11/05/24
December 31, 2005
Jumping Their Bones: Six weeks before the start of the Winter Olympics in Turin, some members of the U.S. women's skeleton team, including 2002 gold medalist Tristan Gale, have accused Coach Tim Nardiello of improper sexual advances and harassment. "The only time I want to see your legs spread like that is if I am between them," he allegedly said to one competitor.
Well, if he did what they say he did, that's extremely not cool. For the sake of the team, I hope this hearing happens quickly and whatever decision they reach is decisive, so they can at least move on one way or the other.
posted by chicobangs at 10:20 AM on December 31, 2005
I could see where this could cause a problem or two. I hope they get it resolved one way or another. I love watching Olympic Skiing. I would hate to see our performances effected by such charges. We are supposed to be pretty good this year, arent we???
posted by daddisamm at 11:05 AM on December 31, 2005
"The only time I want to see your legs spread like that is if I am between them," What a stone cold smoove daddy. Good god, I'm shocked this man is still walking around with unswollen testicles.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 11:11 AM on December 31, 2005
Perhaps, He was using a negative reinforcement technique. This is not highschool these woman are of the age of consent. So many factors in a sexual harrassment accusation. Even the word itself seems a bit leading.( why isn't it sexual hisassment) It is not uncommon in sports to pat the butt of an athlete. Did he suggest through his advancements that a skier could make the team if they responded to the advancements, or that they would be cut if the responded negatively. The spread legs comment seems a bit crass, but I don't know the general banter that may have taken place on that given occation. The skiers could have been playful in their previous responces, leading up to his alleged aggregious statement. The age old conflict of men and women ( sexual ) is not inhibited by sports. If one member of the team willfully responded to his advances, then a president was esablished. This would then be cause for further advancement, as even though he is a coach, he is entitled to pursue his own happiness. I would have to agree, they do look hot in those ski suits! Though it seems unfair that soneone should be made to feel uncomfortable about their sexuallity, whether they are on a ski team or work in an office, life is rarely fair. I think that, when we decide as a society to dictate where and when sexual advancement is appropriate, we run the risk of disrupting the natural selection of nature. Mostly cause, I luvs da ladies!
Perhaps, He was using a negative reinforcement technique. Perhaps it is unacceptable as such.
posted by yerfatma at 12:52 PM on December 31, 2005
Nice timing. The article says issues have been raised in the past ... with the coach's wife, and that someone's mom wrote a letter? So, things were horrible, but you stuck it out until just after you got the axe? And now you want to sink the coach and screw the team over right before the Olympics? I'm not saying I don't believe the allegations. I probably do if a dozen or women and another coach have issues. But if you can't raise the problem while you're directly involved in it, I don't have much sympathy for you. Oh, and nice headline, rcade.
posted by wfrazerjr at 12:54 PM on December 31, 2005
"...Even the word itself seems a bit leading.( why isn't it sexual hisassment)..." Hardy har har.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 01:50 PM on December 31, 2005
Everyone has the right to complain about the way they have been treated in life. I would like to take another approach with this event. There is more to coaching than just strategy and training techniques. There is inspiration. Some coaches are able to inspire athletes through various mechanismsm. A common one is that the athlete has so much respect for the coach that the athlete would feel shame, if they let the coach down with a poor performance or did not meet the coach's expectations. There is a father/child development in the coaching relationship. When the athlete and coach are of opposite sexes a sexual role based relationship can develop. It does not have to be acted upon physically, but the energy that comes from the relationship can be redirected toward a successful athletic performance. When a coach has success with any type of technique, he is likley to repeat it. Eventually somebody can cross the line, especially if an added emotion of disappointment (over being cut) is added to the mix. This is all speculation on my part, but I believe it is plausable. It would take a bigger man than me to resist all of the temptations that ten years or so of coaching physically perfected women is likley to bring about. I am reminded of the coach of the North Carolina womens soccer team, they won about 15 NCAA titles over the years . Then allegations came out about several "physical relationships", that had occurred during his tenure. So this kind of daliance does happen from time to time in the heterosexual world. I do not condone it, but I understand.
