Sydney games came as a shock to a lot of people. The International Olympic Committee's decision to strip her of her metals also came as no surprise. However, one of those metals that was stripped from her was the one she won for the 4X400 M Relay.

The one that Tasha won.

Needless to say, this decision has been frustrating to me, not just because I know Tasha, but because the actions of one will affect two other deserving athletes as well. My love for Marion Jones wasn't tarnished from last week's announcement. No, that occurred during the Athens games in 2004 when I felt she purposely dropped the baton in the 4X400 M relay. Tasha was a part of that team as well.

I don't know if she'll compete next year in China, which is a shame. After a stellar high-school and collegiate career, Latasha Colander has done what so many had dreamed of. It's unfair that the act of one will cost others their metals as well. Regardless, she'll still be a champion to me.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MeTV TOONS: A Few Pre-Launch Thoughts

Image
  On June 25, 2024, Weigel Broadcasting and Warner Bros Discovery are launching MeTV TOONS, an over-the-air broadcast network devoted to classic animation featuring the best of the best.  You'll have the usual suspects from the Warrner Bros library including Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, Top Cat, The Jetsons, The Smurfs, Jonny Quest, and Wacky Races .  You'll also find some shows that rarely get the airplay or shine from the studio like Silverhawks, Police Academy, Challenge of the Go-Bots, The Mask, and Beetlejuice and surprising shows like Freakazoid. In addition, you'll have some popular shows from other studios like Woody Woodpecker, Betty Boop, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Underdog, Speed Racer, Thunderbirds, and The Real Ghostbusters. With a lot of support from historians like Jerry Beck and talent like Bob Bergen, MeTV TOONS is a dream come true for older classic animation fans who felt abandoned by kid-sk
Read more

Let's Ride This FAST Car... toon Network Concept (Part 2)

Image
Three channels. That's all the Cartoon Network brand needs to expand into FAST media. Three channels. Why three? Because with nearly 30 years of original programming, you can't put it all in one place. That's why you don't see much of the library on television nowadays. Cartoon Network itself has a limited lineup, and they're hyper-focused on the younger demographics and push more modern shows. They tried to put some of the older CN library on Boomerang, but it was buried in late-night slots.  Plus, most major TV markets don't have Boomerang on their cable lineup. You'd think they'd try to get wider distribution deals, but I think Time Warner just gave up more than a decade ago. And yeah, I put the blame on Time Warner.  Not AT&T and WarnerMedia. Not Warner Bros Discovery. Hell, not even AOL Time Warner.  I'm putting much of Boomerang's lack of carriage on Time Warner. But I digress. With the Checkered Past block on Adult Swim, some of the ol
Read more

What to Do with WBD's Networks?

 If you've followed Thoughtnami over the past 20 years, thank you for your patronage and your support . It's so great to be back writing posts like this after all of these years. It feels more natural and less constrictive than tweets and occasional posts across social media. You also know that when it comes to one particularly Hollywood media company, I have a love-hate relationship with them. And that studio has had many names during the course of those two decades. AOL Time Warner.  Time Warner. WarnerMedia. Warner Bros Discovery. And they've all been called "the most poorly run media company" by me throughout those two decades. Now, granted, I may be a little hyperbolic with that statement. They're really not the most poorly run media company (looking at you both, Paramount Global and Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment), but considering the two years the current management team of David Zaslav (President and CEO), Gunnar Wiedenfels (Chief Financial O
Read more