Ski

So Bode's doing a Koz? The story said that he was in PC to quit the team...just speculating, but he can't be quitting the WC...he must be hiring his own coaches and paying his own way. And now he'll get to sleep in his bus and party like it's 1999 (or, uh, the 2006 Olympics). What's really interesting is that now we get to see Bode's results doing everything the Bode Way, and not with all those rules and expectations. Cool.

Hey, now, what about your Mark Spitz in a Speedo poster? Actually, as far as Square Pegs go, I like the chick that plays Bode Miller's wife in Still Standing: Did I say Bode? I meant Bill Miller...

Ah crap, Shadows, now that's what I'll think when I see her...like when they described that chick from Square Peggs and Sex in the City has having a face like a foot. You never go back.

Ha, I'd take Shannon Elizabeth any day, but Shannon can't ski for shit, isn't a total hippy chick, and hasn't skied Vail topless for a newspaper shoot...Sarah has done all that and I think there's more to just looks that makes a girl hot. Aren't all the PASR chicks a little hotter 'cause they hang out with us?

FRANCONIA, N.H. (AP) -- A cousin of skiing star Bode Miller fatally shot and ran over a police officer, then was killed by a passer-by who grabbed the officer's gun. Liko Kenney shot Cpl. Bruce McKay four times and ran over him after a traffic stop Friday evening, state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte said. Gregory Floyd, who was driving by with his son, grabbed McKay's gun and shot Kenney when he refused to put his gun down, Ayotte said. The 24-year-old Kenney was convicted of assaulting McKay and resisting arrest in 2003. Ayotte had no other details of that previous incident between the men, and rejected suggestions the officer should have let someone else handle the traffic stop given his history with the driver. Officials said McKay pulled Kenney over for speeding on Route 116. Kenney took off, and McKay pursued him for about 1 1/2 miles before pulling in front of Kenney's car and pushing it off the road. The officer used pepper spray on Kenney and his passenger and then turned around and was shot, Ayotte said Saturday at a news conference in Concord. Soon after, Floyd arrived and confronted Kenney while his son called for help using the officer's radio. Authorities said Floyd was justified in shooting Kenney. The 48-year-old McKay was a 12-year veteran of the Franconia Police Department. "It really tears at the fabric of the community and the fabric of the state," said Gov. John Lynch, who visited the town of about 900 residents Saturday as people paid their respects and brought flowers to a police station. Bode Miller's father, Woody Miller, said there was a history of animosity between the officer and his nephew. "They had a long relationship," said Miller, who operates an international tennis camp in nearby Easton. "There's been physical altercations between them before in the course of being arrested." Miller said Kenney, who lived next door to him, didn't have a steady job, but often took work cutting firewood and picking fiddlehead ferns, a wild green that grows in the region and is considered a delicacy. Bode Miller, who once bailed his cousin out of jail, was on his way home to Franconia, his father said. Miller was in Park City, Utah, this week, meeting with officials of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. At that meeting, the former Olympic medalist told officials he was cutting his ties with the U.S. team. The shooting happened near this town in the White Mountain National Forest, popular with skiers and tourists who visited the Old Man of the Mountain, a rock formation and the state's symbol that crumbled into pieces four years ago.

She just retired, so she's got plenty of time to give you long back rubs and run out for chicken wings.

Wow, your afternoon therapy must have gone well

Sarah Schleper...

Some people seem to look better in speed suits than others...

Wow, it's almost like you're trying to pick a fist fight with me. How the heck do you plan on doing that while hiding in your computer?

Okay, I'll just try this once directed just to Glenn... Glenn: with professional sports in America, the astronomic salaries are passed on directly to ticket holders. Those ticket holders have a voice, though, and can simply choose not to buy the tickets. They would be heard and the salaries would come down. But that hasn't happened. Salaries go up along with ticket and concession prices. It's supply and demand. With ski racing in America, there are some differences. The price being paid for enormous salaries does increase the price of ski gear. The upside is that we get gear that's technically better, since there's R&D being done on every run. But there's a downside that the European press doesn't have any interest in, because it doesn't effect subsidized race programs abroad, and the American press couldn't give a crap about because it's ski racing. The downside is that---very quietly---sponsorship for hundreds of American junior ski racers has dried up. Take away all blame and what Bode should or shouldn't do, it's a simple fact that the skyrocketing ski racer salaries are having a very negative impact on junior ski racing in America. I don't hate Bode for having an agent and milking every dollar he could get. I dislike Bode for things like quitting a race in a childish huff. But people should understand that it's a mistake to think Bode is good for anything or anyone other than Bode. American kids no longer have the same benefits of sponsorship that Bode relied on to succeed as a kid.