There are a lot of people attaching their names to these allegations, which date back three years in some cases. One of the people accusing Nardiello of inappropriate behavior is fellow coach Terry Allen. Though you obviously don't know definitively that something like this is true, the sheer number of accusers is pretty damning.
posted by rcade at 03:45 PM on December 31, 2005
So, three year ago it was okay, but now that it's trendy I feel violated (...Come to think of it I did catch him looking at my butt that time in 2003... and there was that waxing incident..he never hit on me, hey what's wrong with me.. I don't want to look like the only one so I'll just say he did...) What you have just read is a ficticious account of what could have happened. Remember the truth only counts if it helps you. You may justify your completely unfufilled life by jumping on just one bandwagon. Who's it gonna be you or some sleazy prick of a coach who cut you! Why you may even be due some monetary compensation."..and why is he head coach? I'm just as good as a coach as any man. He is gonna pay for every man that ever pissed me off..) Yes , just like a wild fire..good bye coach Nardello.
Now we know how the media will fill their slow time.
posted by STLCardinalfan at 06:27 PM on December 31, 2005
When the athlete and coach are of opposite sexes a sexual role based relationship can develop. It does not have to be acted upon physically, but the energy that comes from the relationship can be redirected toward a successful athletic performance. Hey, why just the opposite sex? Why not the same sex? How about if some football coach tries it with your little boy? SportingRhino, you're a complete jackass.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 07:29 PM on December 31, 2005
When the athlete and coach are of opposite sexes a sexual role based relationship can develop. It does not have to be acted upon physically, but the energy that comes from the relationship can be redirected toward a successful athletic performance. Hey, why just the opposite sex? Why not the same sex? How about if some football coach tries it with your little boy? SportingRhino, you're a complete jackass. Why just the opposite sex you ask? You see for a relationship to have the type of energy that I am speaking about, and that you may have never felt, is the energy that is created when a man and a women come together. I could explain it biologically, but that would only confuse you more. There could be no sexual energy between my little boy and his football coach because they are of the same sex. Please do not confuse the lust of a pedophile for the kind of positive sexual energy that inspires athletes and artists. My little boy is actually a little girl, so it could be possible, but to be honest with you she really has shown no interest in football. I hope she does receive her share of advances(she's 13), because she has been taught well about respect and integrity. She already knows the value of a well timed flirt. She also knows that all "men" want the same thing. That thing has great value and needs to be valued highly. I would suggest that, if you have had some personal "experience" with a football coach or a "little boy", that there is therapy available, but you need to make the first step, Come on, start the New Year off right!..Just pick up the phone and make the call. It's the first step toward recovery. Happy New Year!!!!
There could be no sexual energy between my little boy and his football coach because they are of the same sex. You're confusing the things that make you tingle in your special place with the things that make other people tingle in theirs. Sexual attraction is not universal. And thank God for that, because your titillation over the "sexual role based relationship" that could grow from a "father/child" relationship, coupled with your belief that your daughter's sexuality is some kind of asset she can exploit, is disturbing. The women on the U.S. skeleton team are Olympic-class athletes. There's nothing motivational about Coach Grabass slobbering over their bodies before a race, unless you think it inspires them to get away more quickly at the start.
posted by rcade at 07:00 AM on January 01, 2006
There could be no sexual energy between my little boy and his football coach because they are of the same sex. You're confusing the things that make you tingle in your special place with the things that make other people tingle in theirs. Sexual attraction is not universal. And thank God for that, because your titillation over the "sexual role based relationship" that could grow from a "father/child" relationship, coupled with your belief that your daughter's sexuality is some kind of asset she can exploit, is disturbing. The women on the U.S. skeleton team are Olympic-class athletes. There's nothing motivational about Coach Grabass slobbering over their bodies before a race, unless you think it inspires them to get away more quickly at the start. Comment icon posted by rcade at 7:00 AM CST on January 1 Happy New Year to you sir, There are so many directions to go with this, that I must first thank you for the opportunity to respond to such a multi-dimentional thread as the one we now read. I am a bit surprized that a person of who is a founding member of such a great forum, would respond in such a reactionary manner. You have taken my statements and arranged them for your own muddled attack upon the premise which they support. It's a tactic which is often employed by many of the spin doctors currently working within the media. I am glad that I have a chance to correct your mistakes of both courtesy and fact. I can only hope that anyone who would respond as being disturbed by my understanding of the basic concept of "sex sells", could remain calm long enough to actually read all the words in all the of the posts to which they are responding. If you would care to take the time to review my first post in this thread, you will read that I begin the whole premise with the word "perhaps". I don't like to do straight word