Dwaine Chambers

[EIM]

So let's get this straight:

- His only previous rugby experience is holding a ball for a photoshoot

- He doesn't know the rules

- He has a month to prove himself

- And this isn't just a massive publicity stunt?

Righto then.

[ursus arctos]

Dwaine Chambers

It's in the great tradition of Charlie Finley (the "eccentric" owner of the Kansas City/Oakland A's baseball club) signing Herb Washington (then the World Champion over 60 metres) as a "pinch running specialist" for a season.

That didn't work either.

[EIM]

Dwaine Chambers

This is, as yet, an unpaid four week trial.

Having said that the coach just said in the press conference that he only had 15 fit players, so there's a chance that Dwaine could feature on Sunday.

Tellingly, Chambers started to piss himself laughing.

[Danger Mouse]

Dwaine Chambers

Given how bad Cas are at present, the odds are he can't do much worse....

[Tony C]

Dwaine Chambers

This is horrible.

As EIM rightly implies it's the worst possible publicity stunt, one set to make Castleford (and by extension, RL in general) look stupid and desperate.

The game deserves so much better than this. Newspapers who have barely devoted any space to covering what has so far been a wonderful SuperLeague season will go to town on this.

Castleford are a bunch of cretins.

[NHH]

Dwaine Chambers

It's hard to disagree. It's shite like this that gives credence to all sorts of prejudice that RL is a desperate publicity-monger, with the PR skills of Bill Maynard in the Gaffer.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Dwaine Chambers

meanwhile, the only Irish swimmer to qualify for the olympics has tested positive for drugs. D'oh.

[Gangster Octopus]

Dwaine Chambers

He's not going to Beijing.

[Hofzinser]

Dwaine Chambers

Good.

[Tony C]

Dwaine Chambers

Good.

[Duncan Gardner]

Dwaine Chambers

Bad- on the grounds that I think lifetime sporting bans are unreasonable.

[Etienne]

Dwaine Chambers

Good - on the grounds that he doesn't have one.

[Duncan Gardner]

Dwaine Chambers

My mistake. How long is his ban?

BBC wrote (as referred above)

British sprinter Dwain Chambers will not be able to run at the Olympics after he lost his attempt to overturn his lifetime ban

[Etienne]

Dwaine Chambers

He's able to compete in all athletics competition, he simply won't be picked for GB teams for the Olympics. So he can still earn a living, he can even go and find another country to represent (pace the Senna thread) if he wants to run in the Olympics.

I don't think that "lifetime ban" is the right term for it.

[Eggchaser]

Dwaine Chambers

Well, we can now claim the moral high ground over the Greek Olympic team.

Take that, you greasy foreign pederasts!

[Guest]

Dwaine Chambers

That woman who skipped three drug tests should have got banned as well.

[wingco]

Dwaine Chambers

Steve Cram has made the point that even though he might be clean today, he will still be enjoying the physical benefits of his time as a drugs cheat, which have a lingering effect. He shouldn't be there. Sadly, one suspects that neither should at last half of those who will eventually line up for the final.

[wingco]

Dwaine Chambers

All of which reminds me, I must go out and buy an Aico fire alarm.

[Mr Beast]

Dwaine Chambers

Yes Hieronymus but the moral high ground went missing once the scatterbrain became unexpectedly good.

[blameless]

Dwaine Chambers

I assume HoH and Mr.Beast are talking about Christine Ohuruogu?

If so, that's a more complicated case - she was banned for a year by the IAAF (the appropriate censure for missing mandatory drugs tests), but the BOC by-law that bars people from the UKNI Olympic team for life for failing drugs tests doesn't extend to people who miss them, as far as I'm aware.

Back on the subject of Chambers, he's a fucking cretin as well as a cheat. He was a perfectly good sprinter in his own right, without having to resort to roids.

[Etienne]

Dwaine Chambers

Mr Beast, that's also slightly unfair given that British athletes have been resolute in maintaining their position on Chambers, despite the fact that he's clearly the only UK male sprinter with a chance of making the final.

[Mr Beast]

Dwaine Chambers

Etienne wrote:

Mr Beast, that's also slightly unfair given that British athletes have been resolute in maintaining their position on Chambers, despite the fact that he's clearly the only UK male sprinter with a chance of making the final.

99% True though I saw a female athlete (can't remember name) earlier saying Chambers was unfairly punished as other countries don't make that stand. He probably would have made final given that of the 10 fastest men this year 7 are American and only 3 of them will be in the individual 100m

As for future GB heroine Christine the distinction between missing and failing tests is well made. 3 times though?

[Guest]

Dwaine Chambers

Yeah, anyone can miss one test for non-nefarious reasons, but missing three of the things constitutes a pattern. I know what most people would think if an African or east European runner got nabbed for not turning up for three drug tests.

[Commodore]

Dwaine Chambers

Yes, the BOA is unique in making a stand against those who have tested positive. But in the general scheme of things this unique stance should be made painfully aware to anyone with Olympic aspirations.

Chambers should have known what was at stake, especially as he was at Sydney at the same time that Linford Christie was banned from having any trackside contact with Katherine Merry and Darren Campbell, both of whom won medals under Christie's guidance.

The decision comes as no surprise whatsoever. Politically, the BOA are not going to back down with London 2012 just around the corner. And the High Court are hardly known for their anti-establishment stance.

To compare this with their backtracking of Christine Ohorougu's ban is wrong though. Only time will tell if she got away with it or if she was villified. For now she may be somewhat tainted, but she is still clean until a test proves otherwise.

As for Chambers, well he could consider changing nationality. Or prepare himself for I'm a Celebrity Get The Fuck off my TV.

[Guest]

Dwaine Chambers

ykikamoocow wrote:

For now she may be somewhat tainted, but she is still clean until a test proves otherwise.

Marion Jones never failed a drugs test either. Neither did Flo-Jo. And neither has that 41-year-old swimmer who is currently beating the shit out of all comers in America after having been retired for years.

If you fail to turn up at three successive tests, occasions which are very important to your career as an athlete, it is reasonable to infer you don't want to be there, and from that it is reasonable to assume that the reason you don't want to be there is because you are afraid of getting done for drugs.