Off Topic Coe's done one

To Dick Pound! The cause of...and solution to...all of life's problems.

 

Or the old "successful therefore to be despised" syndrome. Coe is up there with a just few other "Britain's greatest-ever athlete" candidates.

 

That's a report of part of the parliamentary questioning of Coe and it goes back to 2nd December 2015 - it is nothing to do with the investigation report, is it?

 

Here's another out of context quote:

Now watch the interview

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/35311063

and understand the truth of the words; how those words have been taken out of context to look like he is referring to Coe, rather than the Federation. Coe is, according to Pound, no liar.

The organisation he was a part of (now leads) is not perfect and was, at best, lazy in its scrutiny and procedures. So, it would seem to be very similar to big business (Newspapers?), other sports (many), Governments (expenses, etc.), Charities (Kidscape?) - none of which makes it right, though.

But the question was asked directly of Dick Pound, the man pointing the finger, 'Is Lord Coe a liar' and the answer was a very carefully considered NO.

Like many more besides him, he has been foolish, although as Pound goes to pains to say, it is very difficult at the heart of these things. What should we ask folk of Coe's quality to do, should he have walked away from it and left the sport he loves without any semblance of replacement leadership? Find me the door where those wanting to swop places with him are queuing to jump in the cauldron?

There is very little good about much to do with top level sport these days, but the man with the pointing finger is saying Coe is the best person to lead athletics out of the darkness - now, with all of the information and insight Pound has, I woud say that is sufficient for folk to cut Coe some real and meaningful slack. I would hope that in the distant future he will be known as the man who fought for his sport.

 

Dick Pound what an unfortunate name.

 

Is he a more upmarket version of Dick Penny MBE?

 

No, not really; I don't think there is a great deal of that out there; I think folk have a right to be critical of Coe, but it really should be measured criticism.

I think it is more about understanding just how close and high you can be, yet so far away from having meaningful influence and thorough understanding. We all knew there was something very wrong with Russian (and others) sport and we all knew that some athletes were being dealt with, but maybe not as stringently as we would wish. The doping report has been a long time coming and it was seen as being the pivotal report for the future of the sport and worth waiting for - no one, not even in their wildest expectations expected such a thoroughly damning report. Why has it taken WADA since November 1999 (when they were founded) to tackle this subject in the right way?

I think Pound's approach of taking the naive baby out of the bathwater is a very good one; that baby has had to grow up quick and I wish him well for what will be an exhausting and highly pressured two-term (I hope) Presidency.

 

I dont know anyone who despises successful people. My favourite ever sports star is Muhammad Ali, he did alright. My favourite British sports star is Brian Clough. He did alright too

 

Shame FIFA's sponsors haven't got the balls to do the same!

 

I don't think it's lack of balls that's stopping them. They like the benefits they get from being a FIFA sponsor.

 

Like brand damage from a commercial perspective? They all threatened to walk then did nothing. If they had stood there ground and 'demanded immediate change' to protect their brands and maintain a relationship with FIFA, it quite possibly would have moved the whole landscape at FIFA forward and certain individuals would have been long gone as opposed to hanging around like a bad smell. I guess we'll never know now with the passing of time

 

Is that countless seedy pies? Perhaps you're in a position to elaborate now?