definitions, but it seems necessary. The word "perhaps" implies that what is about to follow could be one possible reality in the realm of many. Now, back to the basics of my post, sexual attraction while not universal is often mutual. If you think that there has never been a mutual attraction between a male coach and a female athlete you are being naive. Perhaps( there's that word again ) you should come out of cyberspace long enough to get a taste of the real world. It is full of all kinds of nasty and unseemly things but, the sooner you acknowledge that it does exist, the more you will be able to understand about it. It is well within my(and coach Nardello's) rights to derive pleasure from the beauty of the feminine form. These athletes were woman long before they were athletes. If you deny a woman the privilege of being a sexual creature you are committing a grave injustice. Womans sports have an element of "titillation" whether you accept it or not. You seem to run several of my points together in order to make a "non existant" point about my daughter and a sexual relationship. This is certainly a low point of your reply. I can only hope that you were slightly confused, because if you were trying make a lucid point, it would seem inflammatory in nature and a little "mean spirited" as well. The father coach / child athlete point was a seperate theory about a type of inspirational strategy. The sexual role based theory was meant to be a seperate "adults only" strategy. It was not my intent to imply that they are the same strategy. Finally, the way we have choosen to raise our daughters ( we have two) is to make them aware that there are people in this world that are not very nice and that will take advantage of you , if you let them. We have made the girls fully aware of why and how being "taken advantage of" can manifest itself. This way situations like the one being discussed in this thread will be less likely to happen to them.( unless they want it for their own satisfaction ) If "my parts" did not "tingle" then my daughters would not exist, and that would be truely disturbing. I hope that the new year brings you many more opportunities to open your mind and "perhaps" even experience a little bit of the real world. Good luck sir!
SprotingRhino I have a lot of respect for you but it would make it a whole lot eaiser on us if you put some spacing in between paragraphs once in a while.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 11:28 AM on January 01, 2006
We have made the girls fully aware of why and how being "taken advantage of" can manifest itself. This way situations like the one being discussed in this thread will be less likely to happen to them.( unless they want it for their own satisfaction ) I am confused. Rhino are you saying the girls must have done something to encourage this? We don't know all the circumstances but IMHO I don't think the girls asked for sexual harrassment so they could cry foul against the guy.
posted by skydivemom at 11:29 AM on January 01, 2006
Your points were pretty clear the first time around, Rhino. Consider the possibility that people who disagree with you don't necessarily misunderstand you. I think your view of human sexuality in regard to women is reductive and gross. When you claim to be defending the coach's right to "derive pleasure from the beauty of the feminine form," and you declare that you "luvs da ladies," it's pretty clear which organ dictates your thinking on this issue.
posted by rcade at 11:50 AM on January 01, 2006
Wow. It took you five lines of blaming the media, the general public and everyone here before you accidentally slipped in what I take is the actual point of your post: It is well within my(and coach Nardello's) rights to derive pleasure from the beauty of the feminine form. No. Not in the capacity of being their coach, it's not. Never mind the legal issues, of which there are many, and none of which favor Coach Nardiello. And forget about the fact that sexual attraction is actually not always mutual, especially between people in an uneven power situation, and when it isn't and someone forces sexuality into a non-sexual situation, it actually hurts (psychologically, emotionally, and sometimes physically) the people involved. And I'm ignoring the homophobia inherent in everything you've said so far (google Mike Danton or Sheldon Kennedy, to name two, and get back to this thread on that front). Never mind all that. When the dynamic between a coach and athlete is strained like this, it affects performance. And what's a coach doing adding extra pressure to his charges, especially leading up to the marquee event in your sport, simply because he needs his dingle played with? Unless I'm mistaken, you don't run the skeleton course using your sex organs. There are many instances of coaches and athletes finding attraction between each other. And the right thing to do is to wait until the coach is no longer coaching that particular athlete, at which point the two of you can go off and do your thing. SportingRhino, if you've somehow made it to 2005 and you're still ignorant enough to think it's appropriate for a coach to make repeated unwanted sexual advances to the athletes under his care, then I sure as hell don't want you anywhere near my kids.
posted by chicobangs at 12:11 PM on January 01, 2006
SprotingRhino I have a lot of respect for you but it would make it a whole lot eaiser on us if you put some spacing in between paragraphs once in a while. Comment icon posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 11:28 AM CST on January 1 Thank you for the support YingYang. I will always return respect with dividends. If your moniker was choosen beacuse your are a fan of eastern religions specifically taoism, then you will understand my logic more than most. Simply that, nothing is absolute. There is a little bad in all that is good and conversely, there is a little good in all that is bad. I have been free forming most of this, but I will work on my punctuation and syntax errors.Thanks again for the positive input. Happy New year!
