Philip Hersh: Marion Jones sings the same old song to Oprah

CHICAGO -- Marion Jones may have learned that lies led to her spending six months in prison.

But she apparently still hasn’t learned to face up to the entire truth about her use of performance-enhancing drugs.

That was evident in the post-prison interview Jones gave to Oprah Winfrey last week that aired today. The show was devoted entirely to the interview, during which Jones broke into tears three times.

Jones continued to insist she was unaware that she was being given a performance-enhancing drug by her coach, Trevor Graham, and that she never questioned the nature of the substance he gave her. "I thought I was taking a supplement," she said. " ... Never knowingly did I take performance enhancing drugs."

Sorry, Marion, but it is hard to buy that.

You are an intelligent woman. You were nearly 25 years old when you won five medals (three gold) at the Olympics in 2000, the year when you said Graham first gave you a

substance later identified as the steroid, tetrahydrogestrinone (THG), known as "The Clear."

And now you want us to believe that you were responsible only for "not being more careful with the people I associated with and not questioning people more?"

Maybe, Marion, the problem is you have become something of a pathological liar.

You lied to federal investigators about use of performance-enhancing drugs.

You lied to federal investigators about your role in a money-laundering scheme.

Now you want us to believe that you were totally unaware of what was going into your body after years of competing at a level where one failed drug test could end your career?

"I thought everyone on that track [in Sydney] was drug-free, including myself," Jones told Oprah.

Prosecutors filed a memorandum saying Jones used more drugs than she admitted to.

The federal judge who sentenced Jones clearly did not buy her defense of ignorance about using THG.

Neither should anyone else.

The only thing Jones still admits to is making a bad choice by lying. She ascribed her bad choices to a combination of naivete and, as she told Oprah, "childhood trauma."

She apologized to the relay teammates who lost their medals because of her lies -- but not her doping -- saying she never intended to harm any of them.

"I apologize for my actions to lie to federal prosecutors and I apologize for having to put everybody through all of this," she said.

Oprah asked if she felt the effects of the THG.

"Yes and no," Jones said. "There were moments I felt I had more energy on the track."

Oprah asked if Jones wondered whether she had won because of the drug.

"There are moments I will go through the races in my mind and ask myself, 'If you hadn’t been given The Clear, do you think you would have won or ran fast?' I usually answer yes. I still think I would have won but just the fact there is question mark, to me it is not fair for anyone I ran against or the women I ran with on the relays."

At one point in the interview, Jones said the medals stripped from her were "just hardware," that the real loss is in the memories that have been tarnished for her and her family. Later, she said, "To have to give up my gold medals is horrible."

In the end, after Jones tearfully read a letter that she had sent from prison to her children, Jones explained her lying owed to a lack of self-respect.

"I didn't love myself enough to tell the truth.  I have hidden behind my obvious talent for much of my life for fear that the weak, sad, hurt and vulnerable Marion would emerge and ruin the plan for my life.'' *

Jones said people now would have to accept her as Marion Jones the person, not Marion Jones the athlete.

Marion Jones the athlete turned out to be a fraud.   

-- Philip Hersh

*A more complete version of this quote was inserted at 12:30 p.m.

Photo: Former Olympic medalist Marion Jones with Oprah Winfrey during taping of the "The Oprah Winfrey Show."  Credit: Harpo Productions Inc.

Comments

[Dinah]

So much for impartiality of the media or journalisitc integrity. Mr. Hersh, while going over board in questioning the integrity of someone who has "done the crime and the time" you revealed your own lack of journalistic integrity by sounding as biased as one who had been stripped of a gold medal due to Marion Jones' lie of omission. Marion Jones has done her time and deserves a fresh start as Marion Jones the person.

[Mark]

I agree that Jones' story seems very suspect. On one hand she claims that she believed she was taking sublingual flax seed oil, yet, on being shown "the clear" by the feds, she immediately realized what she had actually been taking. Why wouldn't she have simply said, "I took something that looked just like that, but I believed it was flax seed oil?" Clearly, her rationale is not fully rational.

The truly sad part of this story is that a full disclosure at this point in her life my still salvage her persona as a role model. Yet, something prevents her from giving a full disclosure. Perhaps, one day, when she's ready to tell all, there will still be time for this woman to redeem herself as a person worthy of our attention. In the meantime, she just comes across as someone who still believes she can manipulate us with a smile.

[sam]

It is a shame that she did not say more about the fellow relay members that have had thier memories tarnished..You have hurt them more than your family and taken away thier future and a place in Olympic history. What do they say to thier families and kids? They did nothing wrong and you stole a part of thier life. On the Oprah show you just glanced or mentioned them in passing. You need to be forgotten and the members of the relay team need to sue you for everything you have done to them. And in your interview, you mentioned time to move on. Yes,,but your teammates paid the price for your deceit..You need to pay them the millions you got paid...Then maybe you will be really sorry for what you did...

