Heisman hopeful suspended indefinitely for NCAA violation

The doors to an invite to the Heisman Trophy presentation may have closed on one of college football's best running backs, who was an early favorite to be nominated for college football's top award.

Georgia running back Todd Gurley has been suspended indefinitely pending an investigation into alleged improper payments for use of likeness, autograph and memorabilia signage, an NCAA violation.

Todd Gurley is being investigated for an NCAA violation

 An ESPN story cited a source within the autograph industry as saying that Gurley had sought between $8 and $25 per signature. The story also reports that James Spence Authentication, an autograph authentication company provided certificates of authenticity for more than 250 signed jerseys belonging to Gurley.

Current NCAA rules prohibit players, considered amateur student athletes, from profiting or earning money by virtue of their position on teams. Scholarship student athletes earn a stipend or Per Diem, in addition to a full or partial scholarship to earn an education. Players are allowed to earn supplemental income by working jobs in which they actually document and prove hours worked.

Star players like Reggie Bush, whose 2005 Heisman Trophy was stripped from him after it was discovered he had received benefits while playing at USC, and former NBA forward and Michigan Wolverine Chris Webber, are just two of many college players who have been investigated and sometimes proven to have received illegal benefits during their playing days.

A growing number of athletes and sports media analysts are calling for a change in the NCAA's policies that will allow players benefit more from the billion-dollar college sports industry, driven by the blood, sweat and tears of the athletes. While colleges and universities earn millions of dollars from the success of athletic programs, primarily football and basketball teams, players make little to nothing in what some have termed a slave-master relationship reminiscent of the slave trade period.

One argument the NCAA makes is that the students are compensated through a full scholarship to earn a college degree, but there have been more than enough examples of college programs graduating very few athletes particularly on football and basketball teams.

A number of athletes have joined to sue the NCAA's licensing division and game manufacturers, as well as media broadcasters including ESPN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, among others, for improper use of their likenesses without compensation.

It's too soon to tell what the outcome of the investigation on Gurley would be, but Gurley can look to the investigation involving another Heisman Trophy winner for optimism. In 2011, Auburn quarterback Cam Newton was investigated and cleared of any violation regarding his recruitment to play at Auburn.

It's possible that Gurley could return to the field this season, but with each game he misses, he makes less case for a nomination. What appears more certain is that this case is bound to impact his draft status. Meanwhile the University of Georgia and NCAA will continue making money of the sale of his jerseys.

Former NFL player Larry Johnson arrested in Miami club brawl

Former NFL player Larry Johnson was arrested Tuesday following a fight inside a popular Miami club. The ex-running back is accused of punching a club patron and attacking him with a broken bottle for taking drinks from his table at the Delano Hotel in Miami Beach. TMZ broke the story, including video of Johnson's arrest.

Ex-NFL running back Larry Johnson after his arrest

Johnson, who was a star tailback for the Penn State Littany Lions, played eight years in the league, ending his career in 2011 with the Miami Dolphins. He has previously been accused and arrested for a number of domestic violence incidents in the past.

For more on the story and to watch the video footage of the arrest, click here.

Devin Hester shares touching moment with Deion Sanders after breaking record

This is what sports should be all about. Minutes after breaking NFL great Deion Sander's record for return touchdowns with his 20th, Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Devin Hester shared a touching moment with his idol during the NFL network's post-game broadcast.

Sander's, one of the best cornerbacks and punt/kick returners in the history of the game, has been a mentor to Hester since the latter was a budding star at the University of Miami. As you'll hear in the video, Sanders, who went by Prime Time, for his game-changing plays during his career, had been rooting for Hester to take down his record 19 returns for a touchdown, and achieving this feat with Sanders live at the game had to have been an even sweeter icing on the cake.

Check out the video below:

My first skydiving experience

My friends know me as an adventurous and spontaneous person. A while back I blogged about playing with a cub lion at the Lion Park in Johannesburg, South Africa. Some of my friends thought I was crazy and all applauded my audacity. But hey, this is who I am: someone who loves challenges and exciting adventures.