We have made the girls fully aware of why and how being "taken advantage of" can manifest itself. This way situations like the one being discussed in this thread will be less likely to happen to them.( unless they want it for their own satisfaction ) I am confused. Rhino are you saying the girls must have done something to encourage this? We don't know all the circumstances but IMHO I don't think the girls asked for sexual harrassment so they could cry foul against the guy. Comment icon posted by skydivemom at 11:29 AM CST on January 1 Skydivemom, I do not know anything about this situation beyond what was posted in the thread. It was my understanding that this forum was designed for discussion about the threads as they are posted. I appreciate yor interest in my posting and I thank you for asking me to clarify my point without challenging my character or parenting skills. I did not mean to imply that the woman in this story did not have a legitimate right to expect a certain type of treatment from a trusted coach. I believe that coaching is all the woman were looking for from coach Nardello I made the point of explaining a few coaching theories, that might have led to the situation. I offered my opinion as to what might happen if a natural attraction was cultivated to be used for a positive effect, in terms of athletic success. People are taken advantage of everyday in many ways not just sexual.It is never a pleasant thing. It is however unpleasant, a part of life. I mentioned the way we have raised our daughters, who are both aspiring dancers and actresses, because I thought that it was relevant to the discussion. They have choosen a vocation which is infamous for the way it uses people. We drew upon our personal experiences, their mother especially, to prepare them for the mistreatment they may encounter. We hoped to establish in them a sense of self worth, which could be part of their sexuality without being dependent upon it completely. Dancing and acting are often forms of sexual expression. I especially feel that you cannot "world proof" your children. They will ultimately have to make their own decisions.
Your points were pretty clear the first time around, Rhino. Consider the possibility that people who disagree with you don't necessarily misunderstand you. I think your view of human sexuality in regard to women is reductive and gross. When you claim to be defending the coach's right to "derive pleasure from the beauty of the feminine form," and you declare that you "luvs da ladies," it's pretty clear which organ dictates your thinking on this issue. Comment icon posted by rcade at 11:50 AM CST on January 1 rcade, The reason I though that you misunderstood my points was that your responce seemed a to smack of a pecking order style of self righteous projection on your part. The morality of the group being dictated by yourself " the great emancipator of woman rights." The concepts you have banteed about are of the 1950's Father Knows Best" variety. This seemed incredulous to me. So I felt a need to explain further my point which you so dearly missed. So, again from the top. We " the readers of the given post" do not know all the facts. It is "possible" that the man in question had a reason, whether you or anyone else agrees with it, for his actions. There that was it. See how I did it with out casting any aspersions on your character. I did not refer to my opinion of you or your lifestyle, just on your opinion as expressed through your posting. I did not take two seperate postings and apply them out of context, in order to project a point that was irrelevent to my post (as if any intelligent reader could not easily see this abberation ) I just reponded to your post. I do enjoy the feminine form and I do "luvs da ladies" I also have a sense of humor about myself. While I will always defend your right to not share my opinion on human sexuality. I am curious as to why you think my veiws are "reductive and gross"
If your moniker was choosen beacuse your are a fan of eastern religions specifically taoism, It was somethingI just came up with at random, figured it sounded cool. I'm actually a Methodist. Thanks for listening to my opinion, I noticed your posts afterword did become easier to read. Happy New Year to you too.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 02:34 PM on January 01, 2006
Wow. It took you five lines of blaming the media, the general public and everyone here before you accidentally slipped in what I take is the actual point of your post: It is well within my(and coach Nardello's) rights to derive pleasure from the beauty of the feminine form. No. Not in the capacity of being their coach, it's not. Never mind the legal issues, of which there are many, and none of which favor Coach Nardiello. And forget about the fact that sexual attraction is actually not always mutual, especially between people in an uneven power situation, and when it isn't and someone forces sexuality into a non-sexual situation, it actually hurts (psychologically, emotionally, and sometimes physically) the people involved. And I'm ignoring the homophobia inherent in everything you've said so far (google Mike Danton or Sheldon Kennedy, to name two, and get back to this thread on that front). Never mind all that. When the dynamic between a coach and athlete is strained like this, it affects performance. And what's a coach doing adding extra pressure to his