As U.S. sprinter Marion Jones looks to add to her Gold
medal count in Sydney, her "quest became even more
difficult" with a "new and unexpected distraction" over
whether her husband, shotputter C.J. Hunter, tested positive
for performance-enhancing drugs, according to USA TODAY's
Christine Brennan (9/25). Hunter is denying the report that
he has tested positive for the banned substance nandrolone
(Mult., 9/25). In Baltimore, John Eisenberg writes that even
if Hunter is innocent, the charge "damages the credibility
of Jones, the Games and all involved" (SUN, 9/25). FSN's
Keith Olbermann: "Except maybe endorsement-wise, what does
his steroid test have to do with her?" (FSN, 9/24). NBC's
"Today" show led with the news on Hunter (NBC, 9/25).
ALL HAIL MS. JONES: Meanwhile, by winning her first
Gold medal over the weekend in the 100-meter race, David
Whitley of the ORLANDO SENTINEL wrote NBC's "miniseries Mrs.
Jones Goes for Five Golds was not prematurely canceled"
(ORLANDO SENTINEL, 9/24). In Arizona, Dan Bickley wrote
Jones "may be the only person who can save NBC Sports
Chairman Dick Ebersol's job" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 9/24). In
Seattle, Steve Kelley wrote under the header, "Marion Jones
Only One Who Can Save NBC Now" (SEATTLE TIMES, 9/23). In
Miami, Linda Robertson: "We need Marion, an old-fashioned
star, to save the Olympics" (MIAMI HERALD, 9/24). In Salt
Lake City, Martin Renzhofer wrote that Jones is "smooth and
glamourous," with a "smile brighter than the Olympic flame"
(SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 9/24). In Chicago, Jay Mariotti wrote,
"We are simply too immersed in Mrs. Jones to care about much
else. Consider it another statement about women and how
they are taking over the Games" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 9/24).
In DC, Amy Shipley called Jones the "Woman of the Games,"
and the "one story line [with] a chance to drive up
flagging" U.S. TV ratings (WASHINGTON POST, 9/24). In St.
Petersburg, Gary Shelton: "Jones is running to save the
Olympics. We need a hero" (ST. PETE TIMES, 9/24).
GANGING UP ON GREENE: In DC, Michael Wilbon wrote that
while Marion Jones "is perfect," men's 100-meter Gold medal
winner Maurice Greene is, "at best, tolerable." Jones is
"adored" in Sydney, while Greene is "barely applauded."
After winning his Gold Saturday, Greene was "just another
ham." When he held up his shoes "for everyone to behold,
they booed" (WASHINGTON POST, 9/25). In Orlando, David
Whitley called Greene the "World's Fastest Clown. That's
probably a tad harsh. On the irritability scale, Greene is
much closer to a cellular phone than Saddam Hussein"
(ORLANDO SENTINEL, 9/24). In Detroit, Mitch Albom noted the
trash-talking among the male sprinters and wrote, "Honest to
goodness, when did sprinting become so ... wordy? ...
Somebody should shut these guys up" (DETROIT FREE PRESS,
9/23). USA TODAY's Christine Brennan calls Greene
"perfectly preposterous" for his "preening, strutting,
trash-talking" after winning his Gold (USA TODAY, 9/25).
Greene was interviewed by NBC's Matt Lauer on the "Today"
show, and Lauer told Greene the Nikes he threw into the
stands on Saturday now have an estimated value of $100,000:
"Maybe I shouldn't have thrown them in there. But the fans
here in Sydney were so great, they deserve it" (NBC, 9/25).
