Them's the Rules

As I have proclaimed on more than one occasion I LOVE the Olympics! It is an enduring fantasy of mine to be an Olympian, to raise an Olympian.. shoot to know an Olympian.. I love everything about the Olympics including the glaring mistakes that have created legends..

What I don't understand is how people can compete in something, then get upset because the rules don't suit them. Oh sure, there are things that should be changed but you can't be whining about it during the competition.. at least not during the competition when the rules don't favor you.

I am speaking of course of Jordan Weiber's coach.. NOT Jordan Weiber, while she was clearly devastated she was a wonderful good sport supporting her team mate when obviously all she wanted to do was crawl into a hole and cry.

For those of you who don't know.. Jordan Weiber was the favored going into the Olympics, to win the women's all round gymnastics gold medal. Sadly, due to a rather interesting rule, she didn't make the cut. Gymnastics rules say only two members from each team can go into the all round competition. Jordan came in third for the US.. which would be upsetting but not cause such an uproar had she not had the FOURTH best score over all.. I can hear the wheels spinning now.. she was robbed.. she should be in. Well she wasn't robbed she was outdone. Her team mates put in a better performance. She made critical mistakes and yes she was probably underscored. Sadly, that too is gymnastics. At first I felt pretty bad for her and yes felt she was robbed. Then I started listening..

Jordan was a class act.. she congratulated her team mates.. said all the right things when her heart must have been breaking but she still showed an impeccable sense of sportsmanship.

The rules are not new ones.. they have been in effect for a while.

Other sports have similar rules, just think in swimming only two people from each country can make it onto the Olympic team. Same things right? Well not exactly, once they get here both get to compete for a chance at winning the gold..

The thing is it's devastating.. but how would everyone be reacting if Jordan had won the place to compete and Aly had not? Would everyone be saying poor Aly? Or would they say.. sure just what we expected? Would Aly have been "robbed" under the exact same circumstances? I don't think so..

I hate whiners.. there are rules, accept them or don't play the sport.

Again this is not about Jordan Weiber, she was a classy young lady and I can only hope that my children would behave similarly. But those who are shouting foul need to shut up!