charges, especially leading up to the marquee event in your sport, simply because he needs his dingle played with? Unless I'm mistaken, you don't run the skeleton course using your sex organs. There are many instances of coaches and athletes finding attraction between each other. And the right thing to do is to wait until the coach is no longer coaching that particular athlete, at which point the two of you can go off and do your thing. SportingRhino, if you've somehow made it to 2005 and you're still ignorant enough to think it's appropriate for a coach to make repeated unwanted sexual advances to the athletes under his care, then I sure as hell don't want you anywhere near my kids. Comment icon posted by chicobangs at 12:11 PM CST on January 1 Chicobangs, Thank you, It seems you did actually read the first five lines of my post, as per your nararration, ( which I am sure is for the members who cannot actually read for themselves ) beyond that I find your post a bit convoluted. I cannot tell if you are taking my words and rearranging them to fit some imagined opposition to your unestablished moral point, or you may just be cofused. I say this because, I think you may be responding to a composited posting which includes some of my points with some other yet undetermined person or persons. The homophobia reference is a complete mystery. I think maybe because I mentioned my opposition to pedophilia, When responding to the member who asked me about "my little boy and his football coach" ? Homophobia does that mean that I am afraid of homosexuals?, Okay that was a joke, but seriously I do appreciate your googling suggestions. I hope you will not be testing me on these subjects any time soon, as I am booked for the next few months. The last two paragraphs get a little hazy. You seem to agree with my basic point, but feel the need to defend the counterpoint.(huh?) Thank you, I did make it to 2005 and now 2006. I promise that I will spend every waking moment the same way I spent the last 40 years. That is trying my best to be less ingnorant. Do you want to make a resolution to the same effect? I would prefer not to meet your children under the current conditions. Happy New Year!!!
I promise that I will spend every waking moment the same way I spent the last 40 years. That is trying my best to be less ingnorant. Then check your alarm clock and wake up. Your understanding of sexual harassment and what's considered permissible behavior is way out of line with what the US courts consider permissible behavior. Likewise, it's ironic that you accuse rcade of having "banteed[sic] about" concepts of the "1950's Father Knows Best variety"; in fact, it is your attitude towards harassment -- women want the attention, how could they not? -- that's antiquated. You then go on to clarify your point: So, again from the top. We " the readers of the given post" do not know all the facts. It is "possible" that the man in question had a reason, whether you or anyone else agrees with it, for his actions. There that was it. ...and, to paraphrase rcade: we understood you just fine. We just don't agree. Yes, the facts are not all known; however, what is mentioned in the article points to one of two things: a clear and persistent pattern of sexual harassment and sexually inappropriate behavior, or a conspiracy that would require the cooperation of many different individuals who stand to gain nothing from it, and possibly lose a great deal. There are quite a few allegations from several sources. Not all of those sources were the victims of the alleged harassment, and at least one of them was another coach. It's pretty clear that you're not very familiar with how these things go, but take it from me, in cases of sexual harassment involving a power imbalance, it's pretty damn rare for one of the harasser's peers to volunteer a complaint. So, yes, we do not know all the facts, but what we do know is pretty damning. You then state that it's possible that Nardiello had a reason for doing what he did. I'm quite sure there is a reason; however, you have failed to differentiate between "reason" and "excuse". Possible reasons? Satyriasis, or some other mental disorder. Selfishness, a sense of entitlement the size of the Grand Canyon. The delusion that "no" means "yes", or that he is irresistible to women, or that -- as you suggested -- sexual tension can be some kind of useful coaching tool. But those are all delusions. None of them excuses his conduct. If you believe even the smallest part of what you've said here, I strongly encourage you to refrain from ever putting any of your beliefs into practice. It will only damage others and, if justice is served, get you into a lot of hot water.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 08:03 PM on January 01, 2006
I hope you will not be testing me on these subjects any time soon, as I am booked for the next few months. For someone who is "booked" for the next few months you sure do have plenty of time to sit and type your long winded "stories" on this post. What he said/did was wrong. I don't find it to be that offensive. But I am a man. He did not say that he wanted to have sex with her, just that he didn't want to see her legs spread that far apart while she is going down the hill. It causes more resistance and slows her down. His choice of words might have been quit rough, but his intention, probably, was to get her a faster time for her trials.
