Jones returns 2000 medals

[RMc]

Report: Jones gives back five medals from 2000 Sydney Olympics

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/trackandf ... id=3054706

[26mi235]

It looks like that did not have to ask her to give them back, that she was already doing so. Another minor feather in her cap relative to some other miscreants.

[James Fields]

Washington Post reporter Sally Jenkins wrote today:
"I've never quite understood the intensity of efforts to take Jones down, which seemed too much like big-game hunting."

[333]

Now if someone will just give me back the endless hours of my life wasted while NBC fawned and worshiped Ms. Jones during their coverage. Here's MJ scratching her nose...here's MJ blinking...here's MJ singing under her breath "You ain't neva gonna catch me suckas..."

[MJD]

Washington Post reporter Sally Jenkins wrote blah blah blah

She is the last person that one should be quoting on this issue. Carry on though.

[Friar]

This surprises me: usually nothing comes this easily from Marion. She likely listened to her lawyer and is now focused on her sentence.

I still find it hard to believe she's broke. Maybe she salted away a few $ in the islands somewhere, before she filed for protection.

[bad hammy]

To me this is a sign that she has somebody smart around her that she is actually listening to. This is good PR in the long run and a sign to me that she plans to maintain a public life after her jail time is done (the Contrition Circuit). Left to her own devices I don't see her giving these up without a fight.

Question to partially address eldy's comments: can the IOC or other governing body actually force an athlete to physically give up medals? My impression was that they could 'strip' them from an athlete and award them to someone else, but that they did not have the power to coerce the athlete to actually turn them over. If that is the case MJ could have just kept them and sold them on eBay at her leisure.

[guru]

I still find it hard to believe she's broke.

How much do you think that law team that she's had the last 4 years cost? I'm sure Law Dude could assure us it wasn't chump change.

[Law dude]

Question to partially address eldy's comments: can the IOC or other governing body actually force an athlete to physically give up medals? My impression was that they could 'strip' them from an athlete and award them to someone else, but that they did not have the power to coerce the athlete to actually turn them over. If that is the case MJ could have just kept them and sold them on eBay at her leisure.

As I pointed out on the other medal return thread, I think if the IOC sued her and she admitted that she had them, the IOC could probably get a court to order her to return them. It would be a hard (and probably expensive) case for her to win.

[Law dude]

How much do you think that law team that she's had the last 4 years cost? I'm sure Law Dude could assure us it wasn't chump change.

I can't give you assurances of things I don't know, and I really don't know what her law dudes have charged her. But I think it's a safe assumption that she has paid (and/or she owes) quite a bundle of money in legal fees. Remember, too, that she's been through some unrelated civil litigation as well. In all, she's probably looked at more legal bills in the last four years than most people ever do in their lifetime--much more than chump change.

[Law dude]

This surprises me: usually nothing comes this easily from Marion. She likely listened to her lawyer and is now focused on her sentence.

You've hit upon something here that has been overlooked by some. Although she's not going to be sentenced for 10 years or anything close, the plea agreement says 0-6 months. It happens that there's a huge difference between zero and 6 months, especially if you've got two young kids at home.

That being the case, it is understandable that the only thing that matters to her now is her sentence. Giving back the medals, and making the very limited confession that she made, will make it easier for the judge to give her just probation. He could be impressed by what she has said and done, and he will think that given what she has said and done, he may be able to let her off without jail time and not be excoriated in the media.

Again, this is the only thing that should matter to her right now, and I think you're right. This is probably being orchestrated by her law dudes.

To me this is a sign that she has somebody smart around her that she is actually listening to. This is good PR in the long run and a sign to me that she plans to maintain a public life after her jail time is done (the Contrition Circuit). Left to her own devices I don't see her giving these up without a fight.

In the long run, it may be that what you call the contrition circuit is the best way for her to make a living (and pay off some of her legal bills) after her jail time, if she does any jail time. But it seems to me that the only way she can get away with doing speeches for a living is by admitting that she used PED's knowingly all along, and telling everyone, especially kids, what a mistake it was.

She can't do that now. The kind of posture that she needs to improve her chances of avoiding jail entirely is not consistent with what I think she needs to do if she's going to be a credible anti-doping spokesperson. But first things first. As I said above, her focus right now has to be on influencing her sentence. Once that's done, she can think about maximizing her income, which could lead her to say things she should not be saying now.