So a couple of months ago I jumped out of a plane. I had wanted to skydive for so long. It's been on my mental bucket list for a while now and I kept waiting for the ideal partner to do it with. Well, I couldn't wait anymore and finally accomplished my goal. Some of you have seen the pictures, but most people asked for the video. Well I finally got around to uploading it, so here it is; the edited version.



For those who asked if I'd do it again, my response is definitely!

Ray Rice should sit out season as video emerges of his knockout punch

A newly released TMZ video is shedding new light on an incident that took place inside an elevator of an Atlantic City resort on Feb. 15 involving NFL player Ray Rice and his then-fiancee Janay Palmer, leaving Palmer knocked out and Rice suspended for the first two games of the season.

Rice and Palmer got married March 28, a day after the Baltimore Ravens running back was indicted on assault charges relating to the altercation.

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice has been cut from the team

In the video, Rice is seen punching Palmer, who appears to hit her head on a rail support inside the elevator before passing out on the floor. Subsequently, Rice drags his unconscious girlfriend by the upper body out of the elevator, dropping her face down with her legs still between the elevator doors. She remains in that position, her underwear exposed briefly, for several minutes, before she is escorted away after gaining consciousness under the supervision of a man who appears to be a hotel employee.

An NFL investigation resulted in a two-game suspension, which NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell later admitted was insufficient following media backlash about the mild punishment Rice received for a serious domestic violence incident. New Jersey state prosecutors declined to take the case to court after Palmer and Rice chose not to pursue the case further. Rice was instead allowed to enter into a diversionary program designed to rehabilitate him, which upon completion, would result in his charges being dropped.

Now, as the video footage circulates the internet, calls for the NFL to punish Rice even further are growing. Though the NFL has claimed it was unaware of this new video, many critics of how the league handled the investigation, say they are surprised that the NFL wasn't able to obtain the footage, which was available to Rice's defense team, given its extensive resources.

Ray Rice and Janay Palmer are at the center of a Feb. 15 domestic violence incident

There's plenty of blame to be shared by many of the parties involved in the incident, its investigation and ultimate decision regarding Ray Rice's future in the league, but what the NFL needs to do is send a message to its fans, 45 percent of whom are women, that it considers domestic violence a heinous crime deserving of more than the six-game suspension for first-time offenders; a punishment it only resorted to after pressure from fans and media analysts, who noted that the initial two games garnered fewer games than a positive test for marijuana (four games.)

The Baltimore Ravens have taken the lead by cutting Rice, saying the team was unaware of the video or the gravity of the altercation. However, Rice remains eligible to be picked up by another team, though this seems unlikely based on Twitter reactions from players, fans and sports media. One Ravens player said locker room support for Rice has dropped as players have learned that the running back, once one of the team's leaders, lied to them about defending himself.

This idea that Rice may not have been completely truthful to his teammates or the league may be an avenue the NFL should seek in revisiting this case, because it needs to suspend Rice indefinitely, regardless of its version of double jeopardy laws that prevent the league from taking further action after an initial action has been taken.

Many are calling for Rice to be served a lifetime ban, including some players. ESPN analyst Herm Edwards hinted at the likelihood of this while speaking on the case on air. I am of the opinion that everyone deserves another chance eventually, but Rice should not be allowed to play football for at least this season; possibly more.

ESPN's 30 for 30 films revisits Atlanta Olympics bombing in "Judging Jewell"

A bomb went off at the Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta during the Olympic Games on July 27, 1996. Two people died and more than 100 sustained injuries, but the tragedy could have been akin to the more recent Boston Marathon bombings if it wasn't for the heroics of a security officer at the scene.

Richard Jewell, an Atlanta native, was an AT&T security officer at the park when he discovered the backpack containing the bomb, cleared the area and alerted authorities before it went off. Sadly he became known more for the FBI's investigation of him as the chief suspect than as hero deserving of national recognition and all the other accolades awarded to people of his stature.

