NYT Obliterates Lolo Jones

By this, I take it to mean the supposed chasm between being a virgin and posing for magazine covers in revealing clothing? Because that's a load of horse hooey. I'm not particularly religious and the only thing I "waited" for was someone willing to sleep with me, but choosing to wait until marriage doesn't mean that you can't be sexual or be proud of your beauty or physical appeal. They aren't mutually exclusive and being religious doesn't mean you can't say "I'm proud to be a strong, beautiful woman and I don't mind showing that side of me off in a way that is appropriate for me."

Of course, this assumes that we accept the larger premise that a) she's not worthy of attention (she is, based on her trying to come back from being one of the most notable collapses four years ago) and b) somehow this is different than hundreds of male and female athletes before her (is a QB of Joe Namath's career stats thought of in the same way if he isn't "Joe Namath")?

 

"If there is a box to check off, Jones has checked it. Except for the small part about actually achieving Olympic success as a hurdler. "

Jones can now check off "Made finals - London 2012"

 

Is she going back next year?

 

Chicago Sun-Times' FanHouse's Sporting News' Fox Sports' Greg Couch offers a view of the criticism around Lolo Jones: http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/track/story/lolo-jones-american-media-darling-faces-backlash-080612

He meanders, but he delivers the right point, the point that Jere Longman hinted at but, as a reporter not columnist, probably wasn't allowed to directly state:

 

All due respect to the relevant parties, but if this is a phenomenon specific to women, why does Tyson Gay have a Gillette endorsement and Justin Gatlin does not?

 

A four-year doping ban probably isn't helping Justin Gatlin's case. Michael Phelps has a hell of a lot more endorsement deals than Ryan Lochte.

 

He's also the most decorated Olympian of all-time. Not really a fair comparison.

 

Is the final going to be on TV live anywhere, or just in prime time?

 

It's on right here: http://www.nbcolympics.com/liveextra/video-watch.html?video=main-feed-evening-session-finals-mds-aug-7.

 

And comparing Dawn Harper to Justin Gatlin is?

 

1 AUS Sally Pearson 12.35
2 USA Dawn Harper 12.37
3 USA Kellie Wells 12.48
4 USA Lolo Jones 12.58
5 TUR Nevin Yanit 12.58
6 CAN Phylicia George 12.65
7 CAN Jessica Zelinka 12.69
8 AUT Beate Schrott 13.07

Yordanka Donkova's 1988 record of 12.21 seconds stands. Pearson's the only woman to challenge it in the past 20 years.