Dreams of diversity coming true

The San Francisco Chronicle ^

[Utah Girl]

America will see a lot of Vonetta Flowers over the next few weeks.

The first African American to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics will be on Letterman and Leno this week, and there's talk of a People magazine cover.

[First_Salute]

The author of this article is a bigot.

Setting that aside; the principle that young people see in the news, good examples of achievement, is a good one.

[hoot2]

you win....thats the perfect solution...
now can you get the u.s./u.n./u.s.o.c. to fund it for you?

[Utah Girl]

I did hear about Racine trying to recruit Flowers to her team after Gia Johnson hurt her hamstring. Racine has no one to blame but herself, she went for the gold, and lost everything...

[Utah Girl]

I think thats one of the main problems with black youth today, looking for role models in athletes.

I was thinking the same thing last night. I was reading an article about Jayson Williams turning himself in for the shooting at his home, and I thought that kids who look up to some NBA stars/athletes for their heroes can sure get steered wrong. It is too bad that some communities go for the glitzy role models, how many athletes make it to an elite level of competition? And they aren't encouraged to get their education either. It is a tragedy.

[goodnesswins]

"Endorsements? She shrugged. There are some possibilities, she said. "But, c'mon," she said. "I'm a speed skater. Nobody really cares about us except for the Olympics." That may change this time, if U.S. Olympic officials have anything to do with it."

Sounds to me like the Olympic officials are going to be trying a little SOCIALISM in the endorsement arena too - how nice.

[Utah Girl]

I do like what the USOC has done with companies to help out the athletes. Home Base pays athletes for 40 hours, they work 20 hours, and USOC picks up the rest of the tab. The athletes must work to help pay for their training, but then they have enough time to train. That is the only way I want to see those dollars spent, not giving a whole bunch of money to a few athletes in lieu of endorsements.