Richard Jewell during his investigation as a suspect in the Olympic bombing

Jewell appeared in court to watch the actual bomber convicted

The 30 for 30 film revisits the story and highlights how things went wrong for Jewell. Though Jewell was later cleared (Eric Robert Rudolph, who went on to commit three other bombings, was convicted for committing the act,) Jewell's reputation never recovered from the investigation. He died in 2007 of a heart attack brought on by complications from diabetes, two years after witness Rudolph's conviction.

Watch the full ESPN 30 for 30 film Judging Jewell here:

Jason Collins takes the court as 1st openly gay active player in major sports

When Jason Collins checked in for the Brooklyn Nets with 10:28 left in the second quarter of a road game against the L.A. Lakers, he was cheered by Laker fans applauding the historic moment.

By playing 11 minutes for the Nets in a 108-102 win for his team, Collins became the first active openly gay player among the four major sports played in the United States. There was nothing impressive about his performance– two rebounds, a steal, two turnovers and five fouls–on the court, but hardly anyone expected any more than he contributed considering it was his first game since last April.

Jason Collins is the first active player to suit up for a team in a major sport

What was important about the moment was how much of a non-issue Collins' presence on the court turned out to be. In fact, there was more of a frenzy at the press conference announcing his signing to a 10-day contract (which rarely warrants a press conference) than in anything else he was involved with beyond that. This big moment in sports turned out to be...well...not much of a big deal at all.

Which is a good thing.

Collins didn't need to be treated any differently than he was used to prior to coming out. Business needed to go on as usual, and that's what happened. It would've been awkward if he entered the game to players hugging, dishing hi-fives or applauding him. It would've been too much of a spectacle, though I can understand if anyone may have wanted to play up this moment for what it's worth. After all college football player and NFL prospect Michael Sam is currently getting the full media scrutiny after coming out prior to the NFL draft. He had previously been projected as a possible third round pick, but some analysts have hinted that his revelation could hurt his draft chances. As he prepares for the NFL Combine, he has pleaded with teams and the media to focus on his skills and not his sexual orientation.

Michael Sam is hoping to be the first openly gay NFL player next season

There have been plenty of gay athletes in major sports for at least five decades. In the 1960s and '70s, NFL running back David Kopay was reportedly one of three gay players who suited up for the Washington Redskins. Though he was the only one to come out, Kopay revealed that he had had a sexual relationship with teammate tight end Jerry Smith after Smith died of an AIDS-related illness in 1986. However, since becoming the first NFL player to reveal his homosexuality, only four former players have followed suit; the latest being former offensive tackle Kwame Harris who came out publicly on CNN after a public spat with his ex-boyfriend was reported by several media. Last year, several media quoted former NFL player and gay rights advocate Brendon Ayanbadejo saying four active NFL players were contemplating coming out, but the whispers eventually died down without fanfare. In the NBA, former center John Amaechi, who came out shortly after his retirement in 2007, remained the only known gay player in the league until Collins' revelation last year. In baseball, former L.A. Dodger and Oakland Athletics player Glenn Burke was known to be gay by some of his teammates during his four-year career between 1976-1979, but wasn't publicly identified as a gay man. There's also former outfielder Billy Bean who retired in 1995, before coming out in 1999.

As much of the United States and other developed countries have become more accepting of gays, the signs have pointed to the presence of active gay athletes as a non-factor. After Sam came out, an ESPN poll showed that 47 of 51 active NFL players polled were OK with having a gay teammate. Several WNBA players, notably 2013 No. 1 pick Brittney Griner, have been playing as openly gay athletes, as have a few athletes in other sports. So while Collins' feat was a historic one, it comes at a time when sentiments toward gays have significantly improved.

During his media rounds Collins described his twin brother Jarron, a retired NBA player, as in support of his decision to come out. Two decades ago, a very similar scenario involving two brothers played out differently. When former UK soccer player Justin Fashanu revealed his homosexuality in 1990 at the age of 29, he was publicly denounced and disowned by his younger brother John Fashanu, also a soccer player. Justin made his revelation as an active player, but was forced to retire after facing what he said was a deep-seated prejudice against him. After a failed coaching career and a sexual assault allegation made by a 17-year-old American boy against him, and without the support of his family, Justin committed suicide eight years after his decision. Even with his brother long dead, John Fashanu has remained defiantly unsupportive of Justin's decision, saying in 2012 that he doesn't believe his brother was gay, but was merely seeking attention.

