John,
Since you quote me in your piece let me point out your double speak.
About Ondieki:
You may have not been a big fan of the sport when Ondieki ran his 26:58 but I was. At the time it was absolutely shocking and also inexplicable. He had been on the Pro circuit for years and was very good, but he had done nothing to indicate he was capable of anything close to this type of barrier shattering performance. ........
Ands then you conclude: I am not saying he or anyone else specifically used drugs,....
So heres my question to you now: Just what exactly ARE you saying?
Now do you understand why I find this kind of talk boring and meaningless. You have just done what Weldon did, you write long winded crap about some mysterious "agent" providing drugs and other "African runners" taking them.
I read this nonsense and all I can think of is those lame stories in the National Enquirer and others who talk of "sources close to the star said blah blah blah.....". No difference at all.
Now I've said from the start that I am sure there are runners who cheat, but unlike you and your ilk, I dont claim to know exactly who they are and therefore I chose to shut up.
I also happen to believe that the vast majority of runners (both African and otherwise) work extremely hard at their sport and dont need the disservice of people like you, casting a question mark over every record and runner that you THINK may be tainted.
You also talk of a loss of fan support. Could it be people like you making false and misleading accusations that are keeping fans away? No one really cares (apparently) if everyone in the NFL is on drugs. It does matter in running and to the fans.
And finally, what Ive done to "silence free speech", I have no idea.
bob
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