Too big a slip to ignore

EUGENE, Ore. -- Straying off the track and into the gym for a minute, let's discuss Morgan Hamm's positive steroid test, announced today by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

He got only a warning, but he should be thrown off the team.

USA Gymnastics doesn't have the guts to do that because it would alienate Hamm's twin brother, Paul, and without a committed Paul Hamm the U.S. men's team won't go far in Beijing.

Sorry, but it's tough to believe the excuse that Morgan Hamm didn't know or forgot that he had to file paperwork with USA Gymnastics before getting the steroid injection. He's not a kid. He's trying to qualify for his third Olympic team. He has been through this before and has to have known that any drug he takes, even if given for a legitimate medical use, must be accounted for.

But he'll get a pass because the men's team needs his floor exercise scores. Would USA Gymnastics do the same if his last name weren't Hamm?

-- Helene Elliott

Comments

[Lorraine]

I know you're trying to manipulate your audience into agreeing with you by using the generic term steroid, but let's get specific.
Morgan Hamm had triamcinolone acetonide in his system. It is an anti-inflammatory and considered to be non performance enhancing. The wrestler Mike Zadick also tested positive for this substance and was given a public warning as well. Two other Olympic bound athletes, Rebekkah Brunson (basketball) and Ryanne DuPree (track and field) tested positive for salbutamol, an inhaler for asthmatic-type symptoms that is also non performance enhancing, and were given warnings as well. Should Zadick, Brunson, and DuPree be thrown off of their respective teams as well?
dditionally, current therapeutic rules were put into place as of January 1, 2005. You'll recall that the Hamms took a two year break from the sport following the 2004 Olympics. It's understandable that they may not have been as familiar with the new rules as you would expect.
Still, it is the fault of Hamm and his coach, Miles Avery for not filing the paper work on time. But since it's simply an issue of paperwork, I think a public warning is fair enough.

[Melanie Sansom]

Morgan Hamm should be kicked off. He didn't even deserve to be there in the first place.

[Tara]

"Would USA Gymnastics do the same if his last name weren't Hamm?"
I don't know. Would you have said the same things if you were speaking to a USAG official or a Hamm brother?

You don't know the circumstances. Honestly, I don't know how it happened that Morgan forgot. Is it even possible that he was in -- gasp -- pain and just wanted to relieve it? Is it possible that he wasn't cheating just because his last name is Hamm? Could it be an innocent mistake? Is there the slightest chance that you just don't like the Hamm brothers (do I sense some resentment?) and that influences your opinion?

Just like a Tootsie pop, the world may never know.

[Shawna]

This kind of article is totally out of line and unnecessary. The poor guy make a mistake. Would the author of this article have written it if his last name weren't Hamm? Probably not. The fact of who his brother is or that he has high scores has nothing to do with the situation. This writer has no right to pass judgment that someone should be kicked off a team, particularly when the three governing bodies involved have not taken that stand.

If the USADA had felt it was warranted, they would have taken additional action. USA Gymnastics has no reason to kick him off the team if the USADA didn't feel it was necessary. The United States Olympic Committee has not made any indications that this is the case, either.

It's more than obvious that the writer feels that Morgan should not have been named to the team to begin with, a fact that reveals her ignorance of the sport. The Hamms have been two of the biggest role models for doing everything right in the sport. Sure, he should have filled out the paperwork. He was also more than a little distracted, though. Everyone seems to have forgotten that he's also coming back from an injury that tore a chest muscle off of the bone! He's in the middle of planning a wedding. He's been doing interviews like crazy to promote the Right To Play Program. Plus, there's all the hullabulloo surrounding his roommate. Most interviewers have spent more time lately asking him about how his brother is doing than himself. Give the guy a break. His coach and his brother didn't remember the paperwork, either.

I get the drift that this writer would say that Andreea Raducan deserved to be stripped of her gold medal, too.

[Tide32]

It's not like the substance he got injected with is a banned substance. This isn't the same type of steroids many of the professional athletes have been on trial for recently. It's not a performance enhancing drug. He failed to turn in the correct forms when getting the injection which is why he only got a warning. The reporter should have been a little more detailed in their article here. They wouldn't be kicking anyone else off the team for the same thing. Stop trying to create more drama by saying he'd be kicked off if his name wasn't Hamm.