posted by grabofsky74 at 09:02 PM on January 01, 2006
The age old conflict of men and women ( sexual ) is not inhibited by sports. If one member of the team willfully responded to his advances, then a president was esablished. I am passing on any Clinton jokes. But if you can't raise the problem while you're directly involved in it, I don't have much sympathy for you. I find it sad that his behavior has been acceptable, seemingly, until there was no hope of making the team. However, this is where the HARRASSMENT part comes into play. This man had power over these athlete's careers. Their dreams were, in part, tied to his discretion. As long as he had some control over their dreams, they felt forced to tolerate his behavior. If the accusations are true, he has abused his authority and should be replaced. It is odd that his defenders are still on the team, while his accusers aren't. Sour grapes or liberation? I'll lean towards the latter. Not being able to raise the problem while you're directly involved in it, for fear of losing your job is exactly the premise that determines whether "sexual harrassment" has occurred. Without power over the harrassed, one is simply an asshole. With power over those whom are harrassed, one is simply... a criminal.
posted by tselson at 10:41 PM on January 01, 2006
SportingRhino: Did he suggest through his advancements that a skier could make the team if they responded to the advancements It's skeleton, damn it. Please read the posts and linked articles before commenting.
posted by qbert72 at 11:14 PM on January 01, 2006
SportingRhino: Did he suggest through his advancements that a skier could make the team if they responded to the advancements It's skeleton, damn it. Please read the posts and linked articles before commenting. Comment icon posted by qbert72 at 11:14 PM CST on January 1 I hope you can excuse my ignorance on this "crucial" fact of the story! Please humor me with an explanation. Don't they wear skiis when they perform this sport? So, where as the sport itself may be called "skeleton", I am again ignorant of the facts. How should I refer to the participants. Are they skeletons? or skeletors? thank you
I promise that I will spend every waking moment the same way I spent the last 40 years. That is trying my best to be less ingnorant. Then check your alarm clock and wake up. Your understanding of sexual harassment and what's considered permissible behavior is way out of line with what the US courts consider permissible behavior. Likewise, it's ironic that you accuse rcade of having "banteed[sic] about" concepts of the "1950's Father Knows Best variety"; in fact, it is your attitude towards harassment -- women want the attention, how could they not? -- that's antiquated. You then go on to clarify your point: So, again from the top. We " the readers of the given post" do not know all the facts. It is "possible" that the man in question had a reason, whether you or anyone else agrees with it, for his actions. There that was it. ...and, to paraphrase rcade: we understood you just fine. We just don't agree. Yes, the facts are not all known; however, what is mentioned in the article points to one of two things: a clear and persistent pattern of sexual harassment and sexually inappropriate behavior, or a conspiracy that would require the cooperation of many different individuals who stand to gain nothing from it, and possibly lose a great deal. There are quite a few allegations from several sources. Not all of those sources were the victims of the alleged harassment, and at least one of them was another coach. It's pretty clear that you're not very familiar with how these things go, but take it from me, in cases of sexual harassment involving a power imbalance, it's pretty damn rare for one of the harasser's peers to volunteer a complaint. So, yes, we do not know all the facts, but what we do know is pretty damning. You then state that it's possible that Nardiello had a reason for doing what he did. I'm quite sure there is a reason; however, you have failed to differentiate between "reason" and "excuse". Possible reasons? Satyriasis, or some other mental disorder. Selfishness, a sense of entitlement the size of the Grand Canyon. The delusion that "no" means "yes", or that he is irresistible to women, or that -- as you suggested -- sexual tension can be some kind of useful coaching tool. But those are all delusions. None of them excuses his conduct. If you believe even the smallest part of what you've said here, I strongly encourage you to refrain from ever putting any of your beliefs into practice. It will only damage others and, if justice is served, get you into a lot of hot water. Comment icon posted by lil_brown_bat at 8:03 PM CST on January 1 Lilbrownbat, I appreciate your responce and it's candor. I have read your bio, I see that you are much closer to the world of skiing than I am, so I would imagine you know more of it's inner workings. I made no excuses for coach Nardellos behavior, I just said that I understood what may have happened. I specifically wrote that I did not condone his type of behavior. I understand that we are entitles to our own opinions. I welcome any and all intelligent discussion, However I feel that the opinion that you are opposing is not mine. You and rcade are having a debate with am imaginary villian. People on this forum are constantly asked to read the links and post carefully. So, I am not placed in the position of defending a point which I never made as my own. I think that this forum is a great place to vent your frustrations with an unfair world. Just try to remember that I live in the same world as you. I hold no power over you or anyone else on this board. I offer my unsolicited opinions, just like you. You are just like me in that respect. Good luck! I wish you well this year, I hope you get the tickets you wrote of in your profile.
