Fresh out of jail Marion Jones looked ready to sprint to a better image, when she told Oprah Winfrey that she had no knowledge of what she was putting in her body. What she thought to be flax seed oil was really a banned steroid supplement. As it seemed, six months in jail didn’t hurt the prolific runner’s mind set… on the contrary it seemed to make her more focused, and ready to answer any question. As she acknowledged the fact that she unknowingly took performance enhancing drugs, she also proclaimed that even without the banned supplement, she would have won her races in Sydney. I’m very inclined to believe her, she had the opportunity to pull a Canseco ( that is where you snitch on and blame everyone except yourself for your problems) yet she stood tall and took responsibility for had happened. In an Era where blaming anyone and everyone seems to be a trend, Marion Jones rose above the ridicule and criticism. Our former “Golden Girl” has made her first strides towards reclaiming her rightful place on the upper echelon of sport figures. With two years of probation ahead of her, she realizes it is her punishment and she earned her fate.
This punishment stems from Marion Jones’ false statements, a few lies to Federal Agents, and to our Government. But this seems harsh coming from members of this country’s government where lies are considered business as usual. I hear at least 10 lies a day in the form of President Candidates’ commercials, they say they are going to change this and that, yet when none of this happens neither Candidate gets six months in jail followed by two years probation. She wholeheartedly went to the Olympics believing that her only advantage over her competition were her stellar skills, she felt nothing else was needed to compete at the level she did there. Even after all her wins there, it didn’t feel abnormal because she had worked hard and doing so paid off. It wasn’t until she sat across the table from Federal Agents, with a bottle of clear liquid, which she had known Flax seed Oil, did it dawn on her that she may have taken an illegal substance. The only one to dispute this point was Victor Conte, another very trustworthy ( if you believe this I will tell you another) member of society. Who, after all the trouble he caused in the steroid community, he decided to plead to the non-steroid using community to find compassion. We need to feel bad for the man that distributed illegal supplements, not his victims.
Why is this? Why is it so hard to take the blame for what you did like what we saw today watching this interview.
THG didn’t make Marion Jones the unstoppable sprinter she became, her hard work and dedication did. And though they erased her efforts from 2000 – today, to those of us who watched the grace and speed she displayed on the track, we know it happened, and it happen in dynamic fashion. To hell with the record books that ignore her accomplishments, I saw the races, and that is more real then the books could ever explain.
Finally, as far as I’m concerned the only thing wrong she did was trust her coach too much. To say the punishment was fitting to the crime is wrong, to ruin her life and reputation is the real punishment and that won’t be recovered two years from now when her probation ends. I think she deserves all of the above back, including her medals… but I know that’s as likely as Jose Canseco taking responsibility for himself ( I won’t hold my breath), and this my friends IS the ultimate price to pay.