Sitting out Brian McKeever is a terrible call

WHISTLER, B.C. – Congratulations, sincerely, to Alex Harvey, Ivan Babikov, George Grey and Devon Kershaw, Canada’s men’s cross-country team at these Olympics. They didn’t win any medals, but a couple came close and they have had some outstanding performances in a sport in which Canadian men historically are seldom competitive.

That said, unless they finish 1-2-3-4 in Sunday’s 50-kilometre mass start, whoever made the boneheaded decision to leave Brian McKeever, the legally blind athlete who had a chance to make history as the first Paralympian to compete in the Games, should be fired. Immediately.

KEVIN MCGRAN/TORONTO STAR

Brian McKeever speaks to reporters in the mixed zone at Whistler Olympic Park on Feb. 27, 2010.

This is an appalling decision that disgraces the entire organization – an organization that exploited this athlete for publicity purposes without cautioning that he might get dumped at the last second. Surely we can hope someone at a higher level gets it and revises the starting list. Or else one of the other four athletes graciously steps aside.

Do the Olympics need to be entirely about numbers? Does sport always need to be strictly about winning and losing? Can the global inspiration provided by this young man, spread by worldwide media interest since he was named to the team, not figure into things?

Does someone named Inge Braten, the coach who said he needed “to be professional’’ and therefore left McKeever off the team, according to official sources, not understand the situation here?

“I have to choose those guys who are best for the 50-km race,’’ he said, which is fine in any other kind of situation. But we’re dealing with a bigger issue he obviously cannot see.

Good luck to the four guys he named – two of whom were complaining of tiredness earlier in the week when they finished well back in the relay race – but they have all raced at these Games.

McKeever, and all he represents, can’t get one shot to make history? Not one of those four guys can step aside and say, “Go ahead, take my spot?’’

That’s not the spirit of the Olympics – or the spirit of sport. Not to me, anyway.

Comments

[Paul Parker]

Why are Canadians such a greedy lot? I suppose next you'll be petitioning for admission into the United States...

[James Fram]

Your comments regarding the Olympic organization are right on the mark. They have enjoyed the PR generated by the excitement generated by the thought of this individual skiing. And the organizing committee has known the numbers of our cross country skiers from day one. For one of the other skiers to step aside is not a reasonable suggestion however. They may have been in the Olympics already, but they have trained and fought for this as well. It's not like saying, oh here step ahead and I'll go later. If our team was aware of these potential problems, I wonder why they were not discussed earlier?

[alex]

This is the olympics....the best of the best. If the athlete won his way into the competition then so be it. But lets not start granting spots based on handicaps, or what makes you [the author] feel good. you compete based on your skill, not based on what would be a nice thing to do.

[Jono]

People with disabilities want to be treated as equals, and want to earn their spot like anyone else. 4 other guys deserve to be there more than him, based on performance and ability. Putting him in just because of his disability would be pandering, and I don't think that's truly the best message to send.

[K. Thomas]

A Facebook group has been created to demonstrate, to those involved, just how the vast majority of Cdns feel about this slap in the face.

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=10150093134655554

We, as Canadians, need to let the COC know that this is not acceptable. I may be wrong but Brian has more Olympic Gold than anyone else on that team and is undoubtly the most prepared.

[Bruce]

Get real. This is a team sport and they have to put the best team on the snow, so to speak. It is truly remarkable that he made the team and he had a shot at being in a race, if one of the others were hurt or under performing. That is not the case so he is not racing.

I find it rather insulting to the disabled to suggest he should be in the race as some kind of publicity stunt, rather then on merit.

[Gary Kingston]

c'mon, to suggest one of these four guys, who have worked extremely hard over four years to put themselves in position to race this race, should step aside just because Brian McKeever, an athlete with a disability, has a chance to make 'history.' is ridiculous. Paralympians have competed in Olympics before on the summer side, so the 'history' argument is dubious.
Rail on the people at Cross country for letting this situation happen, although "firing" whoever is responsible is a typical over-reaction. They should be criticized long and hard for not indicating strongly that McKeever's selection to the Olympic team did not guarantee him a starting spot. And for using McKeever for publicity purposes, but a "firing." Get real.

