Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology Date: 1999/05/03 Monday April 26, 7:30 am Eastern Time Company Press Release FEATURE/Statement Regarding ``Good Sportsmanship vs. Big Money'' By-Lined by *Bob Adams* --(BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES)--April 26, 1999--The following is a statement written by Bridge Publications and released by Dateline Communications: ``The feature wire titled: `Good Sportsmanship vs. Big Money' by-lined by *Bob Adams* -- written by Bridge Publications and released by Dateline Communications through Business Wire Features on April 8 contains a substantive error with regards to Canadian swimmer, Mark Tewksbury. ``We ask you to print the following retraction or `kill' the story. ```We strongly regret the implicit impression left by the feature article `Good Sportsmanship vs. Big Money' by *Bob Adams* that Mark Tewksbury, three-time Olympic medalist and member of the Canadian Olympic Association, was stripped of his status as the best because he tested positive to the use of banned substances. Mr. Tewksbury has always been an anti-drug advocate and resigned his Olympic posts in protest over the inability of the IOC to seriously clean its own house.' ``Thank you.'' Contact: Dateline Communications Beverly Widder, 310/581-2680 This is the related article from April 8, 1999: FEATURE/*Bob Adams*: `Good Sportsmanship vs. Big Money' FEATURE... --(BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES)--April 8, 1999--The following release is a statement issued by *Bob Adams*: GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP vs. BIG MONEY by *Bob Adams* With the recent -- and ongoing -- revelations on drugs, athletes and the Olympics, has the integrity of good sportsmanship finally -- and perhaps irreparably -- been breached by the insatiable appetite for big money? When I grew up, I looked to sports professionals as my great American heroes. Honor and integrity and hard work were key ingredients that made the best, THE BEST. For this reason, I went into pro football playing tight end for the 49ers, Steelers, Patriots and Falcons. Since retiring, however, I have watched an alarming -- and growing -- shift in sports as more and more performance-enhancing drugs and *steroids* have invaded both the amateur and professional arenas. The considerable and continuous publicity accorded this apparent epidemic of drug abuse -- "doping" -- amongst athletes, has also sparked speculation on why its all happening. Among the causes most frequently alluded to are the lure of big money in salaries and product endorsements; the seemingly uncaring demands of coaches and owners for constantly better results; and the incessant threat that the athlete is only a micro-second away from being replaced. However, I have found that there is an underlying factor which is not taken into account -- morality; or, more accurately, the lack of it. Since playing pro ball, I have gotten involved in the NFL Players and Alumni Association's non-profit foundation to assist youth in developing wholesome, productive lifestyles to combat the pressures of drugs in sports. In the absence of a moral code that athletes can subscribe to, they readily become prey to the use of drugs to get "the edge" in competition as they feel the need to get -- and keep -- the big money in sports. Recent exposes, for example, have shown some of the very best in sports -- Mark Tewksbury (swimmer), Ben Johnson (Track & Field), Uta Pippig (marathon), among them -- who have been stripped of their status as the best because of testing positive to the use of banned substances. Not only is it personally destructive for the athlete, it is fatally destructive to the athlete's status as a role model for youth -- reducing an individual of marked accomplishment who once lived by the code of "good sportsmanship" to someone who flagrantly gets away with using and abusing drugs, selfishly and erratically walking off the court or field citing personal problems and a boxscore of other complaints, and disruptively demonstrating an utter lack of responsibility and personal accountability to the sport. I have found a very workable technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard, which I have very successfully used, for several years, in working with a wide variety of youth organizations to give youngsters -- particularly fledgling athletes -- a firm, solid base for living without succumbing to the temptation of drugs. This technology is Scientology and it is explained in a book titled "What is Scientology?" based on the works of Mr. Hubbard. From it, an athlete will get a basic understanding of personal integrity and what this has to do with setting and achieving goals. I recommend this book to the athletes I work with, as it is available now in bookstores everywhere and does provide the concrete, practical, effective solution to what I consider the underlying problem -- the intense competitive and behavioral stresses faced by every athlete today, professional or amateur, young or old. I even tell parents to find out about Scientology for themselves in the book "What is Scientology?" because children who apply its principles are better able to survive and to maintain their integrity as future athletes. I genuinely feel that the day will return when good sportsmanship and personal integrity will win over and we will not only have top athletes who truly are the best in their field, but who once again exemplify the attributes of the true hero. CONTACT: Dateline Communications Beverly Widder, 310/581-2680 KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA -----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==---------- http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Google Home - Advertise with Us - Business Solutions - Services & Tools - Jobs, Press, & Help ©2004 Google