Dwayne Chambers - Your views

[LizzygotDizzy]

I think Dwayne Chambers, in my opinion, has served his time for the crime and has been big enough to put his hands up and say hey, I made a mistake, I'm sorry but now I'm reformed, back in training and have served my time, so deserve a chance. All the people who are all up in arms about it really aggravate me, plus he's about the only chance we have of a medal in his event, being as he is fastest in his field and absolutely whupped the opposition last weekend in the trials. I say good luck to him. He's not hiding the fact that he made a mistake or trying to make excuses either and was banned for two years, but still managed to maintain, (without drugs this time), his skills.

[Alan Dale]

removed

[*Bob*]

Personally I feel he should be excluded on the grounds of being called 'Dwayne', but that's just me.

[Alan Dale]

removed

[*Bob*]

Were you ever excluded?

[Keef]

That's brought back some memories, I used to love Red Dwarf!

I think he should be allowed to run, and I do think some of the dopinglaws are ludicrous! Only thing here is that he took a drug thinking it was untracable, and could have been doing so for a while, so I can see why they're pissed at him.

[Nero]

This is a difficult one. He has served the time, but he's also still benefiting from his misdemeanours. You can't undo the gains he got through drugs, so even though he's been banned, he'll always have that unfair advantage. Nero

[Keef]

Dwain Dibley.

[spadetownboy]

what he done was wrong but in other sports,cycling for example, once the ban is served they are allowed to compete again,and not only that but the teams are clambouring for their signature eg david miller,richard virenque, i appreciate the mindset is a bit different in cycling, but as far as society goes,do the crime,serve the time and thats it and therefore if he is contrite enough and does his bit to spread the anti drug message as miller is,then he should be allowed to compete.

[SimonM]

>>plus he's about the only chance we have of a medal in his event, <<

Should this actually be a factor??

[atila the gooner]

In terms of the Olympic ideals he should never be allowed to compete again, but if, as in other walks of life, he has served his time, then I guess he should be allowed to compete. But like Nero said he is benefitting from his past misdemeanours and that doesn't seem right.

[mockney piers]

"My nick-name at school was Dwayne Dibley." Really?!?!

I had you down for being in your 40s for some reason.

[lozzyloz]

Doesn't seem morally right to me. Just because he's done his punishment it doesn't necessarily follow that he's fit to represent this country. Would you hesitate to hire a convicted armed robber as a security guard even though he'd already served his time? There are many jobs that are closed to people with a previous criminal conviction.

[LizzygotDizzy]

lozzyloz Wrote:

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> Doesn't seem morally right to me. Just because

> he's done his punishment it doesn't necessarily

> follow that he's fit to represent this country.

> Would you hesitate to hire a convicted armed

> robber as a security guard even though he'd

> already served his time? There are many jobs that

> are closed to people with a previous criminal

> conviction.

See this is where the hypocrysy gets my goat! yet you are ok with an ex prostitute, ex-drug runner/importer, ex heroin addict and whatever else standing for parliament or whatever it was, representing you, just because you know her and shes really a nice girl??? Everyone has the opportunity to reform and the right not to be judged on their past mistakes, isn't that right ED Forumites?

;-)

[Keef]

Bloody good point!

[citizenED]

I agree with Alan: just allow drugs in sport. Athletes are hardly "normal" people like us, they have spacial diets, training regimes, nutritionists and sports psychologists to ensure that they are not normal. The whole debate is skewed by the charming but totally antiquated view of sport as an amatuer pursuit. It's not. Just throw the doors open and allow anything - spend the money saved on the development of sport for youngsters.

[lozzyloz]

I don't think it's hypocritical.

Regarding CWALD, she has experience of real life issues which many politicians simply don't have. She also displays a huge amount of honesty which again a lot of politicians don't. But if a politician was found to be corrupt/dishonest whilst IN PUBLIC OFFICE I wouldn't expect them to be re-elected.