[A. Lang]

I am in FULL agreement with this article. I just saw McKeever on television try to explain to the reporter the decision made and you could see he was fighting back his frustration and anger. Very sad state of affairs. Like the Slalom skier from Ghana, this is more about being able to actually be a part of the Games. No medal is expected, but, to say you did it - that's the important part.

[Ash]

As a person with a disability I would be insulted if I was given a spot just out of pity or pandering or whatever. That's not a step forward, that's a step backwards.

[Dakerie]

I can't believe the attitude and behaviour of Canadians over the last two weeks. McKeever qualified for a spot on this team and deserves to race. Long distance racing is his specialty. The attitude has been win at any cost. Many people will be leaving these Olympic games with a far different opinion of us than they had when they arrived. I am sure that we came across just as boorish on worldwide television as we did in person. Our athletes, for the most part, have represented Canada well, but the Canadian spectators (and background partiers), VANOC, the COC and CTV did not represent the Canada I thought I lived in.

[DE]

K. Thomas.....I beg to differ, how does having TWO PEOPLE register as members of a Facebook page suggest to you that the vast majority of Canadians support his participation. Teams are selected based on skill and skill alone....or would you like to bring race, age and sexual orientation into the mix too.

[Uptown]

All this chatter about "merit" justifying keeping him off the team is more of exactly the same sort of attitude that disgraced Canada once already with the "own the podium" obscenity.

After all, there is more than one kind of merit. Whatever happened to the Olympic spirit, the founding principle that the Games were about individual achievement and inspiration, not medal counts, bragging points, and statistics?

Put McKeevor in - from what Perkins says, one of the team members will probably allow it if given a chance, and then fire - publicly - whoever took him out. It's time to start holding people accountable for some of the pettiness and stupidity that is marring a great competition.

Our athletes and ordinary citizens in Vancouver are doing a great job. I'm proud of them.

Their bureaucrats, not so much.

[Julie WRight]

I'm in total agreement with this article, the organization should be ashamed. There was so much more at stake here than just a medal. Brian earned a spot on this team fairly, and deserved to compete. It's not like the other guys didn't get their Olympic moment. If the coach is worried about exposure for his sport, I'd love to tell him how I had this marked on my calendar for weeks, strictly because of Brian. What a message this would have sent to the world, about our country and society and what we value.

[JR Jake]

Life is not fair and people are exploited everyday for a variety of reasons, handicapped or not. If Brian was slighted even though he was better than any of the other four, than a discrimination claim might be justified.

Committees make decisions everyday and the problem yours have is they did not explain their rationale which leaves them subject to much speculation as to the decision making process. If it was simply "I need the best four athletes" and Brian did not fit the bill, different story.

Dave, I applaud your stand against inequities, but I would hope the Olympic Committee would change their stance before they are taken to task. Let's not end these games on a negative note, because so much has been accomplished. Let's make it one more positive.

[J. Brown]

So is Dave Perkins asking the better athletes to sit so the disabled man can get his name in the books?

I don't really understand his point of view? We are there to compete and win medals, not many countries say "Lets sit our best athletes so our spares can feel good" There is no mention of Fleury not getting a starting spot for hockey. He’s a capable goalie but he’s probably not going to get a chance to play.

If the other 4 people were picked based on ability and performance that’s all anyone can ask. You cant ask for one member of a team to be treated diffrently then all the rest.

While the Olympics do have feel good moments they are still a competition.

[S.J. White]

I am disabled and I would NEVER expect a better athlete to be pushed aside to let me race just BECAUSE I was disabled. Please, get a grip people, this isn't a charity and we as disabled people do not want to be treated as charity cases. If I was better than at least one other of the 4 racers then there would be issue.