Justin Fashanu came out as an active player at 29

John Fashanu did not support his brother's decision

Nearly 25 years after Justin Fashanu came out with no support (he was dropped by his team following his announcement,) Collins took the court with plenty of support. And while his future in the sport isn't guaranteed beyond the next 10 days (the Nets could re-sign him to another 10-day contract before they are forced to drop him or sign him for the remainder of the season,) the significance of his achievement isn't lost on sports fans. But it just wasn't all it was hyped up to be because most people recognize what everyone should know by now: that there are gay athletes in sports. That there have been for a while now, and that few care about their dating life as long as they can contribute toward winning.

Collins' historic feat just happened to be the moment that confirmed this notion.

Season finale of Unsung features Niles Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic

I have been a big fan of the TV One series Unsung, which features artistes known for making hits in their heyday, but who never got the full credit they deserved or are being re-introduced to today's generation of music loving fans unaware of their influences on current music.

Tonight's season 7 finale featured disco greats Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards who were largely responsible for the success of the disco era of the '70s and '80s with songs like "Good Times," "I want your love," and "Le freak," also known as freak out. I am a product of the '80s, but I grew up in a musically appreciative family, and the memories of weekends spent listening to the tunes of Barry White or Regina Belle's version of "Baby come to me," are a reminder of how music served as a bonding agent for my family.

At its peak, Chic added another female singer, and replaced Wright who went solo

Thanks to my parents, who introduced me to music by artistes who came decades before I was born, and an older sister and brother who made sure I knew of every hit song that was released in the late '80s and early '90s, I have been labeled an old soul by some of my friends, who are amazed by how much I seem to know about "old school music." A run through my Itunes catalog will reveal music by the likes of John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, Zapp & Roger, Billy Ocean, Siedah Garrett and The Manhattans.

Chic was one of such groups that I grew up listening to, though I didn't know much about the story behind their music. That's why I love shows like Unsung, because I've learned so much about the history behind music greats. Rodgers and Edwards, were electrifying guitarists who were rejected by record companies because no one thought two black guys with a rock sound would sell. They formed the band Chic after adding drummer Tony Thompson and singer Norma Jean Wright.

The original Chic: Bernard Edwards, Norma Jean Wright, Nile Rodgers and Tony Thompson

By 1977, they became one of the biggest acts in music, churning out hits after hits after hits behind the electrifying bass guitar sounds created by Rodgers and Edwards. That song credited as the foundation of the Hip-Hop industry, "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugar Hill Gang? Yep, it borrowed the instrumentals to Good Times. Something else I wasn't even aware of was that Faith Evans' major hit "Love like this," used the instrumentals for "Chic Cheer."

Sadly, by the summer of 1979, just two years after their massive break out, the group's run of hits would be over after the death of the disco event in which tons of disco records were blown up at a Chicago stadium. Nevertheless Rodgers, Edwards and Thompson remained relevant as hit producers and drummer for several major singers of the '80s and '90s. Sister Sledge (We are a family, He's the greatest dancer,) Diana Ross (I'm coming out, upside down,) Madonna (Like a virgin,) David Bowie (Let's dance,) Rod Stewart (Out of order, Vagabond heart,) and Led Zepellin (Thompson toured as a drummer) are just a few of many artistes who turned to the brains behind Chic for a career boost.

Sadly Edwards died of complications from pneumonia the morning after a performance with Rodgers in Tokyo in 1996. The group had started performing again after a long hiatus and Rodgers was the one who found Edwards in his hotel room. His condition was so bad that he had reportedly fallen asleep during the performance. Thompson died in 2003, a month after he was diagnosed with a form of kidney cancer. Wright, after a brief singing career, became a school principal and currently performs with another female member of the group.