Or she may just retire from public life, raise her kids, and let Mr. Thompson be the breadwinner of the family.

Stay tuned.

[Friar]

http://www.blackathlete.net/artman2/publish/Track_amp_Field_36/Marion_Jones_Is_Out_Of_The_Money.shtml
I'm sure her bills have been stunning. But I think she's too smart to have just blown everything.

The couple live in a home with an assessed value of $206,792, according to Travis County property records. The residence, on a 6,000-square-foot lot, is recorded in Thompson's name.
"I didn't see any signs that she was struggling," Riddick said.

[guru]

http://www.blackathlete.net/artman2/publish/Track_amp_Field_36/Marion_Jones_Is_Out_Of_The_Money.shtml
I'm sure her bills have been stunning. But I think she's too smart to have just blown everything.

The couple live in a home with an assessed value of $206,792, according to Travis County property records. The residence, on a 6,000-square-foot lot, is recorded in Thompson's name.
"I didn't see any signs that she was struggling," Riddick said.

A $200,000 house, sitting on less than 1/8 of an acre of land? Hardly a palace.

[Daisy]

Busy day for Law Dude! Who is this masked hero?

[paulmerca]

...has anyone heard any comments from the members of the relay team(s) in Sydney that Marion was on?

Would be interested to see if they hand over their medals...

[EPelle]

USOC would like them to return their medals, though USOC knows they don:t have jurisdiction over the matter.

"Our opinion is that something was won unfairly and it has completely tarnished the relay events," Mr Scherr said. "We impress upon those athletes to return the medals to the IOC."

[Friar]

NYT: Peter Ueberroth, chairman of the U.S.O.C., said that Jones’s teammates in that relay would probably have to return their medals because the race had been won unfairly. He said that he hoped they would return them voluntarily before the I.O.C. acted to force them to do so.

[WalkandJog]

She's only returning the medals because she's hoping it will show contrition to the judge. Amazing how she's STILL lying through her teeth. I'm referring to how she claims she was unaware of taking steroids until 2003 and didn't realize Conte/Graham was giving her THG beginning in 2001. Puh-leeze!!! She fooled a lot of us but does she still think we're idiots?

It's gross how Marion still is only telling enough of the truth to weasel out of a bigger prison sentence. She hasn't come clean at all. She was caught, plain and simple, and is only confessing as much as she's forced to, in order to minimize prison time. I hope they go after her prize money too.

[trackrebel]

first people say give back the medals without being asked. now she does so and You slam her also for that.

big up to marion for standing tall in a very difficult moment of Your life.

keep ya head up, You still got plenty of people reppin for Ya....You know where

[optimistic]

She's told a lot more of the truth than many many others have regardless of the circumstances....including those that have (are serving) served bans. They are serving the punishment and still haven't fessed up!

[Law dude]

Busy day for Law Dude! Who is this masked hero?

Damned paparazzi!

[MJD]

She's told a lot more of the truth than many many others have regardless of the circumstances....including those that have (are serving) served bans. They are serving the punishment and still haven't fessed up!

No more than Ben and he still is a pariah. Please.

[Powell]

Jones returns 2000 medals

I knew she was winning a lot when she was on drugs, but I wouldn't have suspected she had that many medals

[Mighty Favog]

She's told a lot more of the truth than many many others have regardless of the circumstances....including those that have (are serving) served bans. They are serving the punishment and still haven't fessed up!

The punishment she's facing is quite different, so that argument is meaningless. I think it's fair to assume she never intended to make any confession unless significant legal consequences required it. Furthermore, I agree that her admissions are strangely narrow and her story is likely tailored to minimize the perjury conviction while still denying any other PED use...which most of us find difficult to believe.

I'm still wondering how the World Rankings from 1999-2001 will be adjusted.

[bad hammy]

http://www.blackathlete.net/artman2/publish/Track_amp_Field_36/Marion_Jones_Is_Out_Of_The_Money.shtml
I'm sure her bills have been stunning. But I think she's too smart to have just blown everything.

The couple live in a home with an assessed value of $206,792, according to Travis County property records. The residence, on a 6,000-square-foot lot, is recorded in Thompson's name.
"I didn't see any signs that she was struggling," Riddick said.

A $200,000 house, sitting on less than 1/8 of an acre of land? Hardly a palace.

My thoughts exactly. This is definitely not high-on-the-hog living . . .