[DE]

Interesting how Perkins omits the part about the other four athletes who all finished in the top 16 of the 30K race - some producing seasonal bests - who had earned the right to represent our country as our four best 50K racers. The Olympic creed is faster, higher, stronger - sorry, good decision - but as usual the media creating something out of nothing. And by the way, the COC didn't go out of there way to promote his inclusion on the team, that was the media.

[NorthOfT.O.]

Next you'll want to give out little trophies to all the competitors who didn't win a medal.

It's the freakin' Olympics--where the nations' best athletes are supposed to compete for glory and country. The BEST athletes.

If this fellow was in the top four in the country, regardless of seeing ability then he should compete--but he's not--so he doesn't compete here. That's the issue. Period.

[Superpeach]

Unfortunately, this abhorrent behavior is very much the spirit of the olympics.

[K. Thomas]

DE....Given that the group has only been active for less than an hour your comment about number of members is somewhat premature. As for your comment about selection being made on skill, and skill alone I agree. Brian made the team based on his skill and thusly should be allowed to compete.

[Rob]

The guy is 5th best out of the 5, and only the top 4 compete. Seems pretty cut and dry to me. There are always reserves sent to the olympics in every sport, and surprise surprise there are tons of athletes who are on the teams but don't actually play.
You really think he should be put is just because he's handicapped? That he should get special sympathy treatment? What a horrible attitude to the olympics. You always start the best athletes you can... no exceptions.

[Rob McMenemy]

I'm just not sure what Mr. Perkins is upset about. Is he upset that the team has not set aside it's goals so that an individual can get their glory by being the first athlete to compete in Summer/Winter or is Mr. Perkins upset because he thinks it should the "polite" thing to do for non physically challenged athletes to give up all their hopes and dreams and years of struggle - because what the hey they weren't going to medal anyway.
Either way he is wrong. There are many fine athletes in this country who struggle and train and overcome challenges big and small and are not invited. For the Olympics only the best may compete. It is what the Olympic dream is all about. Competing with the best - not the politically most correct or those chosen from the kindness of our hearts. If the media made a big deal or Mr. McKeever's possible participation in the "regular" games it does not mean the others who have earned the right should forfeit it for a feel good moment. It sucks for everybody who does not make the cut, but that is the essence of competition. Remove the competition in favor of a sentiment and you no longer have that thing that is the pith of all athletics - competition of the finest.

[James Edmonson]

It's interesting how many commenters seem to ascribe to the "Winning is everything," doctrine or are excusing this episode with glib assessments like "Life is not fair." This "Own the Podium" nonsense has really gone too far. It's not as if McKeever isn't a skilled athlete. Winning medals is nice but how often does a nation get to celebrate (and put on display) an athlete like McKeever? The Olympic games are an opportunity for nations to show the rest of the world what their people are made of. If we don't think McKeever is the type of person and athlete fit to represent Canada then we need to seriously reconsider our values as Canadians. I realise the "Olympic spirit" was sold out to corporate sponsors and professional athletes long ago, but Brian McKeever presented a rare opportunity for us to the show the rest of the world the type of rugged, pioneer courage and determination our nation was built on. I know these games are a moment of great pride for many of us, but in some ways I think we've spent too much time worrying about medal counts and forgotten that we can be proud of more than just seeing our compatriots on the podium.

[Eduardo in Toronto]

The COC and all coaches have a responsibility and obligation to Canada and all Canadians to put the individuals into the competition who have the best chance of winning. That being said, hats off to Brian McKeever for being great at his sport given the challenges he faces.

[David B]

The decision to go with the four best was the right decision for the manager to make, that is his job. Denying a more qualified skier who has earned the right to ski is wrong. Suppose he the manager had put McKeever in and Canada came fourth just missing a medal, he would have been condemned for putting sentimentality ahead of sound decision making. Don't get me wrong, I would have loved to see McKeever ski but the decision was made in the best interest of the team which is the responsibility of the manger. Perhaps the manager should have referred the decision to an authority who is paid to put sentimentality ahead of sound judgement.