Rodgers remains the most successful member of the band and has managed to keep his career going with production work for current artistes like American Idol alum Adam Lambert. His 2013 collaboration with Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams on the song "Get Lucky," continues to top the charts in 2014 and won several Grammys including record of the year.

You can watch the full episode of Unsung: Nile Rodgers and Chic here.

Video footage emerges in NFL player Ray Rice assault incident

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was arrested Saturday morning after a domestic dispute involving his fiancée at a resort in Atlantic City, N.J.

The Baltimore Sun, which first broke the story, said Rice was charged, and subsequently released, for an incident which his lawyer Andrew Alperstein called a "very minor physical altercation." Rice's fiancée Janay Palmer was also arrested for her involvement in the altercation.

Now video footage obtained by TMZ shows that the incident may have been more serious than reported by the Rice camp. The video shows the NFL player dragging a woman, presumably Palmer, out of an elevator. The woman appeared to be unconscious.

Website Deadspin, citing its sources, says Palmer allegedly spit on Rice during an argument, and in retaliation Rice knocked her out with an uppercut punch.

Police booked both Rice and Palmer for simple assault. Find the video below.

Ray Rice -- Dragging Unconscious Fiancee ... After Alleged Mutual Attack
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Brothers make $300 million from NBA doing nothing

Picture getting paid millions of dollars every year to do nothing. By nothing, I mean play couch potato all day long, lay on the beach basking in the sun and sipping virgin cocktails while money is deposited into your account.

Not too many people enjoy this kind of privilege, but count brothers Ozzie and Daniel Silna among such after they closed what's considered the "greatest sports business deal of all time" with the National Basketball Association.

Dan and Ozzie Silna have earned millions from a lifelong NBA deal

Since 1976, the Silnas have earned $300 million, including $19 million last season, from a lifelong deal they struck with the NBA for a percentage of the league's TV revenue deals. The Silnas were owners of the St. Louis Spirits, one of four teams of the now defunct American Basketball Association that merged with the NBA in 1976. As part of an agreement to give up ownership of the Spirits, The Silnas negotiated a cut "in perpetuity" of the NBA's future broadcast revenue.

According to ESPN writer Chris Broussard, the deal pays the Silnas 1/7 of the TV revenue for the four ABA teams that merged with the NBA. Today, those teams are the Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs and the Denver Nuggets. The NBA currently makes $7.4 billion from TV deals with Disney (ABC/ESPN) and TNT, making the Silna's arrangement a pretty sweet deal. Add to it Internet media revenue, which according to Fox Sports, a judge recently ruled the Silnas should have rights to, and these brothers have an unbelievable lifetime income worth hundreds of millions; doing nothing!

Ozzie Silna with a Spirits hat at his home

The NBA is currently negotiating with the Silnas after they filed a lawsuit seeking revenue from NBA TV as well as international broadcast of games.

You can read more on their story and how much other owners settled for here and here.

Incredible high jumps by Kenyan high schoolers

I came across this video on The Guardian about two Kenyan high school boys in a high jump competition. What's incredible is how high these boys are able to jump while abandoning the traditional Flosbury Flop style commonly used by world class athletes, and they jump without the aid of spike shoes.

The video was posted by a Run For Life volunteer, who has since set up a Facebook page to help raise money to support the school. If you are interested in making a donation, click here.






If you know one thing about high jump, it's that it requires incredible leg strength to propel the body. Most athletes approach the beam from one side, and after planting their pivot foot, push their bodies backward, propelling their bodies, with the momentum, over the beam. In my limited experience competing in high school, I used the scissors kick, which wouldn't clear the starting height at any competition. But hey, it was good enough to get me a first place in the junior girls high jump while I was in 9th grade.

These guys, well, I marvel at how good they could become after receiving training and spending significant time in a weight room.

I'm still blogging...

The Lion Park in Johannesburg was one of the highlights of my trip

Hey guys,

I have been gone too long and a few readers have expressed their feelings on my prolonged hiatus. I have no legitimate excuse for taking so long a break other than a very busy schedule, followed by complacency.