C'mon, DH, are you just pretending to be that thick? Jeez, ask Santa for a subscription to Sports Illustrated and Money Mag. Get up to speed on what's been wreaking havok on sports. How dare anyone blame the athletes and their agents! It's the damn owners fault! Don't blame the poor athlete that makes it impossible for families to go to games...it's those freaking owners that WANT to shell out the money. Listen: Austria and other nations subsidize their skiing programs. American kids rely on corporate sponsorship. Bode and his agent led the charge that broke the bank and American kids suffer. Bode takes up space on the US Ski Team and parties his ass off before wasting everyone's time at the Olympics...he happily accepts MY money from USSA membership dues...then he breaks the bank of junior sponsorship. But still, DH does not get it. It's Head's fault. Oh, well.

DH, at least read up on a subject first. There's a huge movement in all pro sports for salary caps...there's a whole movement by stockholders of major companies to cap CEO salaries...I know your really not into other sports or the Russell 2000, but there's a lot going on out there that you seem not to know about. Is it shared blame? Should Head have emptied the bank for Bode? They felt they did. But what I care about is the bottom line. Bode hired a hardball agent and got the most he could. The other top skiers followed suit. Now, there's no money left for junior sponsorships. That's it. You and 1st Grade and Rob say Bode is good for the sport. The facts say his contract drained money away that was critical for development skiers. Dude, remove some of your hate from me and just use a little common sense...imagine if ARod's contract meant that the Yankees had to stop sending hundreds of bats and balls to Little League programs around the country. Imagine then, that other major leaguers used the same tactics and suddenly all Little League programs lost their funding. And there's DH saying not to have hard feelings toward ARod. ARod's fat and rich and showing signs of raging alcoholism and his contract has left Little League in shambles, but he's still good for the sport when he's not quitting in a huff and cussing out his teammates.

The trend here is that you ALWAYS attack ME for stating my opinions about Bode. Oh, wait, I was mostly expressing the opinions of World Cup ski reps. Again, you are wrong about me. Totally. I grew up in Tewksbury, NJ, which is a really nice place. Further, since you are so incredibly interested in my life, I was co-captain of my baseball team and a three-year starting varsity goalie at Voorhees HS. My high school life was pretty good, compared to most. In fact, I really hope my daughter has as positive of a high school experience as me. I was surrounded by really good friends and missed them a lot when I made a last minute change from Rutgers to GMU. That's why I think it's really important to teach a strong work ethic and some old school values when it comes to competition. If you haven't noticed, I hate show off's and posers and bullies. Did I get my ass kicked growing up? 1st Grade, I grew up the son of a college educated marine...he started me on a lifetime of weight lifting that began when I was probably in fourth grade. I could probably bench press you when I was in the sixth grade. But here's the secret: if you are strong and confident in your beliefs, you don't have to fight. My only serious fights have occured in clubs, where I stepped in when some drunk frat boy was stepping over the line with a girl...and that used to happen quite a bit. I'm old fashion, 1st Grade. You, on the other hand, hide from everyone. Why is that? Drool over reps? Why would I? I have a great friend that reps Nordica and I could have gotten some great slalom skis at a 70% discount...but eBay had a set of 'new in wrapper' for $37.50. Okay, so maybe I drool over a set of $38 new race stock skis on eBay, but I don't drool over reps. Why would you even say that? For effect? I have a strong opinion about a public figure, yet you always turn it into a personal attack on me. Such a troll thing to do. I mean, c;mon, should I call you a nappy headed hoe for trashing reps? It's just lame.

I know six reps and one is an especially good friend. None has ever lied to a kid or his family. Why would he/she? What's to gain? In fact, they are brutally honest. They explain the point system and what likely the best track for each racer. Jeez, when did reps become the anti-Christ? So, yeah, you're still batting .000. I didn't tell Bode how to make a living. I just explained how it has hurt junior racing in America.

Racing isn't for everyone; park comps aren't for everyone. No worries. After all, isn't freestyle skiing an alternative to the rigors of racing? Not to say there isn't cut-throat freestyle comps. But if any junior racer wants to get to Bode's level, then they better be prepared to commit themselves like Bode did as a junior racer. There are no shortcuts if US kids want to be competitive against Euro kids that live to bash gates. I respect kids that work hard toward goals and sacrifice school dances and parties---if it's what they really want. It's just not for most kids.

Ski manufacturers used to compete to see how many kids at a Junior FIS race would be on their boards. Fisher went through a period where it seemed like every race was what they called "A very yellow day". Those days are gone because of Bode Miller, according to the reps. IDK why you are so concerned about "attention". Is that a park thing? If you act like a dick at a ski race, that doesn't make you good; it makes you a dick. TO brings a lot of attention to himself, how the hell is that good for the NFL? AI brought a lot of attention to himself, was that good for the Sixers? Bottom line: money that was earmarked for junior sponsorship is now funneled to Bode Miller. That's good for American ski racing in what way?

Wrong. Tiger brings 50,000 spectators to PGA venues. Tiger is a classy man that sets an amazing example for aspiring junior golfers. Tiger has used to success to bring golf to inner city youth, as well as middle class white kids. Tiger led a resurrgence in a sport, wherein Bode has made it harder for American kids to ski race. Bode is no Tiger Woods.

