9903200132
DETROIT FREE PRESS
990321
Sunday, March 21, 1999
METRO FINAL
1H
MITCH ALBOM
Copyright (c) 1999, Detroit Free Press
WHY WE CAN'T TRUST OLYMPICS ANYMORE
"The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted the spoons."
-- Emerson
The people who run the Olympics have been caught with their hands in the
cookie jar.
Inside are goodies such as free trips, jobs for children, college scholarships
and an old favorite, cash.
These goodies were offered by cities hoping to host the Olympic Games. Since
the Games and all their tourism dollars come only once every two years, you
can see how, as the competition swelled, so did the pot.
And the Olympic people helped themselves. Again and again. Some really went
overboard. One African representative reportedly showered his family with a
half-dozen trips, tickets to sporting events and a shopping spree on someone
else's credit card.
Yet when the secret got out, suddenly, they were all innocent. They arrived at
a hearing last week with lawyers, papers and explanations. Things got hot. One
vice president named Un Yong Kim -- accused of using his Olympic influence to
garner concert dates around the world for his piano-playing daughter -- got
into an argument and dropped into a martial arts stance, hands up, legs bent.
Ayyyyyyyyuhhhhh!
The Olympic Games. Let us go, or we karate chop your head.
A vote for corruption
When the smoke cleared from this "crackdown" on corruption, the International
Olympic Committee (translation: how much you got?) expelled six of its
members. Six. Total. Out of more than 100. And the one guy who was completely
untouched? The president, Juan Antonio Samaranch.
In fact, he got a vote of confidence: 86-2. This, of course, came from the
members, most of whom Samaranch appointed to their lifetime terms.
While we're at it, why don't we let Bill Gates' family decide whether
Microsoft is a monopoly?
Here is a truism of sports: When scandals and corruption go on for long
periods, the guy in charge knows about it. And Samaranch not only knew about
all this beak-wetting, he openly participates in it, taking first-class
treatment wherever he goes, accepting expensive gifts, even demanding people
call him "Your excellency" although the only thing I can see he is excellent
at is lying.
Here is the extent of his delusion. Samaranch, 78, reminds anyone within
earshot that he is "an unpaid president." He doesn't mention that last year
alone he received $204,000 for living expenses in Lausanne, Switzerland. If
those are the wages of volunteerism, we'd all like to sign up.
But here's the shame of all this. That there is no shame. That people like
Samaranch, pounding his chest over his swift justice, refuse to acknowledge
the damage they do to a lofty institution. It is the damage of broken trust.
And it is irreparable.
America's loss of faith
Certain institutions are more than bodies and buildings. The Olympics, for
example, are about an ideal. The world coming together, in fair competition.
In the interest of that fairness, over the years, amateurism was the code.
Athletes were prohibited from taking a penny for their skills. Many suffered
terribly for this. Some, like Jim Thorpe, were stripped of medals when the
slightest violation -- no matter how far in the past -- was discovered.
Same went for drugs. Blood doping. Even certain cold medicines. Gold medalists
were uncrowned because, as we were told, the Olympics must adhere to the
highest standards of fair, unbiased competition. No special treatment.
So can't Samaranch see the hypocrisy of his actions? When you have athletes
following airtight rules and officials stuffing their pockets, how can people
believe in the Olympics?
They can't. Which is why Samaranch should have resigned the minute this
scandal became real. But he didn't. He doesn't think he has to. He has been
running the show for so long, 18 years, he seems to think he's one of the five
Olympic rings.
But by staying in office, denying accountability, he destroys the very
reverence of his position. The same thing happened with Bill Clinton and the
presidency. They both lowered the bar.
Which is why we no longer trust judges, presidents, cops, even some religious
leaders -- all positions that once automatically inspired respect.
Now add the Olympics to that list. Just another thing we can't believe in.
It's funny. Samaranch keeps insisting that the Games are bigger than the
actions of certain members. But to prove that, he must accept that they also
are bigger than he is.
Somehow, that cookie keeps escaping his grasp.
To leave a message for Mitch Albom, call 1-313-223-4581.
THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION MAY DIFFER SLIGHTLY FROM THE PRINTED ARTICLE.
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