As some of you may have known, I spent three months reporting in Johannesburg earlier in the summer. I wrote a few blog entries about my experiences in South Africa, and I intended to continue blogging. However, a number of high profile stories emerged that kept me constantly busy, primarily the coverage of Nelson Mandela's hospital stay, and I became so caught up in performing my duties as a reporter that I had no time to blog.

Once I got back, all burned out from my trip, I figured I'd take a couple of weeks to relax before getting back to blogging. Well...let's just say those few weeks became a few months and here we are. I didn't realize how many people check in to see what stories I blog about, so I didn't think anyone would lose sleep over my disappearance. Honestly, it's been hard committing to blogging regularly during busy periods, especially since I don't generate any income from the site.

That said, I sincerely apologize for the extended break and will once again pledge to continue sharing my thoughts on the news making stories in sports and entertainment. I cannot promise another hiatus won't occur, but I will do my best to keep the stories coming.

Thanks to all who have supported me, and continue to do so. Here's to a series of new stories.

Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell fail drug tests

The hype is over.

Track&Field fans who anxiously anticipated a showdown between the world's fastest man Usain Bolt and a finally healthy Tyson Gay at this year's world championships will not get the match-up. Gay, the second fastest man in history has withdrawn from competition after testing positive for a banned substance.

Gay isn't the only big name athlete who's tested positive for a banned substance. Olympic medalists Asafa Powell, Nesta Carter and Sherone Simpson are among five Jamaican athletes who registered positive tests.

Gay, the American 100m record-holder, told the Associated Press via phone on Sunday that he had been informed by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency late last week about a positive result from an out-of-competition test on May 16. He did not reveal the substance, but said he is cooperating with a USADA investigation and will await the result of his "B" sample, which could be tested as early as this week. He qualified for the 100m and 200m at next month's world championships in Moscow and had the fastest time in the 100 this year.

Tyson Gay tested positive for an unnamed banned substance

Powell, the fourth fastest man in history at the 100m, and training partner Simpson tested positive for the stimulant oxilofrine at the Jamaican nationals in June. It could likely be considered a minor infraction or inadvertent use, which carries a shortened suspension, but both will assuredly miss the championships where Powell figured to be part of the 4x100 relay team and Simpson was set to compete in the 100m and 4 x100m relay. Simpson, a silver medalist at the 2008 Olympic Games, finished second in 100m at the Jamaican nationals.

Powell is also cooperating, he said, "with the relevant agencies and law enforcement authorities to discover how the substance got in my system."

Asafa Powell (right) and Nesta Carter (2nd from right) pictured with Michael Frater (left) and Usain Bolt, were on the 400m relay winning team at the 2008 Olympic Games. Powell and Carter failed recent drug tests.

Carter, a member of Powell's MVP training club, has been a staple on the Jamaican relay team for many years, helping the team to gold at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. The two other athletes are reportedly field athletes, but have not been identified.

Athletes are ultimately accountable for whatever they ingest or allow to be massaged onto their bodies. So it is commendable to see both Gay and Powell accept full responsibilities for the failed tests. Gay's mea culpa to the Associated Press, however, came with a questionable comment.

"I don't have a sabotage story. I don't have any lies. I don't have anything to say to make this seem like it was a mistake or it was on USADA's hands, someone playing games," said Gay, who fought back sobs when speaking to the AP reporter. "I don't have any of those stories. I basically put my trust in someone and I was let down."

When the average person talks about trusting someone, it likely refers to vouching for the good character of a person. Very rarely does it actually mean trusting a person with your life. When a T&F athlete uses the same words, it carries a career life or death implication. Why is this important? When you look up the World Anti-Doping Agency's list of banned substances, it reads like a laundry list of chemical substances needed for the next great scientific invention.