> I hope you will not be testing me on these subjects any time soon, as I am booked for the next few months. For someone who is "booked" for the next few months you sure do have plenty of time to sit and type your long winded "stories" on this post. What he said/did was wrong. I don't find it to be that offensive. But I am a man. He did not say that he wanted to have sex with her, just that he didn't want to see her legs spread that far apart while she is going down the hill. It causes more resistance and slows her down. His choice of words might have been quit rough, but his intention, probably, was to get her a faster time for her trials. Grabofsky74- Long winded? I could say the same of you, sir. I have been blessed with a certain amount of wind, I will grant you that. While my next few months are "booked" as far as referencing "homophobia, it's roots and origins" as suggested in the post. I am living in the United States and these last few days have been a holiday, so I found the time to be long winded mostly defending "points" I never made. You seem to be the only one who has posted a similar view on the story. My whole point was just to show how accusations such as these are impossible to judge from a distance. I have always prefered the role of "devils advocate."
But if you can't raise the problem while you're directly involved in it, I don't have much sympathy for you. I find it sad that his behavior has been acceptable, seemingly, until there was no hope of making the team. However, this is where the HARRASSMENT part comes into play. This man had power over these athlete's careers. Their dreams were, in part, tied to his discretion. As long as he had some control over their dreams, they felt forced to tolerate his behavior. If the accusations are true, he has abused his authority and should be replaced. It is odd that his defenders are still on the team, while his accusers aren't. Sour grapes or liberation? I'll lean towards the latter. Not being able to raise the problem while you're directly involved in it, for fear of losing your job is exactly the premise that determines whether "sexual harrassment" has occurred. Without power over the harrassed, one is simply an asshole. With power over those whom are harrassed, one is simply... a criminal. You have raised the same questions that I wanted to express in my post. It is possible to question the accuser's motives with out dismissing the crime or agreeing with the motives of the accused. I knew somebody would eventually get the point. I only wish that I expressed myself as clearly as you have done. Thank you! Comment icon posted by tselson at 10:41 PM CST on January 1
I hope you can excuse my ignorance on this "crucial" fact of the story! Please humor me with an explanation. Don't they wear skiis when they perform this sport? So, where as the sport itself may be called "skeleton" It's a sledding sport like luge. Clearly, you're just trolling to get a rise out of people.
posted by rcade at 08:59 AM on January 02, 2006
I hope you can excuse my ignorance on this "crucial" fact of the story! Please humor me with an explanation. Don't they wear skiis when they perform this sport? So, where as the sport itself may be called "skeleton" It's a sledding sport like luge. Clearly, you're just trolling to get a rise out of people. No, I actually was ignorant to the fact, that this is a sledding sport. My knowledge of winter sports is very limited. The story seemed to crux on the behavior of the coach more than the sport itself. I now see that I should have done more research as to the actual sport itself. Now that I know it is a sledding type sport, I think they should lock up that coach Nardello and throw away the key!
Mental.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 07:46 PM on January 02, 2006
So what did the rhino say to finally get the boot? While I found his mindset offensive I didn't think he said anything on this thread at least that would warrant him being kicked off the site, then again I may not have seen all the comments.
posted by tron7 at 01:22 PM on January 03, 2006
See locker room, tron. That wasn't a mindset, it was a game.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 01:34 PM on January 03, 2006
Thanks lbb
posted by tron7 at 02:11 PM on January 03, 2006
Aren't we just so sensitve? Wah!