[Tide32]

It's not like the substance he got injected with is a banned substance. This isn't the same type of steroids many of the professional athletes have been on trial for recently. It's not a performance enhancing drug. He failed to turn in the correct forms when getting the injection which is why he only got a warning. The reporter should have been a little more detailed in their article here. They wouldn't be kicking anyone else off the team for the same thing. Stop trying to create more drama by saying he'd be kicked off if his name wasn't Hamm.

[Jen]

Obviously, you haven't looked into the facts. The drug Morgan tested positive for was an anti-inflammatory drug that is considered non performance enhancing.

A wrestler, Mike Zadick, also tested positive for this drug and was also given a public warning by the USADA. Two other athletes, a female basketball player and a female track and field participant, also tested positive for a drug similar to Hamm's and Zadick's - non performance enhancing, but requiring paper work - and were given public warnings as well.

In the past Kathy Johnson tested positive for ginseng before the 1984 Games, which was a banned substance back then. USAG did not remove her from the team. In more recent years, Jason Gatson and Sean Townsend tested positive for marijuana. They too received warnings, but were not removed from the team.

Therefore, Hamm is not receiving preferential treatment because of his last name or the fact that his brother is the reigning Olympic champion. It is based on precedent.

[Margarie Jones]

Is Hamm a habitual drug seeker? Was he trying to cover it up?????? CHEATER!!!!!!!!!!!

[anonymous]

this article is completely ridiculous and the writer should be on probation of some sort. he did not take a illegal or banned substance. he got a warning because of a stupid technicality of not signing forms, it has nothing to do with what he did in and of itself. this should pass quickly and then he'll do great at the games. the team needs him for his gymnastics and experience.

[sam]

This is probably the stupidest, most uninformed commentary I've seen yet regarding the 2008 men's gymnastics team.

I won't make excuses for Morgan Hamm - he should have filled out the paperwork, even if the drug is an anti-inflammatory and not a performance enhancer. It was a paperwork error, not a doping error. Are you seriously suggesting we throw him off the team over a paperwork error?

But what's REALLY ignorant and uninformed about your commentary is the suggestion that Morgan is only on the team because of Paul. That's the most tired, lame, unsupported and unsupportable contention flying around the internet. For one thing, Hamm is hardly the name of some pedigreed gymnastics dynasty with generations invested in the sport, like, say, Artemev or Tomita. Nor is it even that remarkable that both Hamms made their third team -- Blaine Wilson, Bart Connor and John Rothlisberger did the same thing way before the Hamms and probably some others did too; Alfred Jochom made four teams. Morgan's scores, experience, track record -- and the team's very obvious need for somebody who can reliably generate a decent pommel horse score without a 75% chance of falling off it -- document the real reasons Morgan was named to the team. Paul has nothing to do with it, although all the haters and uninformed bloggers who pay attention to gymnastics once every four years want to believe otherwise. Morgan deserves the spot based on his own merit.

Did you hear the Williams sisters BOTH made the Wimbledon semi-finals? Yeah, Venus only made it because of Serena. Riiiiiiiiight. Got nothing to do with who actually scored highest and plays a role in winning, does it?

Apparently the LA Times will give any idiot a blog.

[drnoe]

It's time to get real about this. Enough about Morgan being placed on the team to placate Paul. Morgan deserves to be on the team, period. By the time the Olympics start, Morgan will be completely healthy. Right now, he is probably the 2nd or 3rd best all-around performer on the team. He gives the team strength on floor, pommel and vault. It is clearly obvious that Morgan didn't inject the corticosteroid to enhance his performance. His "punishment" is the erasure of his VISA scores. That's good enough. It's time to allow Morgan to concentrate on Beijing, rather than have him worry about whether or not he'll even get to go.

[michael sussman`]

Morgan has no business being on the team for performance alone. When you conaider he is cheating, this is hardly what the usa needs. This was not the first time this happened. last olympics they put two drug addicts on the team. how about having a drug free olympic team. Thank god Morgan is not a cyclist........only a drug addict competing in gymnastics.....otherwise his olympics would already be finished.

[Tyson Seburn]

Anyone who considers any of those athletes "drug addicts" is ignorant. Do you even know what addict means? LOL

[Natasha]

Yes, they would have given a public warning even if his name wasn't Hamm. They treated Blaine Wilson much the same over the years even though he never medalled the way they had hoped he would. If you've proven yourself and make a slip like forgetting to file paperwork then yes they do make exceptions and give warnings. Also, like plenty of people have said it was an anti-inflammatory and not a banned substance. Seems like you are making a mountain out of a mole hill. It might help to report the actual facts instead of just trying to incite anger in people who have a short fuse to begin with.