Athletes have been suspended for substances as minor as Oxycodone, the pain medication that caused Jamaican Olympic gold medalist Shelly-ann Fraser-Pryce a six-month suspension Or ExtenZe, the male enhancement product that earned 400m Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt a 21-month ban, to THG, the previously unknown substance known as "The Clear," which took down many notable athletes in several sports.

So it's not uncommon for athletes to rely on a team of trusted people such as coaches, trainers and doctors, who they've worked with for years and who realize how important it is to monitor what goes into the athlete's body. It doesn't mean athletes turn a blind eye to everything, but after several years of competing under such immense pressure to be cognizant of the hundreds of banned substances, it's not unusual to let their guards down and place more trust in their team to help meet these stipulations. Most of these helpers earn their income through the athlete, so it's a reasonable assumption that they should be looking out for the best interest of the athlete.

Sherone Simpson won silver in the 100m at the 2008 Olympic Games

When 2004 Olympic gold medalist and former world record-holder Justin Gatlin tested positive at a meet for an excessive amount of testosterone, he cried sabotage by a massage therapist within his team who rubbed the cream on his legs. Hardly anyone believed him and his far-fetched excuse, but I always wondered why anyone would be bold enough to use an excessive amount of testosterone, one of the most commonly tested drugs out there, at a meeting where you are guaranteed to be tested before and after events. But athletes' defense usually doesn't matter because once you fail a test, your reputation is forever called into question. You are a cheat. Ultimately, Gatlin's then-coach Trevor Graham was handed a lifetime ban for his involvement in the BALCO/THG scandal, which Gatlin had no ties to. It's impossible to know if Gatlin is cheating his way through meets once again, but since he hasn't tested positive, we have to assume he is clean. He served a four-year suspension and has slowly climbed back to the elite class of sprinters despite an initial ban from European meets and strong opposition from T&F fans who didn't want a "cheat" getting a shot at redemption. He maintains his innocence to this day.

As fans, we shouldn't turn a blind eye to the possibility that these athletes did in fact cheat. If talented sprinters like Jones could do it, then surely others can. But when you look at the caliber of athletes who have received warnings or suspensions for minor infractions– Veronica Campbell-Brown, Yohan Blake, Ato Bolden to name a few–it begs the possibility that some of these athletes are merely victims of accidental use or of "trusting someone."

This is not an attempt to make excuses for these athletes. I would like a clear-cut system that separates the obvious cheats from the accidental ones. But no one cares. Once an athlete's name is linked to a banned substance, the circumstance hardly matters, the athlete is forever linked to drug use.

It isn't a case of naivety on my part either. I believe a fair number of athletes knowingly try to cheat their way to success. I have my suspicions about some (no, I won't name anyone publicly,) but there's no proof until they register a positive test. Meanwhile, that heightened excitement when eight of the fastest men or women in the world line up side by side to race for 10-11 seconds is slowly dying with each elite athlete that fails a test because fans no longer trust athletes.

When news of the recent failed tests were announced, I thought back to a conversation I had with a close friend several years ago. He was a Nigerian-born, U.S. collegiate scholarship athlete, who went on to represent his mother's country at several international events. But on that day we spoke, he was a very sick human being who was barely audible as he coughed, wheezed and snorted his way through our conversation. I asked him if he had taken medication and he said he doesn't take any medication. "Not even aspirin?" I asked. "Not even," he responded. He didn't take any multivitamins or supplements and obsessively scanned any new drinks he was offered. It was the only way he could guarantee that he wouldn't get any surprise failed drug tests, he said. After a few more comments from me, he admitted that even that was not enough because every time he ate outside of his home, he had to entertain the possibility that his food could be tainted with something that could trigger a positive result.

They are professional athletes. They are responsible for their bodies. But they are human beings as well. And just like us, none of them can go at it alone. Ultimately, every one of these athletes has had to trust someone else to help them attain success. Unfortunately, some have trusted the wrong people and have had to pay the price for it. But haven't we all been there at some point in our lives?


Click on hyperlinks for more information on stories cited in this write up.

Where are they now? Merlene Ottey

While in college, I started a sports column called "Where are they now?" to update readers on what notable athletes have been up to since retiring or fading away from the limelight. It's a series I've decided to start on my blog, including notables from the sports and entertainment world.