Similarly Dwayne is not fit for purpose as far as representing this country. However, I would certainly be in favour of him being involved in a sports program that helped encourage young and upcoming athletes not to do the drugs route.

You wouldn't get in a Taxi with a driver known to have caused a death through reckless driving. Paedophiles are barred from working with kids. Why should a known drugs cheat that still has the muscle development derived from banned substances be allowed to compete and benefit against other athletes who took the harder route to success?

[atila the gooner]

Well said lozzyloz

[LizzygotDizzy]

But doesn't Dwayne Chambers also have experience of real life issues? He's already said use me as an example to the children for reasons "not" to take drugs??? I don't see CWALD's honesty as being such a big deal as there is little you can do when you have a newspaper journalist knocking on your door/phoning asking you to clarify rumours as well. Just because she took drugs, sold herself etc. does that qualify her to run the country stand as a voice for whoever better than any other candidate? So better to out with all your crap first then go for election as opposed to letting the media find out, which they will eventually do in the end anyway when you have so many skeletons in your closet? A good tactic in my book. He was banned for 2 years and drugs stay in your system, hair follicles etc. for a lot longer than you think, so if he is clean now the obvious is he no longer a drug user and is genuinely sorry for doing so, as was Chav, sorry for her previous drug use etc, why should one be treated as an outcast to be thrown to the lions for ever and another patted on the back for it, just coz you know her?

[atila the gooner]

Fair play Lizzy, good points from you and Lozzyloz. Good arguments from both ends of the spectrum.

[*Bob*]

LizzygotDizzy Wrote:

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> But doesn't Dwayne Chambers also have experience

> of real life issues?

He does, but you don't win medals for having experience of real life issues. It's also clear that you don't win elections by being an ex pro.. er.. sex-worker and drug addict - so Lizzy, you have nothing to fear.

Personally I lay the blame at the door of the athletics governing bodies, who have allowed the current insidious mess which the sport is in to develop though lack of clarity and a testing programme which virtually encourages athletes to try their luck. They need to sort it out pronto, or go the way of the Dale Route.

[LizzygotDizzy]

Yeah sorry Atilla, wasn't very nice of me to resort to personal criticism to make my point, have amended, but I do get cross with the whats ok for one but not the other on here sometimes.

[lozzyloz]

So by the same token if Ian Huntley was released after 25 years (enough time to be rehabed) would it be ok for him to publish his memoirs and benefit from it even though he hadn't killed any little girls in that time?

Also, you may be aware that there are already many politicians who have been convicted of offences and are still in office. I don't think CWALD will ever be elected to Prime Minister (but I might be wrong), if she was it would be because the public felt she had the right qualities to run the country.

Dwayne has been out of the country and out of athletics for a couple of years without any drug tests. Who's to know he's still not been playing the system? I'd be happier knowing that an athlete representing the ideals of this country and the Olympics had achieved that position in a deserved fashion. It's an incredible honour and his exclusion means someone else's exclusion medal or not. But then we have a history of handing out passports in another desperate bid to tenuously clinch medals on the world stage.

I bet you'd feel differently if the Chinese Table Tennis Champion was a known drugs cheat and their inclusion at Beijing further reduced our country's chance of a Ping Pong medal.

* edited for poor grammar due to drug abuse

[LizzygotDizzy]

The paedophiles and killers are a whole different kettle of fish Loz, don't even begin to try and infer that I place them on the same scale or even in the same category, that would be just wrong. Dwyane Chambers played American Football for the 2 years plus he was banned, and was regularly tested for drugs because he was on a team, so what the heck! :-S

Killers, paedophiles, rapists of children etc. do not deserve to be categorised alongside ex drug users, who are now trying to right the wrongs of their pasts. Are you now saying they are the same then and should be all banded together? scary

[lozzyloz]

You are so right. Similarly somebody who's open about their past and putting themself forward to the public to decide is not comparable to somebody that achieved his status through cheating in a field where purity of body is everything.

Btw you can buy clean piss in the US for about $20.