Morgan got what he deserved by having his day two scores nullified. He is an asset to this team and they do need him. I don't believe it is to placate Paul either. That is just insulting to Morgan and Paul both but mostly to Morgan. He's an athlete in his own right and not just "Paul's twin". He earned his spot by being consistent on events the USA needs him on. We just will not know for sure why the paperwork was late in being submitted. It's all politics at this point.

[Ben Dresner]

So here's my beef: Paul Hamm won his gold on a technicality...that is, it technically belonged to the South Korean, who scored higher, but due to a judging error, he was placed third. Many thought Paul Hamm should have given his gold to the Korean, but Hamm and Co. argued that the Korean didn't file the proper paperwork on time, so he should be denied his gold (which the International Gymnastics federation agreed with...you don't file paperwork correctly, you don't get your due). Now, Paul's brother Morgan is on the hot seat for not filing paperwork, and Hamm and Co. are arguing that it's no big deal, it's just paperwork...it just seems very hypocritical. I do feel sorry for Morgan though, as I felt sorry for the South Korean four years ago.

[Michelle Baker]

The ONLY reason he should NOT be removed from the team is this: if it weren't for paperwork mistakes, it would have been ACCEPTED.

Furthermore, his Nationals scores from Day 2 were nullified, but that should NOT affect his standing on the team - his scores were good, not with any advantage, and would STILL be accepted had a form been filled out.

I was AT the Olympic Trials. I've followed this guy for years. Should he have known about the form? Obviously. Did he? I don't know. But the fact that this would have been okay if a paper had been signed means that he's had his warning - and is sticking out in a HUGE, negative way in a sport that doesn't see things like this - means that his scores ARE accurate. And if he is removed from the team, we are settling for LESS than our best in Beijing!!!

The other guys at Trials were wonderful - they wouldn't have been there if not. However, the TV coverage does NOT show the whole picture, they BARELY covered the Men's events, and I saw those alternates perform consistently BUT their best clearly wasn't up to par.

[Amanda]

I just want to add that anyone who has followed the Hamm's on their progress to the Olympics via their website know they've been very dedicated to this since they decided to make their comeback. Morgan has had trouble with this ankle from early on. There's a video from when he first injured it on their website. I think he honestly was in the mindset he just wanted to be able to perform to make the team. He wasn't "Doping." He wanted to forget the pain and just do what he does. Add that to the fact that the only thing on his mind was his routines and how he could stick everything. The doctor that gave him the shot should have had the paperwork (assuming the doctor is an althetic one), or reminded of the paperwork....if not that, the coach should have been there. And as someone mentioned before, the Hamms put gymnastics on the backburner for two years and might have not been familiar with all the changes.

If you watch the videos on the Hamm's site, you can see the dedication. Even after the ankle and the chest injuries, Morgan got out there and did everything he could to be in shape. Why would he risk the Olympics on purpose by "cheating?" And for those who think it isn't fair and that he should be kicked off the team. What about athletes that use a fast acting steroid inhaler? Should they be kicked out of the Olympics because they aren't drug free?

[Amanda]

I think many people should hear Morgan's side of the story.

http://www.makingtheolympics.com/videos/response.html

[Gold Mettle]

I can't believe all the people who still don't get why paul hamm was the true olympic champion. You know what's bad sportsmanship? Crying that your start value was too low AFTER THE COMPETITION IS OVER and you've ALREADY LOST -- which is exactly what the Korean did.

Imagine that during the world series, the 7th inning ends when a Rockies batter strikes out. Then after the game is already over and the Sox have already won, the Rockies start crying that the 7th-inning strikeout was a bad call and that the called third strike was actually a ball and not a strike, and the video shows that indeed, it was a ball.

Does that mean that the Sox aren't the true and rightful winners of the World Series and that they selfishly and unfairly stole the title and hold it based on a technicality? Apparently a lot of people think so, because that's exactly what happened with Paul Hamm and Yang Tae Yung.

It's amazing how 4 years later so many people don't get that and insist on trashing Paul Hamm and saying he wasn't the rightful winner, even though he got the highest score and played by the rules.