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Karl Schranz wasGame s scapegoatBy STAN EAMESOne Olympic contender has been disqualified to satisfy the whim of an old millionaire who was upset by the contender’s remarks about him in an interview.Karl Schranz of Austria, almost a sure shot to win the gold medal in downhill skiing and the slaloms, spoke his mind after being criticized harshly by Avery Brundage, president of the International Olympic Committee.And for doing that, he was made a scapegoat by Brundage, a Chicago millionaire who is past his time.GRANTED Schranz should not have been allowed in the game if he profited from endorsements of advertising for skis and equipment. But there are many other European skiers who have done the same thing and haven’t come to Brundage’s attention.Essentially, Brundage’s action, concurred in by a majority of the IOC, is a cheap shot at a fine skier. Had the Chicagoan disqualified everyone who profited from their status as an Olympian, the action would have been justified.The Austrian team, which considered a boycott of the Winter Games beginning today, would have been justified in doing so, even though it would have made the games a farce.France will undoubtedly walk off with a majority of the skiing medals now, moving up a notch after the Austrian’s dismissal from competition, but the medals will not be won against the best competition. For after all, the French are as guilty as the Austrians in the matter of financial reward for name skiers.Brundage, the foremost advocate of pure amateurism in the world, is to be commended for his desire to keep the Olympics unsullied by professionalism. The problem, as we see it, is that he’s not being consistent . If one is to be punished, all who are guilty must be punished.IT SEEMS that something like this a problem that occupies center stage for a short time comes up at each Olympics. Over a half-century ago, Jim Thorpe had several medals taken from him after it was disclosed he once accepted $50 to play in a semi-pro baseball game before the Games.In Mexico City, during the last go-round, there were rumblings about the effect of the relatively thin air on athletes’ hearts, as well as the possibility of men masquerading as women in the track and field events.So, Sapporo, Japan, will have to accept the strain placed on it by the current Brundage escapade . grin and bear-it.POTPOURRI: It’s said so frequently that you’re probably tired of it, but it's time for America to subsidize its Olympic athletes. Not just the skiers and skaters, who cry so piteously and still make a good living, but the summer competitors, too.Most Olympic skiers, skaters and other winter competitors are either independent financially or supported by wellwishers. Some contributions come from the quadrennial Olympic appeal for public support.The skiers and skaters, although the life is tough at times, can get along fairly well. But the summer competitors, with very little glamour attached, are the ones who need the most support. They are the ones who would benefit most from a federal subsidy.The argument, everyone else does it, why don’t we, dull as it sounds, is applicable here.ISc
Newspaper Details
Daily Kennebec Journal
Augusta, Maine, US
Thu, Feb 03, 1972
Page 8
Full Page
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WV, USA 06 May 2020
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