[Grace Red]

i believe her

[Steelonsteel1]

Mr. Hersh you are a jerk. It is easy to to hide behind a pen and column to attack people. I'm sure you would be more considerate if everyone knew about the skeletons in your closet. Perhaps Ms. Jones should have taken the Mark Mcgwire route and just not admit or even answer questions concerning her use of performance enhancing drugs in her career. Unfortunately, even in sports, all Americans aren't afforded equal opportunities as other privileged people of persuasion.

[Bill Perry Jr.]

Phil. I saw the interview and I think you are right, but your holier than thou attitude sucks. You say she "apparently hasn't learned to face up to the entire truth" as though you know the entire truth. If you know the entire truth, and can prove it, why don't you write about your proof. Right now your column sounds like a big speculation, like you're trying to lead readers to believe that you know something special. Marion doesn't tell the truth, and you don't know anything special. Do you?

[Paula Fricatrice]

I think Philip Hersh the columnist turned out to be the fraud

[Michael Aldridge]

The fact is, the fact, Mr. Hersh is that you do not know how truthful or not Marion Jones was in her interview with Oprah.
If you are an op-ed writer, you may feel it is in your job description to slam and damn when you feel like it. If you describe yourself as a reporter, then you have no right to insert your opinion into any story.
Whatever your job, the glee with which you race across whatever is left of Jones' dignity is beneath contempt.
Americans do delight in watching someone's humiliation, as witnessed by the roaring success of "reality" TV.
Aiming high is scarier today than it has ever been in this country; there are throngs just waiting for a downfall.
I hope you never make a mistake that dogs you your whole life, Mr. Hersh. It simply is not fair to anyone but a career criminal.

[divided]

I also saw this interview today and i think Oprah asked some great questions and didn't let her 'off the hook' easy but I also appreciated that it was not a grilling. This woman went to jail and admits her mistakes, can't anyone have a second shot at redemption? She's not running anymore, she has been stripped of her accomplishments so why feed on more doubts and negative feelings towards her? Let the woman be and be forgotten so she can lead a normal life. And since his is a forum Mr. Hersh, your entitled to your opinion like all of us, but going on with the negative always seems easier in today's sensationalist media.

[David Pugh Jr]

God Bless You Marion, keep your head up. When God has your back, does it really matter about everyone else?

[james]

she made millions as a fraud...
never gave it back
totally destroyed her teammates...
doesn't care
selfish, narcisstic woman who crys, has Oprah redeem
her because she is black and idiots here say .... oh, she
said she is sorry so lets forgive her...
selfish, narcisstic liar

[Chicky]

She took personal responsibility. That is good enough for me. Most people BLAME everyone else. Even when asked if she felt the sentence was correct, she said that she had no one else to blame but herself. Yes, she didn't want to go to prison, but she didn't blame anyone for sending her there. I have HUGE amounts of respect for that. People will always judge her for being a liar. I say she needs to be judged for the person that she is NOW. She doesn't have any reason to continue to lie. She's already had everything stripped from her. I think she learned a life long lesson from this, and hopefully, so will others.

[Lee]

Phil....

My wife and I watched the same show you did! Came to the exact same conclusion as you. She appears to be a pathological liar. You were NOT off the mark in your column.

Why she wouldnt come clean, say I cheated .....took performance enhancing drugs and got caught, is beyond me. Bad interview... she truly showed lack of character and absolutely no responsibilty for her actions.

I am surprised how you are getting 'beat up' by some of these comments. There are some that still think O.J. is innocent.... Barry Bonds and Mark McGuire never took steroids and there is no housing bubble!

[jimstar]

Thank you, Mr. Hersh for telling it like it is!! I don't think 6 mos. was enough time considering all the damage she did to her family and her teamates. I'm surprised that Oprah will invite a criminal to be on her show but would not invite the Governor of Alaska. I think this says a lot about Oprah. As for Marion Jones being a role model, someone is kidding, right?

[Brent Lock]

After watching the interview on the Oprah show, I decided to do some research on Marion Jones.
Her first husband was disgraced during the Sydney olympics for failing drug tests for Nandrolone ( he said his withdrawal from the games was due to a knee injury ).

Her boyfriend after this was Tim Montgomery, another disgraced sprinter, who was given a four year ban for failing drug tests. I know that these incidents don't automatically make her guilty, but it is hard to believe that she had no idea what was making her times come cascading down when you are taking a new supplement. Steroids are not new. They have been around since at least the '70s and to suggest that ,in this day and age, you thought that a flax oil supplement was your hidden gem is totally beyond belief.

I don't know Mr.Hersh, but I suspect that he is only doing what all journalists do. He is trying to get you all to react to his comments so that the sales of his newspaper go up.