My first entry on this series is on Jamaican-born track queen Merlene Ottey, who many may remember for her photo-finish loss to American Gail Devers at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Both women finished in 10.94s, but were separated by 5,000th of a second. Remarkably it wasn't their closest finish. Both were separated by 100th of a second running 10.81s at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, the closest every finish at an international track & field meet.

Merlene Ottey, left, finished second to Gail Devers in this photo finish at the 1996 Olympic Games

Born in 1970, Ottey made her first world championship appearance in 1983. Yes, she's been piling up medals since Florence Griffith-Joyner dominated the sprints. She became Jamaica's most decorated female T&F athlete, amassing nine Olympic (three silvers and six bronzes) and 14 World Championship medals by 1997.

Ottey's legendary status took a hit in 1999 when she tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone at a July meet in Switzerland. She denied knowingly taking any banned substance, which she maintains to this day.

"I have lived my personal and athletic life with the utmost honesty and integrity," Ottey said in a statement released after her positive test. "I have applied only the highest ethical standards to myself and expect the same from others. I have always proclaimed fairness in sports and adamantly oppose the use of banned substances."

The IAAF, the sport's governing body, banned Ottey for two years, but withdrew the suspension when it was determined that too much time had passed before her "B" sample was tested.

Jamaican-born Merlene Ottey now competes for Slovenia

Today the 53-year-old Ottey remains a competitive athlete for Slovenia and has no desire to quit running. She was a member of Slovenia's 4x100m relay team at the 2012 European Championships and has been training for next month's World Championships in Moscow.

"It's my goal and we will see what happens," Ottey told the Jamaican Gleaner in February, about making Slovenia's team. "One day, probably I will stop. I came in and surprised everybody and surprised the world but I don't want to go out like that."

Merlene Ottey, 53, at a press conference in Jamaica in February

 She may have a point. Ottey's slowest time in the 100m is 11.96s, which posted as a 52-year-old. It may not be good enough to make it to the final of any race on the tour, but is still a respectable time that could get her on a weak team like Slovenia.

And if she can do that, why stop now?

Covering Michelle Obama event

Over the weekend, I covered Michelle Obama's education forum and MTV Base Meets Google+ Hangout in Newtown, Johannesburg, and witnessed first hand why the first lady of the United States is a beloved and well respected celebrity in much of the world.

Flanked by four South African youths, Michelle Obama fielded education-related questions from MTV Base DJ Sizwe. Youths from four U.S. cities--New York, Los Angeles, Houston and Kansas City, Missouri, exchanged viewpoints with their South African counterparts. Grammy award-winning singer John Legend sat in on the discussion with students from Los Angeles.

Michelle Obama at the Sci-Bono Discovery Center in Johannesburg

With daughters Malia and Sasha in the audience and 225 young adults listening, the first lady challenged youths to take more risks and not be afraid to fail because they would recover from them.

"I want to ask you all to think about what barriers will you break down? What legacy will you leave for the next generation?" she said.

She called for youths across the world to share ideas with each other, establishing communication and developing relationships that cross national boundaries.

The first lady, known as much for various causes including championing youth education and fitness as she is for her fashion choices, shared her story about growing up without wealth and facing doubts about her ability to succeed. She went on to earn degrees from Princeton and Harvard universities. She hoped that her and U.S. president Barack Obama's stories would inspire others to establish dreams and work at fulfilling them.

She was incredibly comfortable cracking jokes with the teenagers and wasn't hasty in her departure, despite the heightened security surrounding her presence. And from a fashion perspective, she donned a blouse by Nigerian designer Maki Oh (as a Nigerian, I had to throw this in the mix,) no doubt raising the profile of the rising designer.

I've been asked by family and friends if I got a chance to meet her personally and I can only answer that with an "I wish." Still, I left the event feeling like I had shared some one-on-one time with one of "my girls" and not one of the most powerful women in the world.

If you'd like to read my news story on the event, click here