Well, I guess the reps from Head, Volkl, Atomic, Rossi, K2, and Nordica are full of shit and you two know better. Yeah, those companies have had layoffs and have had to pull sponsorships as a sinister campaign just to hurt kids. Have you guys ever heard of Major League Baseball? It's an amazingly rich sport, but is being destroyed by the players union. They fought for free agency (I don't have time to explain what that means), but the fallout is that the seats and snacks that cost a family of four $60 in 1979, now cost $490 in 2007. Believe it or not, there are things going on in sports that you don't understand, yet real fans are talking about on MB's every day. Let me try to help you with this, since you seem to care so much: The difference between Michael Jordan making $10 million and Bode Miiller making $10 is this: the NBA is an American sport. World Cup racing is not, nor are most ski manufacturers. MJ brought fans to the venues, while Bode Miller does not. Example: MJ sold out every game for the Chicago Bulls; no American ski areas really want to bother with the hassle of World Cup races. MJ and ARod and even all the asshole bad boys of the NFL create tremendous revenue for the sport in America, while Bode is a leech. DH, I've said Bode is an asshole for quitting and acting like an asshead to his teammates. Did you miss that? Bode is a terrible deal for AMERICAN ski racing. He might be fine for Austria, but I'm not raising Austrian ski racers. You say I missed the point, but I guess it's you that missed that. Pro athletes in America have commanded astronomic salaries in the last few decades. They have a unique talent, just like the best, IDK, brain surgeon. But do you understand that because a second string NBA player makes $6.5 million dollars, YOU cannot afford to go to a game. You seem to celebrate Bode saying "Show me the money", but the fallout is that US junior ski racing suffers tremendously because of his greed. Look beyond your trolling, DH and 1st Grade, and really think about the facts. K2, Fisher, Rossi, Atomic, Head...I think that's the order. No sweat.

Why the beef with racer kids? First off, companies don't give freebies based on 'need'...they give them based on talent. The want to build brand loyalty, which is a waning concept. It isn't about being rich or underprivileged. The demographic of the typical racer kid at the top academies might surprise you. In fact, the top female prospect that was profiled in Ski Mag two years ago lived with her mom in a one bedroom apartment near Waterville Valley. The mom worked full time in PR and had a part time cleaning job. The girl's job was to get straight A's and win a college scholarship, while also skiing the Junior FIS circuit. Kids like this are all losing thousands of dollars worth of gear because every spare dollar is going to pay World Cup racers. What will that do to the future of ski racing? And, btw, where would Bode be if K2 didn't sponsor him as a kid? Nice how he's giving back by destroying the future of the sport. I'll bet you $50 my post is 100% accurate and 0% "stretch". Oh, wait, you're just being a troll. Nevermind.

Racing is 100% believing in yourself and in your gear. There's no separation. And I'm just guessing that your disdain for eBay is because you couldn't figure out how to use it like the rest of the planet. That's okay...I don't fill my own cavities because that's beyond me, too. But the gear on eBay---just so you'll know in the future---is RARELY real race stock or customized gear that they would have given to junior racers. EBay is filled with overstocks and three year old models. You can find the exact gear to fill the needs of a top junior racer, but you have to really know what your doing. But, yeah, there's lots of great deals for recreational and other lower lever racers. You think ski companies are cash cows, eh? You somehow have concluded that despite all the problems the ski industry as a whole has endured in the last decade, Head and Atomic are thriving?

Ha, I guess they were too embarrassed to post it on their website. On a related note, have you been reading any of the stories about why all the comp skis have been taken away from the kids? Sponsorship for all but a very few elite junior racers is gone, according to reps from each of the top ski makers, to pay the salaries of World Cup racers. Bode broke the mold by hiring a cut-throat sports agent and other top racers followed suit. Now the money has dried up for the kids. That's cool, right?

?

Or, as you watched him blow out of three turns, you'd know to tell him to stop blaming other people and take responsibility for a lousy run and tell him he's not four years old anymore. But we all handle our kids differently...I suppose there's no totally right or wrong answer, though...

BTW, who named him skier of the year? Sh*t, I'm hereby officially naming Doug Vertical Man of the Century. Hey, maybe it was to make him feel better for the 2 guys that beat him in slalom at Nationals; the 11 guys that beat him in downhill; or, maybe the 49 US guys that beat him in GS. That his nearest teammates only finished 11th and 26th in the Overall, it was kind of a no-brainer. All Bode bashing aside, let me ask any parents a real question: if your kid finishes one second behind in the first of a two-run race, then screams that you did a lousy job prepping his/her skis and storms off in a huff and refuses to finish the race, what would your reaction be? Okay, so I'm the only person on the planet that thinks that was a shithead way to end the season. But, hey, it's fine that some people still get down on their knees for Bode...Ligety smoked him at US Nationals, but had a crappy year. Of course Bode would be named as the best US male...who else? Nyman?