Finally, Marion, I lived in Australia for 30 years ( including during those games ) and have never seen any sprinter,or any other power athlete, be able to prove their samples were tested wrongly. You cheated. Own up to it now or you will have to go through the rest of your life telling lies when you get caught with your hand in the cookie jar.

[Marisa]

I take flax seed oil and there are no side effects because it is natural. My suspicion is that Clear or any performance enhancing drug would have side effects. No drug has only one action.

How could anyone mistaken Clear for flax seed oil especially a professional athlete who is supposed to be highly in tune with their body?

[DMYERS]

As a professional athlete myself, I am in total disbelief of Marion's statements. Along with all those I compete against, I pay attention to every caloriesI intake and every gram I digest. I cannot believe that Marion would blindly ingest, absorb or take anything she was unable to identify. It is her irresponsibility and lack of integrity that landed her in prison. She is continuing down the path ds paved by her previous decisions. Unfortunately, Oprah is giving her airtime to do so. Well done on the article.

[Giovanni Paolo]

Often, the difference between winning an Olympic gold versus silver medal is millions of dollars of annual income derived from commercial endorsements and professional sponsorship contracts (note China's focus on rewarding their 2008 gold medalists).

Marion Jones didn't just cheat her own relay teammates out of their Olympic legacy and the resultant fame, but also every runner-up silver and bronze medalist and the fourth place finisher(s) in all five events (individual and relays) in which she was awarded a medal. All of these athletes would've finished one spot higher in the final placings and therefore generated the significant other gains they rightly earned. The 11 fourth place finishers (100M / 200M / LJ / 400M & 1600M relays), each elevated to a bronze medal after Jones' admission of doping, deserved to stand on the podium and see their country's flag raised in the Olympic stadium, and not to have their Olympic medal sent to them in the mail eight years later.

Think about all the athletes who either missed out on hearing their national anthem, which is due the Olympic Champion, or who weren't standing on the podium (4th place finisher) at the only Olympic Games they may have ever qualified to compete in. Think about the rightly earned fame and glory denied by a cheater. Think about all of the families financially and emotionally supporting these athletes, some of whom also desparately needed their athlete to win a medal to guarantee the material and financial support that come from such an accomplishment. Think about the pride of a medalist's nation and the National Governing Body (NGB) for Athletics denied because someone cheated.

The negative impact of Marion Jones' actions leading up to and including the 2000 Games has greater breadth and depth than most people truly know or understand unless you follow the world of sports at a granular level. World class athletes often train for a decade or more to make a living in sport. Marion Jones' decision to cheat denied so many other athletes at the 2000 Games the opportunity to be properly recognized for their achievement and most likely materially and financially rewarded.

Just because one serves a prison term doesn't make them whole with the rest of the world given the significant difference in value systems. People often do deserve a second chance to be trusted and respected, but they need to earn it through actively demonstrating character, which is the sum of one's honesty and integrity. Listen carefully to what Marion Jones says and how she says it. Marion's character stills needs development. Ask the runner-up athletes in the five events Marion competed in at the 2000 Games.

[Sheba]

I agree with Mr. Paolo. I said the same thing to my son when it all went down. I asked what about the finishers who would have had newspaper articles, medals, been on the Wheaties boxes, made much more money in endorsements and would have had medals in front of the world and stood on the podium? Where is their justice?

I won't judge Marion and I don't need to see the entire interview. I read the excerpts and knew something didn't sit right with my spirit. But it doesn't matter what I think as I don't know her heart. I am not to judge so I won't. I will let God do that - but I always talk to him and will let him know my feelings on the matter and ask for discernment. And then I say a pray for Marion and I let it be.

[Sonya]

I'm dumbfounded at the narcisistic arrogance of Marion Jones. She was shown a vial of the steroids she used and she lied about having taken them even though she recognized it. That means she KNEW she was doing steroids. You can't inject flaxseed oil.
Just like was said in her biography book, she wanted fame on the level of Princess Diana. Now, after jail, she is trying to cry and smile her way back onto TV and she's already duped Oprah.
Marion Jones doesn't fool me. As a former college track athlete and All-American honors, she knew what she was doing and only sorry she got caught.

[Chp]

Wished Oprah asked two questions:
How much money did you receive from sponsors after you knowingly lied to the feds?
How much money did you return to those sponsors?

[sharon bradley]

I saw the interview and felt more for Oprah then Marion.It was obvious Marion was still lying and I thought Oprah was doing her best to coax Marion to get real. Only then will Marion succeed in her wish to use this experience to help others.

[Rizz]

Marion Jones Lied to investigators, and she LIED TO OPRAH! She knew what she was taking!! And we knew she knew. Furthermore OPRAH KNEW SHE WAS LYING AGAIN !!

[Indeara]

GOod Luck Marion. May God bless you with courage and strenght to overcome the demons who try to take your light away. You were a star runner from very young. The truth is always freeing and that smile on your face says it all. PAid reporters cannot see truth, their job is to tell us what thier boss wants them to write.