Jessica Hardy has removed her name from the US Olympic team

Associated Press: "...The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced Hardy's decision Friday, saying she did so "in the best interests of the team. ..." [Link]

Now that she has removed herself from the team and will not appeal her removal, what happens to the alternates? This whole episode has been a definitive fiasco in planning by both US Swimming and the US Olympic committee.

A deal must have been struck. I am NOT saying that Hardy is dirty; that is for WADA and USADA to judge, I just have a strong suspicion that a lot of people really want this to episode to go away and to do so quickly. Now, Jessica Hardy has provided an out.

After reading this from Bloomberg, this sort of smells like the deal to me: "...Hardy didn't contest the laboratory findings and was granted additional time by an American Arbitration Association panel to investigate possible causes of her positive test. While she received a two-year ban from competition, Hardy will be permitted to come back to the AAA panel to present evidence which could reduce her period of ineligibility, USADA said. ..." [Link]

One has to ask how culpable USADA/USA Swimming are for this Olympic team mess-up!

I spoke with someone close to this situation by email this morning and they filled me into the missed details by the two organizations that are suppose to serve the athletes.

On July 21st the IOC required an Olympic team roster from USA Swimming. Yesterday, three days past that deadline it was leaked that Jessica Hardy had tested positive for a banned substance. (Newsweek reported that it may have been a stimulant which could be as simple as an antihistamine or something more insidious as meth.)

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) performed the test and obviously notified USA Swimming before the July 21st deadline. One would think that either USA Swimming would have pushed USADA to deliver results well before they had to declare a de facto team or that USA Swimming would have scheduled Olympic Trials earlier enough to ensure that all their athletes rights would be respected.

In project management textbooks they talk of deliverables and milestones that should signed off and closely managed. I didn't see that here.

From USA Swimming's perceived "secret deals" with the Wasserman Media Group (WMG), the accusations from TYR that USA Swimming is engaging in anti-trust tactics with Speedo, and the bullying of Floswimming. One has to wonder who is running the shop there!

'ESPN Sports Center Guy' goes after Dara Torres - Makes Gary Hall seem meek!

Pat Forde, is a highly paid, and an opinionated ass for ESPN. Forde has written an article critical of Dara Torres aggressively asserting his opinion that Torres is guilty of doping because her results are so extraordinary. His accusations therein are all conjecture, insults and contain no rational argument whatsoever.

Now, Scott of the Canuck Swimmer wrote critical articles of Dara Torres but in every single article he illustrated and referenced how he arrived at his opinion. This way you could agree or disagree. This ESPN guy doesn't! Instead he just shouts accusations and opinions. Quite frankly, I am astonished that they actually pay this guy?!

Here is a snippet from his rant: "... According to the report, Tygart; [USADA Official], has yet to release any of Torres' results, but she told reporters here at the trials this week that she has been randomly tested "probably about 12 to 15 times since March."

But locking up a stunning fifth Olympic appearance on the Fourth of July by winning the 100-meter freestyle makes me wonder whether too good to be true is the same thing as too good to be clean. ..." [Link]

Note that he didn't end that sentence with a question mark.

You know what? Even Gary Hall trusts Dara Torres!!!

Major League Baseball, the NFL, NBA and NHL will join forces with the United States Olympic Committee to combat doping! - Oh Really?

Well, there went my faith in the USOC as an organization dedicated to rooting out doping! This quote disturbed me most: "... As the initial founding partners, the USOC, USADA, MLB and NFL have collectively committed to contribute $10 million to the project. Each founding partner will have one representative on the board of governors, which will oversee the research. ..." [Link]

Hello? Didn't they try a similar arrangement in Las Vegas during the 1950's when the mafia had at least one representative on the board of governors at each casino so as to keep both the gamblers and the casinos honest?

Like the Mafia, the NHL, the NFL, and the MLB, they will look out for their interests only and not those who are interested in eliminating doping all together. As board members they will stall, threaten to eliminate funding, and forewarn any and all zillion-dollar athletes who generate kajillion-zillion-dollars for the league that they are suspect.

FACT: The MLB and NFL have had widespread doping for the last half-century and they knew it. NFL doping reference: [Link] MLB doping reference: [Link]

Above is before-and-after photos of Barry Bonds post his Balco make-over