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

[K. Thomas]

Rob....Actually Brian earned his spot on the team by placing FIRST in a 50K race in December. He competed against able-bodied skiers and had a lead of over one minute at the finish.
I do believe that no other member of the team can boast a first place finish in a 50K race and with that being the case he would, or should, be considered the best and therefore should race.

[Willis]

The Olympics are not a charity event and getting into competition shouldn't be a matter of whether you are physically impaired.

I too am dismayed by this outcome, and if anything, i would like an extra spot to be opened up for Canada, here(but that's my selfishness), however I feel the best people should compete and the coach should be allowed to coach.

[Julie wright]

Let's not forget, what we'd be giving up if Brian raced.
That is, not much. Based on what I've seen so far, these guys are not going to medal. So yay, we'll get to see an 8th place finish, which no one will remember,
instead of something wonderful & historic. More to life than winning, folks.

[Bill Hopkins]

Sorry, Perkins, but the object of any competition in the Olympics is to WIN. And the coach has to make the final decision as to who can best achieve that goal, based on performance, not "feel good".

[Annemarie Wyszkowski]

Canadians need to come to terms with the fact that we can be nice and still yet want to win. That's possibly the legacy we should strive for - how to be graceful winners. Having the desire to win and put our best athletes forward is not something we need to feel embarrassed about. All kudos to Mr. McKeever for his remarkable achievements thus far as well as "Own the Podium" in igniting a passion and a self-belief in our abilities.

[Alex]

I am disgusted by the people who think this descision was wrong. This is the olympics...the 4 best race. the next time you get a raise at work offer, it to the guy who isnt quite as qualified..because he might deserve it, and it would make you feel better. Dont you think the people who finished ahead of him deserve something for that? Do you beleive that the 4 guys ahead of him got to that point becasue they were lucky, and got extra credit for not having a disability? NO, they worked hard to EARN that position. McKeever is an amazing athelete and person, but he isnt one of the 4 best on the team. Maybe in 4 years we can send the most "feel good" team to the olympics. Dont bother to tune in becasue they wont be in the medal rounds on tv, but heh, we did the right thing. Once you start putting people into events based on what would be noce/look good/make you liberals feel better, then it isnt the olympics anymore....well, its the special olympics.

[W. Reid]

Just saw this fine man interviewed on CTV. He was clearly upset and disappointed but came across to me as a classy and mature individual who doesn't spend his time whining about the unfairness of the world just because things don't go his way. A good representative for Canada and the Canadian way. Proud to have him as fellow Canadian. Wish him well next month and hopes he gets another chance at Sochi.

[Billy]

Wow is Perkins ever wrong about this. I think the media desperately wants to make a story out of this. But people should not be given a leg up because of a disability. I 'm sure you guys really wanted a feel good story. But he isn't good enough so let it go.

[AD]

You wrote: ""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."

That last sentence is kind of the wrong way of stating things in this case, no?

[James Edmonson]

"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."

Eduardo, is "winning" the only thing that matters to Canadians? That's such an American sentiment. As the legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi famously said (and many Americans faithfully live by): "Winning isn't everything. It's the only thing." To put this in perspective, in 6 months time no one will remember much less be talking about who won this event. Conversely, if one of McKeever's teammates (all of whom have already had the opportunity to compete at these games) had volunteered to step aside and let Brian have his spot that would have been a moment of sportsmanship and sacrifice for one's countryman that would have gone down in Olympic history and been remembered at every winter games for years to come. Would that not have been an act Canadians could be proud of? Would it not have been in our national interest to have one of compatriots behave so admirably on a world stage? Have we really become just like the Americans in that we have an insatiable desire to "win" at all costs?

[John Vincent]

James Fram, I think you are missing the point. The organization exploited the situation when it suited them and benched him at the last second when they didn't need him anymore as a poster boy. That is not the right thing to do. If you fail to see that then this country has bigger problems.

[John Vincent]

I apologize James Fram. I misread the order of comments and attribution. My comment was ment for Alex, who posted below you.

[Harry B]

How would it be fair for this guy to bump off one of the other four skiers, who for them this is the only Olympics in 4 years, when he still has yet another shot at the Paralympics in a couple weeks time?

[fairsfair]

The selection of athletes for particpation is not purely based upon hard stats. Various sports select who's hot, who isn't labouring after previous events - which apparently two of the 5 skiers are - or other factors such as what an athlete might do (leadership/motivation) for a team. The cross country event is indeed a team event that relies as much upon previous times as it does upon strategy, chemistry and motivation. Put mckeever in and demonstrate the true spirit of the games.

[Michael Salovaara]

Why turn McKeever into a victim? Both you and the news story connected to this column are the ones victimizing McKeever. He got to a place where millions of Canadians never even get close. He got competitive on the world stage. The fact that he got cut does not diminish his accomplishments. What does diminish him as an athlete is your moaning over the reality that he needed to meet the same standards as every other athlete. That fact alone says that McKeever has broken through an important barrier - the barrier of low expectations. If you and other sports writers and commentators are sincere in your support, then perhaps you should see what he has accomplished and hoist him on your shoulders as the world class competitive athlete he clearly is.

[Brendan]

Why should any of the top four skiers not get to perform simply because they are not blind? That would be discrimination against the abled. If the skier in question had've been number 3 out of 5 and had been cut then yes I could see your point but he wasn't. I'm really getting tired of the bleeding hearts at the Toronto Star who'll support any cause so long as it makes for a good story.

[Tom Beshoff]

I usually agree with Mr. Perkins. Not today. Sport is about this very thing--Competing for--and winning a spot. It's the athlete's job to do the things to make the coach select him or her and it's the coach's job to choose the right athletes. Brian McKeever is a remarkable athlete, no question. But to suggest that we take away a spot from the other four athletes, who have done the work the coaches asked them to and have outperformed Mr. McKeever, solely on the basis of the fact that Mr. McKeever is an inspiration, is hogwash.

[Chuck Diesel]

I suppose it's entirely fair to the other 4 who spent 4 years trying to qualify for the olympics to ask them to step aside so a guy worse than them can compete because he's blind. This is ridiculous. Perkins please find someone who can't write and read and fork over your job to them as a journalist immediately or you're a disgrace to the spirit of journalism.

[Roadrobber]

I cannot disagree more with the author of this article. This is not the "Politically Correct Olympics" or a employment equity issue. It is sports and you go with the players who you think will win. I wouldn't expect the newspaper industry to understand this. I wish the media would stop being so negative all the time.

[hasil]

I don't understand this and I know a large group of Grade 4 and 5 students who have been following McKeever's student definitely won't either. They have been reading about Brian and talking about his perseverance despite his challenges. He qualified for this spot and he should still be able to compete.

[Geoff Barnes]

I can't help but feel that Dave Perkins is being a little hypocritical complaining in one breath how this athlete has been exploited for publicity purposes and how wrong this is and then advocating having Brian McKeever compete so that we can have an inspiring story that ultimately the media and journalists like Perkins can exploit just the same. Its quite unfortunate we can't field all the athletes that have trained so hard for this day but its not the case and how fair would it be for the most dersving athletes being passed over for Perkins feel good story? That said, I am blown away by Brian McKeever's story and how far he has made it in spite of the challenges he faces.

[Ziggy]

I’m sorry; I can’t find Perkins choice of athlete that should have his Olympic dream crushed for a “feel good story”. The words of critics without solutions are not worth the paper they’re written on. Placing Brian McKeever ahead of a more qualified skier is not making history. It’s pandering.
By the way, starting or joining a Facebook group to protest anything is akin to holding your breath until you get your way. In both instances they only work on weak willed soccermoms. Nobody cares.

[Drew M]

If McKeever did not have any disability, would he been allowed to ski? If no, then it should be no regardless. This is what plagues this country - entitlement.
Why should a lesser athlete be allowed to compete at the expense of a better athlete? How about earning one's right to compete instead of relying on "pity".

[Chev]

This is perhaps the worst article I've ever read. Its purposefully inflammatory without any real content. Come on, as Canadians we are all proud of this man. Further, the coach made a tough decision based on fairness, what you are asking of the coach is ridiculous. Cheers to the young man for honing his craft and almost making history, and cheers to the coach for making a hellish decision. Certainly no cheers to the overly correct Dave Perkins. I may never read this guy again.

[Ed Murphy]

Brian McKever is part of the olympic team have we missed that point, Bravo. All of these athleles commit themselves to the sport to be the best they can be. We select the best athletes to represent Canada. Brian was not selected for this event his job now is to support his team mates not cause desention. Follow the examples of Martin Bodoeur or Fluery support your teamates. Suck